APT Manila Classic: Kunal Patni Tops the List of Indian Winners with Two Titles

The 2025 Asian Poker Tour (APT) Manila Classic, the first APT series of the year, has officially concluded. The series shattered records and set new milestones, but one thing remained constant—the success of Indian players.

We saw many Indian pros competing for the coveted APT trophies, and an impressive six of them etched their names into APT history. Kunal Patni, Natural8 India Ambassador and Director, led Team India’s tally with two titles at the recently concluded festival.

Patni secured two Asian Poker Tour titles in the series, bringing his total APT title count to six. This ace poker pro from Mumbai collected close to $70,000 on the back of two title victories and two cash finishes in the series. With his latest performances in the series, Patni surpassed $1.2 million in live poker tournament earnings.

Kunal Patni’s Power-Packed Performance At APT Manila Classic 

Patni has been on an absolute heater for the past 7–8 months, consistently winning and cashing across Asian tournaments. His first APT title of the recently-concluded series came on Day 3, when he outlasted a 377-entry field to win Event #9: PHP 20K Mystery Bounty Hunter – sponsored by Natural8. For the victory, Patni collected $14,069 and claimed his fifth APT trophy.

A few days later, Patni followed up that victory by shipping Event #75: PHP 150K NLH Single-Day High Roller. He triumphed over a field of 85 entries, securing his second title of the series and his sixth career APT title. For the victory, Patni earned a whopping $52,271.

Indian Winners at the 2025 APT Manila Classic 

Team India made a strong impact in the series, scoring more than two dozen of final table finishes and six title victories. Kicking off things for Team India was Raju Jaruplavath, who won the very first event of the ongoing APT series – Event #1: PHP 12K Philippines National Cup. Following him were Kunal Patni, Birangat Singh Gambhir, and $ 52,271 Jayant Deshmukh, who emerged victorious in the Natural8 India APT Manila Classic – India Exclusive Tournament. It was an online tournament which saw 283 entries, with the final 9 set to fly to Manila to play the final table in Manila. However, one of them could not fly to Manila to play the coveted tournament. 

Deshmukh collected $2,448, his first APT title, and a seat in the Main Event. On the festival’s final day, Avinash Tauro won India’s sixth trophy in Event #99: PHP 9K Hyper Turbo. He overcame a field of 39 entries (35 unique) to notch up his first live title and PHP 1,08,155. Here is a quick look at the Indian players who won trophies at the recently-concluded APT Manila Classic. 

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Source: Asian Poker Tour