The live tournament scene across the Asian region has been buzzing with high-octane action. We saw several exciting poker events in the recent past, including Poker Dream Malaysia, WPT Cambodia and USOP Taiwan festivals. Embarking on a great start to its 2024 season, PokerStars LIVE is gearing up to steal the show with its biggest Manila Megastack 18 edition set to hit the felt in just two days at Okada Manila, Philippines.
The festival this time boasts its biggest PHP 37,000,000 (~USD 660,400) in guaranteed prize pool to be awarded across 55 events from February 15 to 25, 2024. The 11-day extravaganza will be highlighted by the PHP 45,000 buy-in Main Event featuring an increased guarantee of PHP 20 Million, nearly double of last December’s edition.
The Main Event runs from February 21 to 25, featuring four starting flights between February 21 to 23. Each flight will play down to 15% of the field (ITM) for a coveted spot into Day 2, scheduled for February 24. The champion will be crowned on February 25. Apart from the seven-figure payouts, the top two winners will also receive a PHP 120,000 2024 APPT Event Packages taken from the prize pool, adding an extra layer of prestige to this exhilarating spectacle.
Key Highlights From Previous Manila Megastack Edition
The previous edition of the Manila Megastack Main Event was the most successful one in the tour’s nine year history. The event drew a staggering 870-entry turnout and racked up a record PHP 26 Million (~USD 475K) in prize pool, breaking all previous records and making it the biggest main event in tour’s history. The largest chunk of that prize pool went to Japan’s Masafumi Matsushita who emerged the main event champion to claim his first PokerStars trophy and close to PHP 4 Million (USD 71K) following a heads up deal.
Team India’s Performance At Previous Manila Megastack Main Event
Manila Megastack Main Event holds a special significance for India. In the previous edition of the Main Event, two Indians, Chirag Shah (captured below) and Dilip Menon, secured noteworthy cash finishes. Shah earned an impressive PHP 103,000 for his 33rd place finish, while Menon pocketed PHP 75,000 for his 59th place finish in the tournament. Remarkably, Shah topped Team India’s scorecard at the series, cashing in multiple events. His biggest score of the series came in Event 9: Freezeout Challenge, where he secured the runner-up position to South Korea’s Shin Hyeonho, claiming an impressive PHP 235,000 in prize money.
Key Attractions of Manila Megastack 18 Edition
The upcoming festival has something for everyone with buy-ins ranging from PHP 5,000 (~USD 89) to PHP 200,000 (~USD 3,570). The series starts with PHP 1 Million GTD Early bird on February 15, which is followed by PHP 16,500 buy-in Kickoff event with PHP 3 Million GTD (February 15-17). The action continues with PHP 5,000 buy-in Hot Hyper Turbo with PHP 1 Million GTD (February 15-18), PHP 55,000 buy-in Deep Stack Challenge with PHP 2 Million GTD (February 17-18), PHP 20,000 Mystery Bounty with PHP 2 Million GTD (February 18-19), and PHP 10,000 Hot Turbo with PHP 2 Million GTD (February 18-21). The PHP 15,000 Mega Stack Turbo (February 21-25) has an enticing PHP 5 Million GTD and will be followed by PHP 30,000 Freezeout Challenge with PHP 1 million GTD on February 24.
Additionally, adding to the excitement will be the PHP 200,000 Buy-in Super High Roller, Mini High Roller, High Rollers and Single Day High Roller, High Roller Knockout, and the nightly Turbo events.
Additional Rewards & Prizes
Apart from the hefty cash rewards to be won, players who post podium finishes in some of the specific events will receive either a Main Event seat/ packages to the APPT games scheduled to run later in the year.
The top three finishers in Early Bird will receive PHP 45,000 Main Event entry, while top two finishers in Mystery Bounty will earn PHP 75,000 APPT Manila Main Event entry. The Kickoff winner will receive PHP 120,000 APPT Main Event Package, while the winner of Megastack Turbo will be awarded PHP 120,000 APPT Main Event Package. So, gear up for the upcoming Manila Megastack where you can not only win incredible cash prizes but also secure entry into the prestigious APPT Manila Main Event
Image Credit: Poker Calendar Asia, PokerStarsLive & SMP
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