Countdown to Metro’s PHP 20M GTD Asia Poker Championship

48 hours left on the clock before the awaited 2022 Asia Poker Championship kicks off with its first day of festivities! Hosted by Philippines’ largest poker room, Metro Card Club, the festival’s second edition is gearing up for a massive Php 20,000,000 (~US$ 382,000) in guaranteed prizes across its week-long schedule. 

The exciting festival takes place from June 6 through 12 with a Php 4,400 Mega Satellite happening tomorrow for those looking to get a seat for cheap. Buy-in for the Main Event is posted at Php 40,000 + 4,000 (~US$ 840) with five starting flights to lock in a seat for Day 2.

Buy-in: Php 44,000 (~US$ 840)
Starting stack: 40,000
Level duration: 40 minute blinds
Format: Big blind ante (switches to regular ante at the final table)

Day 1A: Monday, June 6
Day 1B: Tuesday, June 7
Day 1C: Wednesday, June 8
Day 1D: Thursday, June 9
Day 1E (Turbo): Friday, June 10
Day 2: Friday, June 10
Day 3: Saturday, June 11

Final Day: Sunday, June 12
Final Table: 8 players, 60 minute blinds

Working in partnership with Korean Mind Game Members (KMGM), an additional field of 300 international runners is expected to boost the number of attendees for this season’s events. Pre-pandemic, the renowned poker venue is a popular stop amongst Korean players with J88Poker’s own Jae Wook “Justin” Shin even bagging a Metro title himself. Don’t forget Metro’s own Team Pro featuring the country’s biggest stars Mike Takayama, Lester Edoc, Marc Rivera, John Tech, and Vamerdino Magsakay amongst others, who will definitely grace the tables with their prowess.

Noel Araniel

Over 500 entries were recorded in APC’s inaugural edition, easily smashing past its Php 5 million (~US$ 95,000) guarantee. Local Main Event winner Noel Araniel pocketed a seven-figure score amounting to Php 1,525,877 (~US$ 30,000) following a four-way ICM deal in the final table. The top payout however, went to runner-up Martin Gonzales who took home Php 2,238,066 (~US$ 42,000) from the Php 10,495,400 (~US$ 200,000) generated prize pool. ​​

All Day 1 flights will play through 12 levels of 40 minute action except for the last flight (Day1E) which runs under a turbo format and 20 minute blind levels. Starting stack is at 40,000 with multiple re-entries allowed following the “Best Stack Forward” policy. Cards are in the air at 11 a.m. giving players just enough time to register before its closing at the end of level 8 daily. Day 2 is slated for six hours of play with runners heading to Day 3 playing down to the final eight players. Blinds for the final table will increase every 60 minutes with Metro’s new RFID feature arriving right in time for the biggest event of the year. Tune in to Metro’s official Facebook page on June 12, 2022 for the livestream of the entire final table gameplay and the crowning of the latest APC champion.

Other side events

Aside from the Main Event, the scheduled side events have also seen a boost in its overall entry fees with buy-ins ranging from Php 11,000 (~US$ 210) to as high as Php 110,000 (~US$ 2,100) for the High Roller event.

K.O. Bounty: Monday, June 6 @ 4pm – Buy-in: Php 11,000
No Limit Hold’em Turbo: Tuesday, June 7 @ 4pm – Buy-in: Php 11,000
No Limit Hold’em Turbo: Wednesday, June 8 @ 4pm – Buy-in: Php 11,000
Power Button: Thursday, June 9 @ 4pm – Buy-in: Php 16,500
High Roller: Saturday, June 11 @ 3pm – Buy-in: Php 110,000
Monster Stack: Sunday, June 12 @ 11am – Buy-in: Php 22,000