RVS Cup: Eoghan MacGabhann Sets Bar At Main Event Day 1A; Shanbang Shi Wins GOP Arena Event

Opening flight of the RVS Cup Philippine Poker Championship Main Event stormed into action at the Metro Card Club, drawing a packed field of hopefuls all eyeing an early seat in the money round of the ₱10,000,000 guaranteed event. Among the contenders were Metro Team Pros and familiar regulars, but by bagging time, it was a new face at the top. Ireland’s Eoghan MacGabhann (pictured below) bagged a commanding 446,000 (89 big blinds) to claim the Flight A chip lead and set the benchmark for the next round.

Over at the Gods Of Poker Arena Event, China’s Shanbang “Lucas” Shi outlasted a loaded final table, defeating Michael Bagdasarov to claim the ₱346,900 top prize and the GOP Main Event package worth US$ 3,000.

To complete the day’s games, just past the witching hour, the NLH Turbo side event found its champion in Australia’s Adam Ford for his first ever live poker title in Asia.

Here are the highlights.

2025 RVS Cup Main Event

It was a bustling day at the RVS Cup Main Event with Day 1A drawing a crowd of 131 runners. Among them were well-known players Marc Rivera, John Tech, Moses Saquing, Edwin Dela Cruz, John Niko Costiniano, and Justin Ong to name few, however by the time the bubble burst, they were nowhere to be found. Instead, out of the 19 players that bagged up, it was newcomer Eoghan MacGabhann who stood tall.

Flight A – Survivors

Blinds at bagging time: 2000-5000 ante 5000

All of the survivors have now booked their spot in Day 2 where they will be guaranteed a piece of the ₱10 Million prize pool. They have a few days off before returning to action on November 16.

Next up is Day 1B. This is the second of six flights scheduled.

• Date: November 12-17, 2025
• Guarantee: ₱10,000,000 (~$168,700)
• Buy-in: ₱15,000 (~$ 250)
• Day 1A: 131 entries / 19 qualified
• Day 1B-Day 1F: November 13-15, 2025
• Day 2: November 16, 2025
• Final Day: November 17, 2025

Structure And Important Info

For players interested in entering Day 1B, it begins at 2pm with registration closing at the start of Level 11, at around 7:30pm. Everyone receives a 25,000 starting stack (250 times the opening blinds). Blinds increase every 30 minutes.

Time-banks will be in play from the get-go. Each player will receive two time-extension chips and one additional at every break. Players bag their chips once the field reaches ITM (14% of entries).

Be sure to review the structure and notes below for all important details.

Shanbang Shi Wins GOP Arena Event

Gods Of Poker, the newest brand about to debut in Asia, staged a qualifier event to its upcoming Eden Awakens Main Event in Jeju, South Korea this December. Over the course of four flights, 628 entered with 84 players reaching the money round. The title came down between China’s Shanbang “Lucas” Shi and Armenia’s Michael Bagdasarov with both players deep and the latter slightly ahead.

Shi took the lead when he paired his {ac}{qc} on the river {7d}{jc}{3d}{6s}{qh} against Bagdasarov’s {6d}{4h} turned pair. On the final hand, both players were just 5 big blinds apart, Bagdasarov shoved his last 21 bb with {qh}{9c} and Shi with 26 bb snap-called with {kd}{jc}. The board ran out {2d}{kh}{10s}{7d}{9s}.

With no deal in place, Shi claimed all the laurels, pocketing ₱346,900 (~$5,865) in cash plus the GOP Main Event package worth US$ 3,000.

• Date: November 10-12, 2025
• Guarantee: ₱2,000,000 (~$33,600)
• Buy-in: ₱5,500 (~$92)
• Entries: 628
• Prize pool: ₱3,140,000 (~$53,225)
• ITM: 84 players

To relive the final table action, head to GOP Arena Event – FB Livestream of click image below for YouTube Livestream.

Adam Ford Wins NLH Turbo

The night completed with Australia’s Adam Ford emerging victorious at the NLH Turbo. Ford outlasted the 49 entry field to turn his ₱3,500 buyin thirteen times over for a payout of ₱46,392 (~$785). Ford has been frequenting the Philippine live circuit all year and finally landed his first trophy in Asia.

Date: November 12, 2025
Buy-in: ₱3,500
Entries: 49
Prize pool: ₱156,800
ITM: 7 places

RVS Cup – Player Of The Series

Beyond the trophy chase, players that reach ITM at any of the events instantly qualify for this year’s RVS Cup Player of the Series title and earn points towards the leaderboard. The player who racks up the most points by the end of the festival will not only be crowned but will also win a 4-day, 3-night stay at The District Boracay, complete with airfare allowance. Full details are listed below.

RVS Cup – Schedule