15 Aug Anthony Castro Leads Batang Metro Day 1A After Winning NLH Turbo
The third annual Batang Metro Poker Challenge kicked off today with 109 runners turning up for Day 1A. Among the players in attendance were some of the country’s biggest names that included Marc Rivera, Moses Saquing, Maxwell Rosete, however all of them failed to advanced to the ITM round. Luckily there are several more chances to qualify.
On the successful end, 16 players bagged up led by Anthony Castro with 472,000 in chips. Castro was fresh off a victory at the BMPC NLH Turbo side event. He will be the player to catch for the following heat.
Batang Metro – Main Event
The 2024 Batang Metro Poker Challenge Main Event is one of the Metro Card Club’s most popular annual events. This year, the stakes have been raised to an ₱8 Million guarantee, however the target is the ₱8,032,570 (~USD 142,840) prize pool set last year.
Dates: August 14 to 19, 2024
Buy in: ₱15,000 (~$260)
Guarantee: ₱8,000,000 (~$140,000)
Day 1A: 109 entries / 16 advanced to ITM round
| Rank | Player | Stack |
| 1 | Anthony Castro | 472,000 |
| 2 | Stephen Castillo | 454,000 |
| 3 | Quang Linh Tran | 326,000 |
| 4 | Rene Mar David | 224,000 |
| 5 | JC Estrella | 191,000 |
| 6 | Michael Concepcion | 170,000 |
| 7 | Rotmen | 146,000 |
| 8 | Richard Marquez | 104,000 |
| 9 | Ilyoung Son | 104,000 |
| 10 | Winifred Obedoza | 102,000 |
| 11 | Lemmor Patulot | 101,000 |
| 12 | Raphael Bulaong | 90,000 |
| 13 | Dan Ola | 75,000 |
| 14 | Kervy Datay | 60,000 |
| 15 | Justine Jay Berardino | 55,000 |
| 16 | Rene Pacayra | 51,000 |
Batang Metro – Main Event Structure
Up next is Day 1B which takes place on August 15 starting at 2pm. If you miss that heat, there are three more to try to secure a piece of the pot.
Players start with 25,000 which is 250 times the opening blinds. For all Day 1 heats (except the Day 1E turbo flight), blinds increase every 30 minutes. Registration closes at the start of Level 11. This is Big Blind Ante – ante first – format until the final table where the Regular Ante will be in effect. All Day 1 flights play down to ITM of 14% of the field. From Day 2 onwards, blinds increase every 40 minutes.
If you are just hearing of this event, the BMPC was established in 2019, in search of the next generation of poker talent. While the first two seasons were won by decorated pros John Francis King and Lester Edoc, in 2023, local poker enthusiast Marvin Cerbit0 shipped it to lift his first ever Metro major title. In addition, the win included a career high payout of of ₱1,438,589 (~$25,580), giving Cerbito a healthy bankroll for future tournaments.
The next champion could be you!
Batang Metro – Schedule
Metro Tourney Most Valuable Player Leaderboard
At the start of the year the Metro Card Club introduced the Metro Most Valuable Player Leaderboard. Players can accumulate points via Metro Daily Tournaments and Metro Festivals such as the Batang Metro Poker Challenge. At the end of the year, the player with the most points accrued will be crowned the top Metro tournament player of 2024 and will win huge prizes – ₱100,000, 4D/3N at The District Boracay, and a 1 year contract as a Metro Team Pro. Read up on the mechanics below.
No Comments