12 Feb Wall-To-Wall Action As Romel Calderon Rides Momentum At PPT Main Event Day 1A
Wall-to-wall action as players came out of the woodwork for the 2026 Philippine Poker Tournament Main Event at Metro Card Club. Throughout the ten levels of registration, the field was stacked with players from across the metropolis that included Metro Team Pros, former Metro champions, seasoned club regulars, and a strong contingent of newcomers eager to make their mark.
When registration closed, the opening flight drew an impressive 321 entries, setting the tone for what could become the largest PPT Main Event in history.
Photo: Romel Calderon
After a long grind and the bubble overcome, the field was trimmed to just 45 survivors. Several players were in contention for the chip lead however it was Romel Calderon that topped them all, closing the flight with 393,000 (65 bb). Riding high from his NLH 200K GTD victory just two nights earlier, Calderon seeks redemption from his 3rd place finish at this same event last year.
Photo: Federick Cruz
Also cracking the top ten was Federick Cruz, who kept the momentum rolling after his 3rd place finish at the PPT Pre-Event. Building on an already strong 2025 campaign, Cruz racked up 252,000 (42 bb) and showed every sign that his heater was far from cooling off.
Day 1A bagged up at Level 17 blinds 3,000-6,000 big blind ante 6,000 with average stack of 29 big blinds.
Day 1A Survivors: 45 Players
| 1 | Romel Calderon | 393,000 |
| 2 | Japhet Percival Manalo | 375,000 |
| 3 | Mathias Olof Christensen | 347,000 |
| 4 | Riener Magbutay III | 327,000 |
| 5 | Renniel Galvez | 317,000 |
| 6 | Kirk Lloyd Lim | 301,000 |
| 7 | Sky Rox Victorino | 282,000 |
| 8 | Federick Cruz | 252,000 |
| 9 | Aaron James Cruz | 248,000 |
| 10 | Benjamin Mangaliman | 247,000 |
| 11 | Christian Lortie Cloutier | 241,000 |
| 12 | Renato Villanueva Jr | 241,000 |
| 13 | William Ysmael | 240,000 |
| 14 | Nicholas John Woodward | 234,000 |
| 15 | Cassidy Battikha | 228,000 |
| 16 | Mark Angelo Vergara | 227,000 |
| 17 | Johnson Tan | 219,000 |
| 18 | Danilo Ola | 205,000 |
| 19 | Eugenio Bestil Jr | 197,000 |
| 20 | Gyeong Tae Yoo | 197,000 |
| 21 | Michael Francis Ollano | 196,000 |
| 22 | Marlon Laxamana | 192,000 |
| 23 | Louie Jhon Princesa | 188,000 |
| 24 | Jansen Tiu | 177,000 |
| 25 | Paul Gordon Wilson | 174,000 |
| 26 | Jose Padilla | 141,000 |
| 27 | Arvin Ulang | 137,000 |
| 28 | Minsu Kim | 130,000 |
| 29 | Michael Justin Malanowski | 121,000 |
| 30 | Renato Pacia | 121,000 |
| 31 | Dean David Fornea | 114,000 |
| 32 | Lester Edoc | 110,000 |
| 33 | Romeo Silvano | 102,000 |
| 34 | Manuel Geronimo | 101,000 |
| 35 | Justine Talaroc | 101,000 |
| 36 | Kent Del Rosario | 87,000 |
| 37 | Benhur Ybarsabal | 80,000 |
| 38 | Rodolf Ramo | 79,000 |
| 39 | Michael Calunsod | 75,000 |
| 40 | Henri Jasper Santos | 62,000 |
| 41 | Bea Garcia | 59,000 |
| 42 | Jhun Aballa | 47,000 |
| 43 | Crisal Basco | 44,000 |
| 44 | Marc-Antoine Gagne | 42,000 |
| 45 | Glenn Marvin Lee | 28,000 |
More Chances To Enter
For those that fell by the wayside or have yet to make it to the Metro, there are still plenty of opportunities ahead and have a shot at the ₱5,000,000 (~US$ 84,500) guaranteed prize pool. There are four flights remaining with Day 1B ongoing.
Like all Metro festivals, at the PPT, players get value for their buck. Buy-in is just ₱6,000 (~US$ 100) with six flights to choose from. Players receive a 25,000 starting stack which is 250 times the opening blinds. Each flight plays down to ITM of 14% of the field.
Today’s flight (Day 1B) kicked off at 2pm with blinds increasing every 30 minutes. Registration closes at the end of Level 10 at 7:30 pm. It is recommended that players sign up well before the final buzzer as you will only have 16 big blinds at the start of Level 11.
- For players that enter Flights B, C, and E, blinds increase every 30 minutes.
- For players that enter Flights D and F, blinds increase every 20 minutes.
- Registration closes at the end of Level 10.
- Multiple stacks are allowed but only the largest stack advances to Day 2.
- Day 2 and Final Day blinds increase every 40 minutes.
- PPT structure is Big Blind Ante then changes to Regular Ante at the final table.
Joseph Sia Wins NLH Turbo
Photo: Joseph Sia
Having no luck at the Main Event, Joseph Sia quickly turned it around at the evening’s NLH Turbo, outlasting the compact 45 (33 unique) entry field to claim the biggest cut of the ₱136,800 prize pool. He pocketed ₱44,400 along with his career fourth PPT side event trophy.
Ladies Showdown at 6PM
Photo: Bea Garcia
Tonight’s side event spotlight shifts to the Ladies Showdown which kicks off at 6PM. The Metro welcomes women of all skill levels to join the action, whether chasing the title or simply out to enjoy the experience at the tables. This event has steadily gained momentum with each edition, and another strong turnout is expected.
And what’s even more attractive, is that entrance is FREE! Yes absolutely free! This gives players a 10,000 starting stack, equivalent to 100 big blinds. Blinds increase every 20 minutes.
However, if you bust, you will have to dip in your wallet to re-enter. Re-entry buy-in is ₱1,100. Once registration closes, players can add-on which costs ₱1,000. Re-entry, Rebuy, and Add-on all receive a fresh 10,000 stack.
One player expected to be there is Bea Garcia who won the Ladies Showdown at the RVS Cup 2025 and has already qualified at the PPT Main Event however with a short stack.
*The top two finalists will receive a Main Event Satellite ticket in addition to the cash prize.
Power Button at 8PM
Another popular side event runs this evening, the Power Button at 8pm with a buy in of ₱4,000. While it is a regular NLH game, the only difference is who owns the button. As position matters the most, the player that wins the hand holds the button position until someone else takes control. This is one of the funnest games in the PPT menu and it also awards a PPT trophy.
2026 PPT Schedule
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