Inside 2026 Metro Walk To A Million feat. ₱7.15M in Guarantees

Long before poker exploded across Asia, before livestreams and seven-figure tournament series became commonplace, Metro Card Club was already dealing cards.

Nearly two decades later, it remains the longest-running card room in Asia—a proving ground where countless local hopefuls learned the game, sharpened their instincts, and, in many cases, launched careers that would carry them onto the international stage.

Photo: Metro Card Club

This June, one of Metro’s most beloved homegrown events returns as the Metro Walk To A Million takes center stage once again. Running from June 19 to 29, 2026, the annual mid-tier buy-in festival has evolved into one of the most anticipated mid-year events on the Philippine poker calendar.

Metro Walk to a Million: Past to Present

What began as a modest festival featuring a Main Event guarantee of ₱1.5 Million steadily grew alongside the local poker community, increasing to ₱2 Million in 2022, ₱3 Million in 2023, and ₱5 Million in 2024. Each year, the guarantee proved merely a starting point.

By 2024, the event reached new heights when the prize pool ballooned to a record ₱6,695,000 (~USD 114,150), producing the first millionaire in MWAM history in Jamie Zaragoza. He walked away with ₱1,230,000 (~USD 20,970), linking his name with one of Metro’s most significant milestones.

Photo: Jamie Zaragoza

Yet the story of the MWAM is not defined by a single champion. Looking back through its history reveals a roll call of Main Event champions that reflects the diversity and growth of Philippine poker. Mark Amparo, Jason Kyle Magbanua, and Oliver John Tapel each captured titles before Zaragoza’s breakthrough victory elevated the event to a new level.

Photo: Dino Sabatini

The following year, a foreign player claimed the title. Irish online professional Dino Sabatini topped the 1,216 entry field  to pocket ₱872,500 in winnings from a prize pool of ₱6,080,000 (~USD 106,400).

Now in its sixth edition, the hunt for the next champion is about to begin.

MWAM Main Event 
Date: June 24 to 29, 2026
Buy-in: ₱6,000
Guarantee: ₱5,000,000
Day 1A: June 24 ,2026 – 30 min blinds
Day 1B: June 25, 2026: 30 min blinds
Day 1C/1D: June 26, 2026 – 30 min / 20 min blinds
Day 1E/1F: June 27, 2026 – 30 min / 20 min blinds
Day 2: June 28, 226 – 40 min blinds
Final Day: June 29, 2026 – 40 min blinds

MWAM Gets a Taste of the Gods

Photo: Gods of Poker Gauntlets

Adding another layer of intrigue to the festival is the Gods of Poker Arena Event, a tournament that offers players a direct pathway into one of the most anticipated festivals of the second half of the year.

Scheduled ahead of the upcoming Gods of Poker Manila festival in August, the Arena Event serves as both a qualifier and an introduction to the GOP experience.

Players will get a taste of GOP’s signature Cronus Structure, a format unlike anything else currently offered in tournament poker. The concept is simple: deep starting stack combined with only a single blind increase before registration closes!

In an era where structures often accelerate quickly, the Cronus format emphasizes post-flop play, patience, and strategic depth.

Gods of Poker Arena Event
Date: June 22-24, 2026
Buy-in: ₱3,300
Guarantee: ₱1,000,000

Day 1A, 1B, 1C: June 22, 2026
Day 1D, 1E, 1F: June 23, 2026
Day 2 / Final Day: June 24, 2026

Beyond the ₱1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool, one player will win a coveted seat to the upcoming Gods of Poker Manila Main Event where the brand’s most iconic trophy, the Gods of Poker Main Event Black-and-Gold Gauntlet is up for the taking.

Breaking Down the Flights

Players begin with a stack of 60,000 which is 120 times the opening blinds. Players that enter at Level 2 still have 60 times the opening blinds. And for those that max-reg just before Level 3 begins, your stack is still a healthy 30 times the opening blinds.

Best Structure: Day 1A or Day 1D, blinds increase at a cool and steady pace. Level 1 runs for 60 minutes and Level 2 for 90 minutes. Registration closes at the start of Level 3, after which blinds increase every 30 minutes until the money is reached.

Fast Structure: Day 1B and Day 1E feature 40-minute and 80-minute opening levels, with registration closing at the start of Level 3 and blinds increasing every 20 minutes thereafter until ITM.

Very Fast Structure: Day 1C and Day 1F are the fastest flights on the schedule. These flights feature a 30-minute Level 1 and 60-minute Level 2, with registration closing at the start of Level 3 before blinds increase every 15 minutes until the money is reached.

Once Day 2 begins, the structure settles into 30-minute blind levels throughout the remainder of the tournament until a champion is crowned.

It is a unique structure offered nowhere in the world except at the Gods of Poker festivals and Arena Events.

Other Events With Guaranteed Prize Pools

The MWAM festival offers a combined ₱7.15 Million guarantee. Listed below are other events backed by  guaranteed prize pools.

• MWAM Pre-Event: ₱500K GTD – ₱2,200 buy-in
• MWAM 100K GTD Special – ₱1,500 buy-in
• Ladies Showdown 50K GTD – Free to Enter, Re-Entry ₱1,100, Re-Buy/Add-On ₱1,000
• Deepstack 200K GTD – ₱3,000
• The Closer 300K GTD – ₱4,000

The MWAM Pre-Event kicks off the games on June 19, 2026 with four flights across two days. The top 14% of the field advance to the ITM stage on Day 2 on June 21, 2026. This is a great way to jumpstart your bankroll for the rest of the festival.

Metro Walk To A Million – Schedule