MWAM: Oliver Lirio Tops Main Event Day 1A; Wenwu Zhou Conquers GOP Arena Event

Plenty of excitement witnessed the past days at the Metro Walk To A Million. The MWAM Main Event drew a storm of players as it wrapped up its first of six starting flights while the Gods of Poker Arena Event surged past its guarantee and found its champion.

Check out those stories below, along with a glimpse at what’s coming next and the prizes that still await players as the festival rolls on.

Oliver Lirio Sets Bar at MWAM Main Event Day 1A

The MWAM Main Event set sail on June 24 carrying its ₱5 Million guarantee, and if Day 1A is any indication, another guarantee-crushing is on the horizon. The opening flight drew a pumping 242 entries, making it the second-largest Day 1A turnout in MWAM Main Event history.

Among those in attendance was Metro Team Pro Joseph Sia, fresh off his recent final table appearance at the WSOP. While many had their eyes on the returning pro, Sia was unable to find a bag and will now have to try again in the remaining flights if he hopes to claim the title.

On the flip side, it was Oliver Lirio who stole the spotlight.

Photo: Oliver Lirio

Lirio topped the 34 survivors at the end of the night with a commanding 521,000 chips (65 big blinds), that’s more than 100K chips ahead of his nearest rival, Danilo Ola with 419,000 (52 big blinds).

A familiar face on the Asian circuit, Lirio burst onto the live poker scene last year with a runner-up finish at the APPT Manila Main Event, and he now finds himself in prime position for another deep run.

MWAM Main Event Day 1A Survivors

The Main Event continues with five more flights yet to complete. For a buy-in of ₱6,000 (~USD 100), players begin with a deep 25,000 starting stack, equivalent to 250 times the opening blinds. Registration closes at the start of Level 11 then bags up once 14% of the field remains. 

Be sure to check the structure below for all the details as starting times and blinds duration varies.

MWAM Main Event Structure

Wenwu Zhou Conquers Gods of Poker Arena Event

Photo: Wenwu Zhou

Before the MWAM Main Event took center stage, the spotlight belonged to the Gods of Poker Arena Event as players flocked to experience the newest international brand to hit the region and its much-talked-about Cronus Structure. The response was immediate with 496 entries across five starting flights, pushing the prize pool to ₱1,428,000.

The final day produced no shortage of storylines, but none bigger than the race of several short stacks who refused to go quietly.

Out of the 67 returning players, Mandeep Singh entered in 66th position with just 7 big blinds. Against all odds, Singh navigated his way through the field and climbed all the way up to a fourth place finish.

Lemuel Magallon faced a similarly difficult task. He started the day in 62nd position with only 11 big blinds then staged a strong climb into third place.

The best run belonged to China’s Wenwu Zhou who entered the final day in 56th position with only 15 big blinds, and steadily built his stack to take command of the final table. By heads up against Jhun Aballa, Zhou was ahead 42-big blinds over Aballa’s 13 big blinds, then easily closed it out.

For his victory, Zhou was awarded the GOP Arena Event trophy, ₱209,480 in prize money, and a seat to the upcoming Gods of Poker Manila Main Event worth ₱82,500.

Relive the action right here: Livestream: GOP Arena Event 

Other Events

In addition to the MWAM Main Event, there are four other titles up for grabs at the side games. All of the events award two trophies – one MWAM and one GOP. The last two events also award a seat to a GOP Manila side event.

Ladies Showdown 50K GTD
Champion: MWAM Trophy, GOP Aphrodite Mirror Trophy

Power Button
MWAM Trophy, GOP Shield Trophy

Deepstack 200K GTD
Champion: MWAM Trophy, GOP Manila Hyper Turbo Power Button, GOP Shield Trophy

The Closer 300K GTD
Champion: MWAM Trophy, GOP Manila Hyper Turbo Head Hunter, GOP Shield Trophy

MWAM Schedule

MTLB Leaderboard

The 2026 Metro Tournament Leaderboard has been running since March 25 and one name has already separated himself from the rest of the pack. Jhun Aballa — the 2026 Metro Summer Event champion who sits comfortably at the top. At the recently concluded GOP Arena event, Aballa earned more points for his 2nd place finish.

*Points below are as of June 14, 2026.