With a generous P10 million (~USD 180,000) guarantee to start the year, PokerStars LIVE's Manila Super Series 19 Main Event kicked off at Okada Manila Wednesday last week, attracting a total of 649 entries to shatter the guarantee and generate an P11,079,728 (~USD 200,000) prize pool.

Only 95 runners returned to the tables after four grueling starting flights that saw Joemark Vasay and Renniel Galvez — acknowledged as the little giants of the game — fighting it out for the title.

As we went to press late Sunday, Vasay got the better of their heads-up duel to capture his second Pokerstars LIVE championship worth P2.2 million.

Looking to bag another PokerStars Main Event victory as of Saturday were previous champions Jason Kyle Magbanua, William Ysmael, Lester Edoc and  Vasay.

Galvez and other decorated local pros Renato Villanueva Jr., Czar Ian Marcos, and Christopher Mateo similarly made the list.

The four starting flights wrapped up across three days of play and saw 95 survivors advance, making the minimum payout of P30,000 (~USD 540). Flight C headlined Saturday's schedule and saw the largest field at 268 entries turn up on the felt.

An additional 40 qualifiers joined the list with Metro Team Pro Czardy Rivera topping the Flight C field. Rivera took advantage of bubble time to amass more chips and bring in a 636,000 stack (127 BB), just below Flight A chip leader Lenart Ecarma in the overall pecking order. Mongolia's Ganbold Battulga also qualified for a second time, stacking a much bigger 507,000 (101 BB) to start the Day 2 festivities.

Wrapping up the qualifying rounds, all eyes shifted to the hefty P2.2 million (~USD 39,635) top prize with only 95 runners left in the game.

SOMUCHPOKER.COM