Main Event

Following five hours of final table play, the MSS 20 Main Event wrapped up with Japan’s Chogo Kento lifting the title after defeating local runner Ronato Alcano in heads up play. Chogo started the day with an average stack yet continuously chipped up to eventually land the top spot. Chogo took high variance spots which paid off and earned him a healthy stack to maneuver his way through the end. For his victory, Chogo takes with him PHP 3,670,000 in winnings which includes a PHP 120,000 valued APPT package.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Full payouts and final recap to follow.

Button Chogo Kento opened to 1,200,000 and called off Ronato Alcano’s 6,000,000 jam. The board 5♣ K♥ 2♥ 6♠ 3♥ missed to pair either player, shipping the overall victory to Chogo with ace high for the final hand.

Button Chogo Kento shoved all-in with J♦ 8♦ and was called by Ronato Alcano with A♠ 7♦ . In for a race, the board landed J♥ A♥ K♥ 2♣ 9♣ , saving Alcano from elimination.

A limp pot saw flop 6♥ 7♥ 7♦ . Alcano pulled a check raise to 1,500,000 and Chogo Kento continues behind. On turn T♥ , Alcano check called a 3,500,000 bet from his opponent followed by a final 11,200,000 on river 4♠ . Chogo shows 2♥ 3♥ for a flush, crushing Alcano’s T♦ 6♦ .

Button Kento Chogo opened to 1,100,000, called by Ronato Alcano. On flop J♠ 7♣ 7♠ , Chogo continued for 800,000, check called by his opponent. Turn 4♦ this time, saw Alcano lead for 2,000,000 and Chogo puts in the call. Alcano bets all-in on river 8♦ and ships the pot after Chogo gives it up.

Button Chogo Kento opened to 1,000,000, called by Ronato Alcano. On flop 9♠ 3♠ 4♠ , Alcano check called for 400,000 and saw turn 8♠ . Both with a check, a 7♦ rolled on the river on which Alcano sent out a 2,000,000 bet. Chogo surrenders and makes the fold.

Button Ronato Alcano opened to 800,000, called by big blind Chogo Kento. On flop 9♥ 6♣ 2♠ , Chogo led for 600,000. Alcano clicked back to 1,200,000 and Chogo bumped it up further to 2,000,000. Alcano completed and saw turn 3♦ , where both players checked it through. On river 7♦ , Chogo bet 1,500,000 and Alcano makes the final call. Chogo shows 9♠ T♠ and picks up the pot.

A limp pot rolled flop 6♦ T♦ 3♥ . Checked to Chogo Kento, he fired a 500,000 bet, check called by Ronato Alcano. On turn 8♣ , Chogo barreled another 1,300,000 and Alcano folds.

Button Lee Woosang opened to 800,000 and was called by both players on the blinds. All three checked flop 5♦ 7♦ 9♣ through, moving on to turn A♠ . Checked to Lee, he bet all-in for 5,600,000 and faced Chogo’s Q♦ 6♦ combo draw. Lee with A♦ 5♣ , needed to fade a ton of outs and was crushed to see the river J♦ fill up his opponent’s flush for his elimination.

Button Chogo Kento opened to 900,000, joined by big blind Ronato Alcano on flop J♥ 9♠ 7♦ . Chogo fired for 1,000,000, check called by Alcano. On turn T♠ , Chogo sent out another 1,500,000 and collected the pot after Alcano was unable to continue.

Ronato Alcano defended his big blind vs a button open from Chogo Kento and saw flop Q♠ A♣ 9♠ . Chogo continued for 500,000 and another 800,000 on turn 5♥ . Alcano called both streets and checked river 3♣ for showdown. Alcano tables A♦ 6♥ , Chogo with a muck.

Button Ronato Alcano opened the action and saw both players complete. Action on flop 7♣ T♣ Q♥ was checked through, revealing turn 4♦ . Checked to Alcano, he bet 500,000 and was met with a raise for 900,000 more from Chogo Kento. Alcano puts in the call and sees river 9♣ . Both players check it down and Chogo shows Q♠ T♥ for the win.

Small blind Ronato Alcano opened to 600,000, called behind by Chogo Kento. On flop 3♦ 6♣ 4♣ , Alcano continued for 600,000, called once more by his opponent. Alcano barreled a heftier 2,000,000 on turn A♠ and ushered a fold not long after.

A limp pot blind vs blind, Chogo Kento led with a 300,000 bet on flop K♠ T♦ T♥ , called by Lee Woosang behind. Turn A♥ saw Chogo this time, check raise to 1,200,000 and Lee completes. On river A♣ , Chogo fired a hefty 3,000,000 with Lee making the final call with T♣ 4♠ . Chogo tables A♦ 2♠ for a better full house to ship the massive pot.

Button Ronato Alcano opened to 600,000 and saw Lee Woosang defend from the big blind. Alcano fired two streets on board 6♣ Q♥ J♣ 5♣ 7♥ with Lee check calling the two bets. Both players checked the river to showdown, revealing Lee’s 9♥ T♣ missed draw, no good against Alcano’s A♥ K♥ .

Button Ronato Alcano opened to 500,000, called by small blind Chogo Kento. On board J♥ 3♦ 5♦ 8♣ 9♦ , Chogo led all three streets with Alcano eventually giving it up by the river. Chogo collects a nice boost with no showdown.

Button Lee Woosang opened to 600,000, joined by big blind Ronato Alcano on board A♦ 2♠ A♥ 2♦ 5♠ . Action was checked down to the river where Lee bet 500,000. Alcano check called with Q♥ 6♣ and shipped the pot after Lee mucked.

Button Chogo Kento opened to 550,000 and called off big blind Kim Kihyung Bok’s 3,450,000 all-in with K♠ T♠ . Kim is ahead with T♦ T♥ but crashed shortly after the board Q♣ J♥ A♥ 4♦ Q♦ rolled a straight for his opponent.

Chogo Kento defended his big blind vs cutoff Lee Woosang’s 550,000 open and headed to flop 7♥ K♦ 3♠ . Both players check it through, pushing Chogo to lead for 400,000 on turn J♥ . Lee continues and checks down river 3♦ . Chogo shows K♥ 5♠ and claims the pot with top pair.

Another limp pot blind vs blind, board ran J♦ 5♣ 8♥ and saw Ronato Alcano lead for 250,000, called by Kim Kihyung Bok behind. On turn A♥ , Alcano fired another 500,000, Kim with another call. River 5♦ was checked by both, revealing Alcano’s K♣ 8♣ , good against Kim’s 9♥ 8♦ .

A limp pot, board 3♣ 4♠ 6♣ 2♦ 6♠ was checked all the way down to the river where big blind Kim Kihyung Bok sent out a 250,000 bet. Ronato Alcano calls behind and mucks after Kim revealed 6♥ 8♥ .

Small blind Ronato Alcano opened to 500,000 and called a 1,200,000 three bet from big blind Chogo Kento. On flop 2♦ 3♣ 6♥ , Alcano check called for 750,000 and moved on to turn K♣ . Both players check it through, revealing river 6♣ . Alcano leads for 1,500,000 and Chogo makes the final call. Alcano shows A♣ 4♣ , taking the pot down with a flush to beat Chogo’s J♦ J♣ .

Button Chogo Kento jammed in his 4,025,000 stack with A♥ 6♦ and was called by small blind A♦ 8♦ . Dominated, Chogo was in luck after the board 6♥ Q♥ K♥ 4♠ 9♦ gave him a pair of sixes to survive through.

Hijack Anthony Gabitan flicked in his 470,000 stack with A♥ 7♣ and was called by both players on the blinds. Action on board 4♣ 4♠ 3♥ 6♥ J♦ was checked all the way to the river where Kento Chogo showed Q♣ 9♣ and Lee Woosang with J♥ 6♠ . Lee takes the pot with two pair, leaving the final table four handed.

Utg Chung Ju Won opened to 400,000 and was joined by two callers on flop 2♠ 6♠ J♦ . Checked to cutoff Lee Woosang, he bet 500,000. Chung check raises all-in for 500,000 more and Lee gets it in with A♣ J♠ . Chung is in trouble with A♠ K♠ and headed for the exit after the turn Q♦ and river J♥ completed the board.

Kim Kihyung Bok defended his big blind against cutoff Chogo Kento’s 450,000 open and went on to see flop K♣ 6♦ T♥ . Chogo continued for 300,000 and another 500,000 on turn K♥ . Kim called one barrel but eventually gave it up by the turn.

Small blind Alvir Inocentes opened to 400,000 and was met with a shove from Lee Woosang behind. Inocentes called off for his 3,500,000 stack with J♠ J♣ , in for a flip against Lee’s A♥ Q♠ . The flop T♣ K♥ 4♥ ran clear for Inocentes up until the turn Q♦ turned the tables. The river 6♠ sealed the win for Lee, earning him another boost as the chip leader.

Hijack Kim Kihyung Bok defended his open and called a three bet to 1,000,000 from button Ronato Alcano. On flop 5♣ 2♦ 9♣ , Kim check folded after Alcano sent out another 1,000,000.

Utg Ronato Alcano limp called a 325,000 raise from small blind Kim Kihyung Bok and saw flop 2♣ 7♠ 6♣ . Checked to Alcano, he fired 500,000 and Kim folds.

Utg+1 Ronato Alcano opened to 320,000, joined by big blind Kim Kihyung Bok on flop 3♦ J♦ 2♦ . Alcano fired 320,000 and anther 1,700,000 on turn 8♠ with Kim check calling both streets. On river A♣ , Alcano pulled the trigger, enough to convince Kim to give it up and save his 16 BB behind.

Small blind Mariano Balfagon pushed all-in for 3,000,000 with A♦ 8♣ and was called by big blind Lee Woosang with K♠ Q♠ . The board ran 6♠ 8♠ A♠ 4♣ Q♥ , giving Lee a flopped flush to knock his opponent out.

Hijack Kim Kihyung Bok opened to 350,000 and gave it up after button Ronato Alcano bumped it up to 700,000.

Cutoff Lee Woosang opened to 250,000 and called off small blind Anthony Gabitan’s 500,000 jam. In for a race, the board Q♣ A♥ 3♦ K♣ K♦ quickly landed in Gabitan’s favor, earning him a much needed double up.

Facing a hijack open and two calls in front of him, big blind Lee Woosang pulled a squeeze for 1,100,000 and took the pot down uncontested.

Utg Czar Ian Marcos went with A♠ 7♣ for his last 1,420,000 and was called by Ronato Alcano with A♥ K♣ . Dominated, the board J♥ 6♣ A♦ 4♦ 5♣ offered no salvation for Marcos as he headed out as the day’s first casualty.

Mp Ronato Alcano opened to 250,000, joined by big blind Lee Woosang on flop 7♦ 8♥ K♠ . Alcano continued for 450,000, check called by Lee. Turn 7♥ went check check, moving on to river J♦ . Lee this time, led for 1,100,000 and Alcano folds.

Mariano Balfagon defended his big blind against mp Ronato Alcano’s open and headed to flop Q♥ K♣ A♣ . Alcano continued for 1,000,000 and Balfagon check raised all-in for 90,000 more. Inocentes flicks it in and shows K♦ Q♣ , crushed against his opponent’s J♥ T♠ . The turn 7♣ and river 9♦ offered no help, leaving Alcano to bag the loss.

Cutoff Chung Ju Won opened to 300,000 yet shortly folded after big blind Alvir Inocentes clicked back to 600,000.

Small blind Chung Ju Won opened to 250,000, called behind by Chogo Kento. Action on flop A♥ 9♠ J♠ was checked through, revealing turn A♣ . Chogo bet 200,000 and another 500,000 on river 9♥ with Chung check calling both streets. Chogo shows 3♥ 7♥ , no good against Chung’s K♥ 8♥ .

Cards in the air, good luck to the final nine!

The record breaking PokerStars LIVE Manila Super Series Main Event is down to its final day festivities with yesterday’s Day 2 having established its final nine players. Local runner Ronato Alcano leads the pack with a 48 BB chip stack to start the closing rounds, trailed closely behind by South Korea’s Bok Kihyung Kim with 46 BB. Action resumes at 16:00, Level 30: 60,000 / 120,000 ante 160,000, running 40 minute blind levels all throughout.

Kicking off on May 29 2024 at Okada Manila in the Philippine metropolis, the 20th edition set new heights with 1,277 entries across four Day 1 flights to generate a shattering prize pool of PHP 21,800,944 (~USD 374,560).

Dates: May 29 – June 2, 2024

Buy in: PHP 20,000 (~USD 350)

Guarantee: PHP 10,000,000 (~USD 171,800)

Prize pool: PHP 21,800,944 (~USD 372,525)

Entries: 1,277 (1,011 unique)

ITM: 194 players

Flight A: 228 entries, 35 qualified

Flight B: 330 entries, 50 qualified

Flight C: 475 entries, 72 qualified

Flight D Turbo: 244 entries, 37 qualified