Takayama & Campomanes Make It to Day 2 of the PokerStars Red Dragon Manila Main Event; 669 Entries Collected
A total of 301 players flocked to Day 1b of the PokerStars Red Dragon Manila Main Event to try and make it to Day 2. But 56 of them had to reenter at one point throughout the day as they couldn’t find the luck on their first bullet so there were 357 entries in total. Day 1c had 99 entries and together with the 213 entries on Day 1a, this means that 669 buy-ins were collected to surpass the ?50,000,000 prize pool guarantee. In actual fact, the total prize pool has come to ?64,244,070 ($1,256,428)!
Day 1b had 107 players making it through to Day 2. Claiming the Day 1b chip lead by a chip difference of a mere 5,000 is Hwany Lee with 303,500 from South Korea. He is followed by fellow countryman Jehun Hong with 303,000. Completing the top 5 are Hainan Li, King Sing Lau, and Kosuke Tajima.
The PokerStars Red Dragon Main Event Day 1b Top 5 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hwany Lee | South Korea | 303,500 | 121 |
| 2 | Jehun Hong | South Korea | 303,000 | 121 |
| 3 | Hainan Li | China | 251,500 | 101 |
| 4 | King Sing Lau | China | 246,000 | 98 |
| 5 | Kosuke Tajima | Japan | 243,500 | 97 |
Even though the South Koreans might have taken the lead in the chip counts, if you look further down, you’ll see some of the more familiar Filipino names that rule the poker world. Mike Takayama bagged 225,000 in chips while Florencio Campomanes collected 202,000 in chips. The latter finished as the runner-up in the Super High Roller two days ago and won the APPT Manila Main Event in 2019. Takayama won two events during the Manila Super Series, the Warm-Up and the Main Event. He collected ?931,800 (approximately $17,700) and the covered PSPC Platinum Pass for the 2019 edition for winning the Main Event.
A Platinum Pass to be Won
What might be even more exciting for some, the first Platinum Pass of 2020 will be given away here in Manila. All players who have made it through, including the online qualifiers who didn't, will be put into the draw for Day 2. A random table will be selected before the start of the day for a flip-out for all players present and the winner will walk away with a Platinum Pass worth around $30,000 for the 2020 PSPC in Barcelona which includes:
? Buy-in to the €22,500 PSPC 2020 event
? Six nights’ hotel accommodation for two in a five-star hotel
? Airport transfers
? Bespoke PSPC Merchandise
? €1,250 to cover expenses
? Platinum Pass winner experiences during the event
Day 1c Recap
Day 1c had 44 players surviving the twelve 20-minute levels that the day featured. Taking the Day 1c chip lead honors is Jun Shi with 164,000 in chips. He is followed by Kai Fu Wong, Melvin Tay, Dong Chen, and Thai Le.
The PokerStars Red Dragon Main Event Day 1c Top 5 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun Shi | China | 164,000 | 66 |
| 2 | Kai Fu Wong | Malaysia | 158,500 | 63 |
| 3 | Sang Guk Im | South Korea | 151,000 | 60 |
| 4 | Melvin Tay | Singapore | 135,500 | 54 |
| 5 | Dong Chen | China | 133,000 | 53 |
Four former champions have made it through too, Alan Lau (Day 1b), two-time winner Tom Alner, Kenichi Takarabe, and Buyanjargal Bold all have another shot at winning the beautiful Red Dragon trophy.
Day 2 Information
Day 2 will start at 1 p.m. local time on Wednesday, January 9 when the 212 surviving players will combine into one field to try to make it to the money stages. The full prize pool details will be announced at the start of Day 2 when Level 13 starts which features a small blind of 1,000, big blind of 2,500, and a big blind ante of 2,500. Level duration will increase to 60 minutes each and a 15-minute break is scheduled after every two levels. Eight levels of play are planned without a dinner break.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be back on the floor at the exquisite Okada Manila to bring you all the Day 2 action so make sure to come again!