Justin Ong Clinches APPT Manila Title, Earning a $256,000 Prize
In the bustling city of Manila, the Philippines, local poker player Justin Ong made history at the 2025 PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Manila festival. Ong's remarkable performance saw him take down not one, but two major tournaments - the PokerStars Red Dragon and the APPT Manila Main Event - in a stunning display of poker prowess.
The PokerStars Red Dragon tournament saw Ong buy in for ₱65,000 (approx. $1,164) and emerge victorious, taking home the coveted shard trophy and a hefty prize of ₱4,711,000 (about $81,605). This was just the beginning of Ong's success at the festival.
Following his win in the Red Dragon, Ong went on to claim the APPT Manila Main Event. With a field of 1,246 players and a prize pool exceeding ₱87,000,000 (around $1.5 million), the Main Event was a formidable challenge. But Ong's determination and skill saw him through, adding significantly to his earnings and cementing his status as a force to be reckoned with in the Asian poker scene.
Throughout the tournament, Ong held the chip lead from the start of the final day and didn't relinquish it easily. He picked up crucial eliminations, including those of Sungmin Oh and Ryan Tan, and reclaimed control as the field thinned. The APPT Manila Main Event concluded with 20 players, setting the stage for an epic heads-up battle.
In the final showdown, Ong faced off against Oliver Lirio. Despite Lirio entering heads-up play with the lead, Ong flipped the script early on. The decisive moment came when Ong closed out the tournament with pocket eights against Lirio's suited jack-nine.
Both Ong and Lirio are locals, adding to the pride surrounding this edition of the APPT Manila series. Ong's rapid rise and tournament success, having only stepped into one other live series before APPT Manila 2025, has solidified his status as a key figure in the Philippine and Asian poker scenes. His back-to-back wins at the festival have made him one of the most talked-about poker players in Asia.
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- Justin Ong's extraordinary performance at the 2025 APPT Manila festival did not just focus on poker; he also showcased his skill in sports betting, as he was spotted placing bets on various sports at Manila's popular casino establishments.
- After his back-to-back victories at the 2025 APPT Manila, local poker sensation Justin Ong announced his intentions to diversify his gaming repertoire, expressing interest in learning new casino-games such as blackjack and roulette, in addition to his expertise in poker.
