Gursimran Brar won the SPT Manila Main Event, taking home PHP 3,041,700. He dominated the final table, defeating top players like Hyunsik Nam. Patrick Clarke finished sixth, while Anthony Castro won the THMC Manila event.
The final day of the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour (SPT) Manila Main Event, which was expected to be an extremely deep-stacked contest, concluded in less than five and a half hours at the luxurious Grand Ballroom of the City of Dreams Manila hotel and entertainment complex. Nine players returned to the field from the 362-player field in the PHP 40,000 (approximately $650) SPT Main Event to compete for the largest share of the guaranteed PHP 15,000,000 (approximately $242,755) prize pool. Ultimately, Gursimran Brar, after a dominant performance over the past few days, defeated Hyunsik Nam heads-up.
The clash between the two for the championship was perhaps unsurprising, as Brar was the chip leader in the first starting category, accumulating nearly 25 times his starting chip stack by the end of the day. Nam, on the other hand, led the pack in the final fast-paced category and entered Day Two with second-place chips, after which both returned to the top ranks. However, once the articulate Brar took the lead, he never gave up, turning his free entry to the SiGMA conference in Manila into a first-place prize of PHP 3,041,700 ($49,306).
Before the tournament resumed, Brar arrived with his packed suitcase, as he had a flight to catch later that evening, and promised to try and finish the match quickly—a prediction that came true. Hopefully, he'll have enough time to enjoy a hearty dinner in Nobu before heading to the airport.
The final table also included Patrick Clarke, the 2014 Irish Open Main Event champion, who was eliminated by Brar in sixth place. That match further widened Brar's lead over his competitors and began a period of complete dominance.
2026 SPT Manila Main Event Final Table Results
| Ranking | champion | country | Bonus (PHP) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gursimran Brar | India | 3,041,700 | $49,306 |
| 2 | Hyunsik Nam | South Korea | 2,130,000 | $34,527 |
| 3 | Seung Hyun Han | South Korea | 1,369,300 | $22,196 |
| 4 | Ronn Mesina | the Philippines | 899,800 | $14,586 |
| 5 | Ivan Dela Cruz | the Philippines | 692,600 | $11,227 |
| 6 | Patrick Clarke | Ireland | 573,000 | $9,288 |
| 7 | Tsun Yin Wong | Hongkong | 480,200 | $7,784 |
| 8 | Qi Xia | China | 392,600 | $6,364 |
| 9 | Alexis Lim | the Philippines | 304,200 | $4,931 |
The series, hosted in partnership with the Soul Poker Club at City of Dreams, was a five-day tournament with a total guaranteed prize pool of PHP 20,000,000 (approximately $323,675). In addition to peripheral events sponsored by Cubeia and ATFX, the SiGMA Asia 2026 Summit was also being held at the nearby SMX Convention Centre. Brar went there to attend the conference and obtained a free entry to the main event from one of the exhibitors.
Three of the nine finalists were Filipinos, attempting to keep the championship trophy on home soil. However, Alexis Lim was the first to be eliminated, going all-in with pocket nines on a Q-high flop. Brar participated in the three-raise pot, holding QJ suited, and secured his first elimination of the day. This hand ensured that Qi Xia from China advanced to the next round, having been eliminated shortly after with only two big blinds remaining.
Tsun Yin Wong, who started the day as chip leader, played very few hands and lost most of his chips to Seung Hyun Han. Brar then finished his game with J-10 suited against AQ. Clarke then lost with an overpair and a straight draw because Brar's A suited flush made on the river.
Ivan Dela Cruz was the penultimate hope of the Filipino cheerleaders to be eliminated, but his KQ couldn't beat Nam's KJ flush. Then, the same South Korean player eliminated Ronn Mesina, bringing the tournament to the final three. The two South Koreans clashed in a large pot, with Nam bluffing with a Broadway straight on a four-suited board, but being called by a weaker hand. Ultimately, only two players remained in the final round, with an average stack of 72 big blinds.
What could have turned into a grueling hour-long battle lasted only half an hour. Brar and Nam chatted back and forth throughout the final table, enjoying the friendly atmosphere. Brar's hot streak never truly stopped, perhaps best exemplified by his top trip on the flop with pocket kings in a four-raise pot. Shortly afterward, when they both held a flush of ace, the chips were pushed into the pot pre-flop, and Brar had some extra "weight" to pack into his suitcase.
Castro wins the inaugural The Hendon Mob Championship in Manila.
The series concluded its final day in Manila with four different tournaments, including the final of The Hendon Mob Championship (THMC), the first ever held on Asian soil. This tournament, with a buy-in of PHP 12,000 (approximately $194), was very popular, attracting 237 entries and guaranteeing a minimum prize pool of PHP 3,000,000 (approximately $48,551), with 30 players winning prizes.
Seven of the nine players at the final table represented the Philippines, with Nico Kuivila from Finland being the first to be eliminated. Another contender trying to stop the Philippines from winning was Stefan Van Huyssteen from South Africa, who made his second final table appearance in the series. He ultimately finished fifth but will earn a chance to return home later this year, as the tournament winner will also receive a package tour to the South Africa Million in late 2026.
The prize money went to Anthony Castro, who defeated Errol Nicodemus in a brief heads-up match amidst a lively Filipino cheerleading squad. Castro won the PHP 679,600 ($11,016) first-place prize and will travel to the international tournament in November.
The Hendon Mob Championship Manila Final Table Results
| Ranking | champion | country | Bonus (PHP) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Castro | the Philippines | 679,600 | $11,016 |
| 2 | Errol Nicodemus | the Philippines | 477,700 | $7,744 |
| 3 | David Sumaoi | the Philippines | 298,300 | $4,835 |
| 4 | Ethan Monteverde | the Philippines | 181,500 | $2,942 |
| 5 | Stefan Van Huyssteen | South Africa | 140,200 | $2,273 |
| 6 | Justin Geronimo | the Philippines | 116,100 | $1,882 |
| 7 | Edgar Asehan | the Philippines | 98,900 | $1,603 |
| 8 | Egoy Lagatuz | the Philippines | 84,400 | $1,368 |
| 9 | Nico Kuivila | Finland | 68,000 | $1,102 |
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