APT Manila Poker Classic 2025: India’s Raju Jaruplavath Roars to Victory in Philippines National Cup to Win Maiden APT Title For ₹12.07 Lakhs

The live poker action is scorching hot in Manila! The Asian Poker Tour (APT) Manila Poker Classic 2025 has kicked off at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, running alongside the PokerStars LIVE Manila Super Series 21. This first APT stop of the 2025 season, in partnership with Metro Card Club, boasts a mind-blowing 100 scheduled tournaments, with a staggering ₱143 Million (~$2.40 Million) in prize money. And with the ₱60,000 (~$1,000) buy-in Main Event alone boasting a massive ₱60 Million (~$1 Million) guarantee, the Grand Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Galleria is the place to be.

Just two days in, and already 15 APT trophies have found their owners. The Indian poker contingent, even with many regulars battling it out at the DPT Xpress in Goa, has made a strong showing, racking up seven cashes and one glorious victory!

The biggest news for India so far has been long-time live circuit grinder Raju Jaruplavath (cover image) taking down Event #1: ₱12K Philippines National Cup, the first featured tournament on the schedule! He snagged his maiden APT title and a hefty ₱797,765 (around ₹12.07 Lakhs).

Jaruplavath battled through a field of 398 entries (across three flights) to win this two-day event, grabbing the coveted Gold Lion Silhouette Trophy. Singapore’s Zhi Xiang Png finished as the runner-up for ₱503,000 (~$8,643).

Raju Jaruplavath from India is the #APTManilaClassic2025 Philippines National Cup champion!🏆 He topped a field of 398 entries to claim the title and PHP 797,765 (~USD 13.7K). Congratulations! 🎉

Relive the final day’s action on the APT Blog: https://t.co/vS4d3vGgrd pic.twitter.com/Ns2l33xP3R

— Asian Poker Tour (@AsianPokerTour) February 8, 2025

Jaruplavath entered the final day with 311,000 chips, placing him 11th out of 58 players. Showing patience and precision, he patiently and strategically built his stack, maneuvering his way to the final table in joint second place. Despite suffering an early setback when his pocket kings were cracked, he staged a remarkable comeback, eliminating four players en route to his commanding victory.

This win is not just another notch on Jaruplavath’s belt; it’s his third tournament title and his third-largest live score, catapulting his tracked live tournament earnings to over ₹1.30 Crores!

While Jaruplavath stole the spotlight, several other Indian players made deep runs in the Philippines National Cup. Shiva Shankar Shenbagaraj finished 16th for ₱42,000 (~₹63,505), Bharath Jayaram took 21st place for ₱34,000 (~₹51,409), Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador Kunal Patni secured 29th place for ₱26,000 (~₹39,313), and Vineet Kumar and Rajiv Sachdeva finished in 32nd and 37th place respectively, each taking home ₱22,000 (~₹33,264).

Other Notable Wins at APT Manila Poker Classic

Indian players weren’t the only ones making headlines. Several local pros also made waves in other marquee events.

Philippines’ Vamerdino Magsakay topped a 77-entry field to win Event #11: ₱180K Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty, securing his fifth APT title for ₱2,673,040 (~$45,441), including ₱970,000 (~$16,490) in bounties. Runner-up Mike Takayama, the #2 ranked player on the Philippines’ all-time money list, walked away with ₱2,572,000 (~$43,724), with a ₱1,340,000 (~$22,780) bounty haul.

Philippines’ John Tech outlasted a stacked field of 58 entries to capture Event #3: ₱100K Single Day High Roller – Freezeout, his 11th win at the APT and ₱1,503,200 (~$25,554). Tech, one of the country’s most accomplished tournament pros and a real force at the APT, is now closing in on $2 Million in live tournament earnings!

APT Manila Poker Classic List of Winners

Team India Scores at APT Manila Poker Classic

Team India is still hungry for more APT glory! Veteran poker pro Kunal Patni is deep in Event #9: ₱20K Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8. With only three players remaining, all eyes are on Patni as he looks to keep his hot streak from 2024 alive and capture his fifth APT title, adding another trophy to India’s growing collection.

Coming back to Event #1: ₱12K Philippines National Cup. The final day began with 58 players, all guaranteed a share of the ₱4,034,765 prize pool with a min-cash worth ₱18,000.

The action was relentless from the start. By the time the first break rolled around—a mere two hours and 13 minutes after the restart—the field had been whittled down to just 25 contenders.

The final table kicked off after the elimination of Japan’s Katsuyuki Kondo in 10th place (₱62,000).

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Atsushi Takeuchi – 2,745,000
2. Chayathon Wongpipatchai – 1,550,000
3. Raju Jaruplavath – 1,550,000
4. David Erquiaga – 1,545,000
5. Sarawoot Ratanatabtim – 1,375,000
6. Zhi Xiang Png – 1,125,000
7. Mingchen Zhang – 1,035,000
8. Jansen Tiu – 640,000
9. Suprachaicharoen Prachaya – 380,000

Final Table Recap

The first player eliminated from the final table was Suprachaicharoen Prachaya, who lost a classic coin flip. His looked promising, but David Erquiaga’s found an ace on the board, sending Prachaya out in ninth place.

Atsushi Takeuchi, the start-of-final-table chip leader, saw his stack dwindle before making a desperate move. He shoved with from UTG, only to run into Mingchen Zhang’s wired threes——in the big blind. The board failed to bail him out, and Takeuchi’s tournament ended in eighth place.

The eliminations continued as David Erquiaga was next on the chopping block. His were no match for Mingchen Zhang’s , and with no miracle board in sight, Erquiaga bowed out in seventh place.

Chayathon Wongpipatchai’s tournament life ended in a multi-way collision. Sarawoot Ratanatabtim opened to 250K from UTG, and Raju Jaruplavath flatted from the small blind. Wongpipatchai, short-stacked, called all-in for his last 170K. The flop saw Jaruplavath check, Ratanatabtim bet 150K, and Jaruplavath check-raise to 300K, which was called. The fireworks continued on the turn when Jaruplavath bet 600K, and Ratanatabtim snap-called. The river was checked down, and the cards were revealed:

Wongpipatchai: (two pair)

Ratanatabtim: (two pair, better kicker)

Jaruplavath: (Broadway straight)

Jaruplavath’s straight scooped the monster pot, eliminating Wongpipatchai in sixth place.

Next, Mingchen Zhang fell out in fifth place, his failing to connect against Jaruplavath’s on a board.

Sarawoot Ratanatabtim’s run ended in fourth place, as his couldn’t outdraw Jansen Tiu’s on the runout .

Not long after that, Jansen Tiu’s deep run was cut short in third place, as his failed to overcome Jaruplavath’s as the completed the board.

The final battle between Raju Jaruplavath and Zhi Xiang Png was a short one, with Jaruplavath holding a commanding 4:1 chip lead.

The end came quickly when Png, desperate for a double-up, moved all-in with over Jaruplavath’s button raise. Jaruplavath snap-called with a dominating , and the board kept his ace-jack ahead, giving him his maiden APT title!

Final Table Results (PHP)

1. Raju Jaruplavath – ₱797,765
2. Zhi Xiang Png – ₱503,000
3. Jansen Tiu – ₱361,000
4. Sarawoot Ratanatabtim – ₱287,000
5. Mingchen Zhang – ₱225,000
6. Chayathon Wongpipatchai – ₱176,000
7. David Erquiaga – ₱132,000
8. Atsushi Takeuchi – ₱94,000
9. Suprachaicharoen Prachaya – ₱75,000

Content & Images Courtesy: Asian Poker Tour

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