APT Manila Poker Classic 2025: “Retired Fish” Kunal Patni Devours the ₱150K High Roller For Second Series Title (₹45.52 Lakhs)!

Forget Cupid, Kunal Patni (cover image) was the one stealing hearts this Valentine’s Day – and he was doing it with a poker face and a stack of chips! The APT Manila Poker Classic 2025 is roaring towards a thunderous climax at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, and with the WPT Championship Cambodia also in full swing, the Asian poker scene is absolutely electric! This first APT festival of 2025—and the second Philippines stop of APT’s New Era—has already smashed expectations, obliterating records set at APT Manila 2024!

With just two days left, the festival has witnessed a staggering 75 champions crowned, and Team India has, yet again, asserted its dominance on the tour. Boasting 44 cashes, including 26 final table appearances, and five glittering APT trophies (including a victory in an India-exclusive event), the Indian contingent has been unstoppable!

Kunal Patni: The Name on Everyone’s Lips

But even among this constellation of stars, one name shines with a supernova’s intensity: Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador Kunal Patni. Hot off his triumph in the ₱20K Mystery Bounty Hunter just this past Sunday, Patni has now conquered Event #75: ₱150K Single Day High Roller, seizing his second title of the series and a mind-blowing sixth career APT title!

Patni navigated a shark tank of 85 entries (68 unique) in the High Roller, a battlefield of poker’s elite. He emerged victorious with a staggering ₱3,030,000 (~₹45.52 Lakhs) – his fifth-largest live score – and a magnificent Golden Lion Silhouette Trophy to adorn his already overflowing trophy case. Thailand’s Nopparut Piyattassakorn put up a fight but had to settle for the runner-up prize of ₱2,154,000 (~$36,618).

This latest victory brings Patni’s total cashes at the series to an impressive four, with two APT titles and a final table appearance. He’s racked up a whopping ₱4.29 Million (~₹64.51 Lakhs) in total winnings already, making him the undisputed king of the Indian contingent at the festival!

A Trophy Collection That Sparkles Brighter Than Diamonds

With this new Golden Lion Silhouette Trophy, Patni now possesses four of the coveted New Era APT trophies, a testament to his relentless consistency on the APT circuit. His trophy cabinet is a sight to behold:

• Gold Lion Silhouette Trophy – APT Manila Poker Classic 2025 (₱150K Single Day High Roller)
• Silver Lion Silhouette Trophy – APT Manila Poker Classic 2025 (₱20K Mystery Bounty Hunter)
• Gold Lion Silhouette Trophy – APT Phu Quoc 2024 (Baby Superstar Challenge)
• Two Baby Lion Trophies – APT Hanoi 2023 (Event #36 & Event #41)

Patni’s extraordinary performance on the live circuit, especially at APT events, cements his legacy as one of India’s most celebrated poker icons.

The “Retired Fish” Who’s Making Waves

Patni’s hot streak ignited in September 2024 when he captained his Deccan Aces team to an unprecedented second victory in the Pocket52 Poker Sports League (PSL) Season 6 They are the only team to achieve this incredible feat, and with a virtual win to their name, you could even say they’ve conquered it three times! Since then, he’s been on an absolute tear, capturing four live APT titles and making deep runs in some of the biggest tournaments around. Incredibly, nine of his 11 career live titles have come in just the last 2.5 years!

Currently sitting at #9 on India’s all-time money list, Patni is fast approaching a mind-boggling ₹11 Crores in tracked online winnings! He may jokingly call himself a “retired fish,” but his results paint a very different picture. His ability to effortlessly navigate the worlds of business and poker while crushing high-stakes tournaments is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

When we caught up with Patni after his victory, we couldn’t help but suggest the hashtag #RunlikePatni. With a grin, he simply replied, “May it never ever end.”

Well, we certainly hope it doesn’t!

The ₱150,000 buy-in Event #75: Single Day High Roller generated a colossal ₱11.016 Million (~$189,278) prize pool, with the top 11 finishers sharing the spoils. Even a min-cash was a hefty ₱275,000.

While Thailand’s Tharit Nanthana (10th for ₱275,000) and China’s Zhen Chen (11th for ₱275,000) narrowly missed out on a seat at the final table, they still walked away with a respectable payday.

The final table itself was a cosmopolitan affair, featuring some big names like South Korea’s Sung Jin Yun (3rd for ₱1.41 Million), Philippines’ James Mendoza (4th for ₱1.085 Million), Morocco’s Chaoui Roqai Mehdi (5th for ₱859,000), South Korea’s Minsup Song (6th for ₱672,000), Japan’s Kei Okuda (7th for ₱529,000), UK’s Scott Margereson (8th for ₱413,000), and Germany’s Martin Finger (9th for ₱314,000).

Final Table Results (PHP)

1. Kunal Patni – ₱3,030,000
2. Nopparut Piyattassakorn – ₱2,154,000
3. Sung Jin Yun – ₱1,410,000
4. James Mendoza – ₱1,085,000
5. Chaoui Roqai Mehdi – ₱859,000
6. Minsup Song – ₱672,000
7. Kei Okuda – ₱529,000
8. Scott Margereson – ₱413,000
9. Martin Finger – ₱314,000

Content and Images Courtesy: Asian Poker Tour & Natural8 India

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