After being away for a few years, the PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026 is once again inviting players to the Philippines. During the event at Okada Manila, players from various regions will play live poker over a one-week schedule.
This series will showcase different tournament formats and buy-in levels. The mix of experienced professionals and new players will make it more interesting. This article covers the entire schedule, highlighted events, and game format.
PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026 – Tournament Overview
The Philippines is welcoming the return of the PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026. It will be a week of live poker that brings players from the Philippines and around the world. It will be held at the luxurious Okada Manila. The festival is one of the biggest regional poker series featuring a variety of tournaments along with large guaranteed prize pools.
| Details | Information |
| Tournament | PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026 |
| Date | June 15–21, 2026 |
| Venue | Okada Manila Casino, Manila, Philippines |
| Guaranteed Prize Pool | ₱ 7,750,000 |
| Number of Events | 35 official events (46 including side events) |
| Format | Multi-event live poker festival conducted under TDA rules |
| Participants | Local and international poker players |
PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026 – Complete Schedule
DAY 1: 15 June, 2026 (Monday)
| Event Name | Start time | Stage | Buy-in: | GTD |
| Mini Warm-up Marathon | 13:00 | Flight A | 3.5K PHP | 750K PHP |
| Mini Warm-up Marathon | 15:00 | Flight B | 3.5K PHP | 750K PHP |
| Shot Clock – Freezeout | 15:00 | — | 6K PHP | — |
| Mini Warm-up Marathon | 17:00 | Flight C | 3.5K PHP | 750K PHP |
| Warm-up PHP 2M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@50K) | 18:00 | — | 1K PHP | — |
| Step 1 – APPT Manila Main Event Mega Qualifier – R+A | 20:00 | — | 500 PHP | — |
| Mini Warm-up Marathon | 21:00 | Final | 3.5K PHP | 750K PHP |
DAY 2: 16 June, 2026 (Tuesday)
| Event Name | Start time | Stage | Buy-in: | GTD |
| Warm-up PHP 2M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@90K) | 12:00 | — | 600 PHP | — |
| Warm-up | 13:00 | Flight A | 4.5K PHP | 2M PHP |
| Shot Clock – NLH | 15:00 | — | 8K PHP | — |
| Warm-up | 18:00 | Flight B | 4.5K PHP | 2M PHP |
| Step 1 – APPT Manila Main Event Mega Qualifier – R+A | 20:00 | — | 500 PHP | — |
| Warm-up PHP 2M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@50K) | 21:00 | — | 1K PHP | — |
DAY 3: 17 June, 2026 (Wednesday)
| Event Name | Start time | Stage | Buy-in: | GTD |
| Warm-up PHP 2M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@90K) | 12:00 | — | 600 PHP | — |
| Warm-up | 13:00 | Flight C | 4.5K PHP | 2M PHP |
| Deepstack | 15:00 | — | 8K PHP | — |
| Warm-up | 18:00 | Flight D – Turbo | 4.5K PHP | 2M PHP |
| Manila Special PHP 3M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@60K) | 19:00 | — | 1.5K PHP | — |
| Step 1 – APPT Manila Main Event Mega Qualifier – R+A | 20:00 | — | 500 PHP | — |
| Turbo | 21:00 | — | 4K PHP | — |
DAY 4: 18 June, 2026 (Thursday)
| Event Name | Start time | Stage | Buy-in: | GTD |
| Manila Special PHP 3M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@60K) | 12:00 | — | 1.5K PHP | — |
| Warm-up | 13:00 | Final | 4.5K PHP | 2M PHP |
| Manila Special | 13:00 | Flight A | 7.5K PHP | 3M PHP |
| SuperStack – Turbo | 18:00 | — | 5K PHP | — |
| Manila Special PHP 3M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@60K) | 19:00 | — | 1.5K PHP | — |
| Super Knockout [PHP 2K Bounty] – Turbo | 20:00 | — | 4K PHP | — |
| Step 1 – APPT Manila Main Event Mega Qualifier – (WYS@80K) | 20:00 | — | 1.3K PHP | — |
DAY 5: 19 June, 2026 (Friday)
| Event Name | Start time | Stage | Buy-in: | GTD |
| Manila Special PHP 3M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@60K) | 12:00 | — | 1.5K PHP | — |
| Manila Special | 13:00 | Flight B | 7.5K PHP | 3M PHP |
| PLO Knockout – [PHP 2K Bounty] – Turbo | 18:00 | — | 5K PHP | — |
| Manila Special PHP 3M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@60K) | 19:00 | — | 1.5K PHP | — |
| Hyper Turbo | 20:00 | — | 3K PHP | — |
| Step 1 – APPT Manila Main Event Mega Qualifier – (WYS@80K) | 20:00 | — | 1.3K PHP | — |
DAY 6: 20 June, 2026 (Saturday)
| Event Name | Start time | Stage | Buy-in: | GTD |
| Manila Special PHP 3M GTD – Qualifier (WYS@60K) | 12:00 | — | 1.5K PHP | — |
| Manila Special | 13:00 | Flight C | 7.5K PHP | 3M PHP |
| SuperStack – Freezeout | 15:00 | — | 10K PHP | — |
| Manila Special | 18:00 | Flight D | 7.5K PHP | 3M PHP |
| Survivor Knockout Qualifier (WYS@60K) | 19:00 | — | 2K PHP | — |
| UltraStack – Hyper Turbo | 20:00 | — | 5K PHP | — |
| Step 1 – APPT Manila Main Event Mega Qualifier (WYS@80K) | 20:00 | — | 1.3K PHP | — |
DAY 7: 21 June, 2026 (Sunday)
| Event Name | Start time | Stage | Buy-in: | GTD |
| Survivor Knockout (PHP 1M GTD) – Qualifier (WYS@90K) | 12:00 | — | 1.3K PHP | 1M PHP |
| Manila Special | 13:00 | Final | 7.5K PHP | 3M PHP |
| Survivor Knockout [PHP 20K Bounty] | 13:00 | — | 10K PHP | 1M PHP |
| Step 1 – APPT Manila Main Event Mega Qualifier – (WYS@80K) | 16:00 | — | 1.3K PHP | — |
| APPT Manila Mega Qualifier – (WYS@100K) | 18:00 | — | 9K PHP | — |
| Knockout [PHP 1K Bounty] – Hyper Turbo | 18:00 | — | 5K PHP | — |
Where to Watch PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026?
You can catch some of the PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026 events through the official PokerStars YouTube and PokerStars Twitch channels. To keep up with the action, check out the PokerStars Live website for live updates, chip counts, and tournament information.
PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026 – Game Format
The PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026 follows a multi-event tournament format spread across seven days. Players begin each event with an equal number of chips and compete through multiple blind levels that increase at regular intervals.
As the tournament progresses, players who lose all their chips are eliminated. The remaining players continue until the final table, where the last player with all the chips is crowned the winner. Depending on the event, some tournaments may follow a freezeout format, while others allow re-entry opportunities.
PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026 – Highlighted Events
Manila Special 2026 will be packed with some of the most crucial tournaments, the highlight being the Manila Special Main Event. A guaranteed prize pool of ₱3,000,000 and a buy-in of only ₱7,500 make it the most affordable event of the series. Thus, many players are likely to join this series. PokerStars Live Manila Special provides players with a high level of poker competition in its final days.
Besides the Main Event, the program comprises many tournaments with a professional touch, such as warm-up and marathon events. These are aimed at giving the players an early lead and several scoring opportunities.
| Event | Dates | Buy-In | Guaranteed Prize Pool |
| Mini Warm-up Marathon (#1) | June 15, 2026 | ₱3,500 | ₱750,000 |
| Warm-up (#6) | June 16–18, 2026 | ₱4,500 | ₱2,000,000 |
| Manila Special Main Event (#16) | June 18–21, 2026 | ₱7,500 | ₱3,000,000 |
PokerStars Live All-Time Leaders
The PokerStars Live circuit has been graced by some of the most consistent performers in live tournament poker. The players are distinguished not only by their huge winnings but also by their numerous cash finishes. It is always good to keep an eye on these names whenever a new series starts.
Steve O’Dwyer (USA), with his over $22.3M in earnings, takes the top spot on the all-time money list. He has achieved many elite high-stakes tournaments. Almost equal in fame is Sam Greenwood (Canada), with career earnings topping $15.9M. His fame is primarily due to his sharp analytical playing style, which he has consistently applied at the highest levels.
Considering the factor of time-committed consistency, Richard Marquez (Philippines) is at the top of the list of players with in-the-money finishes. He has achieved this feat 153 times. Meanwhile, Mike Takayama (Philippines), who has cashed 131 times, is a good example of the long-term stability and strong performances.
Such a line-up of players is enough to paint a picture of the different aspects of poker success. Their names, therefore, remain top contenders in PokerStars Live history.
Wrap-up:
The PokerStars Live Manila Special 2026 will be the stage of one remarkable week of live poker. For 7 days at Okada Manila, the players in the contest are bound to challenge continuously, changing the entire tournament.
From the very first event to the last Main Event, the series focuses on each player’s survival in extreme conditions. Only those players who have been steady and have followed the discipline will get through skilled tables to the last stages.
Finally, one winner will take the title, but the whole narrative of Manila 2026 will be a truly memorable poker festival.
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