Renato Villanueva Jr. Wins the Okada Kickoff as APPT Manila Finds Its First Champion
The first major title of APPT Manila 2026 went to the Philippines as Renato Villanueva Jr. captured the ₱10,000 Okada Kickoff.
Villanueva Jr. defeated Kohei Takami heads-up to claim the title and a first-place prize of ₱820,184, approximately US$13,340.
The Kickoff attracted 573 entries, substantially exceeding its original ₱2 million guarantee and immediately providing an early indication of the demand surrounding the Manila festival. Eighty-seven players returned for the final day, already in the money.
The result also gave APPT Manila its first champion of the 2026 series and placed a Filipino player at the top of the festival’s early list of title winners.
The opening tournament was strategically important beyond its prize pool. The ₱10,000 buy-in provided an accessible entry point into a festival whose later events included tournaments costing ₱60,000, ₱80,000, ₱150,000 and ₱300,000.
As Villanueva Jr. lifted the first APPT trophy of the festival, attention quickly shifted toward the next major event: the ₱30,000 APPT National, scheduled to begin July 29 with an ₱8 million guarantee.
APPT Manila – Poker Tournaments in Manila
