This articles’ aim is to have a written collection of what was happening in the poker scene in Manila when it was still just starting out. Collected from various interviews and other sources, the industry was still so young. We are open to other players to share their experiences or correct any mistake as only a few records existed.

Continuing from where we last left, Poker in Manila was still young. only a few poker rooms existed and were concentrated on cash games. A new poker room opened that promises big tournaments and big cash games, VIP rooms, and promises of changing the industry. They announced a month-long tournament with a full schedule of different buys in.  here is the continuation of the story. 

A month-long tournaments with big GTD

Daily tournaments were rare back then. before The Master opened, poker rooms focused on cash games. There were tournaments, but this was a full month schedule of daily tournaments that was very rare in Manila, especially in the Malate area. 

The month long tournaments of the Master Poker Room Tournament was not without hitch. A month full of schedule with different buy-in and different guarantees. It may have been a room ahead of its time.

Malate 10 years ago was not bad, but poker was still young and not many players would be willing to shelve out the money for the bigger buy-ins. Information about poker and poker rooms were not easily available.

Unless you know someone who has been to the poker room. It would prove difficult to find a poker room in Manila. Poker was still considered gambling, which other media would not allow to be published. Facebook. Smartphones and wi-fi was not a thing yet. Information was difficult. These events happened more than 10 years ago. 

The first week was of the tournament went well. Regular players of other poker rooms were joining, new players were being born and new faces but active poker players were seen. 

Among them were players from a forum that was known as PokerManila. 

Poker Manila

Hold-em poker was already popular in the United States. There were active online players in the Philippines. The problem was wifi and data were not popular and traditional media would stay away from poker as it was considered gambling.

Poker Manila was a forum that was gaining popularity and actually had a solid fan base or followers.

They would hold their own tournaments to win a seat for a bigger tournament for its members but taking in a percentage. They were also doing live coverages of events later on.

When Master Poker Room opened. A few of their active members were visiting other poker rooms to invite players to join their forum. Big tournament (50k – 200k PHP which was considered big at the time) plus a chance to recruit new members, it was a venue not to be missed by their passionate members.

Members like Ricky, George, and Mar would be some of the players that would play the higher buy-in tournaments.

During the breaks or when they would be out of the felt. they would talk to players and recruits members passionately.

They would promote the forum as a platform where online discussion on how to play hands and odds. It was a community where online players could share their experiences. 

They were the few who would join the bigger buy-in tournaments, but poker back then was young and the bigger buy-in tournaments were not feasible. 

A change of schedule and the other poker rooms joined in.

The market was not ready, hence the bigger buy-in tournaments where being canceled. The other poker rooms in Malate were also becoming active. 

They needed to make an adjustment and a new schedule was released.

More focus on the smaller buy-in (less than 500 PHP) with good guarantees (50,000 PHP and above). Players love it and the daily tournaments were a hit. 

Other poker rooms also began to follow but setting the schedule later so players who supposedly busted out on the tournament that was held earlier would jump to the other poker room and play there instead.

The goal was to lure the players to the room with the tournament and convince them to play cash games in their poker room instead.

The poker rooms were walking distance from each other. Comparatively, the distance from Master Poker Room from The Players Den would be like walking from one end of City of Dreams Manila to the other end. More or less it is the same distance from Tthe Players Den to the poker room in Ambassador. Due to the poker rooms were near each other and having tournaments schedules starting later than the other poker room. a new trend was born which some players today would not believed but it did happened.

Starting with 6 tables, chopping at 5 tables left.

With a buy-in of less than 500 PHP. and a pot guaranteed. The tournament would start with 6 tables but once it drops down to 5 tables. Players were initiating chops. For less than 500 PHP and earning more than 1,000 PHP. Most players would simply agree and jump to the next tournament.

The name Rounders was actually fitting. after chopping the pot from one poker room. They would run to the other poker room and chop the pot again. 

As other poker rooms would set their time later than the other poker rooms. Players would wait out till 5 tables were left. the goal was to still have chips until the registration end and players who survive would double or more their buy-in

Although there were players like Jay and Ray who if they accumulated more chips would not agree to the chop and players were forced to play until the end or when all players agreed. Players who would not agree to the chop would be targeted by the other players early on until they started agreeing to the deal.

It soon became a daily routine for a good number of players where they go in to register. hang on till the end of registration, chop the pot, and run to the other poker room. It did not matter if you were only left with one chip, as long as you were still in and there was a call for a chop. You were in.

Poker rooms could not adjust as the smaller buy-in tournaments did help to put players in the cash game, some players preferred not to go around and would play on the cash table. 

But is simply was not healthy for the room and in the end another promotion was introduced by the Master Poker room. 

To be continued