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Rainy Monday Grind: Poker Action Unfazed by Typhoon
It’s a rainy Monday morning in Manila, with a typhoon currently sweeping across the city. But despite the weather, the cards are still flying. Four poker tournaments pushed through today—ranging from moderate to sizable guarantees. Some are multi-day events, while others are one-day grinds.
We’re closely monitoring 9D Poker Club, which is running a ₱790K GTD event. The club continues to make moves as it positions itself as a serious contender in the Manila poker scene. Stay tuned for more updates as the week unfolds.
Changes in the Pagcor rule
New PAGCOR Rule Reshapes Competitive Landscape for Philippine Poker Rooms
PAGCOR has recently introduced a significant change to tournament scheduling regulations—one that’s already having a positive ripple effect across the Philippine poker scene.
Under the new rule, poker rooms are now allowed to run tournaments with a guarantee below ₱700,000 at any time. However, for events with a ₱1 million guarantee, only one poker room may host such a tournament on a given date. That said, other rooms are not completely blocked: if another poker room wants to run an event at the same time, the guarantee must either be below ₱700,000 or at least ₱8 million and above.
In short, poker rooms still have avenues to compete—either by running smaller events under the 700k threshold or by going all in with a bigger, more ambitious 8M GTD or higher.
This is a smart and welcome change. Previously, the protection of being “the only one” running a million-peso event led to complacency and occasional exploitation of the rules. Now, poker rooms must truly compete—not just through the size of the prize pool but also through the quality of their service, player experience, and overall value.
The new regulation encourages innovation and elevates the standard for poker tournaments in the Philippines—something both operators and players stand to benefit from.
WHY ITS GOOD
Why the New PAGCOR Rule Is Good for the Poker Industry
The recent PAGCOR regulation allowing multiple poker rooms to run events—provided they’re either below ₱700k or well above ₱1M—has brought much-needed competition back to the scene.
Take what’s happening right now: 9D Poker Club is hosting a ₱790K GTD, while Prime Poker is running a ₱700K GTD. With similar guarantees, players are no longer just chasing prize pools—they’re choosing where to play based on overall experience.
That means poker rooms can’t rely on big pots alone. Structure, payout systems, and service quality now matter more than ever. Players will naturally gravitate toward venues that listen to their feedback and treat them well. On the flip side, bad service? That now equals lost customers.
This new environment forces poker operators to raise their standards, focus on player satisfaction, and stop dictating what they think players want. Instead, it’s now about adapting, improving, and earning player loyalty the right way.
In short: competition is healthy—and this rule just made Philippine poker better.
