Justin Ong pulled off an impressive double in Manila, capturing the 2025 Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Main Event title just days after winning the PokerStars Red Dragon event. Ong outlasted a field of 1,246 entries in the PHP 80,000 (~$1,433 USD) buy-in no-limit hold’em main event, held from July 31 to August 4 at Cove Manila, Okada Manila in the Philippines. The prize pool soared past the guarantee, eventually topping $1.5 million, with Ong walking away with $256,370 for the win.
The victory marked Ong’s second title of the series. He had previously claimed $81,605 in the Red Dragon event, bringing his total earnings for the week to nearly $340,000. The back-to-back wins earned Ong 1,680 Card Player Player of the Year points, pushing him into the top 200 of the 2025 POY race presented by CoinPoker.
Ong Dominates Final Day
Ong entered the final day with 20 players remaining and held the chip lead as the field played down to the final table. While Oliver Lirio surged ahead during six-handed action—thanks to scoring two of the next three knockouts—Ong quickly reclaimed momentum.
He busted Sungmin Oh in sixth place ($52,140) and then eliminated Ryan Tan in fifth ($67,730) after coming from behind with Q♥10♥ against A♦6♥, hitting queens up on the river.
Kim Enriquez bowed out in fourth ($88,345) after losing a flip with A♠Q♦ to Chase Cokaliong’s pocket tens.
Final Three: Drama and Swings
Three-handed play brought its share of drama. Lirio saw his stack dwindle before mounting a comeback. The pivotal hand came when Cokaliong, holding K♦7♦, ran his second nut flush into Lirio’s nut flush (A♦Q♦) on a J♣9♠5♦4♦9♦ board. Cokaliong exited in third place, earning $114,330.
Heads-Up: Ong Closes It Out
Lirio entered heads-up play with a 2:1 chip lead, but Ong quickly turned the tables. In the final hand, Ong limped in with 8♦8♣ and Lirio raised with J♦9♦. Ong shoved, Lirio called, and the board ran out Q♥6♣5♦10♣7♣—giving Ong the win after fading Lirio’s overcards and straight draw.
Lirio, also from the Philippines, took home $160,230 for his runner-up finish.
With this dominant performance, Justin Ong firmly establishes himself as one of the breakout stars of the 2025 APPT season.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Justin Ong | $256,370 | 960 |
| 2 | Oliver Lirio | $160,230 | 800 |
| 3 | Chase Cokaliong | $114,330 | 640 |
| 4 | Kim Enriquez | $88,345 | 480 |
| 5 | Ryan Tan | $67,730 | 400 |
| 6 | Sungmin Oh | $52,140 | 320 |
| 7 | Edgar Asehan | $40,263 | 240 |
| 8 | Katsuhito Kawai | $31,025 | 160 |
| 9 | Somashekar Nahadeva | $24,030 | 80 |
