The long-time grinder added $335,000 to his growing bankroll
Justin Ong made headlines at the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Manila series after winning two major events in just a matter of days. Known more for grinding cash games than chasing trophies, Ong decided to step into the tournament spotlight, and walked away with over $335,000 in winnings.
Ong’s first taste of success came in the Red Dragon event, where he paid the ₱65,000 (around $1,160) buy-in. The tournament drew a strong field, but Ong managed to navigate through the competition and take home the shard trophy along with a ₱4.7 million ($81,605) payday.
Riding that momentum, Ong jumped into the APPT Manila Main Event, which shattered its ₱58 million guarantee by awarding over ₱87 million (roughly $1.5 million) in total prizes. With 1,246 entrants, the field was anything but soft, but Ong’s chip stack kept growing.
On the final day, Ong started strong among the last 20 players, although he briefly lost the chip lead at the final table. Opponent Oliver Lirio gained momentum early with key knockouts, including a full house-cracking quad aces to send Someshekar Nahdeva to the rail.
As play moved into the six-handed portion of the final table, Ong kicked back into gear. He knocked out Sungmin Oh and Ryan Tan, regaining control of the chip counts. Lirio continued to apply pressure as well, eliminating Chase Cokaliong in third place with an ace-high flush.
Heads-up play began with Lirio holding the advantage, but Ong’s aggressive style helped him turn things around. After several well-timed moves, he took the lead and closed it out with pocket eights holding up against jack-nine suited.
Ong’s double victory included not just the prize money but also a ₱210,000 package to a future APPT Championship event, signaling that this cash game regular might just have a tournament career ahead of him, too.
