The first of two starting flights for the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour Manila Main Event attracted a field of 260 entries, which was a significant number considering it was the exact total for last year's entire event.
"I was always confident that we would exceed last year's field size but to do it in a single day is remarkable," said APPT President Danny McDonagh. "400 players was my Main Event prediction before the poker festival began but now I'm hopeful it will be closer to 500."
Things are certainly different here in 2015 as the tournament has moved from the tight spaces of the Metro Card Club across town to the opulent confines of the City of Dreams, a fully integrated resort and casino complex which opened in Manila late last year.