Poker Tour holds Davao leg

MANILA, Philippines - Davao City hosts the seventh leg of the P10 million Philippine Poker Tour starting tomorrow with two of its prominent sons heading the field at the Metro Card Club.

A guaranteed prize of P1 million is up for grabs in the six-day event which is expected to post another record registry considering the city’s reputation as a poker-crazy capital in Mindanao.

Already, Davao has produced two champions in the tour – Rebel Magdagasang and Augie Nasser – and a third one is not far-fetched considering the massive  following the mind sport has in the region.

Magdagasang, a noted musician, ruled the second leg of the monthly series at Resorts World Manila last June while Nasser, a four-year poker pro, topped the fifth leg in September at the Midas Touch in Pasig City.

The two are expected to play in their home city only for the Player of the Year points and the money since they have already earned berths to the Final Table of Champions in March along with previous winners Dexter Luna (first leg), Jun Pacayra (third leg), Martin Corpuz (fourth leg) and Sim yong-som (sixth leg). The battle royal will determine the Philippine representative to the World Series of Poker who will be sent all-expenses paid by the PPT in Las Vegas next year.

Meanwhile, Corpuz, the only Filipino with a WSOP bracelet, has inched closer to the top of the PPT money list while continuing to hold sway in the Player of the Year race.

With P536,500 in total winnings after six legs, Corpuz now occupies second spot behind Luna who has pocketed P626,000. Pacayra is running third with P438,000.