Davao hopes to have fun anew in Poker Tour

MANILA, Philippines - As if to show that it’s back on its feet following the devastation left by Typhoon Pablo in the region last week, Davao City is hosting anew the eighth leg of the P10 million Philippine Poker Tour hoping to have fun anew at its own party starting tomorrow at the Metro Card Club.

The PPT, led by founder and chairman lawyer Jojo Allado, has decided to give in to the request of Davaoeños to stage another leg of the nationwide series in the city considering the overwhelming response in the seventh leg won by local hero Dennis Soriano last month.

Instead of the usual Thursday opener, however, the six-day main event will begin on a Friday starting at 6 p.m. to accommodate the weekend poker enthusiasts. Buy-in for the P1 million tournament remains at P5,500.

Five side events, with a buy-in of P2,700 are also scheduled starting at 8 p.m.. These are the No Limit Hold ‘Em (NLHE) Freezeout on Saturday, Ladies event Sunday, Head Hunter Bounty Monday, Six-Handed Event Tuesday and Pot Limit Omaha Hi Wednesday.

Manila-based poker pros are reportedly raring to go back for the eighth leg after getting shut out last month. Soriano, a 32-year-old sales engineer, led an all-Davao show in the final table, before turning back Rodel Amplayo in the heads up to win the title.

 and earn a seat in the Final Table of Champions in March.

The winner of this battle royal among leg winners will be sent all-expenses paid to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas next year.

With his victory, Soriano thus became the third Davaoeno titlist in the PPT after Rebel Magdagasang who won the second leg at Resorts World last June and Auggie Nasser who captured the fifth leg at Midas Touch last September.

Other previous winners include Dexter Luna, first leg; Jun Pacayra, third leg, Martin Corpuz, fourth leg; and Korean Som Yung-sim, sixth leg.

Corpuz still leads the Player of the Year race while Luna remains on top of the money list going into the last three legs of the 10-stop tour.