The SiGMA Poker Tour is heading to one of Asia’s most electric poker cities — and it’s bringing its biggest guarantee of the season with it.
From May 31 through June 4, 2026, the SPT Manila festival takes over the Soul Poker Club at City of Dreams Manila, the luxury integrated resort situated in the heart of the Philippine capital’s Entertainment City district. With a PHP 20 million overall guarantee — equivalent to approximately $357,000 / £282,000 — across a 22-event schedule, this is the richest and most ambitious stop the young tour has attempted.
A Festival Built Around the Main Event
The centrepiece is the PHP 15 million guaranteed Main Event — roughly $268,000 / £211,000 — with a PHP 40,000 buy-in (approximately $714 / £565). Players who register for Day 1A or 1B save PHP 4,000, bringing the entry down to PHP 36,000, making it worth arriving early if the bankroll allows. Day 1A fires on May 31, with Day 1B following as a Turbo variant. The field converges on Day 2, and the festival wraps with the nine-handed final table on June 4, when a new SPT Manila Main Event champion will be crowned.
Alongside the Main Event sits a schedule that includes a Turbo No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack, a Mystery Bounty, a Deepstack, a Freeroll courtesy of Cubeia, an SPT Bounty event, and — making its debut — The Hendon Mob Asian Championship, which adds an extra layer of prestige for players looking to earn ranking points on one of poker’s most respected databases. All events run under TDA guidelines, with unlimited re-entries permitted until registration closes, and all formats are No-Limit Texas Hold’em.
The Venue: Soul Poker at City of Dreams
City of Dreams Manila is no stranger to big poker. The resort sits at the centre of Entertainment City, Manila’s purpose-built gaming and hospitality strip along Roxas Boulevard, and the Soul Poker Club operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week — meaning side action won’t stop when the tournament clock does. Players should note that while casual attire is acceptable, the resort enforces a dress code: sleeveless shirts, open-toed shoes, and flip-flops are not permitted in tournament areas. Smart casual is the safe call. The minimum age for casino entry in the Philippines is 21.
More Than Just Poker
What distinguishes SPT Manila from a standard regional festival is its deliberate collision with the broader gaming industry. The tournament runs simultaneously with the SiGMA Asia Summit at the SMX Convention Centre — one of the largest iGaming and tech conferences in the world. The SPT VIP Package, priced at PHP 120,000 (approximately $2,140 / £1,693), bundles a Main Event seat with four nights at a luxury hotel, access to the SiGMA conference, entry to the official celebration party, and a Meet & Greet with SiGMA Poker Tour ambassadors. For international players who want to combine a poker trip with business networking — or for industry professionals who want to take a shot at a live tournament while attending the summit — it’s a compelling proposition.
Even the more modest satellite pathway is designed with accessibility in mind. Qualifying satellites start at just PHP 4,000 (around $71 / £56), giving recreational players a realistic route into a PHP 40,000 Main Event for a fraction of the cost.
A Circuit in a Hurry
Launched in 2025, the SiGMA Poker Tour is still in its first full season, but it’s moving fast. The 2026 calendar hits four continents — Brazil, Malta, Manila, and Mexico — with each stop anchored to a SiGMA industry summit. The Manila stop carries the highest single guarantee of the season. The tour recorded a significant milestone in April when Mathias Guimarães triumphed in the SiGMA South America Main Event in São Paulo, helping establish the circuit’s credibility on the live tournament scene. A portion of buy-ins from selected side events is also channelled through the SiGMA Foundation to local charitable projects in each host city — a detail the tour has made a genuine part of its identity.
Why Manila, Why Now
The Philippines has quietly become one of Asia’s most active live poker markets. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the state regulator overseeing casino operations, reported PHP 87.6 billion ($1.4 billion / £1.1 billion) in gross gaming revenues in the first quarter of 2026 alone, even amid a 15 percent year-on-year decline attributed to broader regional pressures. The live poker infrastructure — particularly at integrated resorts like City of Dreams — continues to strengthen, and an influx of international players and iGaming professionals at a combined poker-and-summit event is exactly the kind of traffic Manila’s poker community has been building toward.
What’s Next
Satellites begin on Saturday, May 30, with tournament action proper firing on May 31. The Main Event final table is set for June 4. Players travelling internationally will need a valid passport for tournament registration. After Manila, the SiGMA Poker Tour’s next destination is Mexico City in September 2026.
Thirteen days until cards are in the air — Manila’s biggest poker week of 2026 is almost here.