India’s Raju Jaruplavath Wins Philippines National Cup for First Asian Poker Tour

BOOM! BANG! POW! The poker heat is OFF THE CHARTS in Manila! The Asian Poker Tour (APT) Manila Poker Classic 2025 is in full swing at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, running side by side with the PokerStars LIVE Manila Super Series 21. The first APT stop of the year, in partnership with Metro Card Club, promises an insane 100 scheduled tournaments, with a jaw-droppinAsian Poker Tour

And the Main Event? Oh, it’s a MONSTER. With a ₱60,000 (~$1,000) buy-in and a ₱60 Million (~$1 Million) guarantee, the Grand Ballroom of Crowne Plaza is THE place to be!

Raju Jaruplavath: A Roaring Start At Asian Poker Tour!

Two days in, 15 trophies have already found their new homes. And guess what? Team India is on FIRE! With many pros grinding at DPT Xpress in Goa, the Indian contingent still managed to rack up seven cashes and one SHINY GOLD victory!

And leading the charge? None other than RAJU JARUPLAVATH! The long-time circuit grinder CRUSHED the competition in Event #1: ₱12K Philippines National Cup, grabbing his first-ever APT title AND a sweet ₱797,765 (~₹12.07 Lakhs)!

Jaruplavath bulldozed through a 398-entry field (split across three flights) in this two-day slugfest, capturing the coveted Gold Lion Silhouette Trophy! Singapore’s Zhi Xiang Png came close but had to settle for runner-up with ₱503,000 (~$8,643).

The Road To Victory: How It Happened!

Jaruplavath entered the final day with 311,000 chips, sitting at 11th place out of 58 survivors. He played it SMART, picking his spots and slowly but surely climbing the leaderboard. By the time the final table hit, he was joint second in chips.

BUT WAIT… there was drama!

Early on, his pocket kings got cracked (ouch!). But did he panic? NOPE. Like a true warrior, he fought back! He eliminated FOUR players, took control of the table, and stormed to an unstoppable victory.

The Bigger Picture: A Career High! 

This isn’t just any trophy. This is Jaruplavath’s third Asian Poker Tour title and third-largest live score, pushing his total live tournament earnings past ₹1.30 Crores!

Team India: Strong Finishes All Around!

While Jaruplavath stole the show, the Indian brigade had a solid run:

• Shiva Shankar Shenbagaraj finished 16th for ₱42,000 (~₹63,505)
• Bharath Jayaram landed in 21st place, banking ₱34,000 (~₹51,409)
• Natural8 India Exec & Ambassador Kunal Patni came 29th for ₱26,000 (~₹39,313)
• Vineet Kumar & Rajiv Sachdeva finished 32nd & 37th, pocketing ₱22,000 (~₹33,264) each

What’s Next? More Poker, More Action!

This is just the beginning of the Asian Poker Tour Manila Poker Classic 2025. With MILLIONS up for grabs and plenty of trophies waiting for their rightful owners, the action is only going to get CRAZIER.

Will Team India continue their winning streak? Will another underdog rise to glory? Stay tuned for more thrills, more spills, and more poker magic!

Shuffle up and deal, Manila!

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