The Battle For Poker Supremacy

City of Dreams, Manila, Philippines 

So much can be said about the crescendoing drama of the ongoing battle for poker supremacy in the Philippines. The APPT in City of Dreams Manila, being the current battleground, would seem to be the centerpiece of this developing epic - with PokerStars standing gloriously under the spotlight of a record-breaking field - but as the Main Event winds down to its final two tables, the attention might soon be focused, not on one final table, but on two seats.

Imagine it.  In Seat One, wearing the Poker King brand: Winfred Yu. In Seat Four, directly across him, wearing the PokerStars brand: Mike Kim.  Aside from being heavily-respected for their abilities as poker players, both are known as powerhouses when it comes to poker industry mastery.

On the felt, the edge might go to the more experienced Korean-American.  Mike is a true veteran of the game whose collection of poker anecdotes are populated by names from the old guard: Brunson, Reese, even a certain Magician who once had the audacity to call him out for being too tight in an underground table. Winfred, although newer to the game (only halfway thru his second decade), is himself not lacking in terms of the big-names in his own circles: Ivey, Dwan, Antonius. 

On the floor, however, is where these two titans have had the more relevant encounters, and the odds have seemingly been in favor of the wily Chinese CEO from Canada. If the legends are true, Winfred's Poker King Clubs have consistently bolted tables down on floors supposedly laid out by Mike.

In a more recent sortie, it was Mike who reclaimed the upper hand when his team - unceremoniously ousted from Solaire Poker Room - set up shop across the road at PokerStarsLive Manila and proved without a doubt that a venue alone is not a recipe for smashing success.

The battle may continue in the undertones between these two visionaries with contrasting styles. One blazing trails with sheer force of will, and the other conquering with technique and precision. Whichever way the tides turns, we know that the industry will come out as the true winner - just for being blessed by the passion of these two pillars of poker.