On my first ever trip to Manila, I stayed at a hotel near the Manila Pavilion. I would walk there for poker games at night. After that, they closed it and it was reopened a while back by the APT. Recently I played there a few times because the APT was held there.
The hotel itself is dated and so is the casino. You feel like you've walked into the 1970s, like the set for Boogie Nights, patterned carpets, disco balls hanging from the ceiling, styrofoam cutouts for promos... most kids don't even know what is styrofoam. The crowd is also on the older side, a big portion of the players in their 50s and up. No electrical boards on their roulette tables, at least that is what I noticed. They allow smoking as well so it feels like an old Vegas casino waiting to be demolished.
The poker room is on the 1st floor back corner. They did do up the area in stylish black walls and ceilings, the tables are nice, decent chairs but a bit crowded. Games don't start until 2pm and even then it is one or two tables at best. Stakes run from 25/50 peso (US$0.50/$1 approx) to 200/400 maybe during tournament days. Players are fishy but usually don't play deep. Minimum buy in is only 40 bbs but maximum can go to 1000 bbs if I am not mistaken.
The chips are too lightweight for my liking. You can't stack them properly. Rake is at a whopping 10% so another no-no for me. Free drinks include water, coffee and that's about it. Don't think they have free food. Staff are reasonably courteous but so are those in the other poker rooms.
Overall I wouldn't go unless the APT is there.
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