2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Malta

€10,200 Single-Day High Roller
Day: 1
Event Info

2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Malta

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
89
Prize
€327,030
Event Info
Buy-in
€10,000
Prize Pool
€1,299,800
Entries
134
Level Info
Level
24
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000

Chidwick Busts to Zisimopoulos; Reenters

Level 4 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Before the flop, about 20,000 chips go into the middle between Georgios Zisimopoulos and Stephen Chidwick. The latter got his stack of around 60,000 chips in with {Q-Spades}{9-Spades} on the flop {Q-Clubs}{J-Clubs}{4-Diamonds} and Zisimopoulos called with {K-Clubs}{K-Spades}. The board completed with the {4-Clubs} turn and {8-Clubs} river to give Zisimopoulos a flush and Chidwick headed to the cashier to purchase his second bullet.

Player Chips Progress
Georgios Zisimopoulos gr
Georgios Zisimopoulos
170,000
170,000
170,000
Stephen Chidwick gb
Stephen Chidwick
100,000

Tags: Giorgos ZisimopoulosStephen Chidwick

Lodden Doubles Through Sahamies

Level 4 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

In a preflop all in situation, Johnny Lodden was at risk for his last 57,700 chips. Ilari Sahamies looked him up with the {A-Clubs}{K-Diamonds} and flipped against the {J-Diamonds}{J-Hearts} of the Team PokerStars Pro. The {J-Spades} as door card immediately made Sahamies throew his cards toward the muck and the rest of the board ran out {6-Diamonds}{2-Clubs}{6-Hearts}{K-Spades}.

Player Chips Progress
Johnny Lodden no
Johnny Lodden
110,000
40,000
40,000
PokerStars
Ilari Sahamies fi
Ilari Sahamies
49,000

Tags: Ilari SahamiesJohnny Lodden

The Italian Big Game Live Broadcast Begins Today

Level 4 : 800/1,600, 200 ante
Kevin MacPhee
Kevin MacPhee

According to EPT officials, EPT Berlin champion Kevin MacPhee, who is just days removed from winning the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event for his second WSOP bracelet, is one of the stars competing on the third edition of the Italian Big Game, which started earlier today. You can watch the live cards-up stream (in Italian, and subject to a one-hour security) from 2 p.m. for the first session, and at 7 p.m. on both PokerStars.tv and YouTube.

The show, an Italian version of the high-stakes cash game TV format created by PokerStars, will involve two four-hour sessions, each featuring five professional poker players and a "Loose Cannon" who has qualified on PokerStars.it. MacPhee will be sharing his table with, among others, French Maison du Bluff poker coach YoHan Viral and Clavio Anzalone, who became the youngest PokerStars.it SuperNova Elite in December 2012. In addition, Gianluca "FrullinoZIZI" Irpino and Francesco "cypuz" Cipolleschi will serve as the Loose Cannons.

Dario Sammartino, who has won both previous stops during IPT Saint Vincent and IPT Nova Gorica (for combined winnings of nearly €50k) will be joined by Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody, IPT7 Nova Gorica runner-up Christian Favale and 2014 WSOP $10k Heads-up champion Davide Suriano.

Tags: Kevin MacPheeBig Game

Pollak Finds a Way

Level 4 : 800/1,600, 200 ante
Benjamin Pollak
Benjamin Pollak

Aliaksei Boika got it all in for some 75,000 with the {9-Clubs}{9-Hearts} versus Benjamin Pollack's {A-Hearts}{J-Clubs}. He even managed to hit a set on the {10-Clubs}{q-Diamonds}{9-Spades} flop.

Pollack picked up an open-ender, however, and got there on the {k-Diamonds} turn to make Broadway. Boika's stack was pushed to Pollak after the {2-Spades} river did not pair the board and while Boika is out, Pollak is up over the 200,000-chip mark now.

Player Chips Progress
Benjamin Pollak fr
Benjamin Pollak
207,000
207,000
207,000
Aliaksei Boika by
Aliaksei Boika
Busted
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner

Gu Doesn't Fold Often

Level 4 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Roberto Romanello remembers Huidong Gu well from Berlin a few days ago and the Macau High Roller is not the kind of player to bow down easily. Romanello tried and fired two streets until the {A-Hearts}{5-Clubs}{9-Clubs}{4-Spades} turn before checking the {6-Clubs} river. Gu checked behind and Romanello showed first his {10-Clubs}{10-Diamonds}. Gu flipped over {A-Clubs}{9-Spades} for two pair and that won the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Huidong Gu mo
Huidong Gu
155,000
55,000
55,000
Roberto Romanello gb
Roberto Romanello
54,000
-46,000
-46,000
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: Huidong GuRoberto Romanello

Drinan Joins the Field

Level 4 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

"Floor, how many players?" the dealer asked when Connor Drinan sat down to start the tournament. The floor replied that more people would be coming in after balancing out the tables and eventually Drinan was good to go with the likes of Sergio Aido, Justin Bonomo, Sam Greenwood, Martin Finger and former PCA champion Dominik Panka as his opponents. There surely have been less difficult tables in High Roller events.

Player Chips Progress
Connor Drinan us
Connor Drinan
100,000

Tags: Connor DrinanDominik PankaJustin BonomoMartin FingerSam GreenwoodSergio Aido

Alvarado Catches Luca

Level 4 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

The river was already spread in front of the dealer, reading {4-Clubs}{A-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}{5-Spades}{7-Spades}. Ivan Luca fired 15,000 for about two-thirds of the pot and Ricardo Alvarado eventually called to show {Q-Hearts}{10-Hearts} as the winning hand. Alvarado is up nicely while "Negriin" was bumped down to half the starting stack.

Player Chips Progress
Ricardo Alvarado us
Ricardo Alvarado
160,000
60,000
60,000
Ivan Luca ar
Ivan Luca
52,300
52,300
52,300

Tags: Ivan LucaRicardo Alvarado

Level: 4

Blinds: 800/1,600

Ante: 200

Three Reentries Already

Level 3 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

Andrew Chen and Fabrice Soulier ran out of chips this level. While the former purchased a reentry, Soulier is nowhere to be found right now and joined the rail.

New additions to the field: Mukul Pahuja, EPT10 High Roller champion Thomas Muehloecker and Ramin Hajiyev. The tournament clock confirms the increased field size of 80 entrants.

Player Chips Progress
Ramin Hajiyev az
Ramin Hajiyev
100,000
Thomas Muehloecker at
Thomas Muehloecker
100,000
Mukul Pahuja us
Mukul Pahuja
100,000
Fabrice Soulier fr
Fabrice Soulier
Busted

Tags: Andrew ChenMukul PahujaFabrice SoulierThomas Muehloecker