€5,300 Main Event
Day 1a Started
2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 11 Malta
€5,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 11 Malta
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€4,340,750
Entries
895
Level
38
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
100,000
MyStack App Available Throughout the EPT Malta Main Event
The PokerNews MyStack App is available for players here in the EPT Malta Main Event, allowing players to directly update their chip count on the PokerNews Live Reporting page for their friends and family to see.
You can download the app absolutely free for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in.
Be forewarned, however, any abuse of the app will result in account suspension or termination.
Welcome to Day 1a of the 2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 11 Malta Main Event
The European Poker Tour's first-ever stop to the island nation of Malta has proven a tremendous success, and the Main Event hasn't even begun! That's because two days ago Poland's Dzmitry Urbanovich topped a field of 88 entries to win the €25,500 High Roller €572,300, and then yesterday the long-awaited Global Poker Masters (GPM) kicked off their Playoff round, which saw the elimination of Team UK from the competition.
That doesn't even take into account the numerous side events taking place as part of the EPT Malta Poker Festival, which is hosting the largest number of tournaments ever at a PokerStars live event. There are also be up to 35 EPT-run cash game tables operating 24 hours a day.
The GPM will continue today at the Hilton Hotel, but in the main ballroom the EPT Malta will come to a head with the cornerstone €5,300 buy-in Main Event. Over the next few days some of the game's best will take their shot in this tournament including a long list of Team PokerStars Pros. For instance, World Series of Poker Player of the Year George Danzer, EPT Sanremo champ Liv Boeree, 2010 world champion Jonathan Duhamel, and the world’s top female player Vanessa Selbst are all here, as is Team PokerStars SportStar Fatima Moreira de Melo and PokerStars-sponsored PCA 2014 champion Dominik Panka. Team Online will be represented by Marc-Andre Ladouceur, Ike Haxton and Vito Barone.
Not all of those players will play today (some are still alive in the GPM), but we expect plenty of notables to test their mettle here on Day 1a.
Players will start with 30,000 in chips, and the plan for the day is to play eight 75-minute levels, meaning play should end tonight around 11:45 p.m. Click here to see the entire Main Event structure. Cards will be in the air at Noon local time, which is just under an hour from now. Stay tuned as the PokerNews Live Reporting Team brings you all the latest and greatest from the EPT Malta Main Event.
Shuffle Up and Deal!
After the lights were dimmed and a welcome video shown to the players in the room, EPT President Edgar Stuchly took to the mic.
"First and foremost I would like to thank you all for joining and supporting the EPT," Stuchly said in a deep timber. "Dealers please, shuffle up and deal."
A nice round of applause followed, the dealers promptly washed the deck, and cards are officially in the air here in the EPT Malta Main Event.
We're headed out to the field to see who is here.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
First List of Notables
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
Shetta Shoves on Barbosa
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
About 10 minutes into the tournament, we happened upon a hand with around 7,650 already in the pot and a board reading 
. Finland's Sami Shetta had checked from the big blind and Joao Barbosa bet 5,000 from the button. Shetta then check-raised all in for 22,400, and Barbosa hit the tank.
Approximately two minutes ticked off the clock, and eventually Barbosa opted to lay down his hand. It was a big hand for Level 1 and could very well set the tone for this tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
46,000 | 46,000 |
|
23,000 | 23,000 |
More Faces in the Field
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
Further Notables on Board
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Among those to have just appeared at the tables were EPT champions Jannick Wrang and Ruben Visser, Spanish wunderkind Adrian Mateos as well as former November Niner Marc Etienne McLaughlin.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
Daher Bluffs Into Aces
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
After some preflop action already, Albert Daher led the 
flop for 1,500 out of the small blind and the player on the button called. The Lebanese also bet the 
turn for 4,200 and was called before making it 7,400 to go on the 
river.
His opponent quickly called and Daher sighed "you are good" before turning over his 
. The opponent rolled over 
and took half of Daher's stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
14,000 |