2025 PLO Grand Slam Malta
Stefan Lehner open-raised to the maximum of 10,500 in the cutoff. Hossein Ensan defended his big blind and check-called Lehner's bet of 13,000 on the 4♣A♥Q♠ flop.
Lehner checked behind Ensan on the 2♠ turn, prompting the latter to stab at the pot with a bet of 5,000 on the J♠ river. Lehner announced a pot-sized raise of 65,500, and Ensan let his hand go after little thought.
"Never bluff," Lehner said with a smile as he showed A♠9♠ for the nuts.
Francesco Canzonieri raised to 10,500 in the hijack. Pavel Izotov flat-called in the button before "Sonic", who had lost the majority of his big stack, three-bet to 46,500 from the big blind.
Canzonieri reluctantly folded, but Izotov called after spending one time bank. "Sonic" then moved all in for 70,000, which received a quick fold from Izotov to take the pot.
Marcus Dieleman in the hijack was the only caller of Alexi Skoulos's three-bet to 33,000 in the big blind.
Skoulos checked the 9♣8♠6♥ flop over to Dieleman, who bet 20,000. Skoulos then moved all in for 161,000, and Dieleman snap-called.
Alexi Skoulos: A♥A♦10♣6♠
Marcus Dieleman: Q♣10♠6♣4♠
The board double-paired on the 8♥9♥ runout, meaning Skoulos' aces held for the double-up. Dieleman was left with just two big blinds, which he lost not much later to immediately reenter.
Level: 5
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 30,000
Heads up to a 7♠4♥10♦7♣ turn, Pavel Izotov fired 28,000 into a pot of 86,500 from middle position. "Sonic" called in the cutoff during the last second of his shot clock.
Izotov slammed his fist on the table on the K♣ river for a check. "Sonic" quickly checked behind, much to the disappointment of Izotov, who raked in the pot with A♠9♥7♦4♠ for a full house.
It checked to Martin Nielsen on the button in a four-way pot to the A♣A♠6♥ flop. Nielsen added 8,000 to the pot of 57,000 with a bet, folding out everyone but Davide Iannaco, who raised to 36,000.
Nielsen called to the 4♥ turn, where he was put all-in for 95,000 by Iannaco. Nielsen quickly called off to put his second bullet of the day at risk.
Martin Nielsen: A♥K♥K♦J♦
Davide Iannaco: A♦8♠8♣6♣
Nielsen did not improve to a full house on the Qx river, and he was shipped out of the tournament by Iannaco's boat.