2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Malta

€5,300 Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info

2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Malta

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
56
Prize
€534,300
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€3,157,350
Entries
651
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000

"This is Going to be a 100,000 Pot"

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante
Bart Kuiper
Bart Kuiper

"Look, this is going to be the pot where he busts" Simon Trumper said as we approached the table, referring to his messmate Bart Kuiper. "This is gonna be a 100k pot minimum" Kuiper replied with a big smile.

Kuiper had opened the hijack, Marco Leonzio had called from the button, and Trumper had joined from the big blind.

The flop came {Q-Clubs}{J-Clubs}{K-Diamonds} and was checked around. All three men checked on the {A-Hearts} as well and the {3-Hearts} fell on the river. Trumper bet 2,000 and Kuiper called with a pained face after some thinking. Leonzio called as well in position.

"He wins!" Trumper pointed to Leonzio with a smile on his face. "I think so too" laughed Kuiper. Trumper showed {3-Diamonds}{4-Hearts} and Kuiper admitted to having an ace, but indeed Leonzio took it down with the {A-Diamonds}{J-Clubs}.

"Nice 100k pot huh?" Trumper laughed. At least they're having fun on table 25.

Player Chips Progress
Simon Trumper gb
Simon Trumper
95,000 -2,000
Bart Kuiper nl
Bart Kuiper
60,000

Tags: Marco LeonzioBart KuiperSimon Trumper

Update Counts from the Other Half the Room

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante
Player Chips Progress
Mikael Jean lb
Mikael Jean
120,000
Dominik Nitsche de
Dominik Nitsche
80,000 41,000
Chris Hunichen us
Chris Hunichen
80,000
Marcin Horecki pl
Marcin Horecki
60,000
Max Silver gb
Max Silver
55,000
Kitty Kuo tw
Kitty Kuo
50,000
Jonathan Little us
Jonathan Little
46,000 -5,000
Felix Stephensen no
Felix Stephensen
45,000
Shannon Shorr us
Shannon Shorr
40,000 9,000
Dermot Blain ie
Dermot Blain
25,000 -12,000
Natalie Hof de
Natalie Hof
24,000 -5,000
Christopher Brammer gb
Christopher Brammer
20,000 -13,500
Griffin Benger ca
Griffin Benger
17,000 -15,000

Updated Chip Counts from Half the Room

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante
Player Chips Progress
Ari Engel ca
Ari Engel
130,000 25,000
Faraz Jaka us
Faraz Jaka
85,000 23,000
Theo Jorgensen dk
Theo Jorgensen
60,000 27,000
Lucas Greenwood ca
Lucas Greenwood
53,000 23,000
Ismael Bojang de
Ismael Bojang
45,000 12,000
Mike McDonald ca
Mike McDonald
EPT 1X Winner
45,000 15,000
Sylvain Loosli fr
Sylvain Loosli
42,000 7,000
Simon Deadman gb
Simon Deadman
40,000 17,000
Govert Metaal nl
Govert Metaal
34,000 7,000
Manig Loeser de
Manig Loeser
EPT 1X Winner
33,000 5,300
Natasha Barbour us
Natasha Barbour
31,000 -6,000
Sofia Lovgren se
Sofia Lovgren
30,000 -11,000
David Peters us
David Peters
24,200
Scott Davies us
Scott Davies
24,000 -6,000
Lee Markholt us
Lee Markholt
23,000 -7,500
Liv Boeree gb
Liv Boeree
21,500 -10,500
Mickey Petersen dk
Mickey Petersen
18,000 -6,000
Michael Tureniec se
Michael Tureniec
EPT 1X Winner
13,000 -19,000
Davidi Kitai be
Davidi Kitai
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Winamax
12,500 -5,100
Nick Petrangelo us
Nick Petrangelo
11,500 -12,000
Gaelle Baumann fr
Gaelle Baumann
Winamax
10,500 -7,500

"Best Hand I've Seen"

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante

After a player opened for 1,100, Georges Ghossan moved all in for his last 6,000. A few spots over, Dara O'Kearney made the called, and action folded back to the original raiser, who released his hand.

O'Kearney: {a-Spades}{k-Hearts}
Ghossan: {a-Clubs}{10-Diamonds}

"Best hand I've seen," a resigned Ghossan said. Even so, it was dominated.

The {a-Hearts}{4-Spades}{q-Clubs} flop paired both players, but of course O'Kearney's kicker had him out in front. The {8-Clubs} turn was a blank, and so was the {K-Diamonds} to send Ghossan to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Georges Ghossan lb
Georges Ghossan
Busted

Tags: Dara O'KearneyGeorges Ghossan

Level: 8

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 75

MacDonnell Scores Lucky Double

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

The flop was already out by the time we arrived and Marc MacDonnell had checked on {2-Clubs}{8-Clubs}{9-Spades} from the big blind. Preben Stokkan made a bet of 2,000 and MacDonnell check raised to 6,150. Stokkan moved in after just a couple of seconds of thinking and MacDonnell called for 13,300 total.

Marc MacDonnell: {Q-Spades}{Q-Diamonds}
Preben Stokkan: {K-Diamonds}{K-Hearts}

The {Q-Clubs} on the turn saved MacDonnell's day and the {10-Hearts} on the river didn't spoil his party. Lucky double for the rounded Irishman.

Player Chips Progress
Marc MacDonnell ie
Marc MacDonnell
29,700 14,700

Tags: Marc Macdonnell

Jaka Calls With Second Pair

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

On a flop of {A-Spades}{10-Clubs}{6-Diamonds} we witnessed Natasha Barbour check from the small blind. Faraz Jaka in the hijack checked as well and Ismael Bojang took the betting lead by sliding 2,200 forward. Barbour was quick to fold but Jaka made the call.

The {3-Clubs} fell on the turn and both players checked. With the {2-Hearts} completing the board, Jaka checked a third consecutive time. Bojang made a bet of 7,600 and Jaka went into the tank. After a few minutes he called, and Bojang knocked on the table in defeat. He flashed {7-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} while Jaka tabled {Q-Spades}{10-Hearts}.

Player Chips Progress
Faraz Jaka us
Faraz Jaka
62,000 16,000
Ismael Bojang de
Ismael Bojang
33,000 7,000

Tags: Ismael BojangFaraz JakaNatasha Barbour

The Defending Champ Has Been Eliminated

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante
Jean Montury
Jean Montury

The EPT Malta will have a new champion.

Earlier this year, France's Jean Montury made history by becoming the first-ever EPT Malta champ, a feat he accomplished after topping a field of 895 players – which created a €4,340,750 prize pool – to take home a €687,400 first-place prize along with a SLYDE championship watch.

Montury was in action here on Day 1b, but his title defense came to an abrupt end shortly after returning from dinner.

We missed the hand unfold, but managed to obtain some details after the fact. Montury's demise came after Mamouni Smain opened for 1,200 and then called when the defending champ three-bet to 3,600. Smain proceeded to check-call a bet of 3,600 on the {9-}{7-}{4-} two-heart flop, and then checked the non-heart {Q-} turn. Montury bet 7,200, Smain check-raised all in, and Montury called off his remaining 3,000 or so.

Montury: {a-Hearts}{k-Hearts}
Smain: {9-}{9-}

The river was a blank, meaning Smain's flopped set help to send Montury to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Jean Montury fr
Jean Montury
EPT 1X Winner
Busted

Tags: Jean MonturyMamouni Smain

Leonard Talks McEathron Into Talking

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

Ludovic Geilich got up from the table and whispered in our ear that an interesting hand was being played over on his table. Geilich said Leonard had at least {A-}{10-} and was talking his opponent into calling, a player that for sure had {7-}{7-} according to Geilich. He later told us the entire hand.

Leonard had opened from early position to 1,200 and Ryan McEathron had called right behind him. Leonard had double checked his cards on {3-Clubs}{2-Spades}{4-Spades} and checked. McEathron bet 1,500 and Leonard had made the call.

Both players had checked the {3-Spades} on the turn and now the {10-Clubs} completed the board. Leonard pushed all in for effectively 15,000 or so and the decision was on McEathron.

The Canadian player seemingly was leaning towards a fold, but Leonard talked him out of it. At one point the clock was called and eventually McEathron called for his tournament life. Leonard showed {10-}{10-} for a full house and McEathron folded what indeed was {7-Diamonds}{7-Hearts} as Geilich had "predicted".

Geilich himself is playing 42,000, just above average.

Player Chips Progress
Patrick Leonard gb
Patrick Leonard
65,000 17,000
Ludovic Geilich gb
Ludovic Geilich
42,000 12,000

Tags: Patrick LeonardLudovic Geilich