€5,300 Main Event Day 3 | 2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Malta

10-28-2015 09:31 UTC

The Race to the Money on Day 3 of the EPT12 Malta Main Event

Christian Zetzsche

Alexander Ivarsson leads at the start of Day 3

In 90 minutes from now at 12 p.m. (noon) local time, Day 3 of the 2015 PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Season 12 Malta Main Event will restart with 131 hopefuls out of a 651-entry strong field remaining. The top 95 spots will get paid at least €9,320 for their efforts and the money will definitely be reached within the scheduled five 90-minute levels at the Casino Portomaso. There will be no dinner break today, play is scheduled to end around 8:45 pm.

Alexander Ivarsson is leading the field after a very dominant performance at the tables yesterday, bagging up 529,200. He is followed by fellow Scandinavian Samuli Sipila with 466,500 whereas Germany's Erik Scheidt completes the overnight podium with 447,700 chips. Other big stacks include Giulio Spampinato (406,500), who won the entry into the €5,300 Main Event through a live satellite, Jens Lakemeier (385,000), Day 1b chip leader Jaroslaw Sikora (377,700), Faraz Jaka (375,200), Pawel Brzeski (372,100) and Andreas Chalkiadakis (358,600).

Several big names of the international poker circuit also bagged up chips for Day 3 such as Mike "Timex" McDonald (314,200), Niall Farrell (280,000), Christoph Vogelsang (240,300), Ivan Luca (219,800), Dan Smith (214,200), EPT10 Barcelona High Roller champion Thomas Muehloecker (209,200), EPT10 Prague runner up Anton Bertilsson (199,800) , Dominik Nitsche (166,700), €25,000 High Roller winner Sam Greenwood (163,000) and Shannon Shorr (149,000). PokerStars will be represented by the Team Pros Johnny Lodden (102,400), Matthias de Meulder (45,600) and Team Online's Isaac Haxton (106,500).

EPT9 Grand Final champion Steve O'Dwyer (98,100) and EPT11 Grand Final winner Adrian Mateos (45,000) will start below average when play resumes in level 15 at blinds 1,500 / 3,000 with a running ante of 400. The PokerNews live reporting will be there to provide all key hands until a winner is crowned on Sunday, so make sure to tune in regularly.

Tags: Adrian Mateos Alexander Ivarsson Anton Bertilsson Christoph Vogelsang Dan Smith Dominik Nitsche Erik Scheidt Faraz Jaka Giulio Spampinato Isaac Haxton Ivan Luca Jaroslaw Sikora Jens Lakemeier Johnny Lodden Matthias De Meulder Mike McDonald Niall Farrell Pawel Brzeski Sam Greenwood Samuli Sipila Shannon Shorr Steve O'Dwyer Thomas Muehloecker

10-28-2015 11:40 UTC

Massive Pot Straight Out of the Gate

Chad Holloway

Level 15 : 1,500/3,000, 400 ante

Jaroslaw Sikora opened for 6,000 and received a call from Charles Chattha on the button. Alfie Adam then three-bet to 21,000 from the big blind, and Sikora pushed back with a four-bet to 47,000. Chattha got out of the way, Adam five-bet shoved for roughly 220,000, and Sikora snap-called.

Sikora:
Adam:

It was a cooler for Sikora, but his fortune turned around when the flop delivered him a set. The turn have Adam some Broadway outs, but he was left wanting as the paired the board on the river. A disappointed Adam shook hands with a couple of players and then took his leave from the EPT12 Malta Main Event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jaroslaw Sikora	625,000 247,300	247,300
Alfie Adam	Busted

Tags: Alfie Adam Jaroslaw Sikora Charles Chattha

10-28-2015 12:05 UTC

Lots of Chips and a Chair

[user127999]

Level 15 : 1,500/3,000, 400 ante

Darie Vlad has yet to turn up to claim his 208,000-chip stack.

This might be optimal strategy considering Team PokerStars Pro Ike Haxton and the EPT's all time money leader Steve O'Dwyer are on his direct left.

All joking aside, the situation prompted Haxton to recall the time when Stratosphere owner Bob Stupak failed to turn up deep in the 2008 WPT Bellagio Cup. Stupak had lukemia, and a had been taken to hospital overnight with the worse expected.

Haxton described the scene as a bit eerie with Stupak's stack still in the tournament after the news of his health had broken. In the end, Stupak blinded out on the stone bubble. He died a little over a year later during the 2009 WPT Festa al Lago.

In addition to being a casino owner, Stupack was an accomplished poker player with a World Series of Poker bracelet and almost $900,000 in career tournament earnings. He will always be remembered as a great friend and student of the game.

Vlad, a young Romanian coming off a six-figure score in an EPT Barcelona prelim, may now be remembered for the time he looked at his table draw and thought the best way to play against the lineup on his left is simply not to.

Player	Chips	Progress
Darie Vlad	208,000
Isaac Haxton	110,000 3,500	3,500

Steve O'Dwyer	100,000 1,900	1,900

Tags: Ike Haxton Isaac Haxton Steve O'Dwyer

10-28-2015 15:38 UTC

Chevalier Cracks Aces to Send Geilich Out in 97th Place

Chad Holloway

Level 17 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

Pierre Chevalier opened with a raise from middle position and 2013 PokerStars UKIPT Marbella Main Event champ Ludovic Geilich shoved his short stack — what looked to be approximately 30,000 — from the small blind. Chevalier made the call and after play concluded at all other tables the cards were turned on their back.

Chevalier:
Geilich:

Spectators surrounded the table, and some rumblings reverberated throughout the room when the cards were announced. No one seemed surprised that the short stack got it in with aces, but it sounded like some players were excited over Chevalier's hand, which was some might say is good for cracking aces.

That said, you can imagine the excitement that shot through the room when the flop fell to give Chevalier both an open-ended straight and flush draw. Needless to say, Geilich was not thrilled and his face suggested his days were numbered.

Sure enough, the dealer burned and turned the to give Chevalier the straight and leave Geilich drawing dead. The meaningless was put out on the river, and Geilich left empty handed in 97th place, which sets up the official bubble.

Just one more player needs to go before the money is reach.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pierre Chevalier	300,000 30,000	30,000
Ludovic Geilich	Busted

Tags: Ludovic Geilich Pierre Chevalier

10-28-2015 16:04 UTC

That's The Way The Bubble Breaks

[user127999]

Level 17 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

Christopher Andler (grey hoodie) bubbles EPT 12 Malta Main Event 2015

Christopher Andler, who was one of the players stalling before hand-for-hand play commenced, has just busted on the bubble.

Daniel Dvoress raised to 10,000 under the gun and Giulio Spampinato made the call from the small blind. Andler was all in for just 1,500 in the big blind and Spaminato and Dvoress went heads-up on the side.

The flop fell and Spampinato checked and Dvoress bet 6,500. Spampinato called and the turn came the . Spampinato led out for 13,000 and Dvoress called. Both players checked the river and the hands were revealed.

Dvoress:
Spampinato:
Andler:

Dvoress took the main and side pots with a pair of aces and with Andler's exit, the rest of the field is in the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
Giulio Spampinato	516,000 -39,000	-39,000
Daniel Dvoress	340,000 65,000	65,000
Christopher Andler	Busted

Tags: Christopher Andler Daniel Dvoress Giulio Spampinato

10-28-2015 16:25 UTC

Matthias De Meulder Eliminated, Kevin Lee Shark More Than Doubles

Webjoker

Level 17 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

Matthias De Meulder shoved all in for his last 21,000 from middle position. Patrick Jann right next to him in the hijack asked how much it was, and said "Ok, I call" with a somewhat reluctant voice. The cutoff folded and action was on Kevin Lee Sharp on the button. He pushed all in as well, and both blinds released. Jann asked how much more it was (68,000 total, 47,000 more), and called again.

Matthias De Meulder:
Patrick Jann:
Kevin Lee Sharp:

The board came and Matthias said "That means it's over! And that means I gotta find something else to do!"

With a big smile De Meulder exited the tournament, just happy he was able to "sneak into the money", as he later himself called it. De Meulder finished in 79th place, good for the min cash of €9,320. Shark more than doubled.

Player	Chips	Progress
Patrick Jann	212,000 -116,000	-116,000
Kevin Lee Sharp	204,500 113,000	113,000
Matthias De Meulder	Busted

Tags: Kevin Lee Sharp Matthias De Meulder Patrick Jann

10-28-2015 16:39 UTC

Jeff Rossiter Eliminated

Webjoker

Level 17 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

Jeff Rossiter pushed his last 53,500 to the middle from the under gun position. Everyone folded like Rossiter must have hoped, expept for the big blind. Rainer Kempe made the call and put Rossiter at risk.

Rainer Kempe:
Jeff Rossiter:

The board came and Rossiter made his exit in 75th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rainer Kempe	323,000 133,000	133,000
Jeff Rossiter	Busted

Tags: Jeff Rossiter Rainer Kempe

10-28-2015 17:07 UTC

Dvoress Busts Hunichen; Has to Postpone Eating

Christian Zetzsche

Level 18 : 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante

Daniel Dvoress just came fresh off the break with a sandwich in his hand and was about to eat when the first cards were dealt. He raised to 12,000 and Chris "Big Huni" Hunichen moved all in for exactly 20 big blinds or 120,000 chips. "I am pretty sure I am calling, but can I please have a count?" the Canadian asked and then called.

Dvoress:
Hunichen:

The board ran out and the pair of eights held up. Right after the hand, the table broke and Dvoress let out a "really?" because he was about to bite into his sandwich ... . Hunichen confirmed to be back for the €10,000 High Roller tomorrow, which PokerNews is also reporting on until a winner is crowned.

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniel Dvoress	525,000 185,000	185,000
Chris Hunichen	Busted

Tags: Chris Hunichen Daniel Dvoress

10-28-2015 17:21 UTC

Farrell Busts Haxton

Christian Zetzsche

Level 18 : 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante

PokerStars Team Online member Isaac Haxton moved all in for 75,000 from under the gun and Niall Farrell called from two seats over.

Haxton:
Farrell:

The enormous run good of the Scotsman continued with the flop , giving Farrell top set. The turn opened some outs for Haxton with any queen for the straight, but the river was a blank and even gave Farrell a full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
Niall Farrell	1,040,000 90,000	90,000

Isaac Haxton	Busted

Tags: Isaac Haxton Ike Haxton Niall Farrell

10-28-2015 18:01 UTC

Two Hands, and Poof, Dominik Nitsche Disappears

Chad Holloway

Level 18 : 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante

Dominik Nitsche was cruising along, but two hands — one of which was extremely unlucky — saw him bounced from the tournament.

In the first, Italy's Gianluca Escobar moved all for 89,000 from middle position and Nitsche isolated by three-betting all in from the small blind.

Nitsche:
Escobar:

Nitsche was a heavy favorite, but Escobar got lucky to catch a ten on the flop. Neither the turn nor river helped Nitsche, and he was left with 37,000 after the hand.

Not long after, Nitsche raised to 27,000 under the gun, leaving himself just 5,000 back. Andreas Chalkiadakis called from the hijack, and then Escobar put in a three-bet. Nitsche called off and Chalkiadakis folded.

Nitsche:
Escobar:

This time it was Nitsche who was dominated, but he would not get lucky against Escobar, who held after the board ran out . Nitsche exited in 58th place for €10,580.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gianluca Escobar	250,000 90,800	90,800
Dominik Nitsche	Busted

Tags: Gianluca Escobar Dominik Nitsche