Break
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
The players are on their first 20-minute break of the day. The bubble hasn't burst yet.
2016 PokerStars.com EPT Season 13 Malta
€5,300 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2016 PokerStars.com EPT Season 13 Malta
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€2,269,800
Entries
468
Level
28
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Macnamara Bests Hwang
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Tomas Macnamara raised to 8,000 and Yung Hwang called in the big blind. On the 
flop, Hwang check-called a continuation bet worth 9,000 and did so again for 16,000 on the 
turn. After the 
river, Hwang checked again. Macnamara bet 28,000 and Hwang called after verifying the amount with the dealer.
Macnamara showed the 
for a flush and Hwang mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
355,000 | 140,000 |
|
90,000 | -95,000 |
Saad Pains Panka Twice
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
In the previous hand, Elie Saad already took some chips from Dominik Panka by successfully picking up a river bluff of the former EPT champion. Now, Saad opened from middle position to 9,000 and Panka defended his big blind.
The flop was 
and Panka check-called a 15,000 bet from Saad. Both players checked the 
on the turn. Panka led out 28,000 on the 
river and Saad called with 
. Sure enough, Saad was right again, as Panka held 
for the missed straight draw.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
430,000 | 128,000 |
|
300,000 | -115,000 |
Sarah Herzali Picks up Akenhead's River Bluff
![[user228332]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Sarah Herzali is one of the biggest stacks in the room at this moment, and the bubble play definitely has not slowed her down. She just took a decent sized pot from 2009 November Niner James Akenhead, when she picked up his bluff on the river.
On a flop of 
Akenhead checked to Herzali and subsequently called a bet of 21,000. The 
on the turn prompted two checks, before the dealer revealed the on the river. This made Akenhead fire 42,000, but Herzali wasn't going anywhere and ultimately made the call.
Akenhead sighed and showed his 
, but the treys couldn't beat Herzali's turned second pair with 
, and thus the Frenchwoman scooped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
420,000 | 58,000 |
|
160,000 | -16,000 |
Philipps Doubles
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
In the previous hand, Armin Mette raised to 8,000 and then folded to the three-bet by Yung Hwang for 22,000 from one seat over, Benjamin Philipps forfeited his big blind and was left with 3,000. Table neighbor Tomas Macnamara took out his smartphone and took a picture of Philipps before the next hand started.
Then, action folded all the way around to Philipps in the small blind and he tanked, looked around if any other tables were still going on (there were two). "I haven't tanked in a long time," Philipps said and Dietrich Fast on the rail grinned and said "take your time." Ultimately, Philipps called all in for his last 2,500 and they accidentally exposed their cards while table one was still involved in a hand. As soon as that had finished, the showdown took place.
Benjamin Philipps: 
Tomas Macnamara: 
The board came 
and Philipps doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
215,000 | -4,500 |
|
210,000 | 20,000 |
|
|
185,000 | 2,500 |
|
9,000 | -18,500 |
Huge River Bluff by Treccarichi
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Walter Treccarichi is using the bubble play to his advantage. He just threw in a huge bluff on the river and got it through.
There was around 50,000 in the middle and the board read 
. From the big blind, Stephen Chidwick checked to Treccarichi. The Italian slid out a bet of 26,500 and after some heavy thinking, Chidwick made the call.
The river was the and Chidwick checked again. Treccarichi pushed out a big pile of blue 5,000-chips, enough to put Chidwick all in.
The Brit thought about it for more than five minutes but eventually folded his hand. Treccarichi tabled 
for a complete bluff and that gained him a nice pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
310,000 | 79,000 |
|
60,000 | -40,500 |
Visalli Puts Pressure On Luo
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
The bubble situation is always daunting and Italian Gianfranco Vaselli just took advantage of it. Over on the feature table, the board read 
and the pot was already up to 146,000. It was Vaselli who bet 148,500, a massive bet to Xixiang Luo, his opponent in the hand.
While the other tables were long done with their hands, Luo spent the better part of three minutes squirming in his seat, keeping the viewers at home on the edge of theirs as well. Eventually, Luo elected to fold, sending the pot to Visalli.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
542,500 | 24,000 |
|
350,000 | -40,000 |
Fluri Gets Flushed - Hand for Hand Enabled
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Dmitry Yurasov raised to 10,000 from the hijack and Alain Fluri called all in for 7,500 from the cutoff, Mikita Badziakouski called in the big blind.
Both active players checked the 
flop, the then appeared on the turn. Badziakouski checked, Yurasov bet 10,000 and that forced a fold from Badziakouski.
Alain Fluri: 
Dmitry Yurasov:
The Swiss was drawing dead and grabbed his belongings already, while the 
on the river was already meaningless. As a result, the field was reduced to just 88 hopefuls and the bubble will now be played in hand-for-hand mode.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
380,000 | 22,000 |
|
Busted |
"We Might Finish the Day Still on the Bubble"
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
With the PokerStars.com EPT Malta being only two eliminations short of the money, the pace of play has understandably slowed down significantly. Especially at table nine where Felix Bleiker, Taran Parmar and Marco D'Amico all are nursing stacks at ten big blinds or less, the players aren't seeing too many hands, which leaves plenty of time for tabletalk.
"We might finish this day still on the bubble", Ismael Bojang proclaims between hands, which gets a good laugh from his tablemates.
"Roberto doesn't care about the bubble, right?", he asks Roberto Romanello on the adjacent table.
"The bubble is a time for shortstacks to make chips", he responds quickly.
89 players are still in contention for the trophy at Portomaso Casino.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
38,500 | -6,500 |
Panka and Scholten Tangle Twice
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Dominik Panka and Freek Scholten clashed twice already on day 3 of this EPT Main Event in Malta.
In the first hand, Schoten made it 9,000 and Panka defended his big blind.
Panka check called a 9,500-bet on the flop and a 24,000-bet on the turn. Both checked the river and Panka showed 
for the winner.
Couple of hands later, Scholten was firing at Panka again. This time he slid out a 7,000-bet on the flop. The 
fell on the turn and was checked through but Scholten bet again on when the 
hit the river.
Panka was facing a bet of 23,000 and elected to call. He quickly mucked when Scholten tabled 
for the winner.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
415,000 | 30,000 |
|
210,000 | -15,000 |