2025 PokerStars EPT Malta
Ilija Savevski opened to 16,000 from under the gun. Thomas Muehloecker and Modar Alsoud called from the button and big blind.
Savevski fired out 20,000 on the A♠10♣2♦ flop, and Alsoud was the only caller. Alsoud then check-called bets of 75,000 on the 5♥ turn and 125,000 on the J♣ river.
Savevski tabled A♦K♠ for top pair-top kicker, and Alsoud mucked.
Preflop, Mateusz Wozniak was all in and at risk for 160,000 on the button against Sebastian Mortensen in the cutoff.
Mateusz Wozniak: 10♠10♦
Sebastian Mortensen: A♥J♠
Wozniak's pair seemed to hold on the 2♣8♠9♦4♠ board, but the A♠ river brought a "Barry" to send him to the rail instead.
Thomas Bellanger in early position and Ankit Ahuja in the hijack had created a pot of 155,000 when they both checked the Q♣10♥6♠10♠ turn. The 2♥ river then completed the board, prompting Bellanger to bet 100,000.
Ahuja carefully cut out a call and counted his remaining chips, debating his options for a while. Eventually, he gently placed a call.
Bellanger quickly tabled 8♠7♠ for a pure bluff, leaving Ahuja to win the pot with A♥K♦ as he had hero-called with ace-high.
Kenny Hallaert raised to 16,000 from early position and called when Mark Vella moved all-in for 81,000 on his direct left.
Mark Vella: 7♠7♣
Kenny Hallaert: K♠9♠
Vella would go onto make sevens full of sixes on the A♦6♣3♠6♦7♦ runout to double through the PokerStars ambassador.
Felix Schneiders opened to 12,000 from the cutoff before Eros Zappacosta three-bet to 45,000 from the button. Schneiders jammed for 165,000 and Zappacosta snap-called for his tournament life, having around 150,000.
Eros Zappacosta: K♠K♣
Felix Schneiders: J♥J♦
Schneider's couldn't have asked for much more, making a full house on the A♥A♠J♣ flop to leapfrog the cowboys. The 4♦ turn and Q♦ river completed the board and Schneiders moved to an average stack.
Evaldas Aniulis made it 16,000 to go in early position, which Kazuyuki Tanemura upped to 40,000 in middle position. Giuseppe Dedoni then four-bet to 93,000 in the cutoff, after which the action folded back to Aniulis.
He thought for a couple of minutes before he folded his cards. Tanemura then asked how much the four-bet was, counted his chips, and also mucked his hand after a little while.
Virgilio Di Cicco was down to 35,000, which he pushed in from the hijack. It folded to Eros Zappacosta in the big blind, who swiftly called.
Virgilio Di Cicco: A♦8♠
Eros Zappacosta: A♠9♣
Di Cicco's hand was dominated and remained so as both players paired on the 9♦3♦10♥8♦4♣ runout.