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€5,300 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2025 PokerStars EPT Malta
€5,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
2025 PokerStars EPT Malta
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€4,355,300
Total Entries
898
Level
35
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entries
319
Players Left
102
Players Left 1 / 898
Filter
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Nine years after the last European Poker Tour Malta, PokerStars has returned to the Mediterranean island for a brand-new edition at Casino Malta. Back then, the Main Event drew 468 entries; a number that should easily be surpassed this week, as today’s Day 1a of the €5,300 EPT Main Event already attracted 319 entrants on its own, with Day 1b and late registrations until the beginning of Day 2 still to come.
For this opening flight, China claimed the top spot of the chip counts thanks to Jianwei Lin (242,000). For Lin, going deep in an EPT is nothing new as he finished eighth at the 2024 EPT Barcelona. A little over a year later, a flopped straight to crack aces was one of many hands that put him on the right track for another potential deep run.
Fellow countryman Jiaming Zhao finished the day third in chips with 194,500, while Erik Eisen (202,000) completed the provisional podium. In total, 102 players bagged chips at the end of the day and advance to Day 2.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jianwei Lin | China | 242,000 | 161 |
| 2 | Erik Eisen | Germany | 202,000 | 135 |
| 3 | Jiaming Zhao | China | 194,500 | 130 |
| 4 | Grzegorz Kozieja | Poland | 186,000 | 124 |
| 5 | Alexandre Reard | France | 181,000 | 121 |
| 6 | Cesar Garcia | Spain | 176,500 | 118 |
| 7 | Hugues Mazerolle | France | 172,000 | 115 |
| 8 | Luka Sorainen | Finland | 163,000 | 109 |
| 9 | Ilija Savevski | North Macedonia | 159,000 | 106 |
| 10 | [Removed:607] | Austria | 156,000 | 104 |
According to many players PokerNews spoke with, the Day 1a field was tougher than what is usually seen at other EPT stops. Despite the higher level, Alexandre Reard (181,000), Cesar Garcia (176,500), Ilija Savevski (159,000) and [Removed:607] (156,000) all reached the Top Ten, closely followed by Ognyan Dimov (148,000), who leads the five EPT champions who advanced to Day 2.
That list includes Dimitar Danchev (128,500), Adrian Mateos (67,500), Pedro Marques (36,000), and the defending champion from nine years ago, Aliaksei Boika (72,000).
However, EPT winners Tom Middleton, Simon Wiciak, Barny Boatman, Hossein Ensan, and Aleksandr Shevlyakov, among many others, lost all their chips on Day 1a and will have to try again on Day 1b, or have already been definitively eliminated (only one reentry is allowed).
Toni Kaukua spent most of the day among the chip leaders and closed with 139,000. Florian Duta (105,000), Adi Rajkovic (100,500), Artsiom Lasouski (90,000), Ole Schemion (58,000), and Juan Pardo (45,500) also advanced to Day 2.
"Happy with how [he] played," PokerStars ambassador Julien Dupré bagged 52,000 despite “having a tough table.” He spent the day facing Germany’s streamer Felix Schneiders (66,000) and had David Docherty (58,500) to his right during the last levels of play. Kenny Hallaert was the only other PokerStars Team Pro to take a shot on Day 1a, but didn’t find success.
Finally, recent EPT Barcelona runner-up Stefan Ionita didn’t bag much more than the starting stack (35,000), while Hannes Jeschka and Jeremie Zouari both finished at the bottom of the counts with 13,500 each.
After Day 1a, it’s now time for Day 1b, which kicks off this Tuesday, October 7, at 12 p.m. local time. The second starting flight of the Main Event will follow the exact same structure as Day 1a, with a 30,000-chip starting stack and ten 60-minute levels of play.
Stay tuned as PokerNews continues to bring you live updates from the 2025 EPT Malta Main Event until a winner is crowned!
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Only 102 players found a bag at the end of Day 1a. They are bagging their chips and are qualified for Day 2.
Stay tuned as PokerNews provides chip counts and the recap of today's action.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
The tournament director has paused the clock and announced that all tables will play five more hands, after which, all remaining players will bag their chips and progress to Day 2.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Toni Kaukua opened to 2,400 from the button before Jordan Dumas jammed for 26,200 from the small blind. David Vinayagamoorthy reshoved as the bigger stack from the big blind, and Kaukua folded.
Jordan Dumas: A♦J♦
David Vinayagamoorthy: A♣9♠
Vinayagamoorthy found a nine on the 9♥5♣7♥ flop to take the lead. He eliminated Dumas after the Q♣ turn and A♥ river.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Action was caught on the river with 80,000 in the pot on the 5♠4♦8♠6♠5♦ board.
Thomas Haverstad checked from the big blind and rising star [Removed:607] jammed for 41,800. Haverstad went into the tank, but ended up calling.
[Removed:608] had A♥5♥ for trip fives, and bested Haverstad's J♦J♠.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Seeing an under-the-gun raise to 2,400 ahead of them, both Felix Schneiders and David Docherty called from the cutoff and big blind, respectively.
Action checked to Schneiders on the 3♣4♣2♠ turn, who put out a bet of 3,500. Docherty called, and the original raiser folded.
Docherty then opted to lead out for 3,500 on the 3♥ turn but met resistance, as Schneiders raised to 10,500. Docherty waved the white flag, returning his cards to the dealer and conceding the pot to Schneiders in the process.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
On a board of 9♦9♣10♠8♣8♠ with 25,000 in the pot, Brandon Sheils in the cutoff was seen walking away after he lost his 23,500-chip stack against Giorgos Onisiforou in middle position.
Brandon Sheils: A♠K♠
Giorgos Onisiforou: 9♠9♥
Sheils ran into quads and was eliminated.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Attila Ivacson opened to 2,400 from early position before David Docherty made it 9,600 from the big blind. Ivacson called.
The K♦J♠10♥ flop checked through to the 5♣ turn. Docherty bet 6,500 and took down the pot.
