€5,300 Main Event Day 1a | 2025 PokerStars EPT Malta

10-06-2025 20:45 UTC+1

Sheils Holds to Double

Stewart Morrison

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Martin Nielson raised from early position to 2,000 before seeing Brandon Sheils move all in 5,500 from the cutoff. Action folded back to Nielson, who made the call to put his opponent at risk.

Brandon Sheils: A♣10♥ All in
Martin Nielson: K♠J♣

The dealer delivered a 6♣7♠4♦Q♥2♠ board, safe enough to give Sheils a double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Martin Nielson	31,100
Brandon Sheils	13,500 14,700	14,700

Tags: Brandon Sheils Martin Nielson

10-06-2025 20:45 UTC+1

20-Minute Break

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Maxime Taldir

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

The 140 remaining players are now on a 20-minute break. It is the last level of the day before wrapping up.

10-06-2025 20:55 UTC+1

Do Poker Cheaters Deserve a Second Chance? | PokerNews Podcast #918

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Kaelaine Minton

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

In the 918th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, the 100th of the revamped in-studio show, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz are joined by Ben Ludlow to talk about the latest stories from the poker world, including a discussion about GGPoker’s Olive Branch Initiative. Do banned players and poker cheaters deserve a second chance?

The trio then discusses Monarch's recent seven-figure heads-up matches that saw $11 million and $12.7 million pots, recent tournament winners from the latest Triton Poker stop, including Isaac Haxton and Christoph Vogelsang, and Kristen Foxen taking over the top spot from Vanessa Selbst on the Women's All-Time Money List on The Hendon Mob.

Plus, Chadd Beatty wins RGPS Grand Prix Pennsylvania Main Event, and it's your last chance to qualify for a FREE seat in the World Tournament of Slots (WTOS).

Finally, Chad reveals another code word for this year's NAPT Gold Pass giveaway valued at $10,000! There are not many up for grabs this year, so you won't want to miss out on this limited opportunity to win one just by listening to the PokerNews Podcast and MSPT Podcast Presented By PokerNews.

A new PokerNews Podcast drops every Thursday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!

Click here to listen to the new PN Podcast!

Level: 9

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 1,200

10-06-2025 21:09 UTC+1

Updated Chip Counts

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Maxime Taldir

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Toni Kaukua	225,000 116,000	116,000
Thomas Haverstad	196,000 66,000	66,000
Carlo Wolters	195,000 195,000	195,000
Sebastian Toro	179,000 179,000	179,000
Kasjusz Zycinski	168,000 22,000	22,000
Sergio Da Silva	165,000 93,000	93,000
Eros Zappacosta	164,400 164,400	164,400
Dimitar Danchev	161,300 119,800	119,800

Luka Sorainen	160,200 14,800	14,800
Matthew Davenport	142,700 42,700	42,700
Victor Fryda	136,000 136,000	136,000

10-06-2025 21:18 UTC+1

Sorainen Tangles with Another EPT Champ

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Calum Grant

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Barny Boatman opened to 2,500 from the cutoff, and Luka Sorainen, who earlier knocked out EPT Main Event champion Aleksandr Shevliakov, decided to tangle with another title holder, three-betting to 7,200 from the button. Boatman made the call.

However, the fireworks fizzled quickly as Boatman check-folded to a 7,200 continuation bet on the K♦Q♣8♥ flop.

Player	Chips	Progress
Luka Sorainen	180,000 19,800	19,800
Barny Boatman	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Aleksandr Shevliakov Barny Boatman Luka Sorainen

10-06-2025 21:19 UTC+1

Labat Puts Pressure on Borges

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Stewart Morrison

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Pedro Borges kicked the action off with a raise to 2,400 from middle position. On the button, Antoine Labat made the call before the remaining players folded.

Borges opted to check on the 5♣9♠10♥ flop, but when Labat placed a bet of 3,100, Borges check-raised to 9,100. Labat called, and the two took a turn.

The dealer added the A♠ to the board, and Borges checked again. Labat bet again, this time enough to cover his opponent.

There was no immediate action from Borges, but after brief consideration, he returned his cards to the dealer, conceding the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antoine Labat	97,000 97,000	97,000
Pedro Borges	18,100 18,100	18,100

Tags: Antoine Labat Pedro Borges

10-06-2025 21:22 UTC+1

Kenjic and Ensan Depart

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Calum Grant

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Jovan Kenjic put in his last 5,800 from under the gun. Julien Dupré called as the covering stack from the hijack.

Jovan Kenjic: 10♣10♠ All in
Julien Dupré: Q♦Q♣

Kenjic had a sweat going to the river, with the flop and turn bringing in the 9♠8♠5♦2♠ board. However, the K♥ river provided no help for the short stack, and he departed.

Just before, on another table, Hossein Ensan was ousted by Maxime Chilaud. Ensan was all-in with AxQx, and couldn't crack Chilaud's AxAx on the Kx6x3xJx9x runout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maxime Chilaud	100,000 61,000	61,000
Julien Dupré	90,000 10,000	10,000

Felix Schneiders	32,000 19,300	19,300
David Kaufmann	25,000 20,700	20,700
Jovan Kenjic	Busted
Hossein Ensan	Busted

Tags: Hossein Ensan Jovan Kenjic Julien Dupré Maxime Chilaud

10-06-2025 21:29 UTC+1

Vogelsang Hits the River to Double

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Maxime Taldir

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

After several raises preflop which involved Jianwei Lin in the hijack as well, Tom Vogelsang found himself all-in and at risk for approximately 52,000 from the button against Gustavo Silva in the big blind.

Tom Vogelsang: A♥Q♣ All in
Gustavo Silva: K♣K♦

Vogelsang was on the edge of elimination on 10♠4♦J♣3♦, but he hit the A♦ river to secure a double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tom Vogelsang	110,000 88,500	88,500
Gustavo Silva	67,000

Tags: Gustavo Silva Jianwei Lin Tom Vogelsang

10-06-2025 21:37 UTC+1

Ran to His Own Demise

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Stewart Morrison

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

The action at the table started with Nemo Israel sprinting back to the table to avoid his hand being dead in the big blind. He made it, just.

Giorgos Onisiforou put in a raise from the cutoff to 2,500. Action folded to Israel, who moved all in for 12,300, which Onisiforou called, putting his opponent at risk.

Nemo Israel: A♥10♥ All in
Giorgos Onisiforou: K♠J♠

The flop 8♠6♦3♣ kept Israel in the lead, but the turn K♦ saw his opponent take control.

The dealer provided the 10♠ river, which wasn't enough to save Israel, who started the hand running and finished the hand walking.