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

10-07-2025 23:24 UTC+1

Afriat Falls Just Short

Sava Krink

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

In the very last hand of the day, the pot was around 27,000 with Eric Afriat first to act holding a 32,500 stack. Paawan Bansal raised to 112,500, putting Afriat’s tournament life on the line, as he only had about 40,000 behind. The board showed J♠2♠A♣5♦9♠.

Afriat took a moment to think, even asking what the blinds would be for the start tomorrow. In the end, he made the call. Bansal tabled A♠10♠ for the nut flush, while Afriat also had a flush with 8♠6♠, but it wasn’t enough. His tournament ended just one glimpse away from bagging a stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paawan Bansal	221,500 27,500	27,500
Eric Afriat	Busted

Tags: Eric Afriat Paawan Bansal

10-07-2025 23:17 UTC+1

Cracked Aces Spell Genders' Goodbye During Final Hands

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Frank Visser

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

A pot between Orlando Genders and Dario Pieruzzini had grown to 24,000 when they reached the K♣5♦3♣7♥ turn. Genders checked to Pieruzzini, who fired a bet of 5,500.

Genders sighed and moved all in for 28,800, receiving a quick call from his opponent.

Orlando Genders: A♦A♣ All in
Dario Pieruzzini: K♦7♦

Pieruzzini's two pair was not counterfeited on the 10♣ river, securing the pot in his favor. A dejected Genders amicably said his goodbyes to the tables while tables around him started bagging for the night.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dario Pieruzzini	135,000 81,000	81,000
Orlando Genders	Busted

Tags: Dario Pieruzzini Orlando Genders

10-07-2025 23:05 UTC+1

Lewis Sends Sheils to the Rail

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Maxime Taldir

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

The action was picked up on a board of 6♦9♠J♣4♥Q♦ with 28,800 in the pot. Brandon Sheils in the small blind checked, Romain Lewis in early position jammed for a bit more than 60,000 and Sheils went deep into the tank. The clock was called and at the end of the countdown, he threw his 29,000 chips in front of him to call.

Brandon Sheils: K♦J♥ All in
Romain Lewis: Q♠J♦

Sheils called with the second pair but ran into Lewis' two pair and was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Romain Lewis	125,000 76,900	76,900
Brandon Sheils	Busted

Tags: Brandon Sheils Romain Lewis

10-07-2025 22:44 UTC+1

Janssen Takes a Big Pot

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Sava Krink

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

The pot was already around 130,000 with the board fully fanned out 3♥K♥8♠5♦7♠. Ferdinand Janssen was all-in first to act for 43,000. Candido Cappiello, slightly shorter, took a long time in the tank before finally making the call.

At showdown, Janssen tabled A♦A♠ for an overpair, while Cappiello had A♥8♥ for a missed flush draw and just a pair of eights. That ended Cappiello’s run, and Janssen stacked a healthy pot to continue in the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ferdinand Janssen	216,000
Candido Cappiello	Busted

Tags: Candido Cappiello Ferdinand Janssen

10-07-2025 22:24 UTC+1

Late-Night Bust-Outs

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Frank Visser

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Will Kassouf	Busted
Scott Margereson	Busted
Toru Ida	Busted
Grzegorz Popiolek	Busted
Sascha Manns	Busted
Giuseppe Dedoni	Busted
Stoyan Madanzhiev	Busted
Jon Kyte	Busted
Erik Friberg	Busted
Robin Schmitt	Busted
Blaz Zerjav	Busted
Hugo De La Fouchardiere	Busted
Johan Karlsson	Busted
Andrew Hulme	Busted

10-07-2025 21:51 UTC+1

Lococo Runs Into Bansal's Aces Again

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Frank Visser

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

For the second hand in a row, Laszlo Bujtas opened the action, making it 2,500 under the gun. The big stack on the table was Paawan Bansal, and he three-bet to 9,000 in the cutoff.

Alejandro Lococo in the small blind thought for a bit before he four-bet to 19,500. Eric Afriat was in the big blind and inquired about Lococo's stack. After about a minute in thought, Afriat folded, and so did Bujtas.

Bansal then announced an all-in bet, and Lococo instantly called off his stack of 55,000.

Alejandro Lococo: A♦K♦ All in
Paawan Bansal: A♥A♣

The 5♥6♦5♦ flop gave Lococo some outs, but no more diamonds arrived on the 10♥ turn or Q♠ river.

The Argentinian PokerStars Ambassador immediately headed to the exit, while Afriat lamented his folded queens, which would have won a monster pot had he called.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paawan Bansal	194,000 106,000	106,000
Laszlo Bujtas	86,000 4,000	4,000
Eric Afriat	77,000 39,000	39,000
Alejandro Lococo	Busted

Tags: Alejandro Lococo Eric Afriat Laszlo Bujtas Paawan Bansal

10-07-2025 21:29 UTC+1

Ricoy to the Rail

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Maxime Taldir

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

Daniel Ricoy in the cutoff saw his 13,500-chip stack being called by Jorge Rios Garces under the gun.

Daniel Ricoy: 5♦5♠ All in
Jorge Rios Garces: K♦Q♣

Rios Garces flopped top pair on 3♠K♣8♦A♥10♠ so Ricoy was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jorge Rios Garces	50,000
Daniel Ricoy	Busted

Tags: Daniel Ricoy Jorge Rios Rios Garces

10-07-2025 20:51 UTC+1

Nightly Entries and Exits

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Frank Visser

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

Player	Chips	Progress
Christopher Puetz	30,000 30,000	30,000
Laurent Cessy	30,000 30,000	30,000
Stoyan Madanzhiev	30,000 30,000	30,000
Laszlo Bujtas	30,000 30,000	30,000
Erwann Pecheux	30,000 30,000	30,000
Niko Koop	Busted
Anton Suarez	Busted
Rikiya Jindo	Busted
Roland Rokita	Busted
Leo Worthington-Leese	Busted
Julian Micallef	Busted
Jacobus Verberk	Busted
Marius Kudzmanas	Busted
Alexandros Theologis	Busted

[Removed:548]	Busted
Sebastian Mortensen	Busted
Jerry Odeen	Busted
Jordi Urlings	Busted
Saar Wilf	Busted
Thomas Santerne	Busted
Lars Kamphues	Busted
Pavle Pecelj	Busted

10-07-2025 20:30 UTC+1

Lappin Only Casualty of a Three-Way All-In

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Maxime Taldir

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

Vasileios Tsaknis opened from the button. Rodrigo Colon in the small blind three-bet all in for 10,700, David Lappin in the big blind jammed for 18,700, and Tsaknis eventually made the call.

David Lappin: A♦10♥ All in
Rodrigo Colon: 10♦10♠ All in
Vasileios Tsaknis: A♠Q♦

Colon's tens held on 4♠K♦8♠2♥3♣ so he tripled up while Lappin was eliminated.

Thomas Eychenne was sent to the rail at the same time from another table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vasileios Tsaknis	113,000 38,000	38,000
Rodrigo Colon	33,000 33,000	33,000
David Lappin	Busted
Thomas Eychenne	Busted

Tags: David Lappin Rodrigo Colon Vasileios Tsaknis

10-07-2025 20:18 UTC+1

Pihela Eliminates Montalban

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Maxime Taldir

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

Igor Pihela Jr raised from the cutoff. Manel Montalban in the big blind three-bet to 9,500, and Pihela four-bet all in. Montalban went deep into the tank and eventually called off his last 40,000.

Manel Montalban: 10♦10♥ All in
Igor Pihela Jr: A♥Q♥

Pihela hit trips on a board of K♠6♦A♣A♦J♦ to send Montalban to the rail.