2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 11 Malta

€5,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 11 Malta

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a10
Prize
€687,400
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€4,340,750
Entries
895
Level Info
Level
38
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
100,000

Altman Short

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

Brian Altman, who made a deep run at the EPT 11 Prague Main Event, is having a bad day at the office thus far. On a three-way flop of {7-Hearts} {9-Diamonds} {J-Diamonds} he folded to a bet of 800 whereas Joseph Portelli check-raised to 2,400 and took down the pot. It was Portelli who had taken half the stack of Albert Daher previously and is almost up to 50,000 in chips.

Player Chips Progress
Joseph Portelli mt
Joseph Portelli
49,000
Brian Altman us
Brian Altman
7,000 -23,000

Tags: Albert DaherBrian AltmanJoseph Portelli

"0Human0" Off to a Good Start

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

With 800 in the pot and a flop of {3-Hearts}{3-Clubs}{8-Hearts}, Ivan Stokes checked from the big blind and Tomas Samol bet 500 from the under-the-gun position. Ignat "0Human0" Liviu bet called from the cutoff, Stokes folded, and it was heads-up action to the {2-Clubs} turn.

Samol bet again, this time 1,200, but he could shake the Romanian pro. When the {5-Spades} completed the board on the river, Samol took another stab at it with a 3,500 bet, but Liviu made a relatively quick call.

"You win," Samol admitted before chucking his cards to the muck. Liviu was then pushed the pot without having to reveal his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Liviu Ignat ro
Liviu Ignat
37,000 7,000

Tags: Ignat LiviuTomas SamolIvan Stokes

McEathron Continues to Build

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

It's been a great hour for Canada's Ryan McEathron, who notched the first elimination of the day to pull out to an early chip lead, one that he just added to.

We picked up the action with approximately 1,000 in the pot and a board reading {10-Diamonds}{2-Spades}{2-Hearts}{a-Spades}. Italy's Virgilio di Cicco checked from the big blind and McEathron bet 600 from the cutoff. The Italian made the call and then checked once again on the {J-Hearts} river.

McEathron kept the pressure on with a bet of 900, and his opponent made a quick call. McEathron tabled the {a-Clubs}{k-Clubs} for aces and deuces with a king kicker, and it was good as di Cicco flashed the {a-Hearts} before mucking his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Ryan McEathron ca
Ryan McEathron
72,000 2,000

Tags: Ryan McEathronVirgilio di Cicco

Tureniec the First Player Eliminated from EPT Malta Main Event

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante
Ryan McEathron
Ryan McEathron

After a raise to 250 and the call of Michael Tureniec, Ryan McEathron also flat-called out of the blinds and they saw a three-way flop of {7-Clubs} {3-Diamonds} {2-Clubs}. The initial preflop aggressor bet 550 and Tureniec raised to 1,500, which was met by a check-raise to 4,300 from PokerStars qualifier McEathron for 4,300 in total.

Only Tureniec called and shoved the {9-Hearts} turn after his opponent from Canada had led for 8,500. McEathron called the 26,000 all in with pocket sevens and Tureniec's pocket threes didn't find the one remaining out in the deck anymore.

Player Chips Progress
Ryan McEathron ca
Ryan McEathron
70,000 70,000
Michael Tureniec se
Michael Tureniec
EPT 1X Winner
Busted

Tags: Michael TureniecRyan McEathron

One for Newey

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

Paul Newey is a high roller. He literally travels around the world playing the the biggest buy-in events. He doesn't do it for money, nor fame, but simply for love of the game. As such, Newey isn't afraid to play tournaments outside of high rollers, like today's EPT Malta Main Event.

In a recent hand, the man from the UK raised to 250 under the gun and action folded all the way around to Lebanon's [Removed:2] in the big blind. He opted to defend and then check-called a bet of 325 on the {7-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}{9-Hearts} flop. After the dealer burned and turned the {10-Spades}, Maksoud checked and Newey bet again, this time 600. It did the trick as Maksoud wasted little time in releasing his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Paul Newey gb
Paul Newey
30,600 600

Tags: Paul Newey

Daher Bluffs Into Aces

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

After some preflop action already, Albert Daher led the {4-Clubs} {8-Diamonds} {6-Spades} flop for 1,500 out of the small blind and the player on the button called. The Lebanese also bet the {2-Clubs} turn for 4,200 and was called before making it 7,400 to go on the {4-Diamonds} river.

His opponent quickly called and Daher sighed "you are good" before turning over his {K-Spades} {10-Hearts}. The opponent rolled over {A-Spades} {A-Hearts} and took half of Daher's stack.

Player Chips Progress
Albert Daher lb
Albert Daher
14,000

Tags: Albert Daher

Further Notables on Board

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

Among those to have just appeared at the tables were EPT champions Jannick Wrang and Ruben Visser, Spanish wunderkind Adrian Mateos as well as former November Niner Marc Etienne McLaughlin.

Player Chips Progress
Jannick Wrang dk
Jannick Wrang
EPT 1X Winner
30,000 30,000
Marc Etienne McLaughlin ca
Marc Etienne McLaughlin
30,000 30,000
Marcin Horecki pl
Marcin Horecki
30,000 30,000
Tobias Matuschek de
Tobias Matuschek
30,000 30,000
Adrian Mateos es
Adrian Mateos
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
30,000 30,000
Ruben Visser nl
Ruben Visser
EPT 1X Winner
30,000 30,000
[Removed:172] de
[Removed:172]
30,000 30,000

Tags: Adrian MateosJannick WrangMarc Etienne McLaughlinRuben Visser

Shetta Shoves on Barbosa

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante
Sami Shetta
Sami Shetta

About 10 minutes into the tournament, we happened upon a hand with around 7,650 already in the pot and a board reading {10-Spades}{4-Hearts}{5-Clubs}{6-Clubs}. Finland's Sami Shetta had checked from the big blind and Joao Barbosa bet 5,000 from the button. Shetta then check-raised all in for 22,400, and Barbosa hit the tank.

Approximately two minutes ticked off the clock, and eventually Barbosa opted to lay down his hand. It was a big hand for Level 1 and could very well set the tone for this tournament.

Player Chips Progress
Sami Shetta fi
Sami Shetta
46,000 46,000
Joao Barbosa pt
Joao Barbosa
EPT 1X Winner
23,000 23,000

Tags: Joao BarbosaSami Shetta