€550 Grand Event
Day 1c Completed
2018 Malta Poker Festival
€550 Grand Event
Day: 1c
Laurens Van De Sype Secures the Day 1C Chip Lead in the MPF Grand Event
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
The final starting day of the €550 Grand Event of the Malta Poker Festival was the busiest flight of all with 613 entries collected during the first eight levels of the day. After a bit more than 13 hours, 118 players have made it through to Day 2, Sunday, November 4 which starts at 1 PM local time at the Portomaso casino.
Claiming the Day 1C chip lead is Belgium’s Laurens Van De Sype with 334,500 in chips. Van De Sype is trailed by Vytenis Salickas (289,000), Timothy O’Keefe (255,500), Nicolas Proust (255,000), and Andy Hills with 254,000.
Other notable players overcoming the Day 1C hurdles include Jona Wilmsmann (226,000), Murat Tulek (216,000), Mark Vella (114,500), Katharine Arnsby (114,000), and many others.
In total, 1,366 entries were attracted to the Grand Event which had a guaranteed prize pool of €500,000 and that number was easily surpassed before the day had even started. Day 2 will see the surviving players of Day 1A, Day 1B, and Day 1C come together at 1 PM local time to battle it out to make it into the money stages. The full prize pool details should be announced when Day 2 starts.
Grand Event Schedule
| Day | Date | Starting Time | Late Reg | Entries | Survivors | Further Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | Thursday, November 1 | 14:00 | ~21:30 | 302 | 64 | 75 minute-dinner break after Level 6 |
| 1B | Friday, November 2 | 14:00 | ~21:30 | 451 | 78 | 75 minute-dinner break after Level 6 |
| 1C | Saturday, November 3 | 14:00 | ~21:30 | 613 | 118 | 75 minute-dinner break after Level 6 |
| 2 | Sunday, November 4 | 13:00 | N/A | 1,366 | 262 | 20-minute breaks and 75-minute dinner break after Level 23 |
| 3 | Monday, November 5 | 14:00 | N/A | - | - | 20-minute breaks and 75-minute dinner break after Level 35 |
| 4 | Tuesday, November 6 | 14:00 | N/A | tba | - | Play down to a champion |
The full chip counts and seat draw for Day 2 will be posted once PokerNews receives them from the organization.
Make sure to come back at 1 PM local time to see who will make the money as the PokerNews live reporting team will be there, as usual, to bring you all the updates!
Selection of End-of-Day Chip Counts
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
334,500 | 59,500 |
|
289,000 | 289,000 |
|
255,500 | 75,500 |
|
255,000 | 86,000 |
|
254,000 | |
|
|
251,500 | 251,500 |
|
229,500 | -10,500 |
|
226,000 | 9,400 |
|
222,500 | 122,500 |
|
216,000 | 46,000 |
|
202,500 | 202,500 |
|
200,500 | 64,500 |
|
199,500 | 22,500 |
|
114,500 | 4,500 |
|
114,000 | 14,000 |
|
53,500 | -15,500 |
Play Ended
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
The full chip counts, the Day 2 seat draw, and a recap of today's action is to follow.
Three More Hands
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
The tournament clock has been paused and three more hands need to be played before the remaining players can bag and tag their chips for Day 2 tomorrow.
Underdal Downs Andren
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
Fredrik Andren shoved for 20,000 from under the gun and was only called by Simon Underdal in the cutoff.
Fredrik Andren: 
Simon Underdal: 
The flop came 
for them both to flop two pair. Andren needed a trey to stay alive but the 
on the turn meant that he was drawing dead as he 
came on the river to complete the board and finalize his elimination.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
120,000 | |
|
|
Busted |
Wilsmann Gets the Fold
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
The board read 
with around 71,000 in the pot already.
[Removed:257] contemplated for quite a while and then decided to check from the hijack. Jona Wilmsmann pushed a stack of his yellow 5,000-value chips in for the bet which would put Tahirovic all-in and at risk for the 45,000 he had behind. Tahirovic didn't look pleased and folded after considering it for a bit.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
216,600 | 26,500 |
|
45,000 |
Upstairs Chip Counts
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
306,000 | 116,000 |
|
|
275,000 | 115,000 |
|
|
240,000 | |
|
|
177,000 | 82,000 |
|
|
170,000 | 70,000 |
|
|
169,000 | 125,400 |
|
|
145,000 | 72,000 |
|
142,000 | 90,000 |
|
|
100,000 | 82,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 400
Vella Finally Over One Hundred
Level 13
: 1,200/2,400, 300 ante
Omri Zaidman raised to 5,200 from the hijack and Mark Vella called in the cutoff. Marino Ferrara also called on the button and Guy Ara shoved for 28,800 in the small blind. Zaidman folded and Vella tank-shoved too. Ferrara folded quickly.
Guy Ara: 
Mark Vella: 
The flop came 
for Vella to hit a flush draw but keep Ara ahead.
The turn was the 
to give Vella the flush indeed and have Ara drawing dead.
The 
on the river completed the board as a formality and Ara was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,000 | 35,000 |
|
95,000 | 5,000 |
|
|
Busted |