€550 Grand Event
Day 1cd Completed
2019 The Malta Poker Festival
€550 Grand Event
Day: 1cd
Comitini Takes Day 1c Chip Lead, Khamidov Takes Day 1d at The Malta Poker Festival Grand Event
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Both Day 1c and Day 1d of the €550 Grand Event at the Malta Poker Festival have to a conclusion after fourteen levels here at the Portomaso Casino. Day 1c collected 658 entries and 132 players flocked to Day 1d which was the turbo flight with 20-minute levels. A mere 42 players survived the turbo version of the regular starting days and 136 players bagged at the end of day 1c. So, for Day 1c and Day 1d combined, there were 790 entries with 178 survivors.
If you combine all the Day 1s, the Grand Event attracted 1,324 entries and out of all those players, 274 of them will return to the felt for Day 2 on Saturday, November 2, at 1 p.m. local time to battle it out for their share of the €642,140 prize pool. How the prize money will be divided and what will be on top will be announced by the tournament organization on Day 2 itself.
The chip leader for Day 1c is Dario Comitini with 480,000 in chips. He is followed by Mateusz Wozniak (475,500), Michel Vat (400,500), Domenico Tortomasi (390,000), and Oskar Wedde with 354,000. Day 1d features Komil Khamidov at the top with 244,500. Antonio Alba (215,500), Stuart Bell (211,500), Alan Kelleher (186,500), and Antonio Barbato (171,000) round out the top five for Day 1d.
Day 2 starts at 1 p.m. local time so it might be a bit of a short night for some of the players. Level duration will increase to 50 minutes each and a break has been scheduled after every three levels. The normal breaks will last 15 and 20 minutes, a 60-minute dinner break will take place after the ninth level of play. Level 15 is the first level of the day and features a small blind of 2,000, big blind of 4,000, and a button ante of 4,000.
The money stages will be reached on Day 2 and the PokerNews live reporting team will right there to bring you all the latest news. So, sit tight and keep following the updates!
Day 1d End-of-Day Chip Counts
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
244,500 | 244,500 |
|
215,500 | 215,500 |
|
211,500 | 211,500 |
|
186,500 | 186,500 |
|
171,000 | 171,000 |
|
158,500 | 158,500 |
|
|
156,000 | 156,000 |
|
|
153,000 | 153,000 |
|
151,000 | 151,000 |
|
150,000 | 150,000 |
|
|
130,000 | 130,000 |
|
|
130,000 | 130,000 |
|
|
116,500 | 116,500 |
|
108,000 | 108,000 |
|
|
106,000 | 106,000 |
|
|
100,500 | 100,500 |
|
|
94,000 | 94,000 |
|
93,000 | 93,000 |
|
|
86,500 | 86,500 |
|
86,500 | 86,500 |
|
|
82,500 | 82,500 |
|
76,000 | 76,000 |
|
75,000 | 75,000 |
|
68,500 | 68,500 |
|
64,500 | 64,500 |
Day 1c End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
480,000 | |
|
475,500 | 160,500 |
|
400,500 | 20,500 |
|
390,000 | 390,000 |
|
354,000 | -11,000 |
|
332,000 | -18,000 |
|
318,000 | |
|
|
317,500 | 100,500 |
|
|
313,000 | 13,000 |
|
291,500 | 31,500 |
|
280,500 | 153,500 |
|
276,000 | 11,000 |
|
275,000 | -15,000 |
|
267,500 | -7,500 |
|
231,500 | -18,500 |
|
229,000 | |
|
|
228,000 | |
|
225,000 | 225,000 |
|
223,500 | -9,500 |
|
222,000 | |
|
216,500 | |
|
|
216,000 | 76,000 |
|
212,000 | 42,000 |
|
|
202,000 | 202,000 |
|
|
201,500 |
Play Ended
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Play has ended for today in Day 1c with Day 1d finishing a few hours ago. The full chip counts, recap and Day 2 seat draw are to follow.
Three More Hands
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
The tournament clock has been paused and the players need to play three more hands before they can bag and tag their chips for Day 2.
Bossuyt Busts to Morales
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Shawn Morales raised to 13,000 from the hijack and Robert Bossuyt shoved from the small blind for 91,000. Morales tanked for a while, cut out calling chips, counted the remainder of his stack, and then made the call.
Robert Bossuyt: 
Shawn Morales: 
The board ran out 
for Morales to flop top pair, turn two pair, and river a full house to send Bossuyt out of the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
480,000 | 33,000 |
|
|
275,000 | 37,000 |
|
Busted |
Latest Selection of Chip Counts
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
380,000 | |
|
|
365,000 | 240,000 |
|
|
300,000 | 147,000 |
|
|
290,000 | 130,000 |
|
|
265,000 | |
|
|
260,000 | |
|
|
250,000 | |
|
220,000 | -70,000 |
|
140,000 | -20,000 |
|
80,000 | 42,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted |
Pichierri Doubles Through Tarsia
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Giuseppe Tarsia raised to 3,000 from the early position and Alessandro Pichierri shoved from the middle position. Ricky van Ravenstein asked for a count from the big blind and the dealer confirmed Pichierri had 42,000 behind. Van Ravenstein opted to fold in the end and Tarsia made the call.
Alessandro Pichierri: 
Giuseppe Tarsia: 
The flop came 
with the king in the window for Pichierri to get up from his chair.
The turn was the 
which didn't change things but the on the turn made Tarsia slam the table as Pichierri rivered the higher two pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
91,500 | 7,500 |
|
|
82,500 | -47,500 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 3,000