The Malta Poker Festival has been a roaring success and has thrown its hat in the ring as the premier poker festival in all of Malta, There have been 1,003 entries across six starting flights, and registration is still open in Day 1f.
The prizepool now stands at €480,000, a far cry away from the €300,000 guarantee.
Day 1e will play two more 40-minute levels and then will close.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
400,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
370,000
-2,000
|
-2,000 |
|
370,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
350,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
310,000
115,000
|
115,000 |
|
|
305,000 | |
|
|
265,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
Mariano Bucca opened to 7,500 from under the gun before Marco Carravieri three-bet to 20,000 from middle position. Niccolo Ceccarelli four-bet jammed for 137,000 from the cutoff and action folded to Bucca.
He took a whole three minutes before calling and as soon as action went on to Carravieri, Soner Vanelderen immediately called the clock.
Carravieri looked bemused and Vaneleren quipped "You be a dick, you get a dick," suggesting there was bad blood between the pair.
Carravieri made the fold and asked "What's your problem?"
"You!" replied Vaneleren.
Ceccarelli didn't mind as he raked in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
168,000 |
With the completed board showing the 
, Sebastian Larsen checked from middle position. Koppany Balogh took a few moments before deciding to put his opponent all-in for his remaining 73,000.
Larsen made the snap-call.
Balogh rolled over his 
for top pair but Larsen had flopped quads with his 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
261,000
261,000
|
261,000 |
|
|
70,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Level: 13
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Day 1e has entered Level 13 and will close upon its completion. A total of 86 players have made it thus far and will all be looking to secure a bag for Sunday, May 1's Day 2.
Soner Vanelderen open-jammed for 64,500 from early position and was called by Robin Reufel in the hijack. Theo Bijaoui then shipped in his 138,000 stack from the cutoff.
Reufel agonised over the spot but decided to muck.
Soner Vanelderen: 
Theo Bijaoui: 
Vanelderen had one foot out of the door on the 
flop but leap-frogged into the lead on the turn and secured a triple up on the 
river. Tempers seem to have calmed down now on Table 10.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
255,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
|
200,000 | |
|
|
70,000 |
Women's Poker Association advocate and professional poker player Christina Read has won the Ladies First! event for €1,700. She beat Malta Poker Festival founder Ivonne Montealegre in heads-up play.
Montealegre claimed €1,300 for the second-place prize and Suzanne Franklin finished in third for €1,300.
The original plan was €2,100 for first, €1,300 for second and €900 for third, but the final three players came to a deal to even out the remaining prizes.
| Place | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christina Read | United States | €1,700* |
| 2 | Ivonne Montealegre | Costa Rica | €1,300* |
| 3 | Suzanne Franklin | United Kingdom | €1,300* |
| 4 | Ilana Belsky | United Kingdom | €700 |
| 5 | Pia Pless | Denmark | €510 |
| 6 | Carolyn Wayne | United States | €380 |
| 7 | Tracey Dunn | United Kingdom | €250 |
| 8 | Britanny Law | Ireland | €190 |
| 9 | Julie Hansen | Estonia | €150 |
*Indicates three-way deal
Day 1e is now playing out its final three hands of the day.
