Mitja Rudolf Rallies to Take Day 1c Chip Lead
The Malta Poker Festival action rolled on today with Day 1c of the €550 Grand Event.
Players filled the tables inside the Portomaso Casino in St. Julian’s, where the atmosphere was lively from the first shuffle, with a fresh wave of hopefuls looking to join the growing list of players already through to Day 2.
By the end of the day’s play, 25 of the 164 entrants had stayed the course, securing their seats for Saturday’s Day 2. Each of the survivors has now locked up at least a minimum payout, but their sights will be set on a deeper run in the €500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Leading the way into Day 2 from today’s flight is Mitja Rudolf, who bagged an impressive stack of 706,000. Rudolf was one of the unfortunate players to fall just short on Day 1b, eliminated as the bubble approached in the early hours. Putting that disappointment behind him, he returned for another shot on Day 1c — and this time, finished the night at the top of the leaderboard.
Darren Harbinson had a similarly strong day, finishing the flight with 650,000, while Simone Aiello wasn’t far behind with 608,000 to round out the top three.
Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitja Rudolf | Slovenia | 706,000 |
| 2 | Darren Harbinson | Ireland | 650,000 |
| 3 | Simone Aiello | Italy | 608,000 |
| 4 | Vincenzo Popolo | Italy | 584,000 |
| 5 | Valentin Oberhauser | France | 454,000 |
| 6 | Jorgji Kotorri | Albania | 439,000 |
| 7 | Francesco Caramazza | Italy | 432,000 |
| 8 | Samuele Lo Presti | Italy | 420,000 |
| 9 | Krystian Nalepka | Poland | 405,000 |
| 10 | Sebastian Mortensen | Denmark | 355,000 |
Rudolf’s rise to the top of the Day 1c leaderboard may well offer a blueprint for perseverance for those who didn’t quite make it through today. Players such as Gary Fisher, Conor O'Driscoll, and Ferdinand Janssen fell short of bagging chips for Day 2, but with five more starting flights remaining and unlimited reentries available, there’s still plenty of time for others to find their way to Day 2.
The Bubble Bursts
David Older suffered the misfortune of bursting the flight’s bubble. He once held one of the dominant stacks, but he saw his stack vanish before his eyes in the late stages after a series of unfortunate events. First, he lost a pivotal flip, which left him as one of the short-stacked players. Then, in cruel fashion, a one outer river card denied him a triple up, instead sending him out just shy of the money and a place on Day 2.
The action continues with Day 1d on Thursday, October 30, kicking off at 2:00 p.m. local time. Blinds will start at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Players can re-enter as many times as they wish, with late registration available through the conclusion of Level 10.
As with all starting flights, play will stop once 15% of the field remains — those players will bag their chips and guarantee themselves a minimum payout. Day 2 will follow on Saturday, November 1, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Malta Poker Festival Grand Event - Remaining Schedule
| Day | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1d | October 30 | 2:00 p.m |
| Day 1e | October 31 | 1:00 p.m |
| Day 1f | October 31 | 6:00 p.m |
| Day 1g | October 31 | 9:00 p.m. |
| Day 1h | November 1 | 10:00 a.m. |
| Day 2 | November 1 | 6:00 p.m. |
| Day 3 | November 2 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Day 4 | November 3 | 1:00 p.m. |
Be sure to stay tuned as PokerNews brings you chip counts, updates, and all the action from the €550 Malta Poker Festival Grand Event here in Portomaso.