The Grand Event Marches On: Day 1d Awaits at Portomaso Casino
The €500,000 Guaranteed Grand Event shows no signs of slowing down here at the Malta Poker Festival. With three starting flights complete, the spotlight now shifts to Day 1d, which begins at 2:00 p.m. local time at Portomaso Casino in St. Julians.
Across the first three flights, the field has grown to 540 entries, with 85 players already securing both a Day 2 seat and a guaranteed payout.
Topping the counts after the opening three flights is Julien Stropoli. Setting the benchmark for the remaining contenders, Stropoli is still the only player to surpass the one million chip mark, bagging a mammoth 1,006,000.
Retaining their spot on the podium, Day 1a qualifiers Hans Allan Bjorklund and Max Gerritsen round out the current top three with stacks of 916,000 and 896,000, respectively.
Overall Top Ten Counts After Day 1c
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julien Stropoli | France | 1,006,000 |
| 2 | Hans Bjorklund | Sweden | 916,000 |
| 3 | Max Gerritsen | Netherlands | 896,000 |
| 4 | Mitja Rudolf | Slovenia | 706,000 |
| 5 | Darren Harbinson | Ireland | 650,000 |
| 6 | Andrea Calabria | Italy | 625,000 |
| 7 | Alessio Lucciarini | Italy | 614,000 |
| 8 | Simone Aiello | Italy | 608,000 |
| 9 | Maria Koutsouki | Greece | 585,000 |
| 10 | Vincenzo Popolo | Italy | 584,000 |
Participants will receive a 50,000 starting stack, with blinds starting at 100/200 and a 200 big blind ante. Blind levels are set at 40 minutes in duration, and late registration remains open through Level 10 - with unlimited re-entries permitted during this period.
Play for all Day 1 flights will conclude once 15% of the field remains, at which point the remaining players will bag their chips and be guaranteed a minimum payout. Day 2 is then scheduled for 6:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, November 1.
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.