Toni Ravnak Leads The Way, 30 Players Advance to Day 3
The atmosphere at the start of the day was one of anticipation and expectation as 298 hopefuls returned to the Portomaso Casino in St. Julian's, looking to take one step closer to glory in the Malta Poker Festival €550 Grand Event.
After a short speech from the tournament director, congratulating the players on their current achievement and wishing them well for the day, and a well-earned round of applause for all the staff making the event as well run and enjoyable as it has been, shuffle up and deal was announced.
With each player already guaranteed a minimum payout, the action was fast and furious from beginning to end, as everybody looked to accumulate as many chips as they could in preparation for Day 3.
When the dust settled, 30 of the returning 298 players survived the day, progressing to Day 3.
Taking control, it was Toni Ravnak who secured the most successful day at the tables. Putting 7,030,000 chips into his bag, he will return to Day 3 hoping he can recreate his Day 2 fortunes.
There was no shortage of big stacks progressing, though, and in hot pursuit of the chip leader, Manuel Persico and Benjamin Nicault complete the podium places, bagging 6,470,000 and 6,025,000, respectively.
End of Day 2 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toni Ravnak | Serbia | 7,030,000 | 59 |
| 2 | Manuel Persico | Italy | 6,470,000 | 54 |
| 3 | Benjamin Nicault | France | 6,025,000 | 50 |
| 4 | Giuseppe Bellinghieri | Italy | 5,945,000 | 50 |
| 5 | Lars Viggander | Sweden | 5,700,000 | 48 |
| 6 | Joris Ruijs | Netherlands | 5,415,000 | 45 |
| 7 | Kristian Dahl | Norway | 4,190,000 | 35 |
| 8 | Vester Vergeest | Netherlands | 3,900,000 | 33 |
| 9 | Gareth Howard | United Kingdom | 3,815,000 | 32 |
| 10 | Laus Kunde | Germany | 3,750,000 | 31 |
With chips flying and stacks swinging, not all those who sat down at the start of the day were able to stay the course. Notably, neither Jon Kyte nor Ferdinand Janssen could find the momentum required, eventually succumbing to the deck in 83rd place and 153rd place, respectively.
Others to fall throughout the day included three Day 1 flight chip leaders. Mitja Rudolf (34th), Gordon Paterson (106th), and Julien Stropoli (198th) were unable to find the same heat that saw them progress top of their respective flights.
The remaining players have now progressed to Day 3, which will take place on Monday, November 2, at 2:00 p.m. local time.
The plan for Day 3 is to play down until the final table has been reached. Blinds will resume at Level 22 - 6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 big blind ante.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | € 141,000 | 10-11 | € 10,200 |
| 2 | € 86,420 | 12-13 | € 8,440 |
| 3 | € 61,560 | 14-15 | € 7,040 |
| 4 | € 47,220 | 16-17 | € 5,859 |
| 5 | € 36,330 | 18-20 | € 4,860 |
| 6 | € 28,650 | 21-23 | € 4,060 |
| 7 | € 22,070 | 24-27 | € 3,360 |
| 8 | € 17,040 | 28-30 | € 2,920 |
| 9 | € 12,830 |
For coverage of Day 3 and beyond, 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.