Penultimate Day of the Grand Event: The Final Table Beckons
Another action-packed day awaits here at the Portomaso Casino in St Julians, as 30 players return for Day 3 of the Malta Poker Festival Grand Event at 2:00 p.m.
Each of the remaining players has already endured and survived both a starting flight and Day 2 of the Grand Event, on their way to reaching the penultimate day of the event.
With a total of 1,987 entries across all starting flights, the prize pool smashed the guarantee, reaching €903,498. When all is said and done, the Grand Event champion will take home the trophy, the glory and the lion's share of the prize pool - a cool €141,000.
The player to catch heading into today’s showdown is Toni Ravnak. Entering Day 2 with a modest 119,000 stack, Ravnak then put on a masterclass, seeing his starting stack increase nearly sixty-fold, ultimately bagging 7,003,000.
Ravnak’s surge wasn’t the day’s only headline. Day 3 is shaping up to be a heavyweight showdown, with plenty of big stacks ready to clash.
Only just missing out on the top spot, Manuel Persico advanced from Day 2 with 6,470,000, followed closely by Benjamin Nicault, who continues with 6,025,000.
Top Ten Chip Counts - Day 3
| 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 |
Whilst not among the chip leaders currently, there are plenty more who will have something to say before the dust is settled and the final table line-up is confirmed.
The Day 1 pace-setters continued to grow their stacks throughout a hard-fought Day 2. Each progressing from their respective flight as the chip leader, Lars Viggander (5,700,000), Vester Vergeest (3,900,000), Hans Bjorklund (3,430,000), and Jesper Joldher (2,470,000) will all look to build further as they aim for a place in the Grand Event showdown.
With Day 3 starting at 2:00 p.m. local time, the plan for the day is to continue until the final table is reached, at which point, the remaining players will bag their chips in preparation for Day 4.
Play will resume on Level 23, with blinds at 60,000/120,000 and a 120,000 big blind ante - with the blinds increasing every 70 minutes.
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.