€550 Grand Event
Day 1d Completed
2025 Malta Poker Festival Autumn
€550 Grand Event
Day: 1d
Event Info
2025 Malta Poker Festival Autumn
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1d
Buy-in
€550
Prize Pool
€903,498
Total Entries
1,987
Level
32
Blinds
600,000 / 1,200,000
Ante
1,200,000
Entries
365
Players Left
55
Players Left 1 / 1,987
Filter
Level 15
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Action in the €550 Grand Event continued today with Day 1d of the Malta Poker Festival at the Portomaso Casino in St. Julian’s.
The atmosphere was lively from the get-go, with booming music welcoming the players as they took their seats. It didn’t take long for the room to reach full capacity, marking the busiest starting flight of the Grant Event so far. The tables stayed packed throughout the day, with a steady flow of newcomers joining the field until late registration closed.
When the final numbers were tallied, the flight drew 365 entries, with 55 players surviving the day. With four starting flights now complete, 136 players have punched their ticket to Day 2, each guaranteed at least the minimum payout.
Coming out on top today, Vester Vergeest bagged a humongous 1,440,000, finishing the day with thirty starting stacks. This saw him not only take the Day 1d chip lead, but also the overall tournament chip lead, bagging the biggest stack across all complete starting flights.
Two more players advanced with seven-figure stacks, and on any of the previous starting flights, both would have been top of the chip counts. On this occasion, Lee McCormick and Marko Luksa would have to settle for podium finishes, advancing with 1,200,000 and 1,146,000, respectively.
Day 1d Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vester Vergeest | Netherlands | 1,440,000 |
| 2 | Lee McCormick | Ireland | 1,200,000 |
| 3 | Marko Luksa | Serbia | 1,146,000 |
| 4 | Linus Lind | Sweden | 830,000 |
| 5 | Finn Larsen | Denmark | 787,000 |
| 6 | Andrea Melluzzo | Italy | 729,000 |
| 7 | Peter Brackley | United Kingdom | 626,000 |
| 8 | James Limmer | United Kingdom | 560,000 |
| 9 | Bojan Simoncic | Slovenia | 560,000 |
| 10 | Piotr Kuszczak | Poland | 527,000 |
With such a busy flight, chips were flying, stacks were swinging, and bad-beat stories were being shared all around the room. Perhaps none were harsher than the elimination of Marcello Genna.
With the flight on the stone bubble, Genna was all in preflop holding pocket aces, only to see his tournament end in brutal fashion as the ace-queen of chip leader Vergeest came from behind to send him to the rail.
All hope is not lost for Genna or any of the players who didn’t advance. With four more starting flights still to come—and unlimited re-entries available in each—there are plenty more opportunities for players to forget their disappointments and start anew in an upcoming flight.
Three starting flights are scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, October 31. Day 1e will begin at 1:00 p.m., followed by Day 1f at 6:00 p.m. and Day 1g at 9:00 p.m. local time. All three flights will see blinds starting at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Days 1e and 1f will follow a 40-minute clock, while the turbo Day 1h will see blinds increase every 20 minutes.
All three flights allow for unlimited re-entries, with late registration closing at the end of Level 10.
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 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.
Level 15
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,440,000
550,000
|
550,000 |
|
||
|
1,200,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
|
1,146,000
71,000
|
71,000 |
|
830,000
643,000
|
643,000 |
|
787,000
177,000
|
177,000 |
|
729,000
729,000
|
729,000 |
|
626,000
351,000
|
351,000 |
|
560,000
510,000
|
510,000 |
|
560,000
64,000
|
64,000 |
|
527,000
217,000
|
217,000 |
|
521,000
94,000
|
94,000 |
|
510,000
74,000
|
74,000 |
|
|
479,000
209,000
|
209,000 |
|
|
470,000
420,000
|
420,000 |
|
|
415,000 | |
|
410,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
362,000
362,000
|
362,000 |
|
355,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
354,000
354,000
|
354,000 |
|
348,000
348,000
|
348,000 |
|
344,000
73,000
|
73,000 |
|
317,000
197,000
|
197,000 |
|
307,000
186,000
|
186,000 |
|
|
256,000
206,000
|
206,000 |
|
|
242,000
242,000
|
242,000 |
Level 15
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
The remaining 55 players have bagged their chips, advancing to Day 2.
They will join the 81 players who advanced from the previous flights on Saturday, November 1, when Day 2 takes place.
Stay tuned for the full chip counts and a rundown of today's action.
Level 15
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
With the flight on the direct bubble, Marcelo Genna moved all in for roughly 180,000 from under the gun. The action folded to Vester Vergeest in the big blind, who made the call.
Marcelo Genna: A♦A♣ 
Vester Vergeest: A♥Q♦
An already nervous situation became a bit more so on the Q♥3♥4♠ flop.
The table and surrounding spectators then erupted in disbelief as the dealer produced the Q♣ turn.
There was no miracle one outer for Genna to retake the lead, seeing him bubble Day 1d.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
890,000
565,000
|
565,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
Level 15
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Chip leader Marko Luksa opened under the gun to 25,000, and when action folded to Michael Antener, he moved all in for 76,000.
A reluctant Luksa made the call to put his opponent at risk.
Michael Antener: 10♠10♥
Marko Luksa: 6♥5♦
The flop was everything Antener could have hoped for, flopping top set on 2♣10♦6♣. The turn A♥ saw Luksa drawing dead before the river K♠ completed the board as a formality.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,075,000
924,500
|
924,500 |
|
182,000
78,000
|
78,000 |
Level 15
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
With just 56 players remaining, and 55 progressing to Day 2, the tournament clock has been paused and hand-for-hand play has begun.
Level 15
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted |
Level 15
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
With the bubble fast approaching, the short stacks are on high alert.
With 75,000 in front of him, Michael Antener elected to put it all at risk, moving all in.
The player in the big blind was the most interested, but ultimately chose to fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
104,000
50,600
|
50,600 |
Level 15
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Chee Lee raised on the button to 28,000, which only Marco Patane called from the small blind.
Both players checked on the 5♠8♣9♦ flop, prompting Patane to take over the betting lead on the J♠ turn. He put 29,000 into the middle, which Lee called.
Patane continued for 40,000 on the river, which again, Lee called.
It was a flopped set for Patane, as he flipped over 9♣9♥.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
436,000 | |
|
|
150,000
55,500
|
55,500 |
