Carsten Mawick and Giacomo Comitini Join Millionaire Club as 74 Qualify From Days 1f-1g in MPF Grand Event
The Portomaso Casino was again swarmed with poker players on another beautiful day in St Julians, as players threw their hat in the ring for a final chance to qualify for Day 2 of the Malta Poker Festival Spring Grand Event.
Days 1f and 1g attracted 498 entrants, bringing the final figures for the €550 buy-in event to an astonishing 1,202 entries - generating a €555,940 prize pool, almost doubling the €300,000 guarantee.
A total of 74 players progressed from Days 1f-1g. The earliest Day 1 finish was in Day 1f, where the clock stopped right at the end of Level 15. Therefore play in Day 2 will recommence at that level with blinds of 5,000/10,000, with a 10,000 big blind ante.
Top of the pile was German Carsten Mawick, who ran up a stack of 1,190,000. Mawick was close to the top of the standings by the second break, and he busted Daniel Kruger after fading a flush draw, and then claimed two further scalps with a set of eights.
Mawick has recorded scores of close to $90,000, his biggest result being a runner-up finish in a WSOP-C Mini Main in Marrakech in 2023 for almost $45,000.
Giacomo Comitini of Italy also passed the seven-figure mark, finishing on 1,146,000. Gustav Andersson of Sweden placed third with 955,000, having spiked a river to crack kings on the soft bubble.
Players were in the money immediately as hand-for-hand play began, as Mark Hayes and Salvatore Giudici both got extremely unlucky to bust.
End of Day 1f-1g Top Ten Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carsten Mawick | Germany | 1,190,000 | 119 |
| 2 | Giacomo Comitini | Italy | 1,146,000 | 115 |
| 3 | Gustav Andersson | Sweden | 955,000 | 96 |
| 4 | Joni Ryhanen | Finland | 828,000 | 83 |
| 5 | Biagio Torrisi | Italy | 757,000 | 76 |
| 6 | Sebastian Mortensen | Denmark | 730,000 | 73 |
| 7 | Markus Hirttio | Finland | 685,000 | 69 |
| 8 | Mathias Jordi | Switzerland | 647,000 | 65 |
| 9 | Sami Barghouthi | France | 579,000 | 58 |
| 10 | Jan-Thore Flatt | Germany | 548,000 | 55 |
Other notables to make it through Day 1f include PokerNews ambassador Lukas Robinson (432,000) and defending champion Domenico Lando (373,000).
The Day 2 seating draw and payout information will be provided tomorrow when available.
The Day 2 qualifiers will return on Sunday, May 4, at 1.pm., where blind levels will be increased to 50 minutes. The final day takes place at 1 p.m. Monday, May 5, where play will continue until a champion is crowned.
Stick with us at PokerNews for all your coverage, as we start to get towards the business end of the tournament.