€550 Grand Event Day 1b | 2025 Malta Poker Festival Spring

May 01, 2025

Stephan Bubbles Day 1b

Richard Hayes

Level 16 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Johannes-Herald Stephan opened to 40,000 from middle position, leaving himself around 20,000 behind.

Alexander Maskell was in the big blind, and he three-bet to 68,000, with Stephan getting the rest of his stack in the middle on the bubble.

Johannes-Herald Stephan: 8♣8♦ All in
Alexander Maskell: A♦10♠

Stephan was ahead in a race, and remained so after the Q♥J♣9♦ flop, although his opponent gained extra equity with an up and down draw.

The A♠ hit on the turn to put Maskell in front, and Stephan could not find a set or the straight on the 2♥ river.

Stephan is the unfortunate player to bubble. Stay tuned for updated chip counts, and a recap of the day.

Tags: Alexander Maskell Johannes-Herald Stephan

May 01, 2025

Behrendt Finds Hero Call as Bubble Begins

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Richard Hayes

Level 14 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Harry Sandford opened to 16,000 under the gun, and Uwe Behrendt defended the big blind.

Behrendt led out three streets with a minimum bet of 8,000 on the J♥9♥7♣4♣10♦ runout. On the river, Sandord raised to 85,000. After around two minutes of deliberation, Behrendt called.

Sandford said "You're good" as he showed A♥Q♣ for ace-high, while Behrendt took the pot with K♥9♠ for a pair of nines.

“Wow, I thought you had it, king-queen” said table mate Jason Shellum. “I gave every indication of having it, nice call”, replied Sandford.

Sandford was left with crumbs and forced all-in from the big blind on the next hand. Mihai Norocel moved all in from under the gun for around 150,000, and everyone else folded.

Harry Sandford: K♥10♠ All in
Uwe Behrendt: 10♣10♥

Sandford was crushed, but although the ten was in the window on the 10♦8♠2♠ flop, after the 7♠ turn, Sandford still had outs to the flush.

However the 7♣ river improved Norocel to a full house and brings about the bubble.

Tags: Harry Sandford Mihai Norocel Uwe Behrendt

Apr 30, 2025

Deuces Never Loses for Uzan

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Richard Hayes

Level 14 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Andres Rengifo opened to 16,000 from the cutoff, and was met with a three-bet jam by Ludovic Uzan from the big blind.

Rengifo thought it through, saying "What are you jamming with here", before eventually making the call for his roughly 120,000 stack.

Andres Rengifo: A♦Q♠ All in
Ludovic Uzan: 2♠2♥

"It's a flip" said Uzan, smiling.

The flop came 7♦4♦2♦, giving Uzan bottom set and Rengifo the nut flush draw.

However the 7♠ turn improved Uzan to a full house and left Rengifo drawing dead, the Q♣ river completing the board.

Uzan continues to tear through the field, and approaches the seven-figure mark.

Tags: Andres Rengifo Ludovic Uzan

Apr 30, 2025

Janssen Pulverizes Piloyan

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Richard Hayes

Level 12 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Ferry Janssen opened to 9,000 from early position, and was met with a three-bet to 20,000 from Tigran Piloyan in the next seat. Action folded back to Janssen, who took some time before producing a four-bet to 46,500.

Piloyan, who about 100,000 behind, went into the tank pondering his next move. After around two minutes, he announced all-in, and looked pained when Janssen snapped.

Tigran Piloyan: A♠Q♥ All in
Ferry Janssen: K♦K♥

Piloyan was in trouble versus Janssen's cowboys, and the 9♥7♠5♣4♠4♦ runout did not provide him with any solace.

Tags: Ferry Janssen Tigran Piloyan

Apr 30, 2025

Fuge Busts to Uzan's Quads

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Richard Hayes

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Yvonne Fuge opened to 10,000 from early position, and was met with a three-bet to 28,000 from Ludovic Uzan in the next seat. Action folded back to Fuge, who four-bet jammed for 55,000. Uzan asked for a count and made the call.

Yvonne Fuge: Q♣Q♦ All in
Ludovic Uzan: 10♦10♣

Fuge had Uzan crushed, and the 4♦4♣3♣ flop was clear.

However it was followed by the 10♥ turn to put Uzan in front with a full house, and the 10♠ river rubbed salt in Fuge's wounds.

Tags: Ludovic Uzan Yvonne Fuge

Apr 30, 2025

Churkin Annihilates Assennato

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Richard Hayes

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Fabio Assennato jammed for 52,500 from the small blind, and received action from Andres Rengifo in the small blind. To Rengifo's surprise, Vyacheslav Churkin also made the call in the big blind.

On the 10♠9♥5♦ flop, Rengifo checked to Churkin, who jammed for around 100,000. Rengifo open-folded 7♠7♣.

Fabio Assennato: K♦Q♣ All in
Vyacheslav Churkin: Q♦Q♥

Assennato was in trouble, with a gutshot and an overcard versus Churkin's ladies. The 9♣ turn and 6♣ river were bricks to send Assennato to the exit.

Tags: Andres Rengifo Fabio Assennato Vyacheslav Churkin

Apr 30, 2025

Flush over Straight for Stropoli

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Richard Hayes

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Julien Stropoli was raking in a big pot, after his 10♣9♣ bested Jonathan Stoll's K♥J♣ on the K♣10♦9♦4♣Q♣ runout, Stropoli rivering a flush after flopping two pair, with Stoll rivering a straight.

Jaime Lozano Diaz also busted in the hand, but his cards had already been mucked.

Tags: Jaime Lozano Diaz Jonathan Stoll Julien Stropoli

Apr 30, 2025

Penney Busts Koie

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Richard Hayes

Level 6 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Stefan Koie three-bet jammed for around 35,000 on a flop of Q♠J♥8♥, after he led out with a bet of 2,500, but was met with a raise to 10,000 by Steven Penney. Penney quickly made the call with the covering stack.

Stefan Koie: Q♥10♦ All in
Steven Penney: 10♣9♣

Koie had top pair and a gutshot, but he was drawing to a chop versus Penney's flopped straight. The Q♣ turn gave Koie some extra outs to the full house, but the 3♦ river was a brick.

Tags: Stefan Koie Steven Penney

Apr 30, 2025

Walker Busts Benz

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Richard Hayes

Level 6 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Santiago Benz was getting up out of his chair, after busting to Leo Walker - Walker's Q♣Q♥ being good over the J♥6♥5♠10♦7♦ runout.

Tags: Leo Walker Santiago Benz

Apr 30, 2025

Aslan's Kings Cracked By Soulier

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Richard Hayes

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

A player opened to 1,600, and received calls from Uwe Behrendt and another player, before Corentin Soulier three-bet jammed from the small blind for 21,400. Metin Aslan was in the big blind, and he moved his stack of around 19,700 into the middle.

The opener folded, but Behrendt also moved his chips into the middle with the covering stack.

Metin Aslan: K♥K♠ All in
Corentin Soulier: A♦J♠ All in
Uwe Behrendt: 7♠6♠

Aslan looked in great shape for a triple-up, and remained ahead after the J♣7♦4♦ flop and 10♦ turn. However Soulier had the nut flush draw and the 2♦ rolled off on the river to send him the pot.

Tags: Corentin Soulier Metin Aslan Uwe Behrendt