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

04-30-2025 19:20 UTC+1

Churkin Annihilates Assennato

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vyacheslav Churkin	240,000
Andres Rengifo	230,000
Fabio Assennato	Busted

Tags: Andres Rengifo Fabio Assennato Vyacheslav Churkin

04-30-2025 18:29 UTC+1

Assennato Doubles Through Rengifo

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Richard Hayes

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

A pot of 20,000 had developed by the 9♠5♠2♣ flop, in a hand between Andres Rengifo under the gun, and Andrew Fleming and Fabio Assennato in the blinds.

Action was checked to Rengifo, who slid out a bet of 6,500. Fleming called, before Assennato jammed for around 21,500. Rengifo called and Fleming folded.

Fabio Assennato: 5♦3♥ All in
Andres Rengifo: A♥Q♣

Assennato was ahead with second pair fives against Rengifo's ace-high, and nothing altered on the 10♠6♦ turn and river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andres Rengifo	210,000 30,000	30,000
Fabio Assennato	75,000
Andrew Fleming	37,000 3,000	3,000

Tags: Andres Rengifo Andrew Fleming Fabio Assennato

04-30-2025 17:44 UTC+1

Janssen Doubles via Jimenez

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Richard Hayes

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

A pot of 30,000 had developed by the turn, on a board of K♣2♦2♥10♦, in a hand between Francisco Jimenez in the cutoff and Ferry Janssen in the small blind.

Janssen fired out a bet of 21,500, and after quite a bit of deliberation, Jimenez called.

The 9♦ river completed the board, and Janssen took at least two minutes before he moved all in for around 49,000, sending Jimenez deep into the tank.

After around three minutes, Jimenez made the call, but was shown the bad news when Janssen tabled A♣2♣ for the rivered trip deuces. Jimenez had K♠Q♠ for two pair, kings and deuces.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ferry Janssen	170,000
Francisco Jimenez	70,000 35,000	35,000

Tags: Ferry Janssen Francisco Jimenez

04-30-2025 16:36 UTC+1

Triple-Up for Behrendt

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Richard Hayes

Level 7 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

A pot of around 18,000 had developed in a three-way hand between Jaime Lozano Diaz, Callum Gordon and Uwe Behrendt, with the flop reading 10♣8♣7♠.

Action was checked to Diaz, who fired out a bet of 10,000. Gordon check-jammed for around 28,500, Behrendt moved his stack of 31,000 into the middle, and Diaz called with the covering stack.

Callum Gordon: 9♣9♥ All in
Uwe Behrendt: J♥J♣ All in
Jaime Lozano Diaz: A♠10♠

In a cooler, Behrendt was ahead with his overpair jacks, while Gordon had an up and down to go with his pair of nines, and Diaz had top pair.

The K♣ turn and K♦ river were bricks, sending Behrendt a chunky pot with two pair, kings and jacks.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uwe Behrendt	105,000 94,000	94,000
Jaime Lozano Diaz	23,000 47,000	47,000
Callum Gordon	Busted

Tags: Callum Gordon Jaime Lozano Diaz Uwe Behrendt

04-30-2025 16:04 UTC+1

Penney Busts Koie

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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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Steven Penney	112,000 70,000	70,000
Stefan Koie	Busted

Tags: Stefan Koie Steven Penney

04-30-2025 15:39 UTC+1

Gustavsson Jams River

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Richard Hayes

Level 5 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

A pot of 16,500 had developed by the turn on a board of A♣9♣7♦5♥, in a hand between Simon Gustavsson on the button and Pavle Pecelj in the big blind.

Pecelj fired out a bet of 8,000, and after some thought, Gustavsson called.

The A♦ river paired the board, and Pecelj quickly check-folded versus a jam from Gustavsson of around 17,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Simon Gustavsson	65,000
Pavle Pecelj	62,000 62,000	62,000

Tags: Simon Gustavsson Pavle Pecelj

04-30-2025 14:32 UTC+1

Aslan's Kings Cracked By Soulier

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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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Corentin Soulier	65,000
Uwe Behrendt	11,000 39,000	39,000
Metin Aslan	Busted

Tags: Corentin Soulier Metin Aslan Uwe Behrendt

04-30-2025 14:16 UTC+1

Jansen Bluff Catches

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Richard Hayes

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

A pot of 17,500 had developed by the river, on a board of K♦Q♦7♥4♠3♠, in a hand between Bob Jansen under the gun and Yvonne Fuge on the button.

Jansen checked and Fuge fired out a bet of 15,000. Jansen went into the tank, but after about 90 seconds made the call.

Fuge tabled 8♠6♥ for air, and Jansen took the pot with Q♣10♣ for second pair queens.

"You almost got me" said Jansen as he raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bob Jansen	110,000
Yvonne Fuge	93,000

Tags: Bob Jansen Yvonne Fuge

04-30-2025 13:34 UTC+1

Sets Galore for Pivonia

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Richard Hayes

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Around 14,000 was in the middle already, with the board reading J♥9♠3♥5♥, in a hand between Sean McDiarmid in middle position and Michael Pivonia on the button

McDiarmid check-called versus a bet of 7,500 from Pivonia.

The 6♦ river completed the board, and McDiarmid checked once more. Pivonia quickly fired out a bet of 12,000, and after some deliberation McDiarmid called.

Pivonia showed 6♠6♣ for the rivered set of sixes, his second set of the day, causing McDiarmid to exclaim "Wow, Jesus Christ, what a river", while he mucked.