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

05-01-2025 17:49 UTC+1

Jensen Error Causes Carnage at Table 10

Richard Hayes

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

Philip Pearson has recounted the story of his unusual bust-out to PokerNews.

A player opened under the gun to 3,000 and received three callers, before action reached Jan Jensen on the button. He went to call, but placed his entire stack over the line without saying anything, and then dropped in calling chips. The floor was called and the action was ruled to be an all-in for 90,000.

Pearson was in the big blind holding A♦Q♠ and moved all-in, Jensen covering him.

Jensen had J♣9♣ suited, and flopped a straight on the 10♥7♠8♣A♦5♥ runout.

Pearson could at least see the funny side, and vowed to be back in a later flight to seek his revenge.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jan Jensen	225,000 105,000	105,000
Philip Pearson	Busted

Tags: Jan Jensen Philip Pearson

05-01-2025 18:26 UTC+1

Triple-Up for Cadoni

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Richard Hayes

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

Jakob Simonsen opened to 4,000 from early position, and received calls from Jan Jensen in the next seat, and the blinds, including Niccolo Cadoni in the small blind.

On the 10♠8♥4♠ flop, action was checked to Simonsen, who fired out a bet of 6,000. Jensen called, before Cadoni check-jammed for 23,500. The big blind folded but both Simonsen and Jensen wanted to see a turn.

The 5♣ turn and Q♣ river were then checked through by the active players.

Cadoni tabled 7♠6♠ for the turned straight and that was good versus Simonsen's K♥10♥ for a pair of tens, and Jensen's J♠8♠ for a pair of eights, having missed his flush draw.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jan Jensen	205,000 20,000	20,000
Niccolo Cadoni	86,500
Jakob Simonsen	44,000 71,000	71,000

Tags: Jakob Simonsen Jan Jensen Niccolo Cadoni

05-01-2025 18:41 UTC+1

Wilbertz Finds River Call

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Richard Hayes

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

A significant pot of 90,000 had developed by the river on a completed board of Q♦9♠2♣2♠8♥, in a hand between Raffael Wilbertz in middle position and Alejandro Garcia in the cutoff.

Wilbertz checked and Garcia jammed for around 130,000, sending Wilbertz deep into the tank.

Wilbertz, who had around 44,000 behind, looked pained and spent at least two minutes pondering the spot. "I'm trying to find a fold here, but I don't think that I can. I call, you have kings?"

Garcia tabled K♣Q♠ for top pair queens, but Wilbertz had the best of it with A♥Q♣, his ace-kicker playing.

Garcia started chuckling, and Wilbertz asked "Too long? It wasn't a slow roll, you took a strong line. Sorry, no disrespect", and Garcia took the apology in the spirit it was intended.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raffael Wilbertz	178,000 62,000	62,000
Alejandro Garcia	91,000 69,000	69,000

Tags: Alejandro Garcia Raffael Wilbertz

05-01-2025 18:55 UTC+1

Keen Cracks Aces

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Richard Hayes

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

Around 20,000 was in the middle on a flop of 9♥7♠6♥, in a hand between Bartosch Maciejek and Vincent Keen.

Maciejek checked and Keen fired out a bet of 12,000. Maciejek responded with a check-jam with the covering stack, and Keen got the rest of his 46,500 total stack into the middle.

Vincent Keen: 6♣6♠ All in
Bartosch Maciejek: A♣A♠

Keen had flopped a set to overcome Maciejek's rockets, and the 9♦Q♥ runout confirmed his double-up, and Keen gave the table a smack in celebration.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vincent Keen	105,000 30,000	30,000
Bartosch Maciejek	40,000

Tags: Vincent Keen

05-01-2025 19:05 UTC+1

Imsa Busts to Zahiti

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Richard Hayes

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

Fidan Zahiti opened to 6,000 from the button, and was faced with a three-bet jam to 68,000 by Adrians Imsa in the big blind.

After about 90 seconds of thought, Zahiti turned round to look at the clock, shrugged his shoulders, and made the call with the slightly covering stack.

Adrians Imsa: A♣2♦ All in
Fidan Zahiti: 8♦8♣

Imsa needed some help, and was almost drawing dead after the K♦Q♣8♠ flop gave Zahiti bottom set.

The J♣ gave Imsa some hope with outs to the straight, but those were dashed by the Q♥ river, which filled Zahiti up to a full house.

Imsa wished the table well as he departed.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fidan Zahiti	145,000 145,000	145,000
Adrians Imsa	Busted

Tags: Adrians Imsa Fidan Zahiti

05-01-2025 20:31 UTC+1

Assennato Pressures Scicluna

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Richard Hayes

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

Justin Scicluna opened to 7,500 under the gun, and received calls from Fabio Assennato on the button and the big blind.

On the J♦7♥3♦ flop, action was checked to Scicluna, who continued with a bet of 7,000. Only Assennato called.

The 8♠ hit on the turn, and Scicluna fired out a bet of 11,500. After quite a bit of deliberation, Assenato raised to 30,500. Scicluna didn't seem to be expecting it, and took a long time before making the call.

The Q♣ completed the board, and Scicluna checked. Assenato jammed for 75,000, and Scicluna went into the tank, but ultimately had to fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fabio Assennato	220,000 220,000	220,000
Justin Scicluna	135,000

Tags: Fabio Assennato Justin Scicluna

05-01-2025 20:37 UTC+1

Pecelj Sets Trap with Cowboys

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Richard Hayes

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

Stig Eketrapp opened to 6,000 from early position, and received a call from Pavle Pecelj in the next seat and Michael Pivonia on the button - before Matteo Intiso three-bet jammed for 45,000 from the small blind.

Eketrapp got out of the way, but Pecelj four-bet to 100,000, forcing out Pivonia.

Matteo Intiso: 10♣10♦ All in
Pavle Pecelj: K♥K♦

Pecelj's flat with kings had worked out well, and he had Intiso crushed.

As always, it was still a sweat, the flop coming 9♦8♥7♥ to give Intiso an up and down.

The 5♥ turn was a great card for Pecelj, holding the king of hearts and removing two of Intiso's outs. The Q♣ river bricked out and Pecelj moved over the 300,000 mark.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pavle Pecelj	350,000 195,000	195,000
Matteo Intiso	Busted

Tags: Matteo Intiso Michael Pivonia Pavle Pecelj Stig Eketrapp

05-01-2025 21:13 UTC+1

Janas Demolishes Davidson

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Richard Hayes

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

A big pot of 80,000 had brewed on a completed board of 8♦7♦3♥9♠3♦, in a hand between Manuel Janas in the hijack and Simon Davidson in the cutoff.

Janas fired out a bet of 105,000, which more than covered Davidson's remaining stack of 44,000.

After a few minutes of thought, Davidson looked like he was set to fold. He peered at his cards one last time, and started to begin the folding motion. However just as he did that, he also looked at Janas, who looked skywards to avoid eye contact.

That seemed to change Davidson's mind, and he suddenly got the rest of his stack into the middle.

Janas tabled K♦5♦ for the rivered flush. Davidson frustratedly mucked his cards and said "Nice hand" through gritted teeth as he left the table, clearly annoyed with himself for making the call.

Player	Chips	Progress
Manuel Janas	300,000 300,000	300,000
Simon Davidson	Busted

05-01-2025 21:52 UTC+1

Quads for Pedersen

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Richard Hayes

Level 13 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

A pot of 54,000 had arisen on a flop of 9♠2♦2♥ in a four-way pot. Manuel Janas, who appeared likely to have been the preflop raiser, fired out a bet of 15,000, and only Martin Pedersen called from the small blind.

On the 9♦ turn, Pedersen check-called a bet of 38,500 from Janas.

The Q♦ river completed the board, and Pedersen changed tact, leading out with a bet of 40,000. Janas was confused by the move, and spent at least three minutes grimacing, throwing his hands up in the air, and staring at the board.

Eventually he said "Ace-Queen? Sorry guys", and then folded after a bit more thought. Janas asked again, and Pedersen tabled 9♥9♣ for quads. Janas claimed he folded jacks.