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

05-01-2025 17:36 UTC+1

Dabkowski Puts Bignalet in Blender

Richard Hayes

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

A huge pot of 80,000 had developed on a completed board of K♠8♥6♥6♦7♥, in a hand between Mateusz Dabkowski on the button and Vincent Bignalet in middle position.

Bignalet checked with 75,000 behind and Dabkowski fired out a bet of 26,000, sending Bignalet deep into thought.

He spent the next two minutes with his head in one hand, peering at the board, shaking his head - the flush and straight completing river clearly a terrible card.

Eventually he sent his cards to the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mateusz Dabkowski	125,000 125,000	125,000
Vincent Bignalet	75,000 35,000	35,000

Tags: Mateusz Dabkowski Vincent Bignalet

05-01-2025 17:41 UTC+1

Baggenstos Doubles via Lando

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Richard Hayes

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

Reigning Malta Poker Festival Grand Event champion Domenico Lando opened to 3,000 from middle position, and Sandra Baggenstos three-bet jammed from the big blind for 10,000. Lando made the call.

Sandra Baggenstos: A♣6♥ All in
Domenico Lando: K♥Q♦

Baggenstos was ahead, and remained so after the 10♦10♣2♥6♠J♣ runout gave her two pair, tens and sixes, and missed her opponent.

Player	Chips	Progress
Domenico Lando	30,000

Sandra Baggenstos	24,000

Tags: Domenico Lando Sandra Baggenstos

05-01-2025 17:49 UTC+1

Jensen Error Causes Carnage at Table 10

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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 17:56 UTC+1

Gaassand Double Barrels

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Richard Hayes

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

Around 20,000 was in the middle on a flop of A♠4♠9♦, in a hand between Per Gaassand and Andreas Lundin.

Gaassand fired out a bet of 12,000, and Lundin called.

The K♥ hit on the turn, and Gaassand continued with the aggression, firing out a bet of 15,000, leading to a fold from Lundin.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andreas Lundin	91,000 91,000	91,000
Per Gaassand	75,000 11,000	11,000

Tags: Andreas Lundin Per Gaassand

Level: 9

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 2,000

05-01-2025 18:14 UTC+1

Pearson Triple Barrels

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Richard Hayes

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

Philip Pearson opened to 4,000 under the gun, and received calls from Mark Vella in middle position and Raymond Phelan in the big blind,

On the A♦A♥8♥ flop, action was checked to Pearson, who fired out a bet of 3,000. Only Phelan called.

The same pattern followed on the 2♦ turn, this time in respect of a bet of 6,000 from Pearson.

The 3♠ river completed the board, and Phelan quickly check-folded versus a bet of 12,000 from Pearson.

Player	Chips	Progress
Philip Pearson	78,000 78,000	78,000
Mark Vella	60,000
Raymond Phelan	55,000 7,000	7,000

Tags: Mark Vella Philip Pearson Raymond Phelan

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 18:29 UTC+1

Roberts Doubles Up Ferrara

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Richard Hayes

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

Matteo Ferrara was raking in a double-up, after his 30,000 stack went into the middle with K♣J♥ and bested Lauren Roberts' A♠4♠ on the J♠9♠7♥Q♥10♣ runout, the money going in on the flop.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matteo Ferrara	67,000 67,000	67,000
Lauren Roberts	10,000 10,000	10,000

Tags: Lauren Roberts Matteo Ferrara

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

Level: 10

Blinds: 1,000/2,500

Ante: 2,500