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

05-02-2025 18:13 UTC+1

Bjertrup Doubles via O'Connor

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Richard Hayes

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

Mikael Bjertrup jammed from early position for 20,000, and found a customer in Padraic O'Connor on the button.

Mikael Bjertrup: K♦Q♥ All in
Padraic O'Connor: K♣J♠

"Apologies in advance", the amiable Irishman said to Bjertrup, who smiled.

Bjertrup hit top pair on the Q♣4♣3♠ flop, but the A♥ turn gave O'Connor outs to the straight.

"Ten" requested O'Connor as the players awaited the river, which was the J♦.

"Almost" said O'Connor. "I thought you got there" said table mate Daniel Mountford - "So did I!" quipped Bjertrup laughing, as did O'Connor.

Player	Chips	Progress
Padraic O'Connor	150,000 30,000	30,000
Mikael Bjertrup	45,000 45,000	45,000

Tags: Daniel Mountford Mikael Bjertrup Padraic O'Connor

05-02-2025 18:08 UTC+1

Scala Takes a Hit as Montgomery Gets There

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Richard Hayes

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

Alex Montgomery had three-bet to around 35,000, leaving himself about 10,000 behind, over a 4,000 open from chip leader Antonio Scala. Action folded back to Scala who quickly four-bet jammed, and Montgomery got the rest of it in.

Alex Montgomery: A♠5♠ All in
Antonio Scala: J♦J♠

Montgomery was in trouble with a single overcard, but the K♠8♠8♥ flop brought hope in the flush draw.

Montgomery binked it on the 7♠ turn, and Scala could not find a two-outer on the 6♣ river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alex Montgomery	95,000
Antonio Scala	32,000 198,000	198,000

Tags: Alex Montgomery Antonio Scala

05-02-2025 17:51 UTC+1

Novak Cracks Cowboys to Double

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Richard Hayes

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

Jesper Svare opened to 3,500 from early position, and was met with a three-bet to 10,000 from Jiri Novak in middle position. Sebastian Mortensen was in the small blind, and he produced a cold four-bet to 25,000.

Svare folded, but Novak five-bet jammed for 59,000 after a bit of thought. Mortensen snapped with the covering stack.

Jiri Novak: Q♦Q♥ All in
Sebastian Mortensen: K♦K♥

Novak was crushed in a cooler, but the queen was in the window on the Q♠6♠6♥ flop. The A♠ turn and 2♣ river failed to alter matters.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jiri Novak	126,000
Sebastian Mortensen	27,000

Tags: Jesper Svare Jiri Novak Sebastian Mortensen

05-02-2025 16:47 UTC+1

Triple-Up for Oliver

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Richard Hayes

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

Daniel Oliver and Domenico La Ferla were all-in for 16,900 and 37,000 respectively, and at risk versus Philip Fenech.

Daniel Oliver: A♥K♠ All in
Domenico La Ferla: A♦Q♥ All in
Philip Fenech: A♠Q♣

Oliver was in a dream spot, both opponents having the same hand, and there were no surprises on the 5♥4♥3♦7♠8♠ runout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniel Oliver	53,700
Philip Fenech	22,000 56,000	56,000
Domenico La Ferla	20,000

Tags: Daniel Oliver Domenico La Ferla Philip Fenech

05-02-2025 16:17 UTC+1

Stephan Tangles with Zahiti

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Richard Hayes

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

Fidan Zahiti opened to 2,100 from middle position, and was met with a three-bet to 6,400 from Johannes-Herald Stephan in the cutoff. Action folded back to Zahiti, who called.

On the 7♠3♦2♣ flop, Zahiti check-called versus a bet of 7,500 from Stephan.

The 6♠ hit on the turn, and Zahiti checked once more. Stephan fired out a bet of 35,000 into the 27,000 pot, leaving himself 1,100 behind.

Zahiti shifted uncomfortably in his seat and clearly didn't like the spot. He went into the tank, eventually folding.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fidan Zahiti	85,000 7,000	7,000
Johannes-Herald Stephan	62,000 62,000	62,000

Tags: Fidan Zahiti Johannes Herald-Stephan

05-02-2025 15:33 UTC+1

Wasilewski Gets There But Doesn't

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Richard Hayes

Level 5 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Giulio Gallo opened under the gun to 1,700, and received three callers, before Piotr Wasilewski produced a three-bet to 7,800 from the big blind. Only Gallo called.

On the Q♠Q♣5♦ flop, Wasilewski took a long time before jamming for his 30,000 stack, covering Gallo - and he looked dismayed when Gallo snapped.

Giulio Gallo: A♦Q♦ All in
Piotr Wasilewski: 8♣7♣

Wasilewski only had back doors against Gallo's trip queens, and the 6♣ turn was pretty much the best card he could have asked for, bringing in the flush draw and up and down.

The A♣ hit on the river, making Wasilewski's flush but filling Gallo up to a full house. Wasilewski feigned celebration but knew it was an irrelevant river.

He was left with 6,000, but was seen exiting the tournament area a couple of hands later.

Player	Chips	Progress
Giulio Gallo	78,000 78,000	78,000
Piotr Wasilewski	Busted

Tags: Giulio Gallo Piotr Wasilewski

05-02-2025 14:32 UTC+1

Controversy at Table 8 Diffuzed by Generous Gesture

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Richard Hayes

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

A bit of controversy has unfolded here.

Hannes Praks had lost a big pot to Anders Nielsen a couple of hands previously, but had just realized he was missing between 10,000-15,000 in change.

The floor was called. The table opinion was pretty much unanimous that at least 10,000 had not been returned to Praks due to dealer error, Paul High in particular seeming fairly certain that is what had happened. Praks promptly acknowledged that he had failed to spot the issue immediately and that significant action had taken place since.

Nielsen for his part recognized that was the most likely scenario, but said he genuinely could not be certain if the chips had been mistakenly provided to him.

The floor, who was in a difficult spot, ultimately ruled that, unless Nielsen volunteered to return the chips, too much time had passed since the error for the matter to be properly rectified. No-one appeared entirely certain what had taken place, and Praks was also clearly at fault in not realizing the position immediately.

The floor appealed to Nielsen's sense of fairness, and Nielsen didn't need too much persuasion to part with 10,000 - a compromise everyone seemed happy with.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anders Nielsen	65,000 15,000	15,000
Hannes Praks	17,500 17,500	17,500

Tags: Anders Nielsen Hannes Praks

05-02-2025 13:40 UTC+1

Set for Mihajlovski

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Richard Hayes

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

A pot of 30,500 had developed by the river on a board of A♣3♦2♥9♦8♣, in a hand between Betina Ostergaard-Nissen in early position and Oliver Mihajlovski in middle position.

Ostergaard-Nissen fired out a bet of 10,000, and Mihajlovski quickly jammed for 34,000. Ostergaard-Nissen took a bit of time but made the call to put herself at risk

She was shown the bad news when Mihajlovski tabled 9♥9♠ for the turned set, usurping his opponent's A♠Q♥ for a pair of aces.

Player	Chips	Progress
Oliver Mihajlovski	98,500
Betina Ostergaard-Nissen	Busted

Tags: Oliver Mihajlovski Betina Ostergaard-Nissen

05-02-2025 13:17 UTC+1

Limp-Jam Works for O'Connor

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Richard Hayes

Level 2 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Padraic O'Connor limped from middle position and Mark Hayes raised to 1,300 from the next seat. Action folded back to O'Connor, who jammed for 24,200, about half of Hayes' remaining stack.

The two players, who seemed to be enjoying each other's company at the table, then engaged in another bout of table talk as to whether O'Connor wanted a call.

"Tell me what you have and I'll tell you if I want a call" smiled O'Connor. "Good pair" claimed Hayes, who stuck in a call after a bit more thought.

Padraic O'Connor: A♥K♦ All in
Mark Hayes: J♦J♣

It was a fair fight, but the king was in the window on the K♣6♥5♦ flop, and Hayes could not find a two-outer on the 8♣ turn and 8♦ river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Padraic O'Connor	49,000 15,000	15,000
Mark Hayes	30,000 36,400	36,400

Tags: Mark Hayes Padraic O'Connor

05-02-2025 13:04 UTC+1

Media Presence Causes Tremors as Trigo Takes Pot from Flatt on Turn

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Richard Hayes

Level 2 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Jan-Thore Flatt opened to 600 under the gun, and received a call from Adrian Trigo on the button and Christian Ruopp in the big blind.

As Flatt opened, Adrians Imsa quipped "Oh pressure is on, the media is here", causing everyone to have a good chuckle.

The flop came A♦8♥6♦, and Flatt attempted to continuation bet of 1,000. As he tried to drop a single 1,000 chip into the middle, he only succeeded in rolling it off the table, causing uproar at the table. "He's losing it" said Imsa, Flatt and the table dissolving into laughter.

After he retrieved his chip, both of his opponents called.

The 5♥ hit on the turn, and action was checked to Trigo - "Okay time to slow down now" said Flatt. Trigo fired out a bet of 2,500 and both opponents quickly folded.

"Nothing worse than two pair bets now" said Flatt, as the table was still chuckling to itself.