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

05-02-2025 13:17 UTC+1

Limp-Jam Works for O'Connor

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Adrian Trigo	60,000 60,000	60,000
Christian Ruopp	60,000 5,000	5,000
Jan-Thore Flatt	29,000 29,000	29,000

Tags: Adrian Trigo Adrians Imsa Christian Ruopp Jan-Thore Flatt

05-02-2025 12:54 UTC+1

Hewston Busts Mihai-Popescu

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Richard Hayes

Level 2 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

A monstruous pot of 40,000 had brewed on a completed board of 10♠9♣2♠K♣7♥, in a hand between Jonathan Hewston and Sergiu-Valentin Mihai-Popecu.

Hewston had jammed for 41,200 and Mihai-Popescu was in the tank, with around 25,000 behind.

Eventually he made the call with A♠K♠, for top pair kings after flopping a flush draw - but was shown the bad news when Hewston had 10♥10♣ for a set of tens.

"Nice hand" said the Romanian as he departed, "Unlucky mate" replied Hewston.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonathan Hewston	102,000 102,000	102,000
Sergiu-Valentin Mihai-Popecu	Busted

Tags: Jonathan Hewston Sergiu-Valentin Mihai-Popescu

Level: 2

Blinds: 100/300

Ante: 300

05-02-2025 12:42 UTC+1

Fenech Good at Showdown

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Richard Hayes

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Philip Fenech opened to 500 from the cutoff, and was met with a three-bet to 1,500 from Tobias Lundgren on the button. Action folded back to Fenech, who called.

On the 7♥6♣2♦ flop, Fenech check-called versus a continuation bet of 1,300 from Lundgren.

The pattern continued on the A♣ turn, this time in respect of a 3,300 bet from Lundgren.

The 8♣ river was checked through, and Lundgren mucked when Fenech tabled A♥Q♥ for the turned pair of aces.

Player	Chips	Progress
Philip Fenech	78,000 28,000	28,000
Tobias Lundgren	48,000 2,000	2,000

Tags: Philip Fenech Tobias Lundgren

05-02-2025 12:39 UTC+1

Three Ladies for Hayes

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Richard Hayes

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

A huge pot of 32,000 had developed on a completed board of A♥10♠7♠2♦Q♠, in a hand between Padraic O'Connor on the button and Mark Hayes in the small blind.

Hayes had jammed for 34,000, and the players were engaged in debate about who was happier at the poker table. "I'm always happy, win or lose" said Hayes. "Everyone's smiling, you're the only one who's not" replied O'Connor, all said in good humour.

Eventually O'Connor said "Ok, it's yours, show the bluff", and folded.

"No bluff" said Hayes, and he was about to send his cards to the muck, before he took a straw poll of the table as to whether he was bluffing - the unison reply was flush. Hayes then tabled Q♣Q♦ for the rivered set of queens.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mark Hayes	66,400 66,400	66,400
Padraic O'Connor	34,000 16,000	16,000

Tags: Mark Hayes Padraic O'Connor

05-02-2025 12:25 UTC+1

Flora Might Regret Clock Call as Groedum Proves to be a Hero

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Richard Hayes

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

A big pot of 12,000 had brewed on a completed board of 8♣5♥2♦10♦A♠, in a hand between Willy Flora in the cutoff, and William Brandwell and Jostein Groedum in the blinds.

Action checked to Flora, who fired out a big bet of 11,500. Brandwell quickly folded but Jostein Groedum went into the tank.

Around two minutes passed before Flora, in a rather spicy move for a 100 big blind pot in Level 1, called the clock on his opponent.

Groedum took another 15 seconds before making the call, and his 9♥9♠ for third pair was good versus Flora's 6♦5♦, for a pair of fives and busted turned flush draw.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jostein Groedum	67,500 67,500	67,500
William Brandwell	48,000 48,000	48,000
Willy Flora	34,500 34,500	34,500

Tags: Jostein Groedum William Brandwell Willy Flora

05-02-2025 12:15 UTC+1

Smith Bests Barnett

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Richard Hayes

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

A pot of 2,900 had developed by the river on a completed board of K♥Q♦3♥6♦A♣, in a hand between Darren Smith and Matthew Barnett.

Barnett led out with a bet of 2,400, and Smith responded with a raise to 6,700. Barnett thought it through for a bit and let it go.

Player	Chips	Progress
Darren Smith	55,300 5,300	5,300
Matthew Barnett	44,700 5,300	5,300

Tags: Darren Smith Matthew Barnett

05-02-2025 12:03 UTC+1

Early Runners

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Richard Hayes

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ken Egeland	50,000
Ilze Zolte	50,000
Keith Smith	50,000
Evangelos Karagiannis	50,000
Theodor Kramarics	50,000
Ioannis Aslanidis	50,000
Bram Holtermann	50,000
Tracey Dunn	50,000
Craig Marcuss Smith	50,000
Nigel Stentiford	50,000
Thomas Lowter	50,000
Betina Ostergaard-Nissen	50,000
Stefano Olivetti	50,000
Eddy Meyfroot	50,000
Feliciano Gentile	50,000
Philip Fenech	50,000
Tobias Lundgren	50,000
Darren Smith	50,000
Nicholas Galtos	50,000
Matthew Barnett	50,000
Oisin Conroy	50,000
Sergiu-Valentin Mihai-Popecu	50,000
Colin Bidwell	50,000
Gerard Lemee	50,000
Petrus Van der Steen	50,000