Carsten Mawick opened to 18,000 under the gun, and was met with a three-bet to 60,000 from Antonio Roberti in the small blind. After asking to see his opponent's stack, Mawick elected to call.
Roberti continued with a bet of 27,000 on the J♠6♠5♠ flop, and Mawick called.
Roberti slowed down on the 6♣ turn, checking to Mawick. That was an opportunity chip leader Mawick was not going to miss, sliding out a bet of 450,000, covering Robert's remaining stack of 215,000.
Roberti only gave it 30 seconds of thought or so before folding, sending Mawick over the seven-figure mark.
Around 75,000 was in the middle on a completed board of J♣8♥6♠9♦Q♠, in a hand between Jan Bengelmann in middle position and Danny Strange in the big blind.
Strange check-called a bet of 22,000 from Bengelmann, and although he had a set with 8♦8♣, it was no good versus Bengelmann's A♠10♠ for the rivered one-card straight.
Still, Strange can be consoled by losing the minimum.
Tracey Dunn was all-in for 112,000 and at risk versus PokerNews ambassador Lukas Robinson.
Tracey Dunn: 2♦2♠
Lukas Robinson: A♥K♣
It was a flip, and although Dunn remained ahead after the Q♥10♣9♣ flop, the K♥ hit on the turn and was followed by the A♣ river to give Robinson two pair.
Daniele De Vita was all-in for 75,000 and at risk versus Sami Barghouthi.
Daniele De Vita: Q♣Q♦
Sami Barghouthi: A♠K♦
It was the classic battle, but De Vita's hopes of a double-up were short-lived, as the king was in the window on the K♠J♥3♥3♠7♦ runout, Barghouthi allowing himself a little celebration as the river hit.
The bubble is now approaching, with 55 players left.
Mark Hayes was all-in for 111,000 and at risk versus Arican Sukru, in the first hand of hand-for-hand play - with 52 players left and 50 to qualify for Day 2. There was another all-in on Table 7 at the same time.
Mark Hayes: K♥K♠
Arican Sukru: A♣K♣
Hayes was dominating his opponent, but the ace was in the window on the A♥8♣2♠ flop, and his face turned to ash. He was already up out of his chair and basically out the door before the 7♠4♥ turn and river were dealt.
On the other table, on a flop of 8♥6♥5♦ and with around 130,000 in the middle, Salvatore Giudice had jammed for 190,000 and been called by Sebastian Mortensen.
Salvatore Giudice: Q♥Q♠
Sebastian Mortensen: J♥7♥
Giudice was ahead with the overpair, but Mortensen had a monster draw. However he got there in the most savage way possible, the turn and river bringing the J♠ and the 7♦ to give Mortensen two pair.
The watching crowd went wild, and the moment was made even more dramatic by the fact that Giudice thought he had held, clearly more concerned about the flush, and started celebrating. He put his head in his hands and walked away to the back of the room to be consoled by a friend when he realized the true position.
Play has now concluded in Day 1f for the day, stay tuned for updated chip counts and a recap of the day.
The Portomaso Casino was again swarmed with poker players on another beautiful day in St Julians, as players threw their hat in the ring for a final chance to qualify for Day 2 of the Malta Poker Festival Spring Grand Event.
Days 1f and 1g attracted 498 entrants, bringing the final figures for the €550 buy-in event to an astonishing 1,202 entries - generating a €555,940 prize pool, almost doubling the €300,000 guarantee.
A total of 74 players progressed from Days 1f-1g. The earliest Day 1 finish was in Day 1f, where the clock stopped right at the end of Level 15. Therefore play in Day 2 will recommence at that level with blinds of 5,000/10,000, with a 10,000 big blind ante.
Top of the pile was German Carsten Mawick, who ran up a stack of 1,190,000. Mawick was close to the top of the standings by the second break, and he busted Daniel Kruger after fading a flush draw, and then claimed two further scalps with a set of eights.
Mawick has recorded scores of close to $90,000, his biggest result being a runner-up finish in a WSOP-C Mini Main in Marrakech in 2023 for almost $45,000.
Giacomo Comitini of Italy also passed the seven-figure mark, finishing on 1,146,000. Gustav Andersson of Sweden placed third with 955,000, having spiked a river to crack kings on the soft bubble.
Players were in the money immediately as hand-for-hand play began, as Mark Hayes and Salvatore Giudici both got extremely unlucky to bust.
Giacomo Comitini
End of Day 1f-1g Top Ten Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Carsten Mawick
Germany
1,190,000
119
2
Giacomo Comitini
Italy
1,146,000
115
3
Gustav Andersson
Sweden
955,000
96
4
Joni Ryhanen
Finland
828,000
83
5
Biagio Torrisi
Italy
757,000
76
6
Sebastian Mortensen
Denmark
730,000
73
7
Markus Hirttio
Finland
685,000
69
8
Mathias Jordi
Switzerland
647,000
65
9
Sami Barghouthi
France
579,000
58
10
Jan-Thore Flatt
Germany
548,000
55
Other notables to make it through Day 1f include PokerNews ambassador Lukas Robinson (432,000) and defending champion Domenico Lando (373,000).
The Day 2 seating draw and payout information will be provided tomorrow when available.
The Day 2 qualifiers will return on Sunday, May 4, at 1.pm., where blind levels will be increased to 50 minutes. The final day takes place at 1 p.m. Monday, May 5, where play will continue until a champion is crowned.
Stick with us at PokerNews for all your coverage, as we start to get towards the business end of the tournament.
