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.
Sebastian Mortensen opened to 20,000 and short-stack Charlotte Thorburg moved all in for around 55,000. Mortensen called.
Charlotte Thorburg: A♦3♠
Sebastian Mortensen: J♥10♥
Thorburg was ahead, and remained so after the Q♠8♠7♠ flop, giving Thorburg a flush draw, and the 6♦ turn. However Mortensen had flopped a straight draw and it came in on the 9♦ river.
Thorburg was not best pleased, but had to take her leave.
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.
Late registration has now closed in Day 1g, which gained 162 entrants, with play concluding when 24 players remain. There are currently still 72 players seated.
Day 1g updated chip counts and the Day 2 seating draw, along with prize pool information, will be provided tomorrow when available.
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.
