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

05-03-2025 14:03 UTC+1

Koutsouki Binks River to Chop After Drews Two-Outer

Richard Hayes

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Maria Koutsouki opened to 1,000 under the gun, and was faced with a three-bet to 2,600 from Giuseppe Lorenzano. Oleg Drews cold-called in the next seat, and action folded back to Koutsouki.

She reached for chips and produced a four-bet to 8,000. Lorenzano folded but Drews called.

On the 9♣8♦7♣ flop, Koutsouki came out firing with a bet of 14,000, making it clear she was playing for stacks. Drews took some time before jamming for 36,000, and Koutsouki made the quick call.

Oleg Drews: 7♠7♥ All in
Maria Koutsouki: Q♠Q♣

Drews was ahead with a set, and Koutsouki looked absolutely disgusted.

The 10♠ hit on the turn, and Koutsouki started calling for the jack for the chop. She got what she desired, but via the 6♠ river.

Koutsouki celebrated enthusiastically - "I've never been so pleased with a fucking chop", and Drews looked suitably sickened.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maria Koutsouki	65,000 65,000	65,000
Oleg Drews	48,000 48,000	48,000

Tags: Giuseppe Lorenzano Maria Koutsouki Oleg Drews

Level: 4

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

05-03-2025 14:14 UTC+1

Become a Bigger Part of the Action With MyStack by PokerNews

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Richard Hayes

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

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05-03-2025 14:24 UTC+1

Saunders is the Goat

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Richard Hayes

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

There was 4,500 sitting in front of each of Rene Lumiste, Frederic Soete and Corrado Vizzini, before Joseph Saunders jammed from the big blind for 49,500.

All his opponents took a reasonable time before ultimately folding, allowing Saunders to pick up around 25 big blinds unopposed.

"I'm the goat" joked Saunders, as the last of his opponent's folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frederic Soete	61,000
Joseph Saunders	60,000
Corrado Vizzini	59,000 59,000	59,000
Rene Lumiste	26,000

Tags: Corrado Vizzini Frederic Soete Joseph Saunders Rene Lumiste

05-03-2025 14:28 UTC+1

Stacker Makes Crazy Call to Chop

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Richard Hayes

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

A big pot of 34,000 had developed by the turn, on a board of J♣7♦4♥5♣, in a hand between Alfredo Cuzzocrea, Frank Stacker and Dominik Holzmuller, all in middle position.

The turn was checked through to the 2♥ river. Action was checked to Holzmuller, who jammed for 34,6000. Cuzzocrea quickly got out of the way, but Stacker went into the tank.

After about 90 seconds he made the call, and the table was astonished when he turned over A♥K♥ for ace-high. However it was a chop after Holzmuller showed A♠K♠.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frank Stacker	97,000 47,000	47,000
Dominik Holzmuller	55,000 5,000	5,000
Alfredo Cuzzocrea	32,000 32,000	32,000

Tags: Alfredo Cuzzocrea Dominik Holzmuller Frank Stacker

05-03-2025 14:38 UTC+1

Olin Busts Lumiste

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Richard Hayes

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Rene Lumiste was getting up out of his chair, after busting to Dan Gunnar Joakim Olin.

Lumiste had K♥Q♥ on J♥J♠5♥7♣10♥, having missed his flush draw, and Olin had J♣10♣ for the full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Gunnar Joakim Olin	88,000
Rene Lumiste	Busted

Tags: Rene Lumiste Dan Gunnar Joakim Olin

05-03-2025 14:43 UTC+1

Break Time

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Richard Hayes

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

The players have been sent on their first 20-minute break of the day.

Level: 5

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

05-03-2025 15:06 UTC+1

Top Stacks at First Break

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Richard Hayes

Level 5 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonathan Briscoe-White	165,000 165,000	165,000
Metin Aslan	160,000 160,000	160,000
Kevin Jung	160,000 160,000	160,000
Antonio Roberti	150,000 150,000	150,000
Dejan Prikulovic	140,000 140,000	140,000
Joseph Saunders	140,000 80,000	80,000
Garry Spinks	120,000 120,000	120,000
Thomas Jakobsen	115,000 115,000	115,000
Frank Stacker	110,000 13,000	13,000
Marcello Favaloro	108,000 58,000	58,000

05-03-2025 15:12 UTC+1

Briscoe-White Recounts Brutal Cooler

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Richard Hayes

Level 5 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Jonathan Briscoe-White recounted to PokerNews how he amassed his stack.

In the last hand before the break, Briscoe-White opened to 1,500 under the gun, and was met with a three-bet to 4,700 from Dominik Holzmuller. Briscoe-White pumped it up to 19,000 and Holzmuller called.

On the A♠4♣3♦ flop, Briscoe-White continued with a bet of 15,000, and Holzmuller jammed for around 45,000, with Briscoe-White making the call.

Dominik Holzmuller: A♥K♥ All in
Jonathan Briscoe-White: A♦K♦

It looked to be a chop, but the poker gods were shining on Briscoe-White as he went runner-runner for the flush with the 10♦5♦ runout.