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Level: 4
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 800
2026 Malta Poker Festival Spring
€600 MPF Grand Event
Day: 1gh
Players Left 12 / 1,451
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
Level 3
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
The players have been sent on their first 20-minute break of the day.
Level 3
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
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Level 3
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Eric Sperschneider limped under the gun, before Giovanni Capitano raised to 2,100 from middle position. Shane Dempsey called in the cutoff, before Ignazio Ulma produced a three-bet to 8,700 on the button.
Only Sperschneider called to see the Q♦9♦2♣ flop, where he quickly check-folded versus a bet of 8,700 from Ulma.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
120,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
73,000
73,000
|
73,000 |
|
61,000 | |
|
36,000 |
Level 3
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
With around 16,000 in the middle on a board of A♦Q♠9♦3♦, Evangelos Karagiannis fired out a bet of 10,200, but was met with a jam from Matthew Church of 48,700.
Karagiannis went into the tank, but was ultimately forced to fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
80,700 | |
|
68,300 |
Level 3
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
In a button versus big blind spot between Bogdan Martynczuk and Michael Altena, a pot of 28,000 had brewed by the river, with the board reading K♦9♣3♦5♦7♣.
Altena checked, and was faced with a jam from his opponent with the covering stack.
Altena thought it through for a while, but made the call. Martynczuk tabled 8♦7♦ for the turned flush, and he had usurped Altena's flopped two pair with 9♦3♥.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
180,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 3
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
There was 36,000 in the middle on a board of 9♦6♠4♠10♠, in a hand between Predrag Radulovic in early position and Asif Warris on the button.
Radulovic fired out a bet of 25,000, and Warris was in the tank, talking through the hand aloud to himself as he pondered his decision.
After about two minutes of chatter, Warris open-folded Q♦Q♣. Radulovic raised an eyebrow, and suggested he had it.
Warris retorted "It's never a bluff, you don't have the balls."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
92,000
32,000
|
32,000 |
|
41,000
41,000
|
41,000 |
Level: 3
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
Level 2
: Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
It has been a disastrous start to the day for Pavlos Benakis, who has just dusted off a second bullet in Day 1g in less than five minutes.
A pot of 18,000 had developed by the turn, on a board of 4♣3♠2♥2♦, in a battle of the blinds between Patrick Murphy and Benakis.
Murphy fired out a bet of 14,000, and Benakis called.
The 2♠ river completed the board, and Murphy jammed for 38,500, just covering Benakis.
Benakis sighed and looked to the heavens, almost as if he knew he was about to be coolered. He flicked in a calling chip, and tabled J♣J♥ for the full house.
Murphy had A♥A♠ for the better one, and Benakis was left to wonder what he had done to upset the poker gods as he exited the tournament room.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
130,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 2
: Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Kevin Quinlan opened to 1,100 under the gun, and received a call from Egon Holdhus, who final tabled this event last year, in the next seat.
Pavlos Benakis was in the small blind, and he produced a three-bet to 3,500. Quinlan called, before Holdhus reached for chips and produced a four-bet to 12,700.
Only Benakis called to see the A♦7♣3♦ flop, where Benakis checked. Holdhus fired out a bet of 11,100, and Benakis shipped his remaining stack of 39,000 into the middle with lighting speed. Holdhus called just as quickly.
Pavlos Benakis: K♥K♠ 
Egon Holdhus: A♠K♦
Benakis had turned second pair kings into a bluff and had run into Big Slick. He could not find his sole out on the 3♣5♥ runout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
122,000
122,000
|
122,000 |
|
|
65,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
|
Busted |
