€600 MPF Grand Event Day 1ij | 2026 Malta Poker Festival Spring

1 day 12 hours ago

Kruiper Cracks Pitti

Richard Hayes

Level 8 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

In the next hand, Salvatore Pitti jammed from under the gun for 18,000, and Thomas Kruiper made a bit of a reluctant call in the big blind.

Salvatore Pitti: Q♥8♠ All in
Thomas Kruiper: 6♦4♣

Kruiper was live, but Pitti found top pair on the Q♦J♠5♦ flop.

The A♦ turn gave outs to the flush to Kruiper, and the 7♦ river completed the board, sending Kruiper the pot.

Kruiper initially didn't realize he'd got there, and started to count out his believed payment to Pitti. A table mate pointed out he'd won the hand, and Kruiper looked surprised, studied the board, took back his chips, and apologized to Pitti, who looked a bit stunned.

As Pitti was leaving, Kruiper laughed, more out of nerves than taking any pleasure in the situation, and went to share a joke with Rosario Saddemi beside him, but Saddemi didn't seem particularly pleased with what had happened and brushed him off.

Player	Chips	Progress
Thomas Kruiper	228,000 168,000	168,000
Salvatore Pitti	Busted

Tags: Rosario Saddemi Salvatore Pitti Thomas Kruiper

1 day 13 hours ago

Saddemi Doubles via Pitti

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Richard Hayes

Level 8 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Salvatore Pitti opened to 7,000 from early position, and, after quite a bit of time in the tank, called a three-bet jam to 72,000 from Rosario Saddemi in the big blind.

Rosario Saddemi: 10♥10♠ All in
Salvatore Pitti: A♣Q♠

It was a fair fight, but Pitti bricked the 9♥8♦6♦4♠K♥ runout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rosario Saddemi	150,000 150,000	150,000

Salvatore Pitti	18,000 18,000	18,000

Tags: Rosario Saddemi Salvatore Pitti

1 day 13 hours ago

Cowboys Turn to Flush for Mihajlovski

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Richard Hayes

Level 8 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

A big pot of at least 100,000 had brewed between Alessandro Giacobbe and Oliver Mihajlovski on a board of 9♦5♦4♦J♣2♦, and Giacobbe check-called a bet of 41,000 from his opponent.

Mihajlovski tabled K♦K♥ for the king-high flush, and Giacobbe was annoyed to see his A♥Q♦ for the queen-high flush was pipped.

Player	Chips	Progress
Oliver Mihajlovski	256,000 256,000	256,000
Alessandro Giacobbe	68,000 1,900	1,900

Tags: Alessandro Giacobbe Oliver Mihajlovski

1 day 13 hours ago

Double for Norouzian

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Richard Hayes

Level 8 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Vincenzo Buscemi opened to 6,000, and called a three-bet jam of 27,500 from Shahin Norouzian.

Shahin Norouzian: 7♦7♣ All in
Vincenzo Buscemi: A♥10♠

It was a flip, and Buscemi missed the J♣4♥2♥J♠Q♦ runout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vincenzo Buscemi	102,000 102,000	102,000
Shahin Norouzian	62,500 62,500	62,500

Tags: Shahin Norouzian Vincenzo Buscemi

Level: 8

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000

1 day 13 hours ago

Pecelj Has Aces Cracked

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Richard Hayes

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

In the very next hand, Pavle Pecelj opened to 4,000, and received a call from Mark Cornwell, before Francesco Romanello three-bet jammed for 48,000.

Pecelj rejammed, just covering his opponent, and Cornwell quickly got out of the way.

Francesco Romanello: K♦Q♣ All in
Pavle Pecelj: A♣A♦

Romanello was due a bit of good luck after the previous hand, and he flopped the straight on J♣10♣9♦ flop, to murmurs from the table.

The 10♦ turn gave Pecelj some hope, but the 8♣ river was brick.

Pecelj was left with 2,000, and busted shortly after.

Player	Chips	Progress
Francesco Romanello	103,500 58,500	58,500
Pavle Pecelj	Busted

Tags: Francesco Romanello Mark Cornwell Pavle Pecelj

1 day 13 hours ago

Oikonomou Spikes Two-Outer to Triple

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Richard Hayes

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

There was an open, before Tomasso Maione three-bet to 11,000 from the cutoff. That was only the start of the action, as Sokratis Oikonomou cold four-bet jammed for 52,000 from the small blind.

Francesco Romanello was in the big blind, and he took a brief period for thought before cold five-bet ripping his 108,000 stack into the middle.

The opener took quite a bit of time before folding, and Maione, with about 80,000 behind, was absolutely pained by the situation he found himself in. Eventually he made the call, to create a huge three-way all-in scenario.

Sokratis Oikonomou: J♠J♣ All in
Tomasso Maione: A♣K♠ All in
Francesco Romanello: Q♠Q♦

It was a crazy cooler, and Maione, after asking the opener if he folded an ace, and receiving a nod, said "I knew it, that's why I was tanking".

Maione stood up and muttered about how gross the spot was, and the dealer fanned the J♥9♠4♦ flop, putting Oikonomou in front with top set.

Maione continued to lament the scenario as the 7♣ hit on the turn, but his mood was brightened slightly when the A♠ appeared on the river, to give him a 32,000 side-pot against Romanello.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sokratis Oikonomou	180,000 180,000	180,000
Francesco Romanello	48,000 48,000	48,000
Tomasso Maione	32,000 32,000	32,000

Tags: Francesco Romanello Sokratis Oikonomou Tomasso Maione

1 day 13 hours ago

Nieuwenhuis Continues to Stack Chips

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Richard Hayes

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Pel Nieuwenhuis opened to 4,000 from middle position, and Simone Pascucci defended in the big blind.

On the J♣7♦2♦ flop, Pascucci check-called versus a continuation bet of 4,000 from Nieuwenhuis.

The 8♥ turn was checked to the 5♦ river, where Pascucci check-called a bet of 10,000 from his opponent, and mucked when Nieuwenhuis tabled J♠10♠ for top pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pel Nieuwenhuis	250,000 38,000	38,000
Simone Pascucci	56,000 56,000	56,000

Tags: Pel Nieuwenhuis Simone Pascucci

1 day 13 hours ago

Pecelj Binks River to Double

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Richard Hayes

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Cards were on their backs and stacks were in the middle, with Pavle Pecelj all-in for 23,000 and at risk against Mark Cornwell.

Pavle Pecelj: A♠K♣ All in
Mark Cornwell: 10♣10♦

It was off to the races, and Pecelj spiked a king on the river to survive on the 7♣2♦5♥4♠K♥ runout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mark Cornwell	70,000
Pavle Pecelj	49,000 49,000	49,000

1 day 14 hours ago

Top Counts at Second Break

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Richard Hayes

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Blaise Bourgeois	285,000

Michael Altena	235,000 151,000	151,000
Per Hansen	227,000 227,000	227,000
Pel Nieuwenhuis	212,000 120,000	120,000
Artur Pashkouski	205,000 143,300	143,300
Tadej Zalokar	200,000 36,000	36,000