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€400 Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2025 SiGMA Poker Tour Malta
€400 Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
2025 SiGMA Poker Tour Malta
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
Buy-in
€400
Prize Pool
€150,000
Total Entries
411
Level
29
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Entries
72
Players Left
11
Players Left 1 / 411
Filter
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Day 1b of the €400 buy-in, €150,000 guaranteed SiGMA Poker Tour Malta Main Event is now in the books, and after a surprisingly quieter day than Day 1a, 11 players progressed to Day 2 from a field of 72 entries, each of whom have secured a minimum cash of €600.
Sebastian Mortensen of Denmark ran amok to secure a seven-figure plus stack of 1,029,000, miles ahead of his closest challengers, Ukrainian Yevgen Vasylenko (415,000) and Kenny Burke (410,000).
Mortensen has recorded career cashes of just under $200,000, his biggest score being a runner-up finish in the 2024 Malta Poker Festival Spring Edition for €63,300 here at Portomaso Casino, and he'll be eyeing another deep run in this event.
End of Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastian Mortensen | Denmark | 1,029,000 | 103 |
| 2 | Yevgen Vasylenko | Ukraine | 415,000 | 42 |
| 3 | Kenny Burke | United Kingdom | 410,000 | 41 |
| 4 | Claudio Alessi | Italy | 345,000 | 35 |
| 5 | Mauro Alessi | Italy | 336,000 | 34 |
| 6 | Massimo Rizzoglio | Italy | 257,000 | 26 |
| 7 | Agostino Vitiello | Italy | 217,000 | 22 |
| 8 | Daniel Mifsud | Malta | 172,000 | 17 |
| 9 | Damir Savio | Malta | 166,000 | 17 |
| 10 | Guillaum Otto | Belgium | 166,000 | 17 |
Day 1b Action
SiGMA Poker ambassadors John Arne Riise and Drea Karlsen were both in the field early, and although they got off to decent starts, they could not find a bag for Day 2. Riise found his two pair was no good, while Karlsen got overtaken on the turn.
Piotr Rekawiecki got off to a dream start, claiming a full double-up in Level 1 in a cooler, but he would fail to make the Day 2 cut.
Nuno Morais gave plenty of action throughout the day, and went on a tear on his second bullet, claiming successive knockouts. He would fall however just before the bubble commenced.
Mortensen came to the fore in the last session, and cemented his chip lead when he got lucky to bust Gustaf Soderholm on the bubble. It was an unfortunate end to the day for Soderholm, who had been cruising along at the top of the standings for most of the flight.
There are still further opportunities for players to qualify for Day 2, with two starting flights on each of September 5 and September 6, Days 1d and 1f being turbo flights. Players will return at 2 p.m. local time on September 7 for Day 2, which will play until a winner.
Remaining SiGMA Poker Tour Malta Main Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 5 | Day 1c | 2 p.m. | 30 minutes |
| September 5 | Day 1d | 8 p.m. | 20 minutes |
| September 6 | Day 1e | 11 a.m. | 30 minutes |
| September 6 | Day 1f | 8 p.m. | 20 minutes |
| September 7 | Day 2 | 2 p.m. | 40 minutes |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all of your coverage from the SPT Malta Main Event.
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,029,000 | |
|
||
|
415,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
410,000
105,000
|
105,000 |
|
345,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
336,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
|
257,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
|
|
217,000
93,000
|
93,000 |
|
172,000
172,000
|
172,000 |
|
166,000
61,000
|
61,000 |
|
166,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
85,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Play in Day 1b has come to a close with just under seven minutes left in Level 15, with 11 players having secured a minimum cash of €600.
Stay tuned for updated chip counts and a recap of the day.
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Sebastian Mortensen opened to 20,000 and called a three-bet jam from Gustaf Soderholm of 151,000.
Gustaf Soderholm: A♠J♥ 
Sebastian Mortensen: A♣10♠
Soderholm had Mortensen dominated, but he was left anguished after the A♦10♣2♣ flop gave Mortensen two pair.
"Unbelievable", he lamented as he got up out of his chair, but the stand-up trick didn't work this time as he bricked the 9♠5♥ turn and river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,029,000
254,000
|
254,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
With 12 players remaining and 11 to qualify for Day 2, we are now on the bubble.
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Simon Forster moved all in for 28,000, and received calls from Gustaf Soderholm on the button and Kenny Burke in the big blind.
Burke and Sodrerholm checked down the 7♥6♠6♣8♥Q♥ runout until the river, where Soderholm folded versus a lead of 25,000 from Burke.
Burke tabled 7♦6♦ for the flopped full house, and Forster's 9♠8♠ unsurprisingly could not beat that.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
515,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
131,000
219,000
|
219,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level: 15
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 10,000
Level 14
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Guillaum Otto opened to 16,000 from early position, and was met with a three-bet jam to 75,000 from Damir Savio. Otto asked for a count, and made the call.
Damir Savio: A♠J♥
Guillaum Otto: 9♥9♦
It was off to the races, and Savio looked to be heading for the exits after the 7♦4♥3♣ flop and 4♦ turn, but the A♣ hit on the river to keep him in it.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
170,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
|
105,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
