€400 Main Event Day 1b | 2025 SiGMA Poker Tour Malta

09-04-2025 21:31 UTC+1

Alessi Good at Showdown in Three-Bet Pot

Richard Hayes

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

Mauro Alessi opened to 3,000 from middle position, and was faced with a three-bet to 9,500 from Abdellah Baali in the small blind.

Action folded back to Alessi, who called.

Baali continued with a bet of 4,600 on the 10♠5♠4♦ flop, but was met with a raise to 11,000 from Alessi.

Baali called to see the 10♣ turn, where he check-called a bet of 11,000 from Alessi.

The 8♥ river was checked through, and Alessi took the pot with 9♠9♣ versus Baali's A♠Q♠.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mauro Alessi	125,000 25,000	25,000
Abdellah Baali	70,000 70,000	70,000

Tags: Abdellah Baali Mauro Alessi

Level: 8

Blinds: 1,000/1,500

Ante: 1,500

09-04-2025 21:14 UTC+1

"He Looks Like He Wants to Kill Me": Amato on Soderholm

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Richard Hayes

Level 7 : 600/1,200, 1,000 ante

There was 7,500 in front of big stack Gustaf Soderholm in the cutoff, and 22,600 in front of Dario Amato in the small blind, with Soderholm in the tank.

After about 90 seconds, with Soderholm giving Amato the evil eye, Amato said "Please, don't look at me like that. He looks like he wants to kill me!", with a cheeky laugh.

Soderholm gave it a bit more thought, but folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gustaf Soderholm	228,000 185,000	185,000
Dario Amato	95,000 95,000	95,000

Tags: Dario Amato Gustaf Soderholm

09-04-2025 21:06 UTC+1

Otto Gets Job Done On Turn

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Richard Hayes

Level 7 : 600/1,200, 1,000 ante

Davide Iannaco has reentered and he opened to 2,500 under the gun. He received a call from Guillaum Otto in the cutoff, along with the blinds.

Iannaco continued with a bet of 3,000 on the K♦Q♥4♦ flop when action was checked to him, which only Otto called.

The J♦ hit on the turn, and that slowed Iannaco down, ultimately check-folding to a bet of 8,000 from Otto.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guillaum Otto	92,000 92,000	92,000
Davide Iannaco	49,000 48,600	48,600

Tags: Davide Iannaco Guillaum Otto

09-04-2025 20:57 UTC+1

Forster Forces River Fold

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Richard Hayes

Level 7 : 600/1,200, 1,000 ante

A chunky pot of 46,000 had developed by the river, on a board of J♦4♦2♠5♦J♥, in a hand between Simon Forster on the button and Antii Gronberg in the small blind.

Gronberg checked, and Forster slid out a bet of 26,000. Gronberg gave it some thought, but ultimately sent his cards to the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Simon Forster	120,000 13,000	13,000
Antii Gronberg	64,000

Tags: Simon Forster Antii Gronberg

Level: 7

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 1,000

09-04-2025 20:40 UTC+1

Paris Spikes Turn to Claim Monster Pot

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Richard Hayes

Level 6 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Davide Iannaco opened to 2,100 from the hijack, and was called by Yves Farges in the cutoff, before James Paris three-bet to 10,200 from the big blind.

Iannaco called, and Farges then four-bet jammed for 14,200. That allowed Paris to reopen the action, and he five-bet jammed for 73,000, with Iannaco making a snap-call with the slightly covering stack.

Yves Farges: 10♣8♠ All in
James Paris: J♣J♠ All in
Davide Iannaco: A♣A♥

Iannaco was in dreamland with rockets, but it soon turned sour as Paris spiked a set on the turn on the K♦4♠2♠J♥7♦ runout, leaving Iannaco with crumbs.

Player	Chips	Progress
James Paris	162,000 162,000	162,000
Davide Iannaco	400 400	400
Yves Farges	Busted

Tags: Davide Iannaco James Paris Yves Farges

09-04-2025 20:28 UTC+1

End of the Road for Karlsen

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Richard Hayes

Level 6 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

In a bad five minutes for SiGMA ambassadors, Drea Karlsen has also hit the rail. She opened to 2,000 from the button, and Mauro Alessi defended the big blind.

On the A♦9♠8♠ flop, Alessi responded to a continuation bet of 1,800 from Karlsen with a check-raise to 4,500.

Karlsen called to see the J♦ turn, where Alessi jammed with the covering stack. Karlsen, who had around 20,000 behind, made the quick call.

Drea Karlsen: A♥5♦ All in
Mauro Alessi: J♣8♥

Alessi had hit the front on the turn with two pair, and the K♣ river did not save Karlsen.

"Nice hand", she said to Alessi as she tapped the table and headed for the reentry desk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mauro Alessi	100,000
Drea Karlsen	Busted

Tags: Drea Karlsen Mauro Alessi

09-04-2025 20:23 UTC+1

Two Pair No Good as Riise Busts

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Richard Hayes

Level 6 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

John Arne Riise was getting up out of his chair, after all the money went in on the river on a board of K♠10♥7♦A♥3♥ against Ekaterina Giganova.

Riise tabled A♠10♦ for the turned two pair, but Giganova got there on the river with K♥5♥ for the flush.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ekaterina Giganova	60,000
John Arne Riise	Busted

Tags: Ekaterina Giganova John Arne Riise

Level: 6

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000