€1,100 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2022 Unibet Malta
€1,100 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2022 Unibet Malta
Buy-in
€1,100
Prize Pool
€359,000
Entries
359
Level
31
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Entries
120
Players Left
33
Giulio Spampinato Tops Strong Day 1a Turnout of 2022 Unibet Open Malta Main Event
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The return of the Unibet Open brand to the live poker circuit has been a resounding success so far. After a hiatus of more than two and a half years, the popular mid-stakes tour headed to the Mediterranean island of Malta for the fifth time in history and eyeballs a record turnout. The first of three starting days in the 2022 Unibet Open Malta €1,100 Main Event attracted a field of 120 entries of which 33 players advanced to Day 2.
Another two chances remain for poker enthusiasts from near and far to join the action in the five-star Intercontinental Hotel in St. Julians. However, all those who bowed out on Day 1a are only permitted to use their single re-entry in the turbo heat 1c as of 9pm local time on Friday, September 30, 2022.
Leading the way after 11 levels of 60 minutes each is Italy's Giulio Spampinato with a stack of 260,000 and Szymon Bujok (226,500) is the only other player to run up the 30,000 starting stack more than seven-fold. Among the big stacks at the end of the night are also Baard Dahl (163,000), Mark Vella (147,500), former EPT Malta Main Event runner-up Mats Karlsson (142,000) and Domenico Gala (138,000).
Unibet Poker saw three brand ambassadors in the mix but only one of them made it through to bagging and tagging. Alexandre Reard lasted all but ten minutes after he bowed out in a setup hand and then watched his wife Aurelie finish third in the PKO Side Event. Monica Vaka was also unable to advance while David Lappin holds the shortest stack of all survivors with 29,500.
Chip leader Spampinato won the arguably biggest pot of the day in a battle of the blinds in which he knocked out Julius Kettunen when the Finn overplayed trips and could not get away from it. Bujok consistently built his stack and spent the final three levels of the night on the live stream feature table, where he preserved his prime position for Day 2 without any major drama.
Among the notable casualties that have one more shot to accumulate chips were online casino games streamer Killian Desnos, two-time Unibet Open champion Mateusz Moolhuizen, Ian Simpson, Malta's very own "poker mama" Jackie Cachia, Pavlos Xanthopoulos, Pierre de Almeida, Janos Kurtosi, Luigi D'Alterio, and WSOP bracelet winner Jonathan Pastore.
Some 80 Unibet Poker online qualifiers and high-volume players have not redeemed their entry for the flagship tournament of the five-day series yet, which points to an even bigger turnout for the second regular starting day as of noon local time.
The record attendance in the four stops of the Unibet Open on Malta so far stands at 327 entries and was set during the last edition back in 2019. However, that number may very well be eclipsed and you can find out if that happens right here on PokerNews. Day 1b commences at 12pm local time and the turbo heat will run concurrently in the late evening before all survivors then combine to a single field the next day.
End-of-Day 1 Counts (full)
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
260,000 | 15,000 |
|
226,500 | 26,500 |
|
188,000 | -12,000 |
|
181,000 | 21,000 |
|
181,000 | 86,000 |
|
166,000 | 36,000 |
|
163,000 | |
|
147,500 | 47,500 |
|
142,000 | -24,000 |
|
142,000 | -28,000 |
|
138,000 | -35,700 |
|
137,500 | -12,500 |
|
134,500 | 9,500 |
|
130,500 | 30,500 |
|
121,500 | -23,500 |
|
100,000 | -10,000 |
|
|
95,500 | 10,500 |
|
86,500 | -94,200 |
|
|
79,000 | -7,000 |
|
|
78,000 | 33,000 |
|
76,000 | -4,000 |
|
74,500 | -15,500 |
|
73,000 | 18,800 |
|
68,500 | 68,500 |
|
66,000 | 21,000 |
Day 1a Completed
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The final 33 players have bagged up their chips. Full counts and a recap of today's action are to follow.
Roos Eliminated by Dahl in Last Hand
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Koen Roos opened on the button and was called by Baard Dahl in the big blind. On a 
flop, Roos bet and Dahl check-called to then check the 
on the turn. Roos bet another 11,000 and Dahl then pushed all-in.
Having started the hand with around 60,000, well below the average, Roos called it off as Dehlia de Jong and Mateusz Moolhuizen walked over to the table to see what was happening.
Dahl rolled over the 
for a straight and Roos sighed "drawing dead", flashed the 
and was gone by the time the 
river completed the board.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
163,000 | 53,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Three More Hands on Day 1a
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Malte Hallgren raised to 4,500 and then faced a three.bet to 11,000 by Juho Santala. Hallgren four-bet to 26,000 and that won the pot.
While the hand played out, David Lappin drew for the final hands of the night and exposed the 
. Once the three hands are concluded, the players will bag and tag for the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
125,000 | 15,000 |
|
|
85,000 |
Wilson Eliminated by Tamaduianu
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
After defending his big blind against Simon Wilson, Andrei Tamaduianu pushed the 
turn with the superior stack. Wilson went into a long tank and eventually called it off with the 
.
Tamaduianu only had to fear two outs with his 
and instead further improved to a full house when the 
river completed the board. This has reduced the field to the last 34 contenders and the clock for tonight will be stopped soon to draw for the final hands.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
130,000 | 85,000 |
|
Busted |
Pastore Doubles and Then Busts
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Jonathan Pastore got it in preflop for the last 17,500 and newly-arrived David Szabo quickly called.
Pastore was trailing with 
versus 
but got there on the 
board.
Shortly after, Pastore was at risk again and faced off against Juho Santala.
Jonathan Pastore: 
Juho Santala: 
This time, there was no escape for Pastore on the 
board and the Frenchman headed out of the tournament area.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
85,000 | 35,000 |
|
45,000 | |
|
Busted |
Cruel River Blow for Sandoff
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Karl Erik Sandoff was all-in for the last 11,500 and Malte Hallgren called from three seats over. Juho Santala then pushed for 43,500 and Hallgren came along with a near instant call.
Karl Erik Sandoff: 
Juho Santala: 
Malte Hallgren: 
Sandoff's triple up was denied on the 
board as the queen saw his short stack chopped up between Santala and Hallgren.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,000 | |
|
|
50,000 | 10,000 |
|
|
Busted |
No Flush in Sight Between Persent and De Laat
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Giulio Spampinato raised to 5,000 and earned calls from Bas de Laat and Jon Per Persent in the big blind. The flop brought a bet worth 5,000 by Persent, Spampinato folded and De Laat called.
Both checked down the turn and river as Persent tabled the for kings and jacks. That won the pot, as De Laat only had 
for inferior two pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
245,000 | |
|
|
200,000 | |
|
|
80,000 | 52,000 |