2012 World Poker Tour Malta

Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info

2012 World Poker Tour Malta

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a3
Prize
€120,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€3,000
Prize Pool
€491,790
Entries
169
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
0

Kanit Steals From Aladin

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Aladin Mrkaljevic has just had his fingers burned sligtly after a clash with Mustapha Kanit.

It was Kanit who opened the betting with a raise to 300 from middle position and the action then folded to Mrkaljevic on the button. He paused before announcing a raise to 900 and placing a pink 1,000 chip over the betting line.

Both blinds folded, putting the action back onto Kanit and after 30 seconds of thinking time Kanit decided to four-bet to 2,525 and Mrkaljevic quickly got out of the way.

As he was mucking Kanit showed the {2-Clubs} much the amusement of the rest of the table.

Tags: Mustapha KanitAladin Mrkaljevic

Updated Chip Counts

Here's a selection of chip counts from around the room.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Alessio Isaia it
Alessio Isaia
44,800
14,800
14,800
WPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Johan Guilbert fr
Johan Guilbert
39,300
9,300
9,300
Run It Once
Profile photo of Roger Hairabedian fr
Roger Hairabedian
34,200
4,200
4,200
Profile photo of Fabrice Soulier fr
Fabrice Soulier
33,600
3,600
3,600
Profile photo of Kara Scott ca
Kara Scott
33,575
3,575
3,575
Profile photo of Gordon Huntly gb
Gordon Huntly
33,000
Profile photo of Giovanni Rizzo
Giovanni Rizzo
31,250
2,650
2,650
Profile photo of Mustapha Kanit it
Mustapha Kanit
31,000
1,000
1,000
Winamax
Profile photo of Vanessa Selbst us
Vanessa Selbst
29,600
-400
-400
Profile photo of Steven van Zadelhoff nl
Steven van Zadelhoff
29,250
-750
-750
Profile photo of Marcello Marigliano it
Marcello Marigliano
28,900
-1,100
-1,100
Profile photo of Sean Jazayeri us
Sean Jazayeri
24,500
WPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Ronnie Bardah us
Ronnie Bardah
22,300
-7,700
-7,700
Profile photo of Anton Wigg se
Anton Wigg
21,250
-8,750
-8,750
Profile photo of Jesper Hougaard dk
Jesper Hougaard
21,000
-9,000
-9,000

Jason Mercier Is In The House

Fresh from the disappointment of bubbling the $10,300 Heads-Up High Roller WCOOP event last night, Jason Mercier has decided to come and take his frustration out here in Malta.

Should Mercier go all the way and take down this tournament, he would become the latest player to win the coveted live Triple Crown having alrady won a WSOP bracelet and an EPT main event.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Mercier us
Jason Mercier
30,000

Tags: Jason Mercier

Hougaard Forces Rizzo Out Of Pot

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

Jesper Hougaard opened in early position, Giovanni Rizzo three-bet from the small blind and Hougaard decided to call.

The first three cards onto the board read {6-Hearts}{5-Hearts}{2-Diamonds}. Rizzo must like what he saw because he fired a continuation bet of 900 into Hougaard and Hougaard called.

Fourth street was the {8-Diamonds}, and Rizzo bet again, this time 1,700. Once again Hougaard called. The {4-Hearts} landed ont he river and now Rizzo checked. Hougaard bet 4,000 and Rizzo was not prepared to pay that and he folded, showing {A-Clubs}{Q-Hearts} as he did so.

Tags: Giovanni RizzoJesper Hougaard

Van Zadelhoff's Rainbow Adds To His Stack

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante
Steven van Zadelhoff
Steven van Zadelhoff

Recent World Series of Poker bracelet winner Ronnie Bardah was the first player to show any aggression, open-raising from the cutoff seat to 350. Jackson Genovesi was the small blind and he called; Steven van Zadelhoff tossed in the extra chips from the big blind.

The trio shared the {5-Diamonds}{j-Spades}{9-Clubs} flop but nobody wanted to bet and the action was checked around. The {7-Diamonds} on the turn saw Genovesi lead out with a 500 bet but van Zadelhoff either had a strong hand or didn't believe Genovesi's story (or both) and promptly raised to 1,625 using a pink, yellow, red and black chip to do so.

"Is that a rainbow?" asked Bardah

"Not suite It is missing this blue (5,000) one!" replied van Zadelhoff.

Bardah folded. Genovesi leaned over to get a better view of van Zadelhoff and must have picked up on something because as soon as he leaned back into a normal sitting position he flicked his cards into the muck.

Tags: Jackson GenovesiRonnie BardahSteven van Zadelhoff

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

Boujenah On The Right Side Of Set-Over-Set

Ilan Boujenah
Ilan Boujenah

The dangerous Mustapha Kanit opened the preflop betting round with a min-raise to 400 from middle position and nobody want to tangle with him. That was until the action was on Ilan Boujenah on the button who three-bet to 1,100. Both blinds folded but Kanit called.

The {q-Hearts}{3-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds} flop was initially checked by Kanit, Boujenah continued to 1,625 and Kanit called. The {2-Diamonds} on the turn completed a potential flush and Kanit possibly tried to represent it by leading out for 3,525 but Boujenah was having none of it and he quickly called.

Kanit continued his assault on the pot when the {A-Clubs} landed on the river, firing a bet of 10,650. Boujenah snap-called and was shown {3-Hearts}{3-Clubs} by Kanit but the Israeli could beat him as he had flopped top set with {q-Diamonds}{q-Spades}

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ilan Boujenah il
Ilan Boujenah
42,300
12,300
12,300
Profile photo of Mustapha Kanit it
Mustapha Kanit
10,000
-21,000
-21,000
Winamax

Tags: Ilan BoujenahMustapha Kanit

Klein Wins Small Pot

Level 3 : 100/200, 0 ante

The action folded around to Ilan Boujenah on the button and he set the price to play at 400. Both Morten Klein and Jason Mercier, seated in the small blind and big blind respectively, called making it three-handed to the {q-Spades}{q-Diamonds}{a-Clubs} flop.

Nobody wanted to take a stab at the pot on the flop or on the {10-Clubs} turn but when the {10-Spades} showed up on the river Klein took a 800 chance and it was enough to scoop the pot.

Tags: Ilan BoujenahJason MercierMorten Klein