button in SafariRadoslaw Kopec Leads Final Nine of WSOP Circuit Malta Main Event
They were 879 on the starting line, but after two days of play, only nine players remain in the €1,500 World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event. 134 players came back on Day 2 to share a part of the €1,115,451 prize pool, but the finalists are now closer than ever to the €200,000 top prize.
This money is probably even more concrete in the mind of Radoslaw Kopec, who'll enter the final day as the chip leader with 8,200,000. He came close to elimination but luckily flopped two pair to begin an impressive comeback, sending a few players to the rail on the way.
Matteo Ricco didn't go as low as Kopec but doubled up at the same time to build a big stack and maintain it. He scored the last elimination of the day by flopping a set against Mikel Calo (10th - €11,000) to finish second in chips with 6,900,000.
Luca Topazio follows with 6,700,000, but he had a very different trajectory as he spent the day among the chip leaders, even after doubling several short stacks up.
WSOP Circuit Malta Main Event Final Table
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip count | Big blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas van den Belt | Netherlands | 4,300,000 | 43 |
| 2 | Luca Topazio | Italy | 6,700,000 | 67 |
| 3 | Vitali Bibik | Poland | 3,700,000 | 37 |
| 4 | Alberto Cigliano | Italy | 4,300,000 | 43 |
| 5 | Aleksandar Georgiev | Bulgaria | 4,500,000 | 45 |
| 6 | Christoffer Jensen | Denmark | 3,200,000 | 32 |
| 7 | Radoslaw Kopec | Poland | 8,200,000 | 82 |
| 8 | Matteo Ricco | Italy | 6,900,000 | 69 |
| 9 | Nicola Bordignon | Italy | 2,200,000 | 22 |
Aleksandar Georgiev discreetly made his way to the final table with an average stack of 4,500,000. Alberto Cigliano's path to the final table, however, was more winding, as he found himself with 12 big blinds and managed to double twice in a row to reach 4,300,000, the exact same stack as Lucas van den Belt.
Vitali Bibik also had highs and lows and bagged 3,700,000, alongside Christoffer Jensen (3,200,000), who was the chip leader at the beginning of the day. Last but not least, Nicola Bordignon doubled up three times during the final levels to survive. His stack was then big enough to eliminate Gabriele Paone (11th - €11,000) before the end of the day and conclude Day 2 with 2,200,000, the shortest stack of all.
The final table is set to begin at 1 p.m. local time this Sunday, October 4, at Casino Malta. Blinds will start at 50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 big blind ante, with 60-minute levels running until a winner is crowned.
The nine finalists have already locked up €14,191, but they're all chasing the real prize: €200,000 and a coveted WSOP Circuit ring.
Remaining payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | €200,000 |
| 2 | €125,000 |
| 3 | €85,000 |
| 4 | €60,000 |
| 5 | €43,000 |
| 6 | €31,000 |
| 7 | €23,000 |
| 8 | €17,300 |
| 9 | €14,191 |
The final table will be streamed live, so you won't miss a hand if you watch it, and even less if you follow PokerNews, as our live reporting team will be on the floor to bring you all the exciting action and showdowns.