Category Day 1A

Level 10: 2,000/4,000 (4,000)
Entries: 62/174

Per Helge Gaasand bet 10,000 into a pot of around 25,000 with the J♠J♣8♠ on the board. Ian Gascoigne raised to 40,000. Moments later, Gaasand jammed for about twice as much and Gascoigne snap-called.

Per Helge Gaasand: A♠6♠
Ian Gascoigne: J♦7♦

Gaasand’s outs to a flush were still live against Gascoigne’s trip jacks but he bricked the 10♣ turn and 3♣ river to hit the rail. Meanwhile, Gaasand had one of the bigger stacks from around the room with about 380,000.

Ian Gascoigne – 380,000
Per Helge Gaasand – 0

The €170 Betsson One Bullet already attracted 291 entries with 223 players still in their seats with Level 5 about to come to a close. Check out photos from the event below:

Level 8: 1,000/2,000 (2,000)
Entries: 87/167

Andrew Fleming jammed his stack of 35,000 from middle position. Marcos Perez Padron three-bet shoved for a little bit more and Fleming wasn’t thrilled after the cards were turned over.

Andrew Fleming: Q♠J♦
Marcos Perez Padron: A♥Q♥

The 2♠8♣7♦ flop kept Padron ahead but Fleming expressed some hope after he had more outs to a straight on the 9♣ turn.

“Nice hand,” Fleming said to Padron after he was unable to get there on the 4♠ river before heading out of the tournament arena.

Marcos Perez Padron – 80,000
Andrew Fleming – 0

The €230 HORSE 5-Mix hosted by Jeanne David just kicked off with a tidy field of 13 entries. This will grow throughout the day but there are many interesting players in this event including the American host.

We caught up with Tatiana Fox and Rebbecca Scales before the action began. Fox had a journey from hell from Australia to Los Angeles to London to Malta with many delays and rebooked flights while Scales also had a long travel to get to Malta from Las Vegas.

Both were in amazing spirits and were excited to play the HORSE event alongside many other fun players including 2008 WSOP HORSE champion Jens Vortmann, Phillip Mccall, and Barbara Jones Zangaro.

Meanwhile, Scales and Fox are both involved with the recently launched Women Poker News website which has tons of content geared towards the impressive and growing global ladies poker community.

We wish those traveling far and just getting into the action the best of luck. We know the fun will happy but not everyone can win the coveted trophy.

Level 6: 1,000/1,500 (1,500)
Entries: 98/162

Andrzej Marczykowski got his last 24,000 in the middle from the big blind with the A♦3♦J♥ already on the board and was up against the big-stacked Danny Smith.

Andrzej Marczykowski: J♠3♣
Danny Smith: A♣8♠

Marczykowski’s two pair was ahead but he wasn’t out of the woods yet with many combinations possible still for Smith to win the hand. However, he doubled his stack after the blank Q♥ turn and 7♥ river completed the board.

Danny Smith – 160,000
Andrzej Marczykowski – 75,000

Player	Chips	Big Blinds
Steven Latham	232,000	155
Danny Smith	185,000	123
Colin Cooper	180,000	120
Bartilomiej Grabowski	175,000	117
Lennart Bernett	170,000	113
Johannes Grootelaar	170,000	113
James Ablott	140,000	93
Marcin Jaworski	135,000	90
Jens Ove Flach	120,000	80
Boban Stevanovic	120,000	80
Fabian Biel	115,000	77
Michele Adamo	100,000	67
Marcos Perez Padron	100,000	67

Players are on their second break of Day 1a. Blinds will increase to 1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 big blind ante when the action resumes.

The first side event of the day just kicked off in the €170 Betsson One Bullet. There were already 174 entries in the field from the start which is bound to grow with 10 levels of late registration in the mix.

Betsson’s Jostein Groedum and Guts’ Jon Briscoe White are among the players already in action. Both players are at every MPF representing their brands, and both have had deep runs in the Grand Event over the years.

Also opting to play the side event rather than the Grand Event today were Karl Gialanze, Kevin Houghton, Ilze Zolte, Craig Smith, and Salvator “Bing Buddy” Villaluz.

Best of luck to all of the Betsson One Bullet players and see y’all soon in the Grand Event during one of the other opening flights throughout the week.

Level 6: 600/1,200 (1,200)
Entries: 105/148

Klaus Bauer opened for 2,500 from early position. Matthew Micallef called from middle position before Martyn Frey jammed for about 30,000. Frey came over the top with a four-bet shove for much more and Micallef got out of the way.

Martyn Frey: 7♠7♦
Klaus Bauer: A♦Q♥

Bauer took a huge lead in the flop after his queen connected on the Q♦5♦10♣ flop. Frey was out of his seat and another player at the table pointed out the needling by the board when another queen in the Q♣ followed on the turn.

Christmas came early for Frey as he nailed his two outer for a full house after the 7♦ river completed the board to double his stack instead of hitting the rail.

Martyn Frey – 70,000
Matthew Micallef – 55,000
Klaus Bauer – 25,000

Level 6: 600/1,200 (1,200)
Entries: 109/147

Radu Mandrea jammed for 11,800 from the small blind. Rimko Meijer, who already chipped up early on Day 1a, went into the tank from the big blind and called shortly after the count was confirmed.

Radu Mandrea: K♥3♠
Rimko Meijer: Q♣9♣

Meijer pulled out ahead after his nine found a partner on the 10♦9♠J♦ flop. However, Meijer was drawing thin despite improving to two pair with Mandrea announcing his straight on the Q♦ turn.

The 8♠ river put a straight on the board. However, Mandrea’s straight to the king was better to double his stack through Meijer.

Rimko Meijer – 90,000
Radu Mandrea – 25,000