Live Blog – Day 1B

Day 1b of the MPF Grand Event was rocking at Portomaso Casino with 254 entries coming out in full force to bring the field already up to 469 entries when taking into account the 215 entries on Day 1a.

A total of 58 players survived led by Shaun Halliday, who bagged a whopping 656,000 in chips. The PokerStars at the Hippodrome Ambassador Chris Da Silva bagged a cool 500,000, while both Noel Studer and David Ozmen ended the day each above 400,000.

This entire group is behind Day 1a chip leader Marko Luksa who managed to bag an impressive 687,000 from his 50,000 opening stack to lead the 59 survivors yesterday.

Other players to advance via the Day 1b field included Alessandro Barone (375,000), Chen Keren (243,000), Antoine Talvard (228,000), Matthew Adams (206,000), Peter Kamaras (126,000), Uwe Matthias (122,000), Head of Poker at The Hippodrome Kerryjane Craigie (94,000), and Amber Glasby (82,000).

Here is a look at the final chip counts from Day 1b:

Player	Chips	Big Blinds
Shaun Halliday	656,000	131
Chris Da Silva	500,000	100
Noel Studer	447,000	89
David Ozmen	425,000	85
Lars Eriksson	396,000	79
Lucien Jouanneau	388,000	78
Alessandro Barone	375,000	75
Michael Pinto	374,000	75
Mats Karlsson	335,000	67
Nandor Fejes	323,000	65
Edward Chun Ho Yam	310,000	62
Simon Taylor	303,000	61
Kaspar Scmid	301,000	60
Massimo Bruno	298,000	60
Antonios Onoufriou	282,000	56
Benjamin Fougerouze	278,000	56
Julien Gadanho	276,000	55
Mats Hjortlov	263,000	53
Angelo Vietti	252,000	50
Chen Keren	243,000	49
Torben Krogh	235,000	47
La Sengphet	233,000	47
Antoine Talvard	228,000	46
Christopher Colllins	222,000	44
Bogdan Juc	222,000	44
Andreas Liperis	210,000	42
Matthew Adams	206,000	41
Joseph Hull	205,000	41
Stewart Kirby	194,000	39
David Berdis	185,000	37
Dejan Babetic	185,000	37
Jonathan Schuman	184,000	37
Ian Gascoigne	182,000	36
James Scorgie	177,000	35
Louis Le Boisselier	170,000	34
Lawrence Bonnici	166,000	33
Daniel Ventura	161,000	32
Torsten Riedl	152,000	30
Damir Savio	151,000	30
Daniel Kuhlmann	147,000	29
Lars Halkier	140,000	28
Dmitri Dudakov	138,000	28
Kevin Houghton	136,000	27
James Clarke	135,000	27
Peter Kamaras	126,000	25
Uwe Matthias	122,000	24
James Mercieca	122,000	24
Georgios Georgiou	118,000	24
Emil Karhu	106,000	21
Gerard Lemee	104,000	21
Kerryjane Craigie	94,000	19
Kerrien Clement	91,000	18
Amber Glasby	82,000	16
Gaetano Brignone	80,000	16
Fabio Assennato	79,000	16
Robert Cordell-Lavarack	69,000	14
Jie-Quan Tsai	69,000	14
Erik Dahlberg	48,000	10

Level 13: 2,000/4,000 (4,000)
Entries: 63/254

The floor has announced the final three hands of Day 1b. After this, players will start to bag chips. We will update with some final photos and final Day 1b chip counts before we close the blog this evening.

Thank you once again for tuning in!

Level 13: 2,000/4,000 (4,000)
Entries: 64/254

Angelo Vietti bet 26,000 into a pot of a bit more on the 4♣10♦8♦ flop. James Mercieca jammed for more than 200,000 and Vietti called off his stack of 140,500 to create a massive pot north of 300,000.

Angelo Vietti: Q♦Q♠
James Mercieca: A♦J♦

It was a coin flip at this point with Vietta holding an overpair and Mercieca having a flush draw and an overcard to the overpair.

Mercieca bricked both the 5♥ turn and the 8♣ river for Vietta to stay alive and win a huge pot near the end of Day 1b.

Angelo Vietti – 325,000
James Mercieca – 100,000

Level 13: 2,000/4,000 (4,000)
Entries: 68/254

James Scorgie opened for 9,000 from middle position. Lars Ridell jammed for 45,000 from the small blind and Scorgie went into the tank for about a minute before he called.

Lars Ridell: 5♦5♣
James Scorgie: J♣10♣

Ridell got out of his seat after Scorgie’s jack found a mate on the J♥Q♥7♥ flop. Ridell had both eyes still on the board but wasn’t able to find a miracle on either the 3♠ turn or the K♠ river to hit the rail during the final blind level.

James Scorgie – 220,000
Lars Ridell – 0

Level 13: 2,000/4,000 (4,000)
Entries: 73/254

Day 1b has entered its final blind level with blinds at 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 big blind ante. The clock will stop at some point during the later part of the blind level where a draw will take place for the final few hands of the evening.

Also announced is a surrender option for players that bag less than a starting stack. They must choose whether or not they want to advance with this stack into Day 2 or if they want to give it up with three more chances at a bigger bag on Day 1c, Day 1d, and Day 1e.

Players that bag more than a starting stack will not have that option and will not be allowed to enter any of the other starting flights.

Best of luck to the remaining 73 players in finding a healthy bag for Day 2.

Level 12: 1,500/3,000 (3,000)
Entries: 75/254

Lars Halkier check-called bets by William Jarman on both the 9♣10♥5♠ flop and the 5♦ turn before checking one last time on the K♣ river.

Jarman jammed for more than the 100,000 Halkier had behind with about the same in the pot. Halkier called and won the hand with a full house with K♥5♠. Jarman was strong as well but his [invalid notations]5d4h] was behind the entire way.

Lars Halkier – 300,000
William Jarman – 65,000

Level 12: 1,500/3,000 (3,000)
Entries: 80/254

We caught up with a hand when Serdar Demircan four-bet jammed for less than 100,000 from the cutoff. Kerryjane Craigie didn’t have much committed in the pot when she folded from the small blind. However, the situation was different for the three-better Mats Karlsson who called from the big blind.

Serdar Demirican: A♣J♣
Mats Karlsson: J♥J♣

“Ace or club,” Demircan begged the dealer.

Demircan had a flash of hope after the Q♣6♦9♣ flop gave him a flush draw. However, he was on the rail after neither the 2♠ turn nor the 10♥ river was a card he needed.

Mats Karlsson – 450,000
Serdar Demirican – 0

Player	Chips	Big Blinds
Michael Pinto	370,000	123
Antonios Onoufriou	370,000	123
Shaun Halliday	350,000	117
David Ozmen	335,000	112
Chen Keren	280,000	93
Stewart Kirby	270,000	90
Bogdan Juc	270,000	90
Mats Karlsson	265,000	88
Dejan Dabetic	250,000	83
Lars Eriksson	250,000	83

Day 1b is on its final break of the day. Players will play two more blind levels with blinds first at 1,500/3,000 with a 3,000 big blind ante before moving onto the final blind level of the day with blinds at 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 big blind ante.

We will update with the biggest stacks still in contention shortly after the action resumes.

Level 11: 1,500/2,500 (2,500)
Entries: 97/254

There were a few players in the pot when Davide Iannaco jammed his stack of more than 20 big blinds. He was called by Jie-Quan Tsai and wasn’t in the best of shape.

Davide Iannaco: 10♣10♠
Jie-Quan Tsai: K♥K♣

Tsai’s cowboys were goot on the Q♣7♥2♦4♦2♣ board to take all of Iannaco’s chips.

Jie-Quan Tsai – 175,000
Davide Iannaco – 0

Level 11: 1,500/2,500 (2,500)
Entries: 101/254

Gianluigi Giuliani opened for 7,500 from early position and was called by Julius Julenius from the cutoff and Chris Da Silva from the button before Daniel Kuhlmann three-bet to 32,000. Giuliani four-bet jammed for about 75,000. Julenius and Da Silva folded. Kuhlmann opted to call and Giuliani was at risk.

Gianluigi Giuliani: A♠5♥
Daniel Kuhlmann: A♥K♦

Giuliani was drawing to a pair of runners after the 3♦K♥J♥ flop paired up Kuhlmann’s king. The 4♥ turn was one potential out as Giuliana now had a four-outer to a wheel draw. No magic happened for Giuliani as the 3♣ river and he was eliminated from Day 1b.

Daniel Kuhlmann – 300,000
Gianluigi Giuliani – 0

Level 11: 1,500/2,500 (2,500)
Entries: 110/254

Uwe Matthias bet 11,500 into a 40,000 chip pot with the 9♥A♥8♠ already on the flop. Peter Kaspar jammed for 43,000 and Matthias tanked for a couple of minutes before he called.

Peter Kaspar: A♣A♦
Uwe Matthias: K♥Q♥

Kaspar had a set of rockets but still wasn’t out of the water yet. In fact, he was the one drawing to a full house or quads to stay alive after Matthias improved to a flush on the 7♥ turn. The [5c] river didn’t pair the board and Kaspar hit the rail.

Level 10: 1,000/2,000 (2,000)
Entries: 114/254

Rick Leinarts was able to hang on for a bit of time after earlier this blind level losing most of his stack in a massive pot of more than 200,000 in chips against queens. He was able to hang on for around 15 minutes before his short stack of less than eight big blinds was at risk against Dario Barone.

Rick Leinarts: A♥2♠
Dario Barone: 9♠8♠

It was more or less a flip situation with Leinarts for a second time having better equity in the hand. Against a different hand, he may have doubled his stack instead of hitting the rail after improving to two pair on the 10♥K♠3♠2♦A♠ board.

However, this same board improved Barone to a flush to win the hand and eliminate Leinarts.

Dario Barone – 240,000
Rick Leinarts – 0

Level 10: 1,000/2,000 (2,000)
Entries: 121/254

A raising war took place between Davide Iannaco and Rick Leinarts. Iannaco three-bet the pot to 13,000 when we caught up with the action. Leinarts four-bet to 36,000 and Iannaco five-bet to 80,000 with just 22,000 back. Leinarts six-bet jammed for more than that and Iannaco snap-called.

Davide Iannaco: A♠K♣
Rick Leinarts: Q♦Q♠

“Good luck,” Leinarts said to Iannaco.

Iannaco got all the luck he needed right away to win the flip after his king connected with the 8♠K♥7♦ flop. The 3♣ turn and 5♥ river didn’t push Leinarts back ahead and he was low on chips after doubling up Iannaco.

Davide Iannaco – 215,000
Rick Leinarts – 18,000

Level 10: 1,000/2,000 (2,000)
Entries: 125/254

Louis Le Boisselier opened for 4,000 from under the gun and was called by Jean Segonne from the big blind. Thibaut Thevenet three-bet jammed for 28,000 from the button.

Le Boisselier went into the tank for close to a minute before he jammed for about double that. Segonne quickly folded and the cards were turned over.

Thibaut Thevenet: A♠J♦
Louis Le Boisselier: A♥Q♦

Le Boisselier was ahead and improved to top pair after the Q♠2♠6♠ landed on the flop. Thevenet was pushing his A♠ forward with a smile hoping for another spade to come to complete his flush draw.

No love came for Thevenet on the 6♣ turn or the 4♦ river and he will have to try again during one of the other three opening flights if he wishes to advance to Day 2 and beyohnd.

Louis Le Boisselier – 95,000
Jean Segonne – 55,000
Thibaut Thevenet – 0

Level 9: 1,000/1,500 (1,500)
Entries: 132/254

James Clarke fired out for 37,500 into a pot of around 50,000 with the 8♣3♣10♥9♥K♠ on the board. Antoine Talvard tanked for several moments before he called.

“Nice hand,” Clarke said immediately. “Good call.”

Talvard turned over the 10♠8♠ and won the hand with two pair after Clarke mucked.

Antoine Talvard – 185,000
James Clarke – 60,000

Level 9: 1,000/1,500 (1,500)
Entries: 143/254

Marcus Larsson and Noel Studer got locked up in a three-bet preflop pot before there were more than 100,000 chips in the middle with Studer at risk with on the ace-king-king flop.

Larsson turned over pocket aces for a monster full house. However, he was somehow drawing to one out as Noel Studer turned over kings for quads!

No miracle came for Larsson and he was down to crumbs on likely the worst bad beat of the event. The only saving grace was that stacks weren’t deeper.

Noel Studer – 110,000
Marcus Larsson – 8,500

Level 9: 1,000/1,500 (1,500)
Entries: 149/254

Remi Verdelet fired out an overbet of 25,000 on the 9♥3♣5♦J♣A♥ board. Benjamin Fougerouze went into the tank before he found a hero-cal.

Verdelet only help the 6♦2♦. Fougerouze turned over the Q♥5♣ to win the hand with a pair of fives.

Benjamin Fougerouze – 80,000
Remi Verdelet – 50,000

Level 9: 1,000/1,500 (1,500)
Entries: 152/254

Players are back from their dinner break and late registration is closed on Day 1b.

Day 1b attracted an amazing field of 254 entries. This brings the total entry count up to 469 entries already with still three opening flights to go. It is safe to assume that the €300,000 guarantee slapped on the €550 buy-in MPF Grand Event will be just a footnote tomorrow with even more players expected over the weekend.

Now it is just a matter of how big it will get!

Player	Chips	Big Blinds
Kinzo Verstraete	250,000	167
Michael Pinto	240,000	160
Daniel Kuhlmann	225,000	150
Keith Boniface	220,000	147
Dmitri Dudakov	200,000	133
Daniel Ventura	188,000	125
Bogdan Juc	185,000	123
Lucien Jouanneau	182,000	121

Players are on a 75-minute dinner break. We will update with some Day 1b photos and the chip stacks of the bigger stacks around the room during the second half of the break.

Level 8: 600/1,200 (1,200)
Entries: 150/245

Totti Lind opened for 2,500 from under the gun and was called by three players including Rosarie Roberts from the big blind.

Roberts open-jammed for 15,300 the [invalid notations] flop. Lind snap-called and the other two players folded.

Rosarie Roberts: 7♥2♥
Totti Lind: A♣A♠

Lind flopped a set of aces but it was Roberts ahead after flopping a flush. Blanks came on the turn and river for Roberts to crack Lind’s aces and get back near a starting stack.

Meanwhile, Hippodrome Ambassador Chris Da Silva had the most chips at that table with 200,000 in chips. Also, The Hendon Mob’s Roland Boothby, who is in town to help out with The Hendon Mob Championship later in the festival, sat down at the table after the hand wrapped up.

Chris Da Silva – 200,000
Totti Lind – 85,000
Roland Boothby – 50,000
Rosarie Roberts – 45,000

Level 8: 600/1,200 (1,200)
Entries: 148/238

Norway’s Jostein Groedum lives in Malta and is often seen at events such as the Malta Poker Festival representing at least some part of the Betsson Group where he is the Head of Poker.

As Guts Poker is one of the sponsors of the group, he is here with Jon Briscoe White and others representing the brand and assisting the qualifiers.

Groedum can also play some cards as we have seen from time to time and hopped into the Grand Event on Day 1b. So far so good for Groedum as he just doubled his stack.

There was about 40,000 in the pot with the Q♥4♥K♦9♠ on the board after the turn when Groedum jammed for 27,500. Peter Kaspar went into the tank before he found a call.

Jostein Groedum: A♠A♥
Peter Kaspar: J♥J♦

Groedum was far ahead but had to sweat six outs to the river as any jack would improve Kaspar to a set and any ten would improve him to a straight. However, it was the blank 9♥ river that completed the board for Groedum to earn his double-up.

Jostein Groedum – 95,000
Peter Kaspar – 35,000

Level 7: 500/1,000 (1,000)
Entries: 157/236

Chris Read flew in from Atlanta for the Malta Poker Festival. She was also here last Spring when she won the €100 MPF Ladies First! event.

This time around, the WPA advocate is hosting the Ladies First! event on Saturday, April 29 at 4 p.m. The buy-in has increased to €150, meaning there will be a bigger prize pool for those making it deep in this event.

We had a chance to interview Read a couple of months ago about her hosting the Ladies First! event and more. Read more about it here.

Unfortunately, Read hasn’t had the best start to Day 1b of the Grand Event and is down to 17,000. She just got called super light in the following hand against Erik Lindqwist.

Both Read and Lindqwist checked with the 8♦3♦2♣J♦ on the board after the turn. A fourth diamond in the 2♦ completed the board on the river. Read bet for 7,600. Lindqwist tanked for about a minute before he called.

Read turned over the 4♣3♣ with no diamonds. She was picked off by Lindqwist who only had the 4♦4♥ to win the hand.

“Sheesh,” Read said. “Nice hand.”

“Pretty bad calling with just the four of diamonds,” Lindqwist said about his play.

“I’m used to it,” said Read. “I’m being called light all the time.”

Level 7: 500/1,000 (1,000)
Entries: 161/233

Cornelius Buijs got his short stack into the pot from the small blind with the 7♠J♥5♠ flop already dealt and was up against Daniel Mulder, who originally opened preflop from the button.

Cornelius Biujs: 8♣6♣
Daniel Mulder: 8♦8♥

Buijs was behind but held eight outs for a draw. Neither the 2♣ turn nor the J♣ river saved the day for Buijs and he was on the rail with still the ability to re-enter in Day 1b for two more blind levels.

Daniel Mulder – 65,000
Cornelius Buijs – 0

Level 7: 500/1,000 (1,000)
Entries: 163/233

Players are back from break and the Day 1b field has grown to 233 entries. Here is a look at some of the bigger stacks at the break.

Player	Chips	Big Blinds
David Ozmen	230,000	230
Kanan Farzaliyev	170,000	170
Alessandro Barone	165,000	165
Stewart Kirby	160,000	160
Daniel Vetura	160,000	160
Totti Lind	160,000	160
Bogdan Juc	150,000	150
Lar Halkier	150,000	150
Antonius Onoufriou	145,000	145
Michael Pinto	140,000	140
Kinzo Verstraete	135,000	135
Chris Da Silva	135,000	135
Nandor Fejes	135,000	135
Chen Keren	130,000	130
Valdas Aukstiklanis	130,000	130
Joseph Hull	117,000	117
Justin Scicluna	115,000	115
Damir Savio	115,000	115
Ian Gascoigne	110,000	110
Kjetil Hanstvedt	110,000	110

Players are on a 15-minute break. Blinds will increase to 500/1,000 with a big blind ante of 1,000 when the action resumes.

We will update you with some of the bigger stacks around the room shortly after the break.

Level 6: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 165/226

Albert Sapiano is off to a hot start on his third bullet. Some of that is to the dismay of Rosalie Roberts who just doubled Sapiano up on a cooler of a hand. Roberts shared with us after the hand that the worst part of it was that she new he had the goods.

Sapiano jammed for about a bit of chips into a healthy pot with the 5♥Q♣Q♦10♥A♠ on the board after Roberts checked.

Roberts wound up calling and showed the K♥Q♠ for trips. This was normally a strong hand but Sapiano had something better as he doubled up on his third Day 1b bullet with K♠J♥ for Broadway.

Meanwhile, Totti Lind is also at that table and won a hand or two to have the most chips at the table.

Totti Lind – 165,000
Albert Sapiano – 135,000
Rosarie Roberts – 40,000

Level 6: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 167/225

James Mercieca bet 3,000 into a pot of 16,000 with the 10♣3♥2♥2♦ on the board after the turn. Ionut Giba paused for a few moments before he called.

Mercieca fired out another small bet, this time for 4,000, after the 3♣ river double-paired the board. Giba paused for about 45 seconds before he called.

Mercieca turned over the [qd][qh] and his ladies did the job with Giba mucking his cards.

Ionut Giba – 70,000
James Mercieca – 65,000

Level 5: 300/600 (600)
Entries: 178/222

Albert Sapiano lost his first bullet today early on despite having more than double the starting stack early today. He now just lost his second bullet in a pot that James Clarke thought would be chopped by him and Christopher Collins.

Sapiano jammed for about 10,000 into a pot of around 15,000 with the K♣10♣9♥6♣ on the board after the turn. Collins jammed over the top for about 20,000 and Clarke, who had both players covered, made the call.

Albert Sapiano: K♠5♦
James Clarke: K♥Q♥
Christopher Collins: K♣Q♣

Sapiano needed a five and Clarke needed to fade club, which he didn’t realize at the time. Sapiano got out of his chair, presumably to get back in with his maximum third bullet of Day 1b, after the 9♣ river completed the board.

Clarke assumed at this point the pot would be split. He was quickly corrected and apologized to Collins.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see the flush,” Clarke said.

Despite not chopping up Sapiano’s chips with Collins, Clarke is still in decent shape early on Day 1b.

James Clarke – 100,000
Christopher Collins – 85,000
Albert Sapiano – 0

Level 5: 300/600 (600)
Entries: 179/222

The field has blossomed to 222 entries. This is already more than the 215 entries attracted during yesterday’s Day 1a.

Level 5: 300/600 (600)
Entries: 175/212

Totti Lind provided tons of entertainment yesterday with his strawberry cream cheese pie prop bet with Lee Colfer. Both Colfer and Lind did have fun but were unable to find a bag yesterday. Both are back at it today in hopes of a better result.

Lind is still having fun, but this time with the cards rather than with the pies.

In a recent hand, Rimko Meijer opened for 1,300 from under the gun. Chris Da Silva three-bet to 3,500 from the hijack. Totti Lind four-bet to 10,500. Meijer and Da Silva didn’t waste too much time before they folded.

Lind opted to show the table what he is capable of and flashed the J♥4♥.

We aren’t sure if Lind flashed this in reference to the Robbi Jade Lew controversy that took place at the end of last year in a hand against Garrett Adelson where Lew called for a big pot in a televised cash game with jack-four. Lind was a bit stronger as his “Robbi Lew” was suited.

Totti Lind – 120,000
Chris Da Silva – 110,000
Rimko Meijer – 50,000

The Malta Poker Festival is more than just the Grand Event. Yes, that is obviously the main attraction with a €300,000 guarantee but the side events are proving to be very popular as well.

The €230 Bounty Hunter Days kicked off about 15 minutes ago and is off to a hot start with 170 entries already in the field. One player that will have to re-enter if they want to run deep in this event is Kevin James, who was the first player out.

Also taking place tonight at 8 p.m. is another €70 satellite to the MPF Grand Event. This is an amazing opportunity to get into the Grand Event for just pennies on the Euro.

Best of luck to all the players in the side events today!

Level 4: 200/400 (400)
Entries: 179/202

Day 1b of the Grand Event has passed 200 entries and is near the 215 entries attracted yesterday on Day 1a. The room is booming although it was a little quiet at Table 10 when the following hand took place.

Three players checked before Karl Gialanze fired out for 3,000 into a pot of 11,000. Two players called including Chen Keren.

Two players checked after the K♦ turn. Gialanze bet 5,500 and both his opponents called. The J♠ river completed the board and Gialanze bet 10,000. Keren was the only player to call.

“Flush?” asked Gialanze as he turned over the 6♦5♦.

Keren did indeed have the flush as he showed the K♠8♠ to win the hand.

Chen Keren – 130,000
Karl Gialanze – 35,000

Level 4: 200/400 (400)
Entries: 177/195

George Waud fired out for about half the pot with a bet of 5,500 with the 2♠5♦7♦10♠8♠ on the board after the river. Matthew Adams went into the tank for a short time before he called.

Waud turned over the K♠K♣ and was awarded the pot after Adams mucked.

Meanwhile, Dost Ghrabie was also at that table. He quickly said hi as I just covered a deep run of his when he took runner-up in the Mega Series Main Event for £22,347. We mention this event as he shared he also won a package to the Malta Poker Festival as part of his award for winning a promotion that took place during that event.

Ghrabie is making the most of it early on here on Day 1b at Portomaso Casino and has one of the bigger stacks in the room with about 180,000.

Meanwhile, in other news, more fireworks took place at Albert Sapiano’s table. He doubled up Jonathan Schuman when Schuman’s tens were good on a board with no cards higher than his pair on the board. Sapiano is never afraid to re-enter so if he blows through the rest of his chips, we can expect to see him back in the Day 1b field.

Dost Ghrabie – 180,000
Jonathan Schuman – 85,000
George Waud – 70,000
Matthew Adams – 65,000
Albert Sapiano – 22,000

Level 4: 200/400 (400)
Entries: 173/183

Jonathan Schuman and Albert Sapiano are on an action table that always seems to have chips in the pot whenever we walk by.

“Albert is destroying me,” Schuman said to the table and us after the following hand.

Sapiano checked the 9♦J♠A♣ flop. Schuman fired out for 4,500 into a pot of around 14,000. Gaetano Brignone folded and Sapiano called. The 10♦ turn and 5♥ river were quickly checked down.

“You have me beat,” said Schuman. “I have eights.”

Sapiano turned over the J♣7♠ to win the hand.

“What an Albert hand,” Schuman said.

“The problem is, I have two more chances today,” Sapiano said referring to how he likes to do his best to build a big stack regardless of the cost.

“We all do,” Schuman replied.

A bit more friendly banter between the two players that have played often together in the United Kingdom took place before Schuman had one more remark as we were leaving the table.

“Albert is destroying me,” Schuman shared. “Put that in the blog.”

Schuman’s wish is our command and we wish both him and the rest of the table the best of luck.

Albert Sapiano – 90,000
Gaetano Brignone – 65,000
Jonathan Schuman – 40,000

Level 4: 200/400 (400)
Entries: 172/181

The action has resumed for Day 1b with blinds at 200/400 with a 400 big blind ante. The field is approaching 200 entries. Yesterday’s Day 1a reached 215 entries and today is looking to be even bigger!

Best of luck to all of the Grand Event players.

Players are on a 15-minute break. Blinds will increase to 200/400 with a 400 big blind ante when the action resumes.

Level 3: 200/300 (300)
Entries: 159/163

Three British players got tangled up in a hand, although one got out early as follows.

Albert Sapiano limped from the cutoff. Jonathan Schuman limped behind from the button before James Scorgie raised to 1,500 from the small blind. Sapiano called and Schuman folded.

Scorgie fired out for 3,000 on the 5♠10♦4♠ flop. Sapiano called before he called another bet by Scorgie to 6,500 on the K♥ turn.

The 6♠ river completed the board. Scorgie bet 8,000 this time around and Sapiano called again.

Scorgie turned over the A♠10♣ for a flopped top pair. However, Sapiano won the hand after showing the K♦7♠ as the turn gave him a better pair.

Albert Sapiano – 115,000
James Scorgie – 80,000
Jonathan Schuman – 50,000

Level 2: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 145/148

Albert Sapiano is one of the more interesting players I enjoy following when I see him at various venues as he makes poker more entertaining. At least that is the case for this reporter.

Sapiano may have been playing his own seven-deuce game. You will see what we mean soon.

Adam Lengyel opened up for 600 from middle position. Gaetano Brignone three-bet to 1,600 from the hijack before Sapiano cold-called from the small blind. Lengyel folded and Sapiano announced that he was checking in the dark.

Both players checked after the dealer spread out the 8♦A♥10♥ flop. Sapiano fired out for 3,500 on the [invalid notations] turn and Brignone folded.

Sapiano turned over the 7♦2♦ to the table to show that he can literally be playing any two cards especially if they are suited.

In other news, we just noticed that Ladies First! host Chris Read, who flew in from Atlanta, joined the action during Level 2.

Albert Sapiano – 90,000
Gaetano Brignone – 50,000
Chris Read – 50,000
Adam Lengyel – 40,000

Level 2: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 127/130

Uwe Matthias bet 4,000 into a pot of a bit more with the 7♦10♠9♠7♠8♥ on the board after the river. Joseph Hull jammed for 25,000. Ian Gascoigne, who was the first player out on Day 1b and the first to re-enter, jammed over the top for about 45,000 and Matthias folded.

Gascoigne turned over the A♠Q♠ for the nut flush. However, Hull turned up with something better with the 10♦10♥ improving him to a full house.

“Nice hand,” Gascoigne said before adding. “We could have easily gotten this in preflop.”

Meanwhile, Matthias shared with the table that he correctly folded the straight.

Joseph Hull – 65,000
Uwe Matthias – 65,000
Ian Gascoigne – 20,000

Level 2: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 119/120

Rimko Meijer called a three-bet by Totti Lind to 5,000 before the 3♠10♦A♠ landed on the flop. Lind fired out for 5,000 and Meijer called.

Lind checked the Q♦ turn before he called a bet of 5,000 by Meijer. The [invalid notations] river completed the board. Lind bet 200 into a pot of more than 30,000. Meijer paused for about 20 seconds before he opted to call.

The title was a bit of a joke as Meijer is only calling or raising there. Both players turned over the same suited big slick with one in hearts and another in diamonds to chop the pot.

Totti Lind – 50,000
Rimko Meijer – 50,000

Level 1: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 105/106

The first elimination of Day 1b already took place when Keith Bonaface sent Ian Gascoigne to the rail midway through Level 1.

Bonaface shared with us that the chips went in when he had the nut flush against Gascoigne’s weaker flush. Perhaps the second time is the charm for Gascoigne as he is already back in the field with his second bullet of the day. Best of luck with take number two!

Keith Bonaface – 105,000
Ian Gascoigne – 50,000

Level 1: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 101/101

Day 1b of the MPF Grand Event already has more than 100 entries. Lisa Roberts, Finland’s Jari Hurri, and Jonathan Schuman are among the players we haven’t already mentioned.

Roberts flew over to Malta with her husband Scott from the United States. Scott found a bag yesterday while Lisa will try to join him on Day 1b today. Meanwhile, Jari Hurri is a more familiar face in Malta as he has been here several times in the past. Schuman is here compliments of winning a package as part of the many mystery bounties he won en route to winning the £440 Mega Series Mystery Bounty last week at The Hippodrome.

Level 1: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 88/88

The Day 1b field grew by 10 players in just a few minutes and is up to 88 entries.

Several British players are in the field including Head of Poker at The Hippodrome Kerryjane Craigie, Hippodrome Ambassador and third-place finisher in the 2022 MPF Spring Grand Event Chris Da Silva, Friend of The Hippodrome Lyddia Cugudda, Shane Dempsey, Sophie Gathercole, Stephen Goose, Joseph Hull, and Lee Colfer, who was coined “The Lord of the Pies” during yesterday’s Day 1a. You can click on Day 1a in our coverage to read more about it or follow this link.

Albert Sapiano is also back in the mix and ready to rumble. Sapiano compiled a big stack midway through the day but will have to try again today after losing his stack over the course of a few blind levels.

Level 1: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 78/78

MPF Founder Ivonne Montealegre and Ludos Academy CEO Danilo de Berardinis welcomed the players and shared with the Day 1b crowd some information about the Grand Event.

Cards were in the air shortly after with a field of 78 entries and counting.

Welcome back to our coverage of the 2023 Malta Poker Festival (MPF) €550 Grand Event at the luxurious Portomaso Casino.

Yesterday’s Day 1a was a banner day with 215 entries in full force. This is an amazing start considering last Spring’s MPF Grand Event, which by the way smashed its €300,000 guarantee with 1,014 entries for a €486,720 prize pool, had about half as much with 118 entries. This is also more than the 205 entries featured on Day 1a of the 2022 Autumn MPF Grand Event which eventually smashed its €500,000 guarantee with 1,326 entries creating a €636,480 prize pool.

Time will tell how big this Spring’s MPF Grand Event will be as there are still four more opening flights to go including today’s Day 1b which kicks off at 2 p.m.

The first four opening flights, including Day 1b, feature an identical structure with players starting with 50,000 in chips (500 big blinds) and battling it out for 13 blind levels of 40 minutes each. Players re-enter twice per opening flight until late registration closes before the start of Level 9.

Saturday’s Day 1e is a turbo-charged affair with 20-minute blind levels. Otherwise, the structure is the same.

The Grand Event isn’t the only game in town today. Many players are excited about the MPF Bounty Days Hunter featuring a €230 buy-in. Additionally, players will have an opportunity to get into the Grand Event for just €70 thanks to another satellite running at 8 p.m.

Our coverage will begin when cards are in the air shortly at a few minutes past 2 p.m. after announcements are made by MPF founder Ivonne Montealegre and Ludos Academy CEO Danilo de Berardinis.