In 90 minutes from now at 12.30 p.m. local time, the last highlight of the 2016 PokerStars.com EPT13 Malta festival gets underway with Day 1 of the €10,300 High Roller. Defending champion of the event is Byron Kaverman, who defeated a 210-entry strong field and overcame Mukul Pahuja in heads-up for a payday of €430,800 and the coveted trophy.
Neither Pahuja nor Kaverman have been spotted during the festival yet, but many other notables and familiar faces of the international poker circuit are expected to join the action. Today will see 10 levels of 60 minutes each scheduled and the eight-handed tournament provides a single re-entry option to all players who run out of chips until the start of Day 2. The registration remains open until 15 minutes prior to the start of Day 2 on Friday at approximately 12.15 p.m. as well.
All participants receive 50,000 in chips and there will be a break every two levels with an additional dinner break. Play will conclude after midnight and the PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to bring you all the action from the tables.
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Preflop Charlie Carrel opened for 600, and only Ben Heath called in position, Carrel bet the flop for 1,000, and Heath wasted no time calling.
Turn was the , and this time Carrel fired 2,500. Another call from Heath.
The river barely touched the felt before Carrel slid in a tower of 5k chips, more than enough to put Heath all in for his remaining 9,500. Heath thought for a bit but ultimately decided to commit his stack, to the shear delight of Carrel.
"Nuts nuts nuts nuts", Carrel almost sang showing , and Heath had to let his hit the muck. He then headed straight for the cashier for a reentry.
Preflop Dietrich Fast reraised to 2,800 from the button, and only Connor Drinan in the cutoff called.
Flop came down and players checked through to the turn; .
Drinan lead for 3,500 and received a call from Fast, and together they saw the river complete the four-flush with .
After 30 seconds of thinking Drinan decided on a massive bet of 15,000, and that put Fast into the deep tank. After a few minutes of deliberation the German shipped it all over the line, and after double checking his hole cards, Drinan called and turned over the nut flush .
Fast tried to muck his hand, but Drinan requested to have it shown, and eventually saw Fast making a move holding .
Xiaoyan Luo started the action with a raise to 950 and Tom-Aksel Bedell three-bet to 2,800 from one seat over. In the big blind, Pratyush Buddiga four-bet to 7,500 and Luo folded, Bedell called.
The flop came and Buddiga bet 6,500. Bedell moved all in and Buddiga called.
Pratyush Buddiga:
Tom-Aksel Bedell:
The turn and river failed to improve Bedell and the stacks were counted. Buddiga was at risk for 41,750 and Bedell had that covered by just one big blind to remain with a mere dust.
Pratyush Buddiga raised to 1,200 from under the gun and Konstantinos Nanos three-bet to 2,900 in the cutoff, Buddiga called. On the flop, Buddiga check-called a bet of 1,350 and checked again the turn. Nanos bet 6,725 and Buddiga took a long time before check-raising to 16,500. Nanos tanked equally long before shoving for 43,000 and Buddiga snap-called.
Konstantinos Nanos:
Pratyush Buddiga:
The Greek was already drawing dead, making the on the river a formality. His facial expression upon showdown spoke for itself, it was a move gone horribly wrong.
It has't been the easiest of days for Davidi Kitai. He busted the Main Event in 22nd when his couldn't best the of Louis Cartarius, and just now he busted a bullet in the €10,300 High Roller to Govert Metaal.
It was, however, Gleb Tremzin that got most Kitai's stack. On a board of Tremzin put Kitai to the test by announcing all in, and though the Belgian player wasn't thrilled with the situation, he ultimately made the call for 27,100.
Tremzin's had turned into the nutflush on the river, and scooped the massive pot over Kitai's .
Kitai was left with just 1,125, and he got his remaining stack in two hands later with against the of Govert Metaal. The flop was good for Kitai, but the turn put Metaal back in front, and the on the river sealed the bustout.
Caitlin Hall raised to 1,700 and a trio called in Stefan Jedlicka, Vladimir Troyanovskiy and Gheorghe Gradinaru. On the flop, Hall continued for 4,300 after it was checked to her and just Troyanovskiy called before the turn went check, check. On the river, Hall bet 20,000 and Troyanovskiy eventually called all in for slightly less with the .
Hall had that beat with and Troyanovskiy was gone for good on the second bullet. Allan Sannier followed suit shortly after on a different table and is the third player that won't be allowed to re-enter anymore.
Adrian Mateos was just now on the right side of a brutal setup. On a board of Ukranian Oleksii Khoroshenin sent his remaining 50,000 chips over the betting line, and the 2015 EPT Grand Final-winner didn't waste any time before putting his chips at risk.
Oleksii Khoroshenin:
Adrian Mateos:
Mateos' top-set was good for the massive pot, and the Spaniard now sits on a 180,000 stack. On the other hand, Oleksii Khoroshenin is left with nothing more than a single big blind.
Roman Korenev raised to 2,300 from early position and Stephen Chidwick three-bet to 8,000 out of the small blind, which Korenev called. On the flop, Chidwick bet 6,000 and Korenev moved all in. Chidwick called all in for around 40,000 and was at the wrong end of a cooler.
Stephen Chidwick:
Roman Korenev:
The turn and river changed nothing anymore and Chidwick left the tournament area, he may very well be back soon for the second bullet though.