Hand #67: Dmitry Yurasov open-shoved 1,140,000 on the button with , a little over 13 big blinds.
"All in? Wow!", exclaimed Mats Karlsson in the big blind, who then looked at his holecards to find .
"I call," said Karlsson after twenty seconds of thought, putting Yurasov in a great spot to double up to a playable stack.
The flop kept Yurasov in the lead, but the on the turn dramatically changed everything. Yurasov needed to find an ace or a diamond on the river or his dreams of winning EPT Malta would be over.
"One time," begged Yurasov.
It wasn't meant to be when the landed on the river, sealing it for Karlsson.
Yurasov's fantastic run in this tournament ended in third place, and the Russian high roller collected the third six-figure score of his career by winning €192,650.
Hand #64: Dmitry Yurasov folded his button and from the small blind, Aliaksei Boika completed with . Mats Karlsson raised to 275,000 holding and Boika called.
The flop came and Boika checked to Karlsson. The Swede didn't slow down after his recent hits and fired 325,000. Boika made the call. The turn was the which gave Karlsson an open-ended straight draw. Boika only had ace-high and check-folded to a 710,000-bet.
Hand #65: Mats Karlsson raised his from the small blind and won the blinds and antes.
Hand #66: On the button, Mats Karlsson picked up and raised to 200,000. Aliaksei Boika defended his big blind with . Both paired up on the flop giving Karlsson the best hand with top pair.
When checked to him, he bet 350,000 and Boika called. The turn didn't change anything with the and Boika checked again. Karlsson charged Boika for 800,000 to see the river but the Belarusian folded.
Hand #59: Mats Karlsson limped in with in the small blind and Dmitry Yurasov checked . On the flop, Karlsson overbet 300,000 and Yurasov folded.
Hand #60: Dmitry Yurasov completed the small blind with and Aliaksei Boika checked . Yurasov quickly picked it up with a bet on the flop.
Hand #61: Aliaksei Boika raised to 225,000 with and Mats Karlsson folded his big blind.
Hand #62: Aliaksei Boika picked up on the button and raised to 180,000. Dmitry Yurasov defended his big blind with .
The flop gave Boika a mortal lock on the hand. Yurasov had no intention of getting involved and quickly folded to a 100,000 bet.
Hand #63: On the button, Mats Karlsson raised to 200,000 with and Aliaskei Boika defended with . Boika fould a pair on and checekd. Karlsson bet 300,000 and Boika called.
Boika improved to two pair on the turn. He checked, prompting Karlsson to fire a second barrel of 650,000. Boika wasn't going anywhere and called.
The on the river gave Boika the checkmark, but it counterfeited his two pair. Boika checked, which prompted Karlsson to empty the clip with a bet of 900,000.
Boika quickly called and dragged down the massive pot with his pair of kings. With that, Karlsson had to surrender the chiplead for the first time in two days.
Hand #55: Aliaksei Boika started the level with a raise to 220,000 holding in the small blind. Mats Karlsson called with . The flop was and Boika continued for 200,000. Karlsson called with his straight draw and got an even better straight draw with the on the turn.
Boika still comfortably bet his aces, making it 575,000. Karlsson went in the tank for several minutes and asked how much Boika had behind, which was a little more than 1,8 million, before calling.
It wasn't Karlsson but Boika who improved with the on the river. He made a small bet of 575,000 but Karlsson didn't take the bait.
Hand #56: Dmitry Yurasov got a walk with .
Hand #57: Mats Karlsson opened on the button. He made it 200,000 and took it down.
Hand #58: From the small blind, Aliaksei Boika completed with and Mats Karlsson checked his option with . The flop was and Boika bet 100,000 and got called.
The turn was the and Boika fired again, this time for 250,000 and Karlsson called to see the on the river. Both players made a straight, with Boika holding the best one. He got some extra value after betting 550,000 and getting a call from Karlsson.
They three remaining players now have 27 levels of play under the belt. They enjoy the second 20-minute break of the day.
After level 27 only three players are still in the hunt for that penultimate EPT trophy and the first prize of €355,700.
Short stacks Peter Ockenden and Elie Saad shoved all in a couple of times in this level and eventually it ended up in both being eliminated.
Ockenden was sent to to the rail in fifth place when he got it all in with against Mats Karlsson's on a flop. The Swede paired his ten on the turn and increased his chiplead.
Ockenden banked €104,340 for his fifth place. Not a bad payday if you take in account that he qualified online via PokerStars.com for only €27.
Saad was gone not much later. He got it in with king-jack against Aliaksei Boika's tens. The Lebanese did spike a king on the flop but Boika rivered a ten to knock Saad out.
He takes home €141,780 for his accomplishment in this EPT13 Malta Main Event.
Boika almost scored another bust out with pocket tens. His friend and short stack Dmitry Yurasov shoved into his pocket pair, whilst holding king-ten. However, Yurasov flopped a king and is still in the hunt for this EPT title.
The Russian still has the least chips of the three remaining players. Boika is in second but way behind chipleader Karlsson.
Hand #51: On the button, Mats Karlsson raised to 130,000 with . Dmitry Yurasov three-bet to 400,000 out of the small blind, holding . Karlsson came along with the call.
The once again paired a worse kicker at this final table, and Karlsson took the lead. Yurasov checked his option, Karlsson bet 350,000, and Yurasov folded.
Hand #52: Dmitry Yurasov made it 130,000 to go with on the button. Mats Karlsson defended his big blind with .
The flop missed both players. Karlsson check-called an 110,000 bet from Yurasov with the best hand. Karlsson checked the on the turn, Yurasov fired a second barrel of 260,000, which got him rid of the Swede.
Hand #53: Mats Karlsson raised to 200,000 with in the small blind. Dmitry Yurasov found in the big blind, but just elected to call.
Karlsson became a 3:1 favorite on the flop and checked, Yurasov checked behind. The on the turn completed the straight for Karlsson, but he opted to check again. Yurasov bet 210,000 and Karlsson simply called.
The on the river paired the board and both players quickly checked. Karlsson showed his straight and Yurasov flung his hand in the muck.
Hand #54: Mats Karlsson made it 130,000 on the button with . Aliaksei Boika defended out of the big blind.
The flop gave Boika top pair and both players checked. The on the turn got checked as well. On the river, Boika bet 360,000, but didn't get value from Karlsson.
Hand #50: Aliaksei Boika picked up on the button and raised to 150,000. In the big blind, Dmitry Yurasov had and he moved all in for 1,035,000 in total. Boika quickly called.
The two friends were all in and Yurasov was on the brink of elimination. However, the flop changed everything. Boika was down to one out to knock-out Yurasov.
The turn didn't change anything and neither did the river. Yurasov found his much-needed river. He is still the shortest stack of the three remaining players but has caught up with Boika. Mats Karlsson still has a commanding chiplead.
Hand #47: The first hand of three-handed play saw Dmitry Yurasov getting a walk with .
Hand #48: Mats Karlsson raised to 150,000 with and Aliaksei Boika defended his big blind with . Neither player hit the flop and Boika check-folded to a 200,000-continuation-bet from Karlsson.
Hand #49: From the button, Dmitry Yurasov raised to 130,000 with and he took down the blinds and antes.
, a little over 13 big blinds.
.
flop kept Yurasov in the lead, but the 
on the turn dramatically changed everything. Yurasov needed to find an ace or a diamond on the river or his dreams of winning EPT Malta would be over.
landed on the river, sealing it for Karlsson.
![[user13328]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. Mats Karlsson raised to 275,000 holding 
and Boika called. 
which gave Karlsson an open-ended straight draw. Boika only had ace-high and check-folded to a 710,000-bet. 
and raised to 200,000. Aliaksei Boika defended his big blind with 
. Both paired up on the 
and Boika checked again. Karlsson charged Boika for 800,000 to see the river but the Belarusian folded.
in the small blind and Dmitry Yurasov checked 
flop, Karlsson overbet 300,000 and Yurasov folded.
and Aliaksei Boika checked 
. Yurasov quickly picked it up with a bet on the 
and Mats Karlsson folded his big blind.
on the button and raised to 180,000. Dmitry Yurasov defended his big blind with 
and Aliaskei Boika defended with 
and checekd. Karlsson bet 300,000 and Boika called.
on the button. He made it 200,000 and took it down. 
. Dmitry Yurasov three-bet to 400,000 out of the small blind, holding 
. Karlsson came along with the call.
on the button. Mats Karlsson defended his big blind with 
on the turn completed the straight for Karlsson, but he opted to check again. Yurasov bet 210,000 and Karlsson simply called.
. Neither player hit the