Everyone Loves a Chopped Pot

Level 8: 6,000/1,200 (1,200) Entries: 1,096/1,876 Seated UTG, Mauro Pugliesi attempted to limp. Domenico Persico wouldn’t allow it, though, as he raised to 3,500. The tricky Pugliesi then moved all in for 33,000 in total, and Persico made the call. Mauro Pugliesi: Domenico Persico: “Booooring,” I thought to myself as the board spelled out .…

Day 1e Chip Counts

Day 1e of the €600 Main Event attracted 922 entries. Below are the chip counts for those 138 who made it through to Day 2. Position Name Chips 1 Ruggero Magri 1,520,000 2 Enea Soumpasi Or Subashi 785,000 3 Alberto Sanchez Galiano 772,000 4 Kristian Previsic 619,000 5 Philip Cole 573,000 6 Giuseppe Ciancio 572,000…

That’s All She Wrote

Level 17: 5,000/10,000 (10,000) Entries: 138/923 Some technical issues made the last hour of Day 1b hard to track properly; apologize for the blog going idle for a while. That being said, the bubble just burst, sending 138 players on to Day 2. Soft hand-by-hand was introduced with 140 players remaining. There were perhaps seven…

The Best Starting Hand in Poker

Level 16: 4,000/8,000 (8,000) Entries: 158/923 Alessandro Furneri moved all in UTG for 85,000. Seated right next to him, Krzysztof Iszczuk re-shoved from UTG+1 for perhaps 280,000. There were no other takers. Alessandro Furneri: Krzysztof Iszczuk: An unfortunate scenario for Furneri, who didn’t crack aces as the board spelled out . Krzysztof Iszczuk: 365,000 Alessandro…

Wikemar Pulls Off Impressive Call

Level 15: 3,000/6,000 (6,000) Entries: 271/923 My good friend Robin Wikemar told me he played what probably is the craziest hand of his live poker tournament career. He explained what went down, and one has to admit, it is quite astonishing. His unknown opponent – let’s say “Mr. X” – opened to 10,000 (keep in…

Leo’s Worth a Ton of Cheese

Level 15: 3,000/6,000 (6,000) Entries: 271/923 I noticed a familiar name walking through the tournament tables, Leo Worthington-Leese. The Englishman might be mostly known for his third-place finish in the 2023 EPT Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event. I had a small chat with the lad, who told me he arrived in Malta today. Time will…

Some Numbers

Level 14: 2,000/4,000 (4,000) Entries: 271/923 The players have been back for a 20-minute break for roughly half an hour, and this live reporter just got back after rehydrating. It’s been confirmed that 138 players will make it to Day 2; that means roughly half the field has to be eliminated before play concludes for…

Needless to say, I was Surprised

Level 12: 1,000/2,500 (2,500) Entries: 307/923 Seated UTG, Giovanni Mangiaracina opened to 7,000. Feliciano Rosano then raised to 17,000 from the Cut-off, and Guido Giandon smooth-called from the Small Blind. Things would get even more spicy, though, as Mangiaracina four-bet all in for 99,500. Rosano considered his options for a minute before folding, but Giandon…

Aces as Registration Closes

Level 12: 1,000/2,500 (2,500) Entries: 332/923 Rosario Saddemi min-raised to 5,000 UTG. Anargyros Loizos – whom I met earlier this year in Thessaloniki during the 2025 Greek Poker Odyssea – made the call from UTG+1, before Kostantinos Grigoriadis bumped it up to 23,000 from the Button. Moritz Nedden then moved all in for what had…