Category Day 1C

Verneri Hakkinen and Clint Jeffery both hit the rail to leave 43 players remaining. The clock has been paused for hand-for-hand action on the Day 1c end-of-the-day and money bubble with 42 or fewer players advancing into Day 2 tonight.

Level 15: 6,000/12,000 (12,000)
Entries: 45/279

Nico Lambrechts jammed for about six big blinds and was called by Ashley Scott from the blinds.

Nico Lambrechts: A♦7♦
Ashley Scott: A♥J♠

Lambrechts was out the door near the Day 1c money bubble after his ace-seven suited didn’t pull ahead of ace-jack on the 8♥9♠3♣4♥5♣ board.

Meanwhile, Jason Ekridge also hit the rail to leave 45 players remaining and 42 advancing to Day 2.

Ashley Scott – 237,000
Nico Lambrechts – 0

Level 14: 5,000/10,000 (10,000)
Entries: 47/279

A bit of fun broke out on Table 2. It began when Colin Cooper opened for 25,000 from the button. Domenico Gala three-bet shoved for 120,000. Cooper was in the tank for about five minutes, during which time tons of banter took place.

“What do you have?” asked Cooper. “Pocket nines?”

“No,” responded Gala after rechecking his cards.

“Do you have tens?” asked Cooper. “Check your cards again.”

Gala checked his cards before denying he had tens.

“Do you have jacks?” Cooper was quick to ask. “Check again.”

The entire table erupted in laughter at this point and Cooper went back into the tank.

“Book says I shouldn’t call,” Cooper humorously said. “But I haven’t read the book.”

“I will show you one card if you fold,” said Gala. “You get to see two if you call.”

Cooper folded about a minute later and Gala was a man of his word. His opponent chose the A♣.

“What did you have?” asked Gala.

“A lot of paint,” responded Cooper before the entire table laughed. “Was hoping for undercards to my paint.”

Meanwhile, Marcin Jaworski, Karl-Heinz Metz, Paul Hunt, Roy Trickett, Mattias Andersson, Timothee Rey, and Jakub Chmelensky were all eliminated during the early portion of Level 14 to leave just 47 players remaining with 44 reaching the money.

Colin Cooper – 375,000
Dominico Gala – 160,000

The final 54 players are on their final 15-minute break of Day 1c. Blinds will increase to 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante.

Theo Drach hit the rail just before the break and will have to try again during one of the other three opening flights if he wants another chance at advancing to Day 2 and beyond in the Grand Event.

Level 13: 4,000/8,000 (8,000)
Entries: 55/279

Wilhelmine Connolly limped from under the gun before Colin Cooper limped behind from middle position. Jason Eskridge three-bet jammed for 94,000 from the button before Oliver Mihajlovski went into the tank from the small blind. Eventually, Mihajlovski four-bet shoved for more than 200,000. Connolly and Cooper folded and the players tabled their hands.

Jason Eskridge: 9♠9♦
Oliver Mihajlovski: 6♦6♠

Eskridge doubled up through Mihajlovski with the better pair after the A♥5♠4♦8♠J♦ ran out on the board.

Meanwhile, Nial Mullally, Sven Meschede, Helene Etter, Miroslaw Borowicz, Maciej Makoladra, Dominik Frank, Thomas Lowter, Martynas Racinskas, and David Lehnen all hit the rail during Level 13 to leave just 55 players remaining.

Jason Eskridge – 220,000
Oliver Mihajlovski – 140,000

Players are in for a special treat on Sunday as the Malta Poker Festival has two notable poker authors in the house in Alex O’Brien and Dara O’Kearney.

O’Brien wrote “The Truth Detective A Poker Player’s Guide to a Complex World” and although she has had some bad beats and coolers throughout the week has had a much better day today in the Day 1c field of the Grand Event where she has grown her stack to 342,000.

Meanwhile, O’Kearney has written a handful of books with the assistance of Barry Carter including “Poker Satellite Strategy” already found a bag in the Grand Event yesterday on Day 1b and will start Day 2 with 265,000.

Both players will be signing books at a rescheduled time on Sunday giving you a unique opportunity to meet and greet two amazing poker authors.

Level 12: 3,000/6,000 (6,000)
Entries: 65/279

Roy Trickett jammed for about 100,000 from early position. Antonio Merone called off for slightly less from two seats over and the players were off to the races.

Antonio Merone: Q♥Q♠
Roy Trickett: A♣K♣

Trickett brocked the 5♠6♠9♠9♥3♥ runout to double up Merone and leave himself with just a handful of big blinds.

Antonio Merone – 181,000
Roy Trickett – 16,000