Day 1B – MPF Spring 2024

Runnacles Ruins Stack With Ace-Jack Suited

Level 8: 1,000/2,000 (2,000)
Entries: 162/284

Tom Runnacles three-bet jammed for more than 40,000 and was called by Voto Itaco, who had slightly more than a starting stack.

Tom Runnacles: A♦J♦
Voto Itaco: 7♦7♣

Itaco won the flip to oust Runnacles after his opponent bricked the 3♦Q♥5♠4♥3♥ runout.

Meanwhile, The Chip Race cohost Dara O’Kearney was also at the table with slightly more than a starting stack.

Voto Itaco – 100,000
Dara O’Kearney – 55,000
Tom Runnacles – 0

Do You Have €1? That’s All it Takes!

The Unibet Deepstack Open (UDSO), which powers the Malta Poker Festival Grand Event has stepped it up in a huge way as they will be hosting a satellite on Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. CEST at Unibet Poker.

All it takes is €1 to enter with a €550 Grand Event ticket awaiting the winner with UDSO satellite tickets on tap for those that came close with no cigar.

When you think about the fact that you can’t really buy anything for €1 these days, this is an absolute bargain. Worst case, you lose a Euro while having fun. Best case is, that you are freerolling the Malta Poker Festival Grand Event compliments of the UDSO.

Special thanks to Alex Henry for adding more value to the Malta Poker Festival.

Ladies Not Kind to Davey

Level 7: 1,000/1,500 (1,500)
Entries: 185/281

Table 19 is full of fun players including Jari Hurri, Scott Roberts, Kevin Houghton, Vilde Ekren, Beihao Wang, Jordi Ribatallada Ruiz, and Jonty Willis. The one player no longer at the table is Daragh Davey, who last night arrived before min-cashing in the €200 HORSE event.

Davey had less than half a starting stack when he got it in with queens against the ace-jack held by Lithuania’s Svajunas Sedukis. The bad beat came but not on the jack-five-four flop. The running trey on the turn and a deuce on the river improved Sedukis to a wheel to felt Davey.

Davey shared that he plans to get some rest today before firing back into the Grand Event for Day 1c tomorrow.

In addition, Alex O’Brien dropped by sharing that she had even more bad luck and is out of the €230 Bounty Hunter Days Malta.

“I feel like kicking something,” shared O’Brien.

We suggested The Chip Race podcast cohost David Lappin as a kicking recipient as he was walking by but O’Brien decided not to take out her frustration on her friend and instead will chill out for the rest of the day before hopping back into the poker action again tomorrow.

Svajunas Sedukis – 240,000
Daragh Davey – 0

Bad Luck Continues for O’Brien

Level 7: 1,000/1,500 (1,500)
Entries: 186/275

It hasn’t been the best start for teacher, author, and poker guru Alex O’Brien at the Malta Poker Festival. We already mentioned her bad beat yesterday in the €200 Betsson One Bullet where she felt her bad beats and coolers were out of the way and we already shared that she lost her first Day 1b bullet when her pocket queens weren’t good against pocket aces.

The next one takes the cake as before the break, her opponent was betting out of position on all three streets with the Q♥3♥J♣9♣Q♦ running out on the board. O’Brien called the flop and turn before jamming over the top facing a half-pot bet on the river.

O’Brien had an amazing hand with 9♥9♠ for a full house but her opponent rivered a better full house with Q♠9♣ to felt O’Brien on her second bullet.

It’s now onward and hopefully upward for O’Brien who decided to give the Grand Event a break and is now in the €230 Bounty Hunter Days Malta event which has already grown to 327 entries. We wish her the best of luck in today’s sole side event.

Second Break

Day 1b is on its second 15-minute break. Blinds will increase to 1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 big blind ante when the action resumes.

“Last Time I Checked Kings Are Better Than Tens”

Level 5: 500/1,000 (1,000)
Entries: 197/270

It was a bad run for Philip Pearson during his final two hands of his second bullet on Day 1b which led to him firing his third and final Day 1b bullet moments ago.

He first ran into a spot of bother against Pavle Pecelj. Pecelj bet 2,000 into a pot of around 40,000 with the 10♦2♦A♦4♥10♠ on the board after the turn. Pearson jacked it up to 12,000 and Pecelj tanked for a few minutes before he called.

Pearson tabled the 10♣8♣ for trips but was behind the entire way after Peclej tabled the Q♦6♦ for a flush to win the hand.

“I am never folding there,” Pecelj said to Pearson.

Pearson didn’t appear to believe him but the next hand went far worse against a player he was pretending to be to the media in Kevin Houghton, who we know quite well from all his visits to the Malta Poker Festival over the years.

Houghton opened for 2,800 with tens. Pearson jacked it up to 7,000 with kings and Houghton called. Houghton checked the nine-seven-deuce rainbow flop. Pearson bet 5,000 before Houghton jammed for more than the 40,000 Pearson still had in his stack.

Pearson called and was in amazing shape. But fate was not on his side as Houghton hit his two outer with a ten coming on the turn and eliminated Pearson after a blank river.

“As far as I know, kings are better than tens,” Pearson said with a smile while reliving the hand.

“Preflop, yes,” responded Houghton.

The two players obviously have battled before and Pearson held no hard feelings about his horrific bad beat delivered by Houghton.

Kevin Houghton – 200,000
Pavle Pecelj – 100,000
Philip Pearson – 50,000