Ivan Luca opened to 800 from under the gun and Anthony Zinno called in middle position, all other players folded. On the flop , Luca continued for 1,075 and was called before tossing in a min-bet of 300 on the turn. Zinno raised to 2,000 and that went through.
Luca is still up for the day and amassed impressive $ 1,687,663 in 2015 alone including a bracelet at the World Series of Poker and a second place in this very tournament back in March after coming second to David Peters for a career-high payday of €397,000
When two players like Chris 'Big Huni' Hunichen and Stephen 'stevie444' Chidwick sit across from one another there's bound to be some history there.
With online winnings reaching $7,757,585 and $4,519,201 respectively, including a combine winnings of almost $8 million on PokerStars alone, these guys certainly run in the same online MTT circles.
While Hunichen has seven-figures in live cashes, Chidwick has been more successful in-person, having crossed the $4.5-million mark with a small cash at WSOPE in Berlin earlier this month.
Throughout the first few levels today, it even looks like Chidwick has been going after him a little, but Hunichen says that hasn't presented a problem.
The two have tangoed in a number of pots already with Hunichen winning every one and close to half Chidwick's starting stack.
The field size has increased to 114 entries and another three tables are empty with two more being opened next to the media desk as of the writing of this update. Given the progress of sign ups and the registration being open all day long, it seems very likely to approach a total of 150 entries here.
Hossein Ensan bet 10,000 into a pot of 17,000 from the small blind on the river of a and his opponent Patrick Leonard folded.
Soon after, Justin Bonomo checked the big blind after the flop and Tobias Leuenberger fired 9,000 from the cutoff. Bonomo then check-raised all in and Leuenberger let go.
Zoltan Szabo was the second player eliminated and Remi Castaignon just followed suit. The former EPT Main Event champion got into a three-way raising war with Pierre Calamusa and Ben Wilinofsky with the latter opening to 900 on the button. Castaignon three-bet to 3,750 in the small blind and Calamusa four-bet to 7,300.
Wilinofsky five-bet to 12,900 and Castaignon shoved a below starting stack, Calamusa folded and Wilinofsky snap-called.
Wilinofsky:
Castaignon:
The board ran out 3c,Jd,4d,8d,9h] and that was it for Castaignon.
Ihar Soika opened and Steve O'Dwyer squeezed to 3,100 from the small blind. Soika then four-bet to 6,900 and O'Dwyer shoved for effective half his stack only to see Soika snap-call all in for 30,225.
Soika:
O'Dwyer:
The flop pretty much locked up the hand for the Belorussian, however the turn gave some outs back to O'Dwyer with the two remaining aces in the deck. It was the blank river that ended the hand and Soika doubled.
With just around 7,000 chips in the pot to the river of a board, Vladimir Dobrovolskiy moved all in for 16,750 chips. Byron Kaverman, currently enjoying a massage, glanced over to the other side of the table and has experienced quite a decent start with more than double the starting stack.
Kaverman also finished ninth in the €10,000 Single-Day High Roller event and eventually decided to fold.
Anton Wigg, who won his entry through a Live Satellite and already picked up an EPT trophy here on Malta, as well as Davidi Kitai, Benny Spindler and 10k Single-Day High Roller finalist Niko Soininen have entered the competition.
, Luca continued for 1,075 and was called before tossing in a min-bet of 300 on the 
turn. Zinno raised to 2,000 and that went through.
and his opponent Patrick Leonard folded. 
flop and Tobias Leuenberger fired 9,000 from the cutoff. Bonomo then check-raised all in and Leuenberger let go.
pretty much locked up the hand for the Belorussian, however the 
river that ended the hand and Soika doubled.
