The Race to the Money on Day 3 of the EPT12 Malta Main Event
In 90 minutes from now at 12 p.m. (noon) local time, Day 3 of the 2015 PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Season 12 Malta Main Event will restart with 131 hopefuls out of a 651-entry strong field remaining. The top 95 spots will get paid at least €9,320 for their efforts and the money will definitely be reached within the scheduled five 90-minute levels at the Casino Portomaso. There will be no dinner break today, play is scheduled to end around 8:45 pm.
Alexander Ivarsson is leading the field after a very dominant performance at the tables yesterday, bagging up 529,200. He is followed by fellow Scandinavian Samuli Sipila with 466,500 whereas Germany's Erik Scheidt completes the overnight podium with 447,700 chips. Other big stacks include Giulio Spampinato (406,500), who won the entry into the €5,300 Main Event through a live satellite, Jens Lakemeier (385,000), Day 1b chip leader Jaroslaw Sikora (377,700), Faraz Jaka (375,200), Pawel Brzeski (372,100) and Andreas Chalkiadakis (358,600).
Several big names of the international poker circuit also bagged up chips for Day 3 such as Mike "Timex" McDonald (314,200), Niall Farrell (280,000), Christoph Vogelsang (240,300), Ivan Luca (219,800), Dan Smith (214,200), EPT10 Barcelona High Roller champion Thomas Muehloecker (209,200), EPT10 Prague runner up Anton Bertilsson (199,800) , Dominik Nitsche (166,700), €25,000 High Roller winner Sam Greenwood (163,000) and Shannon Shorr (149,000). PokerStars will be represented by the Team Pros Johnny Lodden (102,400), Matthias de Meulder (45,600) and Team Online's Isaac Haxton (106,500).
EPT9 Grand Final champion Steve O'Dwyer (98,100) and EPT11 Grand Final winner Adrian Mateos (45,000) will start below average when play resumes in level 15 at blinds 1,500 / 3,000 with a running ante of 400. The PokerNews live reporting will be there to provide all key hands until a winner is crowned on Sunday, so make sure to tune in regularly.