Right before the break we saw Team PokerStars Pro Leo Margets knock a player out. All the chips went into the pot and the showdown went as following.
Margets: 
Opponent: 
The board ran out 
and Margets raked in this big pot.
| Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
|---|---|---|
|
68,000
38,000
|
38,000 |
|
||
After an open raise from Yann Dion and the three-bet of Morten Mortensen in the cutoff to 1,800, Dion four-bet to 5,100 and was called by his opponent from Denmark. On the 
flop, Dion continued with a bet of 4,500 and Mortensen tossed in the chips.
The 
on the turn triggered a second barrel worth 8,400 by Dion and this enforced a fold from Mortensen.
| Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
|---|---|---|
|
46,000
15,500
|
15,500 |
|
19,500
10,500
|
10,500 |
Candido Goncalves raised to 200 and proceeded to call Joep van den Bijgaart's three-bet to 650. The flop brought out 
and Goncalves check-called 700.
On the turn the 
hit and both players checked. The river was the 
and Van den Bijgaart folded when Goncalves bet 1,300.
| Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
|---|---|---|
|
43,000 | |
|
31,000
500
|
500 |
| Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
|---|---|---|
|
|
72,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
|
||
|
58,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
|
47,000
47,000
|
47,000 |
|
46,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
|
||
|
42,000
42,000
|
42,000 |
|
||
|
41,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
|
37,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
36,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
36,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
34,500
4,500
|
4,500 |
|
|
||
|
34,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
33,500
3,500
|
3,500 |
|
|
||
|
33,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
||
|
33,000
33,000
|
33,000 |
|
|
||
|
32,500
32,500
|
32,500 |
|
32,000
32,000
|
32,000 |
|
31,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
|
||
|
29,500
29,500
|
29,500 |
|
29,000
19,000
|
19,000 |
|
|
||
|
28,500
28,500
|
28,500 |
|
|
28,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
28,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
27,500
2,500
|
2,500 |
|
27,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
|
||
|
26,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
After a three-way flop of 
, Gereon Sowa bet 900 and was called by Mikhail Korotkikh as well as Ivan Soshnikov in the big blind. The turn was checked through until Korotkikh and the Russian bet 1,650. Soshnikov called whereas Sowa folded. The 
got checked and Soshnikov checked behind, mucked his cards when he was shown 
by Korotkikh.
One hand later, Jan Bendik opened to 400 and Korotkikh called, Emil Patel then three-bet to 1,800 on the button. Only Bendik called this time and they saw a flop of 
. Bendik check-called a bet of 2,000 and the 
turn was checked by both players. The Slovakian bet the river for 5,400 and Patel snap-folded.
| Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
|---|---|---|
|
39,500
4,500
|
4,500 |
|
|
||
|
33,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
27,000
27,000
|
27,000 |
|
21,000
700
|
700 |
|
13,000
14,300
|
14,300 |
We missed what happened to Walid Bou Habib, but he was already short when we got to his table.
George Danzer opened for 500 and picked up two callers before action was on Walid Bou Habib. The EPT Deauville 2013 runner up shoved for 6,425.
Danzer thought about it for some time before releasing his hand. The two callers instantly did the same and Bou Habib had some breathing room again.
| Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
|---|---|---|
|
7,925
1,925
|
1,925 |
Celebrating birthdays alone is never fun. Fortunately, for those who will get a little bit older during the European Poker Tour Malta, they're never alone. That's because those on the EPT, from players to staff, have become an auxiliary family of sorts. Granted, it may not be as intimate as celebrating with either real family or childhood friends, but the EPT crew will do in a pinch.
"I've been lucky enough to be playing these for five years now, so I know a lot of staff and international players," Full Tilt Poker Ambassador Dermot Blain says before the start of Day 1b. "There's always someone to go have a drink with, to party with. It's my actually birthday. I'm turning 31. I was pretty depressed on turning it too, but I just need to deal with it, you know."
So what is it like spending one's birthday playing a poker tournament? Furthermore, with two starting flights to choose from, why did Blain opt to play on his actual birthday as opposed to playing Day 1a?
"I'm kind of happy to play today. I'm a big Man U fan, and yesterday they played Liverpool and we won," Blain explains. "So I had the choice to watch that or play. It's just another day at the office."
But what if he busts Day 1, that'd surely ruin his birthday, right?
"I wouldn't be happy," Blain admits. "I haven't had a run in these for a while, so it hasn't been going great. I'd certainly like to get through Day 1, but it wouldn't ruin my birthday. Probably go party. It's a good place to party here in Malta, so probably go out and drink some alcohol."
Indeed, Malta has proved a great place to party, which was evidenced last week on St. Patrick's Day. As fate would have it, Blain is Irish.
"It was crazy. I thought it was just us who went nuts on St. Paddy's day," says Blain. "This place was just carnage, I couldn't believe it. Drinks everywhere. It looks like everyone loves an excuse to drink. It's a great place to party here."
Speaking of the Irish, another person celebrating his birthday at the EPT Malta is noted poker photographer Danny Maxwell, who will turn 33 tomorrow.
"This will be my second one. Last year I had it in Vienna, and it was pretty trippy to be celebrating it in an actual palace," says Maxwell. " Last year the day ran late so I didn't have a chance to do so much. Just work, work, work, though during the day there was a surprise birthday cake, which was pretty nice."
As we all know, all work and no play can make one a dull boy, but Maxwell plans to combat that by taking advantage of the kind schedule in the EPT Malta Main Event.
"With tomorrow, Day 2 will finish early," Maxwell explains. "This time I'll be celebrating in Malta. Fingers crossed there will be some sunshine tomorrow. It should be pretty sweet. We'll get out to have a bite to eat and one or two drink."
Like Blain, Linda Goldmanova is celebrating her birthday today, but like Maxwell, she is busy working.
"It's my birthday today. I don't mind to be at work actually," says Goldmanova, who is manning the PokerStars Live registration desk. "It's nice. If you have friends, they come with presents [laughs]. Cake, presents, everything. I won't celebrate tonight I guess, but we'll definitely find time to go for a drink [later in the week]."
PokerNews did a little research to see if any other players would be celebrating their birthdays during the EPT Malta, but came up empty. That said, there are some notable poker birthdays on the horizon including:
On behalf of PokerNews, happy birthday to all those celebrating in the coming weeks.
Marc-Andre Ladouceur opened for 500 from middle position and just the small blind came along to see a flop.
The flop came 
and the small blind check called a bet of 500 from the PokerStars Team Online Pro. Both players continued to check the turn (
) and river (
).
The small blind revealed 
, Ladouceur showed 
and took the pot down. But hey, like they say; 'He that can not keep a penny, shall never have many!'
| Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
|---|---|---|
|
|
31,000
3,500
|
3,500 |
|
|
||
On a 
board we just saw Team PokerStars Pro Eugene Katchalov bet 2,600 and his opponent made the call. Katchalov showed 
and that was enough to beat .
After being knocked down to just 10,000 chips early on Katchalov sits on 16,000 right now, and he's back underway to the 30,000-chip starting stack.
Immediately to Katchalov's right we've spotted Dutchman Farid Chati who sits on 63,000 chips right now. Chati's had an amazing start and is among the early leaders on Day 1b.
| Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
|---|---|---|
|
63,000 | |
|
16,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
|
||
Kevin MacPhee has had a great season on the EPT including a 2nd place finish at EPT London for $495,861 and an 11th place finish at EPT Deauville for $42,947.
He's just taken his seat here in the top room, and by turning up late, had already lasted longer than the names below.
| Jogador | Fichas | Oscilação |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
||
|
Eliminado | |
|
Eliminado | |
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|
Eliminado | |
|
|
Eliminado | |
|
|
Eliminado | |
|
Eliminado | |
|
|
Eliminado | |
|
|
Eliminado | |
|
Eliminado | |
|
Eliminado | |
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|
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Eliminado | |
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Eliminado | |
|
Eliminado | |
