2012 World Poker Tour Malta › Main Event

Day 1a completed

Posted 2012-09-17 GMT+2

Day 1a Completed; Casper Toft Leads the Way

Posted 2012-09-17 GMT+2 • Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante

Phil Hellmuth & Spider-Man

Day 1a of the World Poker Tour Malta main event has been completed and what a day it was. The field size may have been slightly smaller than anticipated but there were plenty of big names among the 64 entries. By the time tournament director Chritin Scalzsi called time on proceedings there were only 34 players remaining in the field, these 34 topped by Denmark's Casper Toft and his 123,600 chips.

It has been almost exactly 12 months since Toft has a live score recorded on his Hendon Mob page, the last entry was on September 14, 2011 when he finished 30th in a €1,500 buy-in event at the Partouche Poker Tour for a score of €3,500. Since that date there have been no further entries but if he keeps up his current form that will all end here in Malta this week.

Toft added the chips of Vladimir Geshkenbein to his own stack towards the end of play when his pocket eights held against Geshkenbein's and those extra chips were enough to propel Toft to the top of the chip counts when play did end.

Other players who had great days at the felt include a regular on the WPT and a player who finished third in the WPT Venice Grand Prix, Andrea Dato (106,300), Dato's fellow countryman Alfonso Amendola (106,000), Koen Berendsen (103,700) and the sixth place finisher at the recent WPT Merit Cyprus Classic, Kiryl Radzivonau (94,800).

Day 1a also the likes of Dominik Nitsche (91,400), Australias's Jeffrey Rossiter (82,400), the legendary Phil Hellmuth (47,000) and Jonathan Duhamel (40,900) all make it through to Tuesday's Day 2. Hellmuth was stalked, for want of a better word, by Spider-Man during play today and we have it on good authority the same costume-wearing person will be sporting a new outfit tomorrow for when Tony G makes an appearance!

Along with the aforementioned Geshkenbein, the following big names failed to make it through the day with their chip stacks intact. The hyper-aggressive Cecilia Pescaglini, Erik Cajelais, Sean Jazayeri, Roger Hairabedian (who was eliminated twice) and Marvin Rettenmaier (also eliminated twice).

Monday's Day 1b should see a bumper crowd descend on the Casino at Portomaso including the likes of Jason Mercier, Vanessa Selbst and a whole host of other familiar faces.

Join the PokerNews Live Reporting team from 13:00 CET for all the action, as it happens from Day 1b of the WPT Malta main event

Four More Hands

Posted 2012-09-16 GMT+2 • Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante

The tournament clock has been paused and Phil Hellmuth chose the meaning we will play four more hands.

Geshkenbein And Rettenmaier Bust Out

Posted 2012-09-16 GMT+2 • Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante

There is a Vladimir Geshkenbein shaped space where he once sat so it is safe to assume the former EPT Snowfest champion has been eliminated.

"Mad"Marvin Rettenmaier has also busted, but for the second time today, and has headed off into the night with his girlfriend.

"Have you busted again?" we asked Rettenmaier, to which he pulled a sad face and nodded his head. "You're not meant to do that," we half joked.

"But they just keep letting me," the German replied.

Tags: Marvin Rettenmaier, Vladimir Geshkenbein.

Fabien Sartoris Rapidly Losing Ground

Posted 2012-09-16 GMT+2 • Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante

Fabien Sartoris has just three-bet folded in two consecutive hands. The first saw Dominik Nitsche open to 1,200 from the cutoff, a bet that Sartoris three-bet to 2,900 on the button. The action was back in Nitsche and he four-bet all-in for effective 20,300 but we did not see a showdown as Sartoris folded.

The very next hand Nistche opened again and again to 1,200. Once more, Sartoris three-bet to 3,000 putting the action on Jonathan Roy on the button. He studied the stack sizes of the active players before four-betting to 5,700. Nitsche quickly got out of the way but Sartoris considered his options for a little longer but he ultimately folded.

Tags: Dominik Nitsche, Jonathan Roy, Fabien Sartoris.

Bags Of Chips

Posted 2012-09-16 GMT+2

Chip Counts
Kiryl Radzivonau			92,600	1,600
Dominik Nitsche			81,000	29,000
Jonathan Duhamel			39,400	19,400
Federico Cipollini			29,200	-18,300
Casey Kastle			27,250	-14,750
Phil Hellmuth			27,000	-3,000
Ozzy Sheikh			16,350	-18,650
Marvin Rettenmaier			12,700	-17,300
Arnaud Mattern			9,650	-8,350

Level 8 started

Posted 2012-09-16 GMT+2

Sanguedolce And Nitsche Split Huge Pot

Posted 2012-09-16 GMT+2 • Level 7: 250-500, 50 ante

Battles between the blinds often create some large pots with weak, weird and wonderful hands but it is a rarity when both binds show up with a very strong hand, and the exact same one!

The action folded to Antonio Sanguedolce in the small blind and he raised to 1,400. The big blind was Dominik Nitsche and he three-bet to 3,500. Sanguedolce then four-bet to 8,900 and Nitsche made the call.

The pair saw the dealer place the flop onto the felt, Sanguedolce fired a 7,300 continuation bet and Nitsche made the call. The turn saw Sanguedolce move all-in and Nitsche snapped him off.

Sanguedolce
Nitsche

Both players had been dealt queens! The river was the pointless and with that the pot was chopped!

Tags: Dominik Nitsche, Antonio Sanguedolce.

Show Us Your Face

Posted 2012-09-16 GMT+2 by

Fabian Quoss On A Great Night In Paris

Posted 2012-09-16 GMT+2 • Level 7: 250-500, 50 ante

Players often go on heaters and Fabian Quoss obviously experienced one in Paris. He may have busted out of the WPT Grand Prix de Paris Main Event in sixth place then did what any respectable poker player would do and went and won the High Roller event!

Here he talks to our very own Kristy Arnett over on the PartyPoker Blog, be sure to check it out!

Tags: Fabian Quoss, Kristy Arnett.