Jesper Hougaard opened in early position, Giovanni Rizzo three-bet from the small blind and Hougaard decided to call.
The first three cards onto the board read . Rizzo must like what he saw because he fired a continuation bet of 900 into Hougaard and Hougaard called.
Fourth street was the , and Rizzo bet again, this time 1,700. Once again Hougaard called. The landed ont he river and now Rizzo checked. Hougaard bet 4,000 and Rizzo was not prepared to pay that and he folded, showing as he did so.
Fresh from the disappointment of bubbling the $10,300 Heads-Up High Roller WCOOP event last night, Jason Mercier has decided to come and take his frustration out here in Malta.
Should Mercier go all the way and take down this tournament, he would become the latest player to win the coveted live Triple Crown having alrady won a WSOP bracelet and an EPT main event.
Aladin Mrkaljevic has just had his fingers burned sligtly after a clash with Mustapha Kanit.
It was Kanit who opened the betting with a raise to 300 from middle position and the action then folded to Mrkaljevic on the button. He paused before announcing a raise to 900 and placing a pink 1,000 chip over the betting line.
Both blinds folded, putting the action back onto Kanit and after 30 seconds of thinking time Kanit decided to four-bet to 2,525 and Mrkaljevic quickly got out of the way.
As he was mucking Kanit showed the much the amusement of the rest of the table.
The live wire that is Ilan Boujenah has bought into Day 1b of WPT Malta, has have Jesper Hougaard and Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst. They are bound to be a pain in the backside for anyone who they are sat with!
Sometimes keeping things simple at the poker table can yield the best results as Pierre Milan is testament to.
The action folded to Milan on the button and he tossed on three red chips worth a combined 300. The small blind folded but Johan Guilbert made the call from the big blind.
After burning a card the dealer put the , Guilbert checked, Milan bet just half the pot and it was enough to get the job done.
Gordon Huntly and Fabrice Soulier have been quite active over on Table 3 and an interesting dynamic could be starting to form — especially with Huntly showing a probably bluff.
In the first hand Huntly opened to 225 from under the gun, Fabrice Soulier called on the button and Steven van Zadelhoff called in the big blind. The fop came down and the action checked to Soulier who tested the waters with a 300 bet. Van Zadelhoff folded but Huntly stuck along and made the call.
The turn was the , Huntly checked, Soulier bet 500 but then folded when Huntly check-raised to 1,550.
Shortly afterwards Huntly opened to 250 from middle position and picked up callers in the shape of Soulier and this time Ronnie Bardah in the big blind. The flop came down and when the action checked to Huntly, the Scot bet 600 and both opponents folded. As they did Huntly showed them a .
"A seven?!" Bardah exclaimed, bringing a wry smile to the lips of Huntly.
Giovanni Rizzo's surname translates to "River" and we think he may have been beaten on the street with no name.
Marco Bognanni opened from the button and then called as Rizzo three-bet from the big blind. The pair shared a flop reading , a flop that Rizzo bet 800 on and Bognanni called.
That was the last of the betting as the players checked through the turn and the river Bognanni taking down the pot with his .
. Rizzo must like what he saw because he fired a continuation bet of 900 into Hougaard and Hougaard called.
, and Rizzo bet again, this time 1,700. Once again Hougaard called. The 
landed ont he river and now Rizzo checked. Hougaard bet 4,000 and Rizzo was not prepared to pay that and he folded, showing 
as he did so.
much the amusement of the rest of the table.
, Guilbert checked, Milan bet just half the pot and it was enough to get the job done.
and the action checked to Soulier who tested the waters with a 300 bet. Van Zadelhoff folded but Huntly stuck along and made the call.
and when the action checked to Huntly, the Scot bet 600 and both opponents folded. As they did Huntly showed them a 
.
, a flop that Rizzo bet 800 on and Bognanni called.
turn and the