Faraz Jaka, Mike “Timex” McDonald and Alexander Ivarsson sustained their chip-stacking assault on Day 3 of the EPT Malta main event.
Jaroslaw Sikora actually stole the chip lead with 1.4 million chips at the end of play but Ivarsson is second with 1.3 million and Jaka in third place with 1.2 million.
McDonald, who already won the €25k High Roller for €498k, rounded out the top 10 by finishing in ninth position with 689,000.
Niall Farrell and Sam Greenwood, both with 1.16m, complete the Top 5.
Lodden, Shorr, Kuo Survive to Day 4
The 2015 EPT Malta Main Event is shaping up for one heck of a conclusion with numerous poker pros still in the hunt for first-place.
Kitty Kuo (574,000), Shannon Shorr (407,000), Johnny Lodden (399,000) and Bryn Kenney (172,000) are among the notable stories heading into Day 4.
The money bubble burst on Day 3 after an extended period of hand-for-hand.
Tournament officials were forced to adopt hand-for-hand early because of a stalling epidemic on the bubble.
A total of 91 players busted on Day 3 with Steve O’Dwyer, Matthias De Meulder, Jeff Rossiter, Ike Haxton and Dominik Nitsche among the eliminated players.
Play resumes in the EPT Malta Main Event at noon tomorrow. Organizers are planning for five 90-minute levels of action tomorrow.
Watch the feature table live stream right here.
One Champion, One Orbit
Johnny Lodden has actually never won an EPT main event but of all the players who’ve never done that he’s probably the one that deserves it the most.
Lodden had more deep runs on the EPT than anybody else and he’s one of the inventors of LAG poker. Call it an honorable mention if you wish but we picked him for our “one champion, one orbit” segment today.
We expected a lot of action and we weren’t disappointed. We're in Level 18 on Day 3. The blind levels are at 3000/6000/1000 and there are just 55 players left.
Lodden has a stack of about 475,000 which is about 100k over average. On his right sits Sam Greenwood, which will become important shortly.
On the first hand we witness Lodden is on the button. Greenwood opens to 15k; Lodden counters with a reraise to 38k. The blinds fold but Greenwood comes along.
On the flop 2♠ K♣ 3♦ Greenwood check-calls Lodden’s bet of 36k. On the turn 5♣ Greenwood check-calls Lodden’s large bet of 88k. On the river 5♥ both players check.
Greenwood shows K♦ 9♣ and Lodden mucks.
Greenwood Opens Again
The next two hands Lodden folds his cards to raises from middle position. As there are only seven players at this table Lodden is now already UTG+1.
On his right Greenwood opens again with a 15k raise from first position. Lodden calls and so does the big blind. The flop is 2♦ 8♥ 2♣ and Greenwood leads with a 20k bet. Lodden pays and the big blind folds.
Afte the turn 3♦ Greenwood bets 32k and Lodden calls again. Both players check the 8♠ on the river. Greenwood shows 7♣ 7♥ which is again superior to whatever Lodden has.
On the next hand under the gun Lodden folds, only to get involved in another big hand in the big blind. Guess who his opponent is.
The player UTG+1 raises to 12k and both Greenwood and Lodden call from the blinds. The flop is K♦ 4♥ 5♠ and nobody feels inclined to bet.
Things change on the turn T♠. Greenwood takes the lead again and bets 36k. Only Lodden calls. The river is the dangerous A♠.
Greenwood checks, and Lodden decides to check behind. A good decision, as Greenwood slams K♠ J♠ on the table. Just the nuts.
Involved in 57% of Hands!
The seventh and last hand of this orbit finds Lodden in the small blind, where it is checked to him. He raises to 12k and the big blind calls.
On the flop 8♦ A♣ 9♠, Lodden leads out with 18k and takes it down.
Incredible! Lodden gets involved in 57% of the hands in this orbit and he loses over 260k before winning a small pot.
All the chips go to Sam Greenwood, who actually moved into the Top 5 in chips during these hands.
Lodden still plays the aggressive style he’s famous for and you see well here what happens if it doesn’t work.
However, Lodden is a master of his craft. It didn’t take him more than half an hour to get back over the stack size he had when we arrived.
