EPT Malta 2025: Final Five Left in the €5,300 Main Event

#1 – Mykhailo Ostash – 9,870,000 (123BB)

Leading the pack is 25-year-old Mykhailo Ostash, who is also the only player to have a stack exceeding 100 big blinds. The Ukrainian has made a solid impression at his first EPT stop, and he took the chip lead with a full house and cemented it by knocking out Toni Kaukua in sixth place as play came to a close yesterday evening. Ostash does the bulk of his playing online and claims to have no other hobbies other than poker. He is bidding to become the second Ukrainian to win the Main Event, joining his fellow countryman Oleksii Khoroshenin in the winners’ circle if he completes the job with a win today. Ostash’s live earnings stand at $19,511, and they’re set to skyrocket as soon as Ostash collects his payout from this tournament. He has cashed once in Malta for €2,630 in the €825 PokerStars Cup, where he finished 55th.

#2 – Aliaksei Boika – 9,870,000 (88BB)

In second place is 37-year-old Belarusian Aliaksei Boika. Boika is looking to make history in Malta, and he will if he takes down the title this time around. In 2016, Boika won the last EPT Malta before it returned nine years later, and no poker player has ever won back-to-back EPT Main Events at the same venue. Only Mike McDonald, at EPT Dortmund in 2008 and 2009, has returned to the same final table as the defending champion. McDonald finished fifth in that defence; Boika has already made it to fifth as well. Boika won €355,700 when he took down the title in 2016, and if he wins this time around, the talented regular will take down over double the amount. Boika has accumulated $5,959,611 so far in his career, and his earnings will shoot past the $6,000,000 mark no matter what happens in this tournament. On his march up the counts, Boika dispatched Joao Tomas in a preflop five-bet all in with A K . Tomas had Q Q , but it was Boika who won the classic race by pipping Tomas on the line, rivering the A to send Tomas to the payout desk.

#3 – Tomasz Brzezinski – 5,380,000 (67BB)

The Polish-born Malta-based 37-year-old Tomasz Brzezinski is now one of only 11 players who have reached final tables in two consecutive EPT Main Events. Having ran deep at EPT Barcelona in August, finishing fourth for a massive €493,250, Brzezinski is back in action in the country he calls home, and wrapping up another six-figure score in the process. Brzezinski works in the sports betting industry and does not consider himself a professional poker player. Despite this, Brzezinski is clearly talented, and his live earnings of $774,186 show he knows where the money is. The bulk of those earnings came from his EPT Barcelona success, and it would be no surprise to see that figure reach the seven-figure mark when play concludes today. Brzezinski has been on a heater at the tables this year and also finished 2nd in the SiGMA Poker Tour €400 Main Event for €19,000. Brzezinski also made quad aces to cooler high-stakes regular Ben Heath who had kings in a preflop all in situation.

#4 – Adria Calonge – 3,525,000 – (44BB)

The 27-year-old Spaniard Adria Calonge has cut his teeth in the online world and is making a transition into the live domain. Calonge has been a pro for around seven years, and he is not to be underestimated despite sitting towards the bottom of the counts. He first attempted to play in Las Vegas, but found himself disliking the city. Calonge got to face off against his countrymen and super-crushers Adrian Mateos and Juan Pardo throughout yesterday’s play. Still, he is familiar with their play due to battling online with his compatriots. Calonge has logged $17,000 so far in his live career, but will also be walking home with a minimum of €200,000 no matter what happens.

#5 – Tom-Aksell Bedell – 1,140,000 (14BB)

Last but not least is 65-year-old Norwegian-born Spain-based 65-year old Tom-Aksell Bedell. Bedell has been involved in some box office moments in this Main Event, most notably stacking Tom Vogelsang with K Q . Vogelsang had K K and five-bet jam all in. Bedell called and flopped him near to dead on A J 5 . Silence filled the table before Bedell said, “What just happened?” as both sat in disbelief at the runout. Bedell considers PLO to be his strongest game, and has locked up $5,097,814 in tournament earnings so far in his career and is looking for a first EPT Hold’em title.

What’s Next?

Stay tuned for the recap of the Main Event action from Malta, and to additional content from around the poker world on pokerlistings.com.

That’s all for now, folks. Until next time.