Recap partypoker Grand Prix Malta 1M GTD – Day 2
It is October 1st, 2023. The partypoker Grand Prix event with a guaranteed prize pool of €1,000,000 would have its second day of the live poker tournament, but not before Day 1H was being played out prior to that. From the early hours, it was possible for players to try for the last time to build up a stack. Day 2 was scheduled for 19:00 CET but had to be shortly delayed as the last opening flight was a great success. With 290 entries on the list, the guaranteed prize pool would be surpassed with just €11,000!
The structure made it happen that the end of the opening flight would have a real apotheose. The fact that 15% would remain, and taking into account that players would be in the money when reaching that goal, made it all look a bit unusual. The final blind level would be so huge, that the roll-back of the blind levels for day 2, was extraordinary. Luca Pagano, a living poker legend from Italy, came to have a cheeky look at the remaining field of 339 players as well. PokerListings was present, providing players and their friends, families, and companions, with the partypoker MILLIONS live blog.
Start in the Early Hours
Cards were in the air from 11:00 CET onwards here at the lovely Portomaso Casino in St. Julians, Malta. Guided by the pure excellence of its staff, partypoker representatives, and dealers of Ludo’s Acadamy, players could once again enjoy the game of poker to all their expectations. A total of 290 entries were made in the penultimate opening flight of the partypoker Grand Prix event.
Many players already qualified for the second day of the tournament, but 44 players were to be added with this last flight. It would turn out to be a wonderful show, which felt like a hyper turbo at the end, where players would do anything to survive. Take Michele Chite for example, who had left 2,000 chips to play with. Fausto Tantillo on the other hand, would become the overall chip leader with 1,498,000 chips. Day 2 would have a blind level rolled back to 3,000/6,000/6,000.
Day 2 to Start With 339 Remaining Players
Players from all opening flights of this week, together with the players who qualified through earlier online flights, came together on Day 2 here in Malta. The main poker room of Portomaso Casino was almost completely filled up, and it would become a real homage to the game of poker. Many players would surprise friends and enemies, by showcasing true determination to succeed.
Michele Chite had no hopes for playing for a long time, but eventually kept it going for four hours of play, finishing as 209th in the tournament. Fausto Tantillo and Massimiliano Ferro colluded several times with each other throughout the tournament as they were for a long time at the same table positioned, resulting in top-3 stacks for both. Argentinian Jacques Blit, who had been a familiar face at the poker tables this week, also remained in the top 10 of the chip counts throughout the day.
Seasoned poker professionals such as Alessio Isaia, Eran Boren, and Dario Barone, started with reasonable chip counts but did not all manage to be one of the remaining players of this day. Adam Owen did make it through, being at the top of the chip counts. The expectations are set high for him on Day 3. The same counts for local hero Mark Vella, who yet made another great run in a grand event. Head of Poker from PokerListings, Mauritz Altikardes, also saw with his own eyes how cruel the game can become sometimes by losing with Queens versus Jacks left the room in 148th place.
Play would end around 3:30 in the night, and 67 players would be remaining for a shot at one of the most prestigious titles in Maltese poker history. All eyes are set on the grand first prize of € 144,000, where all players are locked up € 2,500 already. Make sure to follow the live blog, provided to you by PokerListings, and keep an eye on our social media channels as well for exclusive insights!
| Place | Country | Player Name | Chip Count | Table # | Seat # |
| #1 |  | PATANE' MARCO | 5,550,000 | 8 | 2 |
| #2 | | FERRO MASSIMILIANO | 4,845,000 | 10 | 1 |
| #3 |  | TANTILLO FAUSTO | 4,555,000 | 10 | 6 |
| #4 |  | OWEN ADAM JOHN | 3,520,000 | 11 | 5 |
| #5 | | BENELLI ANDREA | 3,405,000 | 9 | 2 |
| #6 |  | BLIT JACQUES AMMIEL | 3,260,000 | 11 | 1 |
| #7 | | SPOSATO GASPARE | 3,095,000 | 12 | 1 |
| #8 | | Santambrogio Giordano | 2,900,000 | 9 | 6 |
| #9 |  | CLARK BHAJA NELSON BERNARD | 2,635,000 | 14 | 4 |
| #10 | | EROS NASTASI | 2,600,000 | 7 | 1 |
| #11 | | CARAVAGLIO LUCA | 2,545,000 | 8 | 5 |
| #12 |  | THEVENET THIBAUT MAEL | 2,510,000 | 7 | 5 |
| #13 | | PLANISCIG MARTIN EMMANUEL | 2,370,000 | 9 | 8 |
| #14 | | ANTONIN HAYS | 2,200,000 | 11 | 4 |
| #15 | | AZZOPARDI PIERRE | 2,105,000 | 9 | 7 |
| #16 | | CROBU ANDREA PASQUALE | 2,050,000 | 9 | 3 |
| #17 |  | Benakis Pavlos | 1,995,000 | 11 | 2 |
| #18 | | HOPPER PAUL DARCY | 1,960,000 | 12 | 2 |
| #19 | | CALLEJA BRIAN | 1,780,000 | 13 | 6 |
| #20 | | PORTO DARIO | 1,775,000 | 12 | 7 |
| #21 | | SERRAINO VINCENZO | 1,765,000 | 8 | 1 |
| #22 |  | PECELJ PAVLE | 1,740,000 | 11 | 7 |
| #23 | | LIMONTA WALTER | 1,705,000 | 7 | 7 |
| #24 | | SUTERA GIOVANNI | 1,690,000 | 13 | 1 |
| #25 | | TREDICI GIUSEPPE | 1,655,000 | 16 | 5 |
| #26 | | BELLANGER THOMAS GEORGES CHRISTOPHER | 1,645,000 | 8 | 4 |
| #27 |  | HANSEN OLE | 1,620,000 | 12 | 3 |
| #28 |  | KHAZARADZE IVANE | 1,575,000 | 14 | 3 |
| #29 | | RITROVATO SALVATORE | 1,565,000 | 12 | 5 |
| #30 |  | KESKITALO JUUSO MATIAS | 1,525,000 | 10 | 2 |
| #31 | | ANDERSON GRANT | 1,515,000 | 14 | 2 |
| #32 |  | CHORIANOPOULOS IOANNIS | 1,480,000 | 12 | 6 |
| #33 | | GABRIELE GIACOMO | 1,435,000 | 10 | 7 |
| #34 | | Cavandoli Federico | 1,400,000 | 16 | 1 |
| #35 |  | MONTAGNOLLI DANIEL ROBERT | 1,365,000 | 10 | 5 |
| #36 | | PELLERIN TANGUY NATHANAEL JACQUES | 1,345,000 | 13 | 5 |
| #37 | | MARCELLO FAVALORO | 1,275,000 | 16 | 3 |
| #38 | | CAMPOCHIARO CLAUDIO | 1,225,000 | 14 | 1 |
| #39 |  | OLAVE QUESADA SAMUEL | 1,175,000 | 13 | 2 |
| #40 | | WONG JONATHAN WUN SHING | 1,155,000 | 7 | 2 |
| #41 | | SANTORO ALBERTO | 1,070,000 | 7 | 8 |
| #42 | | RAVAIOLI ROMANO | 1,045,000 | 8 | 8 |
| #43 | | DODY YOAN | 1,010,000 | 8 | 7 |
| #44 | | Borghetti Luciano | 990,000 | 14 | 5 |
| #45 | | GIOVANNI LA rosa | 980,000 | 14 | 6 |
| #46 |  | KUCERUKS ELVIJS | 980,000 | 12 | 8 |
| #47 | | SCUDERI ANTONIO | 945,000 | 9 | 5 |
| #48 | | ZACHARAKIS EMMANOUIL | 935,000 | 8 | 3 |
| #49 | | MASCIARELLI MARCO | 930,000 | 11 | 6 |
| #50 | | CHRISTOFOROU ANDREW | 850,000 | 16 | 8 |
| #51 | | VIETTI ANGELO | 845,000 | 7 | 4 |
| #52 | | MAIORCA ERNESTO | 840,000 | 16 | 7 |
| #53 | | CARUSO FRANCESCO | 830,000 | 14 | 8 |
| #54 | | COLLI STEFANO | 825,000 | 7 | 3 |
| #55 | | ASSENNATO FABIO | 815,000 | 13 | 7 |
| #56 | | LACIS DZINTARS | 800,000 | 10 | 4 |
| #57 | | Mansour Marios | 790,000 | 7 | 6 |
| #58 | | PILLONI LUCA | 775,000 | 13 | 3 |
| #59 | | PATANE ANGELO | 745,000 | 16 | 2 |
| #60 | | SERAFIN LUIGI | 710,000 | 14 | 7 |
| #61 | | LEOTTA ANTONINO | 610,000 | 16 | 6 |
| #62 | | RODRIQUENZ MARCO LUIS | 550,000 | 13 | 4 |
| #63 | | FORSTER SIMON ANTHONY | 530,000 | 16 | 4 |
| #64 | | RIBATALLADA RUIZ JORDI | 530,000 | 8 | 6 |
| #65 |  | BODEA RARES-AURELIAN | 520,000 | 11 | 3 |
| #66 | | BERTI FABIO | 485,000 | 9 | 1 |
| #67 | | ALLEGRA NATALE | 360,000 | 10 | 3 |
