PPC Malta 2022 Day 3 Live Blog

United Kingdom’s Oliver Hutchins won the trophy in the €500,000 guaranteed PPC Malta €550 Main Event for €71,000 after a back and forth heads-up battle with Croatia’s Damir Savio.

Hutchins entered the final day near the top of the pack which continued along with one of the bigger stacks until the final table where he eventually shipped the bacon after making a heads-up deal with Savio with a sizeable €13,000 and the coveted PPC trophy still on the line.

The win more than tripled the $25,023 in lifetime live tournament cashes Hutchins has earned. That isn’t to say he didn’t appear calm, cool, and collected as he displayed impeccable skills throughout the event and is known to play a bit online including winning a €109 satellite to initially join the event.

The PPC Malta Main Event provided tremendous value to everyone that cashed, especially those that made the final day, thanks to the 848 entries falling €76,000 shy of meeting the generous €500,000 guarantee slapped on the event.

While the Main Event was certainly the main attraction, the PPC Malta festival as a whole provided a lively environment featuring tons of events away from the tables for its players including a VIP party last night at Portomaso Club 22 with panoramic views that lasted until the early hours of the morning. Additionally, the PPC Malta was littered with tons of low-limit events for everyone to enjoy along with a €2,200 High Roller for those with bigger bankrolls.

Final Table Payouts

*Reflects heads-up deal.

Final Day Action

The final day began with Massimo Rossi leading the way with 15 survivors, each guaranteed at least a €4,500 payout, competing for the trophy.

Players were hitting the rail at a fast and furious pace to start the day and the final table was set after Savio’s ace-trey held to eliminate Nicolas Plantin on the money bubble in 10th place.

Savio entered the final table with the chip lead with Jingchun Yu and Hitchens as his closest competitors. On the flip end of things, Giuseppe DiBella entered the final table with crumbs in his stack and was the first to go when his queen-jack didn’t hold against the five-four suited held by Federico Cirillo.

Bradley Gudgeon had a bit of a Cinderella story in the making. He certainly had the best ROI in the event having qualified to a PPC Malta Online Day 1 for just €11. He eventually ran out of gas on a bad beat when his cowboys fell to Savio’s big slick to hit the rail in eighth place.

Savio kept the pedal to the medal and very soon after he won a coinflip to eliminate Federico Petruzzelli with his big slick once again winning, this time against his opponent’s jacks.

A bit of time passed before anyone else hit the rail. But then two players crumbled at once in the same hand. The affable Wouter Schuurbiers, who enjoys mixed cash games at Portomaso on a frequent basis and had many of his friends in Malta and from the Malta Poker Fish Facebook group cheering him on in the live stream, jammed queens. Unfortunately for him, Rossi had aces that held. Meanwhile, Cirillo had slightly more than two big blinds while in the big blind and called off with nine-deuce to also end his run in the Main Event.

Both before and after this hand, Rossi was on a rollercoaster ride. His light three-bet jams with hands like queen-five were getting through and definitely loosened some of the action at the table. It appeared that Rossi got his hand caught in the cookie jar when he jammed ace-nine suited with a second-place stack into Savio’s ace-queen. But his nine paired the board and he took the chip lead before things began to fall apart for the Italian poker player.

Rossi paid off Hutchins in one hand before fully doubling him up into the chip lead shortly after leaving himself short on chips. All of a sudden, he was on the rail when his ace-ten suited didn’t hold against the Yu’s queen-jack suited.

Although Yu won that hand, he was the next on the rail when his king-four didn’t get there against Hutchins’ king-queen. A small break took place for heads-up play with Hutchins resuming the action with nearly double the chips of Savio.

Heads-up play was a back-and-forth battle. Hutchins extended his lead and initially appeared to have his opponent on the ropes only for Savio to come back and eventually not only take the lead but have Hutchins on the ropes with a 4:1 chip advantage. Hutchins nearly evened the stacks before regaining the lead and the duo agreed to a deal to reduce the €30,000 gap initially scheduled between first and second places.

The lead continued to go back and forth until stacks were very shallow. Savio jammed with seven-six suited and was outmatched by Hutchin’s queens. Two hands later, Savio jammed king-nine and finished one spot away from the win while collecting a tasty €58,000.

Congrats to Oliver Hutchins on an amazing victory at the PPC Malta!

The PPC Follows Hutchins Back Home to the United Kingdom

For those of you that missed out on the fun, rest assured the partypoker Championships have another stop just around the corner with the £500,000 guaranteed PPC UK at Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham, England from April 29 to May 2. Online Day 1s will also be taking place online at partypoker where you can potentially qualify for as little as $0.01.

PokerListings will also be back at other events throughout the year, so be sure to watch this space.

*Reflects heads-up deal.

Level 41: 400K/800K (800K)

It’s all over and Oliver Hutchins is the PPC Malta Main Event champion for €71,000 and the coveted trophy.

Two hands after Hutchins doubled, Damir Savio jammed the button with K 9 for 5.1 million and was called by Hutchins with A 8 .

Savio blanked the 2 2 J 7 Q board to exit the tournament one player shy of the victory in second place for €58,000!

Stay tuned at PokerListings for the recap of the final day of the €500,000 guaranteed PPC Malta €550 Main Event at Portomaso Casino.

Level 41: 400K/800K (800K)

Damir Savio jammed for 15 million from the button with 7 6 and Oliver Hutchins quickly made the easy call with Q Q from the big blind.

The ladies for Hutchins held as the 7 A A 5 3 rolled off the board. Hutchins held a 4:1 chip advantage after the hand.

Oliver Hutchins: 20.8 million

Damir Savio: 4.7 million

Blinds have gone up to 400K/800K with a big blind ante of 800K. The lead swapped twice with small pots and Damir Savio currently is the table captain with 15 million to Oliver Hutchen’s 10 million.

Level 40: 300K/600K (600K)

Oliver Hutchins limped from the button with K J and Damir Savio checked back with 10 7 .

The 2 7 2 flop generated tons of action with Savio improving to two pair and Hutchins with a flush draw and over cards. Hutchins Savio check-raised from 650,000 to 1,600,000. Hutchins three-bet jammed for 6,750,000 and Savio called.

It was a coinflip when the money went in. That changed quickly with the J turn improving Hutchins to a better two pair and leaving Savio with two outs on the river to clinch the trophy. The A river completed the board and Hutchins was back in the lead.

Oliver Hutchins – 15.3 million

Damir Savio – 10.2 million

Level 39: 250K/500K

Oliver Hutchins completed from the small blind with K 10 and Damir Savio checked back with 4 2 . Savio check-raised the 10 2 4 from 750,000 to 2,150,000 and Hutchins called.

Savio bet 2.2 million on Q turn and that’s as far as it went with Hutchins laying down his hand.

Damir Savio – 15.9 million

Oliver Hutchins – 9.6 million

Level 39: 250K/500K (500K)

Damir Savio limped from the small blind with J 10 and Oliver Hutchins checked his option with K 7 from the big blind. Hutchins check-called for 500,000 on the 2 Q 8 flop before checking again on the 6 turn. Savio fired out for 1,500,000 and took the chip lead after Savio folded.

Damir Savio – 13.2 million

Oliver Hutchins – 12.3 million

Entries: 2/848

Oliver Hutchins and Damir Savio agreed to a deal during the break with €13,000 and the trophy to be played for. Hutchins secured €61,000, while Savio is guaranteed at least €58,000.

Players are on what is likely their final break of the tournament.

Level 38: 200K/400K (400K)

Damir Savio raised the button with A J to 800,000 and was called by Oliver Hutchins with A 7 . Hutchins check-called for 500,000 on the A 5 9 flop and for 1,750,000 on the 4 turn. Both players checked the 3 river and the stacks were close to even after the hand.

Oliver Hutchins – 13.5 million

Damir Savio – 12 million

Entries: 2/848

Level 39: 200K/400K (400K)

Oliver Hutchins limped from the small blind with 10 5 and was called by Damir Savio with 7 5 . Both players checked the 6 2 4 flop as well as the A turn.

The 3 river could have been a huge action card as Hutchins improved to a straight and only Savio’s exact cards were beating him for a better straight. Savio bet 1,500,000 and Hutchins opted to merely call. Hutchins’ intuition was correct and even though he lost the pot it could have been for much more.

Oliver Hutchins – 16,950,000

Damir Savio – 8,525,000

Level 38: 150K/300K (300K)

Oliver Hutchins raised to 600,000 from the button with Q 2 and was called by Damir Savio with K 9 .

Both players checked the 4 7 2 flop and the 7 turn. Savio bet 1,250,000 on the J river. Hutchins went into the tank for several minutes before he made the call to win the pot and extend his lead. Blinds went up after this hand to 200K/400K with a big blind ante of 400K.

Oliver Hutchins – 21 million

Damir Savio – 4.2 million

Oliver Hutchins has won a few small pots since heads-up began to extend his chip lead.

Level 38: 150K/300K (300K)

Fireworks erupted during the very first hand after players came back from the break. Jingchun Yu jammed for 5.4 million from the small blind and was called by Oliver Hutchens from the big blind.

Jingchun Yu: K 4

Oliver Hutchins: K Q

Hutchins stayed ahead of Yu the entire way with the A 3 7 K A rolling out on the board to eliminate Yu in third place and begin heads-up play against Damir Savio with a nearly 2:1 chip advantage.

Both Hutchins and Savio have locked up a massive €51,000 prize regardless of how the heads-up action ends. They are playing for 30 bags more with a whopping €81,000 and the coveted trophy on the line for the winner.

Oliver Hutchins: 16.1 million

Damir Savio: 9.4 million

Jingchun Yu: 0

Entries: 2/848

The final three players are on a short 15-minute break. Blinds will increase to 150K/300K with a big blind ante of 300K when the action resumes.

Level 37: 125K/250K (250K)

Jingchun Yu limped the button with Q J . Massimo Rossi jammed for more than 10 big blinds with A 10 and Yu called.

Yu stood up after he took the lead in the hand with top pair on the 7 6 Q flop and Rossi stood up before the 4 followed on the turn. The 10 river gave Rossi a pair but it wasn’t good enough to save him from exiting the tournament in fourth place for €21,000.

Jingchun Yu – 8,000,000

Massimo Rossi – 0

Entries: 3/848

Level 37: 125K/250K (250K)

Oliver Hutchins opened for 525,000 from the button with A K and Jingchun Yu opted to come along for the ride from the big blind with 9 5 .

Yu check-called for 325,000 on the 4 3 2 flop. Yu improved to top pair on the 9 turn and both players checked to the K river which improved Hutchins a better pair. Yu checked before he snap-called a bet of 525,000 by Hutchins. Hutchins grew his chip stack to 11,600,000 after the hand.

Field: 4/848

Level 36: 100K/200K (200K)

Oliver Hutchins just doubled into the chip lead in a hand against Massimo Rossi as follows:

Hutchins opened for 400,000 from the cutoff with J 9 and Rossi defended with J 4 from the big blind. Rossi hit bottom pair on the 4 9 7 flop and check-called a bet of 500,000 by Hutchins who improved to top pair.

Rossi checked again on the 7 turn. Hutchins fired out for 1,100,000. Rossi jammed his then table captain stack and Hutchins called off for 3,150,000.

Rossi was unable to hit his two-outer on the 5 river and Hutchins doubled into the chip lead.

Oliver Hutchins – 8,450,000

Massimo Rossi – 4,875,000

Field: 4/848

Level 36: 100K/200K (200K)

Massimo Rossi opened with A 2 from the small blind to 450,000 and Oliver Hutchins defended with Q 9 from the big blind.

Both players checked the 8 4 4 flop. Hutchins connected with his queen on the Q turn but it was Rossi the one to act with a bet of 400,000. Hutchins called and the 4 completed the board on the river to give Hutchins a full house.

Rossi checked before Hutchins fired out for 1,050,000. Rossi snap-called and paid off Hutchins.

Massimo Rossi – 11,500,000

Oliver Hutchins – 5,300,000

Field: 4/848

Level 36: 100K/200K (200K)

Damir Savio opened for a min-raise from the cutoff with A Q and was called by Jingchun Yu from the button with K J . The start-of-the-day chipleader Massimo Rossi let it rip with A 9 with a huge three-bet jam to 5,975,000. Savio called and Yu got out of the way.

Instead of hitting the rail in fourth place, Rossi won the biggest pot of the day and headed into the chip lead after his nine paired up on the 4 10 2 9 5 runout.

Massimo Rossi – 12,750,000

Damir Savio – 6,050,000

Jingchun Yu – 1,700,000

Level 36: 100K/200K (200K)

It was a heck of a run for Wouter Schuurbiers, a friend of many of ours at PokerListings, but good things must sometimes come to an end. He was just eliminated in the same hand as Federico Cirillo by Massimo Rossi as follows.

Schuurbiers woke up with Q Q and jammed for 1.6 million. Rossi, who has been jamming light a few times recently, was living the dream and three-bet shoved with A A . Cirillo already had his crumbs in the pot just by posting his big blind.

Aces held with the 10 5 8 A 10 running out on the board and Rossi eliminated two players in the same hand.

Massimo Rossi – 6,625,000

Wouter Schuurbiers – 0

Federico Cirillo – 0

Level 36 – 100K/200K (200K)

Players are on a 15-minute break. The blinds will be 100K/200K with a big blind ante of 200K when the action resumes.

Level 35: 75K/150K (150K)

Federico Cirillo’s stack has been decimated on a hand he was ahead in as follows:

Jingchun Yu jammed for 2.57 million from the hijack with A 8 . Cirillo woke up with 10 10 in the big blind and called for most of his stack.

An ace was out of the window to connect Yu with the A Q Q flop. Yu held the rest of the way with the 6 turn and 3 river completing the board to put him in second place.

Jingchun Yu – 5,365,000

Federico Cirillo – 550,000

Here is a look at the final table payouts as they stand now.

Jingchun Yu got most of his chips back he lost the previous hand as follows.

Wouter Schuurbiers opened for 310,000 from the hijack with A 7 . Yu jammed for 785,000 from the cutoff with A J and Schuurbiers called.

Yu doubled after his ace-jack held on the 7 5 J K 10 board.

Wouter Schuubiers – 2,100,000

Jingchun Yu – 1,945,000

Federico Cirillo open-jammed for 1.6 million from middle position with K J . Jingchun Yu came in over the top for a three-bet jam to 2.4 million with A 9 and the rest of the table folded.

Cirillo improved to two pair to double through Yu after the 4 K 10 J 6 ran out on the board. Meanwhile, Yu was down to a handful of big blinds.

Federico Cirillo – 3,645,000

Jingchun Yu – 785,000

Level 35: 75K/150K (150K)

Jingchun Yu min-raised from the small blind with J 5 and Massimo Rossi defended with 9 6 from the big blind.

Yu continued for 235,000 on the 8 2 10 flop and Rossi opted to call. Rossi improved to a straight on the 7 turn and jammed after Yu checked the action over to him. Yu tanked for a minute before he folded.

Massimo Rossi – 2,700,000

Jingchun Yu – 2,400,000

Level 35: 75K/150K (150K)

Federico Petruzzelli opened for 330K from the button with J J . Damir Savio three-bet jammed his chip leading stack from the small blind with A K and Petruzzelli made the call.

Savio had tons of outs after the 10 7 5 landed on the flop. Petruzzelli was still ahead after the 4 followed on the turn. However, the A spiked the river to give Savio a better pair and he hit the rail in seventh place for €10,000. Meanwhile, Savio extended his chip lead to 11.4 million in chips.

Level 35: 75K/150K (150K)

Jingchun Yu opened for 300,000 from the cutoff with A 5 and Federico Petruzzelli defended his big blind with 10 9 .

Petruzzelli checked the K J 4 flop. Yu c-bet for 375K. Petruzzelli went into the tank during which time they were questioning whether he would fold or raise due to his equity in the hand. Neither happened as Petruzzelli eventually folded.

Jingchun Yu – 3,625,000

Federico Petruzzelli – 2,700,000

Damir Savio found big slick (A K ) under the gun and raised to 240k. In the small blind Bradley Gudgeon looked down to see K K and moved all-in for 1.6m. Savio had an easy call but was behind.

Board: 8 6 5 A 8

With his turned top pair Damir Savio took down the pot, extended his lead, and eliminated Bradley Gudgeon who walks home with €8,000 prize money.

Although Gudgeon didn’t make it deep at the final table, he did have possibly the best ROI in this event as he qualified online via partypoker for just $11. Certainly not a bad return.

Chipleader Damir Savio opened to 240k with 3 3 from early position. Yu on the button called with Q 9 . In the small blind Massimo Rossi found K K and moved all-in for 850k.

Savio decided to isolation raise and moved all-in. Yu folded and we got to see a showdown.

Rossi was heavily favored and after the board brought K J 2 6 10 the Italian more doubled up to 2.2m for the 2nd short stack double up within 5 minutes.

Wouter Schuurbiers was quiet and rather card dead at this final table so far. With 1.2m chips left he found A 4 on the button and moved all-in. Behind him Jingchun Yu called with K Q .

The board ran out A 8 5 4 2 giving Schuurbiers top pair.

Thus the Schuurbiers train keeps on running. He more than doubled up to 2.5m and has some breathing room.

After folding for an orbit Jingchun Yu decided to raise from early position with A 6 to 265k. Behind him Massimo Rossi called with 5 5 and in the cut-off Oliver Hutchins also called with 3 3 .

Flop: 9 8 3

After Yu checked, Rossi took a stab at the pot and bet 325k. Hutchins deliberated what to do with his set on this draw heavy board and decided to click it back to 700k.

Yu folded his overcards and Rossi followed suit after some time. Rossi is left with only 9 big blinds now and the shortest stack at the table.

Federico Cirillo opened to 250k from middle position with Q J . Behind him De Bella moved all-in with 5 4 for 435k. After all other players folded, Cirillo had an easy call given the pot odds.

The board ran out K J Q Q 2 and just like that Guiseppe DiBella was out in 9th place. He left the table shrugging and will take home €6,400.

Federico Petruzzelli found A Q in early position and made it 255k to go. Behind him Federico Cirillo moved all-in from the hijack seat with K K for 1.455m and Petruzzelli had a tough decision to make. The Italian mulled over the call as it would have been for almost three quarters of his stack. Eventually he folded.

Massimo Rossi found an Ace (A 6 ) and decided that’s enough to play and raised to 255k from middle position. Damir Savio found A 5 in the big blind and called the 2.5x raise.

Flop: 9 3 5 – Both players checked.

Turn: 2 – Savio bet 220k and Rossi snap-called.

River: J – Both players check and the chipleader took down a medium sized pot with his pair.

Rossi is down to 13 big blinds now while Damir Savio extends his lead.

Federico Cirillo opened with A Q to 200k from early position. Behind him Massimo Rossi called with A 3 . Bradley Gudgeon also called with A 10 and in the big blind Federico Petruzzelli found Q Q . He moved all-in for 1.7m. This earned 3 folds and just like that Petruzzelli is up to 2.5m without a fight.

Level 33: 50K/100K (100K)

Damir Savio can be renamed the terminator as he took out three players in a row. His latest victim was Nicolas Plantin on the final table bubble.

Savio jammed from the small blind and Plantin called off from the big blind for the crumbs he had in his stack.

Nicolas Plantin: K Q

Damir Savio: A 3

The 3 4 2 5 Q board gave Savio a wheel and Plantin was ousted in 10th place. Players are on break while the final table is being set up. PokerListings will report the rest of the event on the same delay as the stream so as to not give away any final table spoilers. Blinds will also be one hour in length going forward until heads-up play when it will roll back to 30-minute levels.

PokerListings will post the final table seat draw shortly.

Damir Savio – 7,000,000

Nicolas Plantin – 0

Field: 9/848

Level 33: 50K/100K (100K)

Andrea Bettini was down to just two big blinds and he got them in against Damir Savio. A loud rail gathered as the cards were turned over.

Andrea Bettini: 7 7

Damir Savio: 8 8

The J Q J 2 A board didn’t get sevens ahead of eights and Bettini was ousted in 11th place.

Meanwhile, the action is down to a final table bubble. For now, they are not playing hand-for-hand.

Damir Savio – 5,000,000

Andrea Bettini – 0

Field: 10/848

Lukasz Fraczek jammed for about eight big blinds from the cutoff at the feature table and was called by Oliver Hutchins from the big blind.

Lukasz Fraczek: A 7

Oliver Hutchins: A K

The 4 4 Q K 6 board didn’t save Fraczek and he was on the rail in 12th place for €5,000.

Oliver Hutchins – 3,000,000

Lukasz Fraczek – 0

Field: 11/848

Level 33: 50K/100K (100K)

Mariusz Lewoniewski jammed for about 10 big blinds and was called by Damir Savio.

Mariusz Lewoniewski: 10 10

Damir Savio: K J

Savio won the flip to oust Lewoniewski after his king paired on the K 4 9 Q 7 runout.

Damir Savio – 5,000,000

Mariusz Lewoniewski – 0

Field 12/848

Level 33: 50,000/100,000 (100,000)

Wouter Schuurbiers three-bet jammed from the button for about 930,000. Nicolas Plantin cold-called from the big blind and the original opener folded their hand.

Wouter Schuurbiers: A K

Nicolas Plantin: K K

Schuurbiers was behind until the river with the 9 J 7 J A running out on the board. Schuurbiers screamed with joy at his good fortune and is back in business.

Nicolas Plantin – 2,300,000

Wouter Schuurbiers – 2,100,000

Field: 13/848

Level 32: 40,000/80,000 (80,000)

Simone Lombardo jammed for about 1 million in chips and was called by Damir Savio from the big blind.

Simone Lombardo: A 6

Damir Savio: A K

Savio’s big slick held as the 8 9 3 Q Q rolled out on the board to eliminate Lombardo in 14th place for €4,500.

Damir Savio – 3,100,000

Simone Lombardo – 0

Field: 13/848

Level 32: 40,000/80,000 (80,000)

Bradley Gudgeon open-jammed for 710,000 on the feature table and was called by Oliver Hutchins in what turned out to be a wild ride for a coin flip.

Bradley Gudgeon: 6 6

Oliver Hutchins: A J

The K 6 10 flop gave Gudgeon a set but Hutchins took the lead with Broadway after the Q turn. The K river paired the board and improved Gudgeon to a full house to secure a double-up instead of hitting the rail.

Oliver Hutchins – 1,800,000

Bradley Gudgeon – 1,500,000

Field: 14/848

Level 32: 40,000/80,000 (80,000)

Every since the early Day 3 elimination of Simone Lombardo it has been all small ball with no major pots to report on the side table. The field still stands at 14 entries more than halfway through Level 32.

Level 31: 30,000/60,000 (60,000)

Marius Lewoniewski opened for 135,000 from middle position. Nicolas Plantin three-bet to 300,000 from the hijack and Victor Allain called off his stack from the cutoff for about 200,000.

Victor Allain: 10 10

Nicolas Plantin: K K

Allain was the first casualty of the final day after the 9 9 7 5 4 board was unable to get him past cowboys.

Nicolas Plantin – 2,000,000

Simone Lombardo – 0

Field: 14/848

Welcome to the final day of the PokerListings’ coverage of the €500,000 guaranteed partypoker Championship (PPC) €550 Main Event at the luxurious Portomaso Casino.

The action is down to just 15 hopefuls, each guaranteed at least a €5,500 payout with their eyes on the coveted trophy and the massive €81,000 top prize.

Italy’s Massimo Rossi will kick things off with the chip lead after bagging 3,570,000 in chips on Day 2. His fellow countrymate Federico Petruzzelli ended the day in second place with a stack of 2,390,000 with China’s Jingchun Yu (2,380,000), United Kingdom’s Oliver Hutchins (2,165,000), and Poland’s Mariusz Lewoniewski (2,005,000) rounding out the top five.

The action is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. with the final 12 minutes of Level 31 with blinds at 30,000/60,000 along with a big blind ante of 60,000. After this level, blinds will increase every 40 minutes until the final table is reached when they increase every hour.

Day 3 Seat Draw

Table 7 will be the TV table to start. You will be able to check out the action on that table by clicking on the Stream tab or by heading to the partypokerTV Twitch channel. While we will focus mostly on the side table until the final table is reached, we will also report big hands at the TV table as well.

2022 PPC Malta Main Event Remaining Payouts

Each of the 128 players that advanced to Day 2 was already guaranteed at least a €1,000 min-cash with much more to come for many of the group. 

The top 15 players each guaranteed at least €4,500 whether they return to their seats or not for Day 3 with tomorrow’s winner slated to take home a whopping €81,000 and the coveted PPC Malta Main Event trophy.

PokerListings will cover the remainder of the PPC Malta until a winner is crowned starting a 1 p.m. CEST. Stay tuned to see who will win the 2022 PPC Malta Main Event at Portomaso Casino.