The second starting flight of the €400 buy-in, €150,000 guaranteed SiGMA Poker Tour Malta Main Event is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time today, September 4, at Portomaso Casino, with SiGMA ambassador Lukas Robinson hoping for better fortune than he experienced in Day 1a.
Robinson came close to joining 13 qualifiers from 94 entrants, but after securing a double-up around the bubble, he met his end in a three way all-in with Oliver De Bono and Remy Hordan just before hand-for-hand play was announced.
Robinson will no doubt be back in the field today for another shot, and fellow SiGMA ambassador John Arne Riise is also in the building and likely to join Day 1b.
Day 1a came to a close with seven minutes left in Level 15 with a double knockout on the bubble, and Tomasz Brzezinski bagged the chip lead on 714,000.
Brzezinski is riding a wave of momentum following his career-best fourth-place finish last month in the Main Event at EPT Barcelona, and he dominated the bubble period at the end of Day 1a.
Tomasz Brzezinski
End of Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
Day 1b will feature 30-minute levels, and players will sit down to a 50,000 starting stack at blind level 100/200, with a 200 big blind ante.
Late registration is open until the start of Level 11, and players are permitted two reentries per flight. Four further starting flights remain on the schedule.
Remaining SiGMA Poker Tour Malta Main Event Schedule
Players must find a bag to qualify for Day 2, with 15% of the field making the cut, securing a minimum cash worth €600. Blinds will increase to 40-minute levels in Day 2 and play will continue until a winner is crowned.
PokerNews will be on the floor from cards in the air until the trophy is lifted, so stay tuned for all your coverage of the SPT Malta Main Event.