Guillaume Diaz leads the 2016 European Poker Tour (EPT) Malta Main Event after Day 2. Holding 583,500 chips, Diaz is just one of two players – joined by Gianfranco Visalli with 518,000 – who has eclipsed the half-million chip plateau. Of the 233 players who began Day 2 (plus eight late entrants), just 90 players made it through to Wednesday’s Day 3.
As mentioned, eight players registered late, as the tournament’s registration did not close until the start of Day 2. Thus, with a total field of 468 entries, the prize pool is €2,269,800 with a first prize of €355,700. The min-cash is €8,070, starting at 87th place. This means that some of the shortest stacks remaining after Day 2 may have not gotten much sleep last night, knowing that they are so close to at least making a profit, yet at the same time so close to going home empty handed.
At this point in a tournament, it is not unusual for one or two players to pull away from the pack and EPT Malta is certainly no exception. After Diaz and Visalli, who are both over 500,000 chips (and Diaz has nearly 600,000), there is just one player who even has more than 400,000 (Peter Ockenden with 469,500). Only seven others have more than 300,000 chips. Diaz and Visalli could likely just not show up Wednesday and still make their way well into the money. As those familiar with tournament payout structures well know, though, the significant prizes aren’t achieved until very deep in the tourney, so the two chip leaders are still going to need to put in some work to feel like they really accomplished something (I say this like I wouldn’t be absolutely THRILLED with a few thousand Euro).
One of Diaz’s most significant hands of the day came during Level 11. According to PokerNews, Pasi Sormunen, one of the chip leaders to start the day, opened the betting pre-flop and Diaz raised. Sormunen re-raised and Diaz decided to slow down and just call, bringing on a flop of 8-A-2. Sormunen bet half the pot and Diaz called once again. With the pot at more than 80,000 chips, Sormunen shoved for 52,700 when a Ten was dealt on the turn. Diaz tanked, finally calling with A-3 suited for top pair. Sormunen complemented his opponent on the wise call, showing pocket Kings. The river stayed low, eliminating Sormunen and taking Diaz’s stack at that point up to 240,000 chips.
That seemed to be the catalyst for Diaz, as he was pretty much unstoppable from that point forward.
Day 3 got underway a while ago across the ocean from where I sit and, unlike what happens in many large tournaments, shouldn’t go too late, as the plan is to play only five 90-minute levels. That’s still a lot of poker, but nobody is going to be falling asleep at the table.
2016 European Poker Tour Malta Main Event – Day 2 Chip Leaders
1. Guillaume Diaz – 583,500
2. Gianfranco Visalli – 518,500
3. Peter Ockenden – 469,500
4. Xixiang Luo – 390,000
5. Dominik Panka – 385,000
6. Guillaume Valle – 363,000
7. Sarah Herzali – 362,000
8. Dmitry Yurasov – 358,000
9. Louis Cartarius – 313,500
10. Elie Saad – 302,000