WSOP Malta Mini Main Event

“Pandas roam on the flat plains of the Mini Main”

First tournament report from Malta – the mini main event. 300 euro buy in. 30k stack with 30 minute blinds. The first observation (and this applies to all Malta WSOP tournaments) is from level one there is a big blind ante. I think this is commonplace now introduced during my decade away and I like it. It means the BB pays double as an ante each round (eg 100/200/200) and that counts as an ante for the hand, the rationale being it stops the old faffing of each player having to put in 25 each hand and the dealer having to constantly remind at least one player to post ante.

Anyway myself, Shazbo and Jake take to the felt. Shazbo is taking a break from her work in Malta, while it’s Jake’s first serious tournament after numerous home games, university games and online tournaments. He is nervous of course but soon settles in, dressed in hoodie and backward cap like a standard young US online player.

The format allows a good 2 or 3 hours of play, before ramping up considerably for the shorter stacks, but seems fair enough for the buy in level. I dribble down to 25k over first 5 levels, but then hold K♣Q♣ in 4 way raised pot on A♣ 10♣ 5♥. Initial raiser bets, we raise and he is only caller. Blank turn goes check/check, we bet club river holding the nuts but he finds a fold with AK but still good enough to get us to 33k. Think I bet too much on the end from memory.

I then value bet 8T on river on a board that ends 8 high with 3 spades (we have none) and opponent calls me with a bluff catcher so we get to 39k. Probably my most encouraging plays on the trip were a few thin value/range merging river bets on dangerous boards where most people will check.

Next hand. Really good young German player with big stack is to my left but important to note he arrived at table after the previous hand so didn’t see the range merge. I raise QQ early position to 4k (double BB) which is table standard. He is only caller. Flop is 10♣ 6♦ 9♣. We bet 7k he calls. Pot now 26k. Turn 5s. We bet 11k he calls. Pot now 48k. River is Ace no club. Ax clubs is a bit of a worry, but decide to go with it and shove 24k into 26k. I may even get weak Ace to fold which missed the draw. German ponders and calls off with QT for a big pot to get our stack at about 100k. ▶ Replay this hand

Up to 140k with a string of small pots and feeling very good about things before the big one:

UTG active player from T8 hand raises to 6k at 1.5k/3k. I make it 16k from mid position with JJ. A new player has just bought in on the late registration bubble for a gamble shoves his 30k stack in. UTG thinks, shrugs and shoves for 75k. Urgh. I would still have 65k remaining if I lost and it’s 57k to win about 130k. Given the pay structure got to take a risk and find I am against AK (UTG) and K9 (new joiner) so in good shape. Flop is 9 high but K on the turn puts me down to 65k. May stick this one in AI and see what it makes of it. ▶ Replay this hand

Dust off the old squeeze play at the new level to get back to 90k. The blinds then pass twice and now have 75k at 2/4/4 with 69 left and 44 making day 2 and the money. Shazbo also going strong with a good stack. Jake was unfortunately card dead and ran a pair into a bigger pair to bust when the blinds caught up to him.

The field whittles down remarkable quickly and I am on 60k on the bubble getting a few steals through but otherwise being careful. On the bubble if folds to me in SB with 33 and I shove. Scary times. BB thinks for ages and actually flips a coin and goes with the outcome before folding KJ and that gets me in the money with 74k for day 2. Shazbo has 150k so nice to get a double cash from the team.

Day 2 I am smallest stack on the table. The odd thing was the payout structure. 120th gets 600. 32nd gets 920. That is probably about 4 hours play difference there. To win a chunk you need 9th and above really with about 40k up top. I don’t mind it as it gets a lot of players “cashed” at 15% of the field but it means once in the money you definitely need to play to win rather than just stick around.

Most of the field realise this so gambling is the order of the day on Day 2. I get two shoves through with nothing to stay at about 80k. Finally I find TT to shove over a big stack raiser, but he calls with AJ and flops an Ace and that is that for a min cash of 600 euro.

As if to stress the flat payout structure Sharon plays for two hours more and busts for 670 euro in about 50th place. Great run for someone who hardly plays anymore so well done to her!

Still a good fun tournament and reaffirming that I am still at least competitive with much of the field.