Radoslaw Kopec Leads WSOP Circuit Malta Main Event Final Nine
Kopec returns with 8.2 million chips, while nine finalists chase €200,000 and a Circuit ring.
Radoslaw Kopec carried the chip lead into the nine-handed final table of the €1,500 WSOP Circuit Malta Main Event after a field of 879 entries was cut down over two days. The finalists had each secured €14,191, with €200,000 and a WSOP Circuit ring reserved for the winner.
Kopec bagged the lead, ahead of Matteo Ricco and Luca Topazio, according to PokerNews. Kopec had come close to elimination during Day 2 before flopping two pair to start a comeback that included several eliminations.
Ricco doubled up while Kopec rebuilt and stayed among the leaders. He secured his final-table spot by eliminating Mikel Calo in 10th place with a flopped set. As we reported Sept. 30, Calo had led the opening Day 1a flight; he and 11th-place finisher Gabriele Paone each received €11,000.
Topazio spent much of Day 2 near the top of the counts, although he also doubled several short stacks. Aleksandar Georgiev advanced with an average stack, while Alberto Cigliano and Lucas Van den Belt also reached the final table.
Cigliano had fallen to 12 big blinds before doubling twice in succession. Vitali Bibik made the finale, as did Christoffer Jensen, who had begun Day 2 as chip leader.
Nicola Bordignon was the shortest stack after three late doubles and his elimination of Paone. The final-table counts were:
- Radoslaw Kopec: 8.2 million – Matteo Ricco: 6.9 million – Luca Topazio: 6.7 million – Aleksandar Georgiev: 4.5 million – Alberto Cigliano: 4.3 million – Lucas Van den Belt: 4.3 million – Vitali Bibik: 3.7 million – Christoffer Jensen: 3.2 million – Nicola Bordignon: 2.2 million
When the final nine were set, the table was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. local time Sunday at Casino Malta, using 50,000/100,000 blinds, a 100,000 big-blind ante and 60-minute levels until a winner was determined. A live stream and PokerNews live reporting were also planned.
