After nine years, the EPT has returned to Malta, and the Main Event immediately showcased the brand's power. The initial flights amassed a total of 852 entries, with 291 players advancing to Day 2.
Although both Day 1 flights of the €5,300 Main Event EPT Malta are behind us, late registration remains open until midday today. Once it closes, the official number of entries and payout structure will be confirmed. However, the prize pool has already surpassed four million euros.
In Day 1A, Jianwei Lin emerged as the chipleader, bagging a stack worth 242,000. You might remember this Chinese player from last year’s record-breaking EPT Barcelona Main Event, where he finished 8th, earning €181,600.
Day 1B was dominated by American veteran Jason Wheeler, who managed a stack of 240,000, followed by Daniel Charlton (226,500) and Merijn van Rooij (223,000).
The combined top ten from both days is as follows:
| # | Name | Country | Stack |
| 1 | Jianwei Lin | China | 242,000 |
| 2 | Jason Wheeler | USA | 240,000 |
| 3 | Daniel Charlton | United Kingdom | 226,500 |
| 4 | Merijn van Rooij | Netherlands | 223,000 |
| 5 | Paawan Bansal | India | 221,500 |
| 6 | Richard Geyer | USA | 220,000 |
| 7 | Ferdinand Janssen | Netherlands | 217,500 |
| 8 | David Rosich | Andorra | 205,000 |
| 9 | Erik Eisen | Germany | 202,000 |
| 10 | Ehsan Amiri | Australia | 201,000 |
Familiar Faces Grabbing Attention
The list of those advancing includes a host of well-known personalities. Among PokerStars ambassadors moving forward are Kenny Hallaert (63,000) and Fintan Hand (30,000). Big names like Dominik Panka (183,500), Ognyan Dimov (148,000), and Adrian Mateos (67,500) stand out as well. Former EPT champions making their way include Tom Middleton (151,000), Anton Bergström (68,500), Thomas Eychenne (54,500), Simon Wiciak (39,000), Pedro Marques (36,000), Hossein Ensan (23,500), and defending Maltese champion from 2016, Aliaksei Boika (72,000).
Live Coverage Starts Today
Today's Day 2 starts at 12:00 local time, and along with the action, the official livestream marathon kicks off, available daily on our website. The live coverage will guide you through the tournament until the bubble bursts and a new champion is crowned.
Source – Flickr, PSlive, PokerNews
