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Home / Uncategorized / IPT Malta: Georgios Zisimopoulos wins IPT Malta and €142,205!

The final table of IPT Malta had it all, crazy bluffs, big suck-outs, and above all, some wonderfully skilful displays from those involved. Greek PokerStars player Georgios Zisimopoulos deservedly took the title after playing nearly perfectly, particularly after the tournament went short-handed.

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Georgios Zisimopoulos

Zimsimopoulos, an Economics graduate from Athens University had previously had runner-up finishes in side events in London, Berlin and Prague while he has won nearly $2 million online including a WCOOP Omaha event for $100,000.

The tournament started with a bang when EPT champion Julian Track and Frederik Reusch both picked up aces in the very first hand, predictably getting all their money in the middle preflop. This quickly set the tone for the final table – a very aggressive one and Track was soon to become a victim of this action.

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The IPT Malta final table players

Michael Feil had opened to 165,000 at 40,000/80,000 with K10 before Track made a positional three-bet to 365,000 from the button with 53. In the big blind, Zisimopoulos four-bet to 755,000. Feil got out of the way and the onus was back on Track. Perhaps aware of Zisimopoulos’ reputation and the money on offer, Track shoved all in for just shy of 5 million chips, figuring there was no way that Zisimopoulos could call without an absolute monster hand.

The problem for the German was that Zisimpoulos had picked up a real hand – AA. Nevertheless, Track still gave the Greek player a sweat, the board came 810495 and Zisimpoulos faded the flopped flush draw. Track soon lost a flip to compatriot Reusch and the tournament was quickly knocked down to seven players.

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Ezio Nisoli

Ezio Nisoli was the tightest player at the table and coming back after the break, the Italian player had just four big blinds remaining. He pushed from the button with K8 but Jaroslaw Sikora called in the small blind with 1010. Nisoli couldn’t find a king on the J5QA board and he went out in 7th place, winning €29,800.

Georgi Abuladze quickly followed the Italian player out of the door, pushing for his last 13 big blinds with A7 from under-the-gun. Jaroslaw Sikora made the call with 77 and an ace-less board left the tournament with just five players remaining.

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Georgi Abuladze

Action continued for around an hour and a half without much incident beyond Reusch doubling through Michael Feil and Nicolino di Carlo dominating the action. When the break came, the players debated for an hour on whether they could come to a deal. Eventually one was made where €28,000 was set aside for the winner with the following prizes for the remaining players:

Nicolino Di Carlo – €119,585
Georgios Zisimopoulos – €114,205
Michael Feil – €101,260
Jaroslaw Sikora – €97,975
Frederik Reusch – €97,675

Immediately following this, Reusch pushed for his last 3.7 million (blinds 100,000/200,000) and Sikora made the call with KK. Reusch showed 33 and the board came an unhelpful AA5J4.

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Frederik Reusch

At this point di Carlo was still the chip lead but he relinquished it to the Greek player has Zisimopoulos picked off several bluffs – including one where he donk-led the river for just 200,000 with QJ on a K3QA5 board. Di Carlo responded by raising to 2.8 million but Zisimopoulos snap-called. The Italian let out a wry smile and turned over 76. Zisimopoulos would not lose the chip lead for the rest of the night.

It was all skill for Zisimopoulos, he had a little bit of luck too. Michael Feil had been all in with A9 on a 495 flop against Zisimopoulos’ 109 but after a J turn, the 10 on the river gave the Greek player two pair leaving Zisimopoulos with two-thirds of the chips with play three-handed.

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Three-handed action

Di Carlo went out in third, four-betting all in with 99 against Zisimopoulos AJ for a pot worth almost half the chips in play. The board came A8342 and Sikora found himself heads-up for the title with just 15 big blinds but at an 8:1 deficit.

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The heads-up battle was brief and bloody

Predictably, the heads-up battle didn’t last long but Zisimopoulos needed to hit a three-outer once again, similar to his elimination of Feil. Sikora open-shoved for 12 big blinds with AK and Zisimopoulos made the call with A4, there was a four on the 642 flop and the 10 turn and 2 couldn’t produce a king for the Polish player. Sikora finshed taking €97,975 for second while Zisimopoulos took the extra €28,000 to boost his final earnings in this tournament to €142,205.

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IPT Malta winner Georgios Zisimopoulos

With the IPT Main Event now over, all eyes will firmly rest on the EPT Main Event, you can follow all the action here or check back on all the reports on the IPT to see how everything unfolded.

Event #4, €1K IPT Malta Main Event
Players: 1,285
Prizepool: €1,285,000
Places paid: 191

1. Georgios Zisimopoulos (Greece) PokerStars player €142,205*
2. Jaroslaw Sikora (Poland) PokerStars player €97,975*
3. Nicolino di Carlo (Italy) €119,585*
4. Michael Feil (Germany) PokerStars player €101,260*
5. Frederik Reusch (Germany) PokerStars player €97,675*
6. Georgi Abuladze (Estonia) PokerStars Qualifier €39,000
7. Ezio Nisoli (Italy) €29,800
8. Julian Track (Germany) PokerStars Qualifier €21,000

*Denotes deal five-handed

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