Heath, Mateos & Pardo Chase Bedell as EPT Malta Main Event Hits Final 15 Players

The €5,300 Most important Occasion on the 2025 PokerStars European Poker Tour Malta is coming into its twilight phases at On line casino Malta, with simply 15 gamers nonetheless in rivalry from the 898-entry subject. And make no mistake, there’s no scarcity of star energy among the many Day 4 survivors.

Three names leap off the web page: Adrian Mateos, Ben Heath, and Juan Pardo. Between them, the trio have amassed greater than $100 million in reside earnings and might be among the many greatest favorites to chase down the €760,000 prime prize from the €4,355,300 prize pool. Of the three, Pardo bagged the most important stack, ending the evening with 2,495,000 chips, whereas Heath and Mateos may even return in wholesome form with 2,320,000 and 845,000, respectively.

Mateos is the one one of many trio to have already lifted an EPT Most important Occasion trophy, profitable in Monaco a decade in the past at simply 20 years previous. Heath, in the meantime, has by no means bettered a Twelfth-place end at EPT Barcelona in 2018, whereas Pardo recorded his greatest run earlier this yr with a Nineteenth-place exhibiting in Monte Carlo. (All stats courtesy of The Hendon Mob.)

They’re not the one huge names chasing historical past. Aliaksei Boika, who gained the final EPT Malta Most important Occasion again in 2016, continues to be firmly within the hunt. The Belarusian has been among the many huge stacks all through and returns with 2,265,000 as he seems to be to defend his crown nearly a decade later.

All of them, nonetheless, might be trying up at Tom-Aksel Bedell, who retained his chip lead from Day 3 due to a late flurry of eliminations. The Norwegian businessman has been a wrecking ball inside On line casino Malta, knocking out the likes of Giorgos Onisiforou, Grzegorz Kozieja, and Tom Vogelsang. He is in command with 5,765,000, and miles forward of his closest challengers Mykhailo Ostash (2,985,000) and Toni Kaukua (2,625,000).

Bedell has proven no concern mixing it up with the excessive rollers, having battled them numerous occasions earlier than. With momentum on his aspect, may an upset be brewing when play resumes on Saturday, October 11 at 12 p.m. native time?

Finish of Day 4 Chip Counts

Bedell Cracks Kings for the Chip Lead

Day 4 started with 36 hopefuls, and the sector thinned shortly. It took lower than two ranges to succeed in the ultimate three tables, with eliminations coming thick and quick.

Pawaan Bansal was the primary to hit the rail, whereas Pardo scored an early increase by going runner-runner to down Paolo Boi. Heath then ousted Emika Senda — the final girl standing — earlier than Mateos accounted for Manuel Carvalho, only a handful of the notable exits within the early going.

Pardo continued to construct momentum when he flopped the nuts to ship Giuseppe Spitale out in twenty fourth, whereas Bedell began his cost by profitable a flip to dispatch Kozieja in twenty first place. Bedell wasn’t achieved there; he quickly bested Onisiforou in 18th with king-queen getting the higher of ace-ten.

Moments later got here the hand of the day. Excessive-stakes crusher Vogelsang five-bet jammed with pocket kings, and Bedell referred to as with king-queen of hearts, saying, “I like my hearts.” The flop rolled off three hearts, giving Bedell the flush and the 120 huge blind pot, leaving Vogelsang shell-shocked and out of the match.

The ultimate elimination of the evening got here courtesy of Heath, who made a flush of his personal to oust Roman Stoica in sixteenth, locking within the official last 15 for Day 5.

Remaining Payouts

The 15 hopefuls are all assured not less than €38,950, however the cash jumps are steep as they shut in on the ultimate desk.

Motion restarts at Stage 24 with blinds of 15,000/30,000 and a 30,000 huge blind ante. The plan for Day 5 is to minimize to 6 gamers, setting the stage for Sunday’s finale.

As at all times, keep locked in with PokerNews as we deliver you reside updates and each elimination till a brand new EPT Malta Most important Occasion champion is topped.

Calum has been part of the PokerNews group since September 2021 after working within the UK vitality sector. He performed his first hand of poker in 2017 and instantly fell in love with the sport.

Calum has written for numerous poker shops however discovered his residence at PokerNews, the place he has contributed to numerous articles and reside updates, offering insights and reporting on main poker occasions, together with the World Collection of Poker (WSOP).