Unibet Open Malta 2011 Won By Mateusz Moolhuizen
March 16, 2011 10:12 amDutch player Mateusz Moolhuizen has won the 2011 Unibet Open Malta, after defeating a field of 293 players over three days to lift the title, and collect the €117,000 ($167,838) first place prize.
The €1,650 buy-in tournament managed to attract a top class field of players to create an impressive €417,525 prize pool. Amongst the pros turning out for the competition were such notable names as Pieter de Korver, Thomas Brolin, Jesper Hougaard, Rob Hollink, Ricardo Sousa, Paul Valkenburg and Michiel Brummelhuis.
However, none of these names managed to progress past the first two days of play and the final table of nine looked as follows:
1. Adria Maria Balaguer 933k
2. Tobias Peters 631k
3. Sampo Ryynanen 560k
4. Mikkel Christensen 528k
5. Rodolfo Gaddo 496k
6. Mateusz Moolhuizen 440k
7. Matas Dilpsas 386k
8. Rene Freymann 309k
9. Brian Linnet 148k
First to leave the arena was Rene Freymann in 9th (€8,000) after Mateusz Moolhuizen dispatched him to the rail holding pocket aces. Brian Linnet then collected €11,500 in 8th after shoving with K-2 but running into Rodolfo Gaddo’s pocket jacks.
The Maltese crowd then lost their home favourite with the elimination of Matas Dilpsas in 7th place (€15,500), with Adria Maria Balaguer (€19,500) and Mikkel Christensen (€23,500) exiting soon after.
Four handed, a short-stacked Rodolfo Gaddo then found himself all-in holding K-5 to Tobias Peters’ A-10. However, the Italian poker journalist’s hand failed to improve and he finished the tournament in 4th for a €32,000 pay-day.
After Sampo Rynanen was eliminated in 3rd (€49,000), the heads-up phase of the competition got underway with Tobias Peters ahead with 2.96 million in chip to Moolhuizen 1.4 million.
After a tough, swingy affair the final hand finally came after the Dutchman shoved with K-10 and was called by Peters with K-6. Tobias Peters then collected €76,000 for his runner-up finish, while Mateusz Moolhuizen was crowned the 2011 Unibet Open Malta Champion, and won an impressive €117,000 for his hard fought efforts.