The Battle of Malta takes place in the Mediterranean but this year’s final table will have a considerable Swedish influence with Rasmus Eriksson, Robert Berglund and Jonas Hahnert all looking to scoop the €160,000 first-place prize.
They’ll have to contend with Ireland’s John Finnighan who is the overwhelming chip leader with 10.8 million chips.
The rest of the final table includes two Italians, a Norwegian, a Spaniard and an American.
Here’s a complete look at the final-table chip counts:
1. John Finnighan (Ireland) — 10840000
2. Rasmus Eriksson (Sweden) — 8795000
3. Lawrence Brandt (USA) — 8000000
4. Flaviano Cammisuli (Italy) — 6215000
5. Gonzalo Fernandez (Spain) — 2900000
6. Robert Berglund (Sweden) — 2895000
7. Robert Sverre Eik (Norway) — 2500000
8. Giorgio Legasacchi (Italy) — 2200000
9. Jonas Hahnert (Sweden) — 1000000
Frantic Action Leads to Short Day
For the second-straight year the playdown to the final table proved to be a turbo-charged affair with 63 eliminations in less than seven hours.
Among the early bustouts were Giuseppe Grimaldi, who made last year’s final table, and German Camilo Hernandez.
Mid-way through Day 3, Rasmus Eriksson laid a staggeringly sick beat on Roger Nilsen.
Eriksson was all-in bad with AK against Nilsen’s KK but managed to spike a miracle when the board ran out J-7-2-K-K.
Eriksson rode that hand to a final-table chip stack of 8.7 million, which is second only to chip leader Finnighan. Amazingly Eriksson’s close friend and fellow Swede Robert Berglund also made the final with 2.8 million chips.
Berglund and Eriksson have been coming to the Battle of Malta for the last three years together but they’ve never had a result quite like this before.
Close behind Eriksson is American Lawrence Brandt who’s a long way from his Phoenix home. Brandt finished with eight million chips.
Italians Continue Strong Presence at BOM
It wouldn’t be the Battle of Malta without at least one Italian and this year’s edition will have two in Flaviano Cammisuli (6.2 million chips) and Giorgio Legasacchi (2.2 million chips).
A Spanish player has never won the Battle of Malta but Gonzolo Fernandez (2.9 million chips) will attempt to rectify that this year.
Meanwhile photo journalist Robert Sverre Eik (2.5 million chips) will attempt to give Norway a Battle of Malta title.
Finally Jonas Hahnert (1 million chips) will give Sweden one more chance to win the biggest tournament ever held in Malta.
The final table will kick off tomorrow at 3 p.m. local time and we’ll once again be on hand to provide live updates.
In addition — for the first time ever — the Battle of Malta will offer a livestream thanks to Betsson, Betsafe and NordicBet.
Watch Day 3 Highlight Video
Check out the highlight video to get to know our final-table players a bit better and hear more about the two best friends who came to Battle of Malta together and both made the final table!
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