John Dwyer agonizingly close to cashing the Battle of Malta

As the 2015 bubble bursts along with his hopes for a deep run.

The bubble was painless this year for the floor managers as it involved just one all-in, (unlike the mad scramble of 2013).

For three times Battle of Malta final tablist, John Dwyer, the experience was anything but painless.

The professional poker player known for his expert mathematical play took an entire sixteen minutes, before he decided to commit his remaining chips and tournament life to Newhouse's river shove. The length of time that Dwyer went into the tank was made all the more remarkable because of the strength of the hand he was holding - a fullhouse (queens full).

Despite the sixteen minutes of consideration which must have seemed like an eternity for the other players at the table, not one player asked for the clock.

"There are some moments in poker that are so important you just don't call the clock, this was one of those moments", Daniel Negreanu remarked when interviewed.

Negreanu had to jump from his chair to catch Dwyer who almost collapsed to the floor! When his opponent tabled quad fives.

Departing the casino amidst a chorus of 'wow, so brutal!', and "so sick man", Dwyer was heard to cry, "I knew I should have folded the queens pre-flop. Why didn't I fold the queens?".

On the green felt one person's destruction is another person's bounty however and the very same ice cold deck: - 

Q♦5♦K♦5♣A♠

that ended Dwyer's dreams, catapulted the remaining one hundred players into the money, instantly creating a carnival atmosphere across the floor.

They have their work cut out though if they want to take this tournament down. The chip leader Emty (of Ranking Hero) has a cool 1.1 million chips and shows no signs of abating his relentless ascent.

Emty who attributes a large part of his success to the Ranking Hero club he attends commented "It's all about the sense of community and fun for me, it has really motivated me to do great things with my game".

In fact, all 9 of the current chip leaders are regulars at the Ranking Hero club.

You can relive the brutal bubble hand here, courtesy of our replayer: -

Play resumes tomorrow at 10am.

#BloggersBubble 

Hows the 50NL shot going?

If you make it big dont forget your taking us all to Malta 

Finally here, nice to feel that fresh air on your face and the sun beating down on your back. Time for some relaxing that was a long flight!

I walk out of the airport and make my way into a taxi. I ask him how many points to take me to the hotel lounge and he says, "that's fine - no points..." Nice guy!

I get out of the taxi and think briefly about tipping him, but then remember I only have 100 points to my name. Hmm. "Thanks" I say. He just smiles and says "have a nice day!". Wow if only everyone was like this.

I make my way into the hotel and am told I'm just in time for dinner. Thank God! I'm starving.

I head in and order. Moments later I am eating the most delicious burger I have ever tasted. But wow does it take some work to get through.

 They didn't call it the IVEY big stack for nothing.

                                                                                                    15 points spent.

                                                                                                     85 points remaining.

 I try to order some wine to wash it down but then realise I couldn't even pronounce the name of the wine. I look for something on the menu a little easier to pronounce… I settle on "water".

"That's on the house, sir" the waiter says. First the taxi and now the water… If Carlsberg made holidays… they would surely be like this.

I stroll out of the dining area after I finish my water and notice some flyers on the counter. "Groggy Sue's Wine Tasting Tours" - hmm just what I needed I grab the flyer and ring the number on the way to my room. "Sure we have a tour starting tomorrow afternoon… the price? … it's 10 points" - not bad, not bad. I book it.

I sleep like a baby (crying for half the night... I guess I miss home), and am up bright and early the next morning for the meeting I have with my coach. He's not cheap. 35 points, but I think it'll more than pay for itself when I take this tournament down! ;)

Jared reminds me not to go too heavy on the wine 'tasting' tour, and remember I can always ask for the 'house wine' next time if I still can't pronounce a single bottle on the menu. Nice…

                                                                                                           35 points spent.

                                                                                                           50 remaining.

The wine tasting tour isn't exactly what I had planned. Groggy Sue is surprisingly sober and I figure out why to my shock as we start the first tasting session. These guys don't even drink the wine, they spit it out! Talk about a complete waste of time. I ask for a refund, and am given the most terrible look before I just about manage to turn it into a joke... "haha", we laugh… and carry on with the 'tasting'.

                                                                                                          10 points spent.

                                                                                                         40 remaining.

I start to think about how I am going to spend the rest of my points as I get back into the hotel lobby, when something amazing happens. I am looking down at the marble floor admiring the shine bouncing up from it, when I notice a wallet on the floor. I pick it up, open it and find some ID and a thick wad of points...2260 Points to be exact! I do the decent thing and hand the wallet in to the hotel staff, mildly congratulate myself for being such a decent human being and go back to my room to chill for a bit.

2 hours later the phone in my room rings, it's the lobby. I'm told the person who's wallet I found has called back and wants to speak to me. I answer and he says he didn’t realise he had lost his wallet until he got home… to Australia!

I mention the staff will likely forward it on to him, but he says: -

 "Oh no, old pal! It's hardly worth the effort… those points are only good in Malta anyway. I got a good deal on them. You keep 'em I've already told the hotel staff. Thanks for your honesty!"

 Wow.. I didn't know what to say. "Thanks, that's really kind of you" I muster.

 "No sweat, it's my pleasure!" his friendly voice booms back.

 10 minutes later I collect my points from the lobby and now have 2300 points…

I decide to spend my new found wealth on some old friends from Ranking Hero.
I call...

@Emty , @William Calder , @Mark Duguid , @Jonny2192 , @John Thomson , @Pic0l0 , @Advoghado , @Eva Dimitrova ,@Renaud Desferet , @Arty Mcfly ,  @pazo  @Ina Rkh , @Elena RKH, @Rémi Rkh , @Annie RKH , @DecoGTX , @Archywraith , @Alessio Bianchi ,@B165L1Ck75, @Pedro Canali , @Rémi NIGHTMARE8 , @Adrien Bacchi  and @Nicolas Levi 

and figure out it will cost me 2300 points to bring them all over. Exactly the amount I have left, what a happy coincidence!

It turns out everyone is available! BOM won't know what hit it!

#RoadtoMalta #LifeStylePackage 

Good value in the Sunday Storm on stars tonight.

+20k added in WCOOP tickets for top 108 players