I’m playing Day 1 of the €5,300 EPT Malta Main Event, seated at a table full of crushers. One of them is Spanish pro Gerard Carbo, fresh off a second-place finish in the €1,650 EPT Malta Open Main Event for €264,650.
We’ve been battling all day. I’ve bluffed him twice in big pots, and both times he’s gone deep into the tank before finding impressive calls. Despite those setbacks, I’m still in the tournament and grinding away when I look down at pocket queens. I open the action, and once again, Carbo responds with a 3-bet.