Fairytale Ending for Jorgen Dyhrberg? Dane Leads Final Table of PokerStars Open Main Event Malaga
Another day of thrilling action has come to a close here at Gran Madrid, Casino Torrequebrada, with the final table of the €1,570,560 prize pool PokerStars Open Main Event Malaga set after nine levels of play.
Jorgen Dhyrberg of Denmark (11,235,000) holds a significant lead over Norwegian Linda Nguyen (8,815,000) going into the final day, both of whom played fearless poker, appearing in lots of pots at the business end of proceedings.
Two-time WSOP bracelet winner Ermanno Di Nicola of Italy (7,280,000) completes the top three, and he was also attempting to force the pace all day.
End of Day 3 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jorgen Dhyrberg | Denmark | 11,235,000 | 94 |
| 2 | Linda Nguyen | Norway | 8,185,000 | 68 |
| 3 | Ermanno Di Nicola | Italy | 7,280,000 | 61 |
| 4 | Morten Lie | Norway | 6,160,000 | 51 |
| 5 | Manuel Ferrari | Italy | 4,920,000 | 41 |
| 6 | Joel Haapio | Finland | 3,445,000 | 29 |
| 7 | Davis Harari | United States | 3,310,000 | 28 |
| 8 | Fernando Quintana | Spain | 2,750,000 | 23 |
| 9 | Ignacio Cuesta | Spain | 1,760,000 | 15 |
Day 3 Action
Dhyrberg appears to be the definition of an enthusiastic amateur. With recorded tournament cashes of under $10,000, the amiable Dane has already obliterated his best score, and was thoroughly enjoying himself all day, oblivious to any pressure. Of course it doesn't hurt to also run well, and Dyhrberg woke up with cowboys to crack Manuel Ledesma, and then hit quads to bust Constantin Erhan.
Dhyrberg was the beneficiary of one of the most dramatic moments of the day, as he overcame the better ace of Mateusz Jablonski, who looked absolutely heartbroken by the bad beat.
Could the man from the land of Hans Christian Andersen spin an epic tale of underdog glory on the final day? If today's evidence is anything to go by, he'll be a tough man to stop with chips, but with €241,860 for first place, the stage and difficult opponents ensure nothing is certain.
Nguyen put in another strong performance, seemingly the aggressor in most pots she appeared in, after coming into the day in the top five. She proceeded to finish the day in style as she busted start of day chip leader Marciano Rodriguez. Nguyen has already secured a career-best score, with all players having locked up a €22,600 payday.
Di Nicola was also a player who fully intended on going for the jugular if he could, bluffing Nguyen and managing to persuade Mehdi Rebai that he "always had it".
Morten Lie of Norway (6,160,000) sits fourth, and he caught some heat towards the end of the day, including busting Simone Demasi on the final table bubble. Spain still has hopes of a home-grown victor, as Ignacio Cuesta (1,760,000) and Fernando Quintana (2,765,000) come into the final table as the relative short-stacks, but still with plenty of room for maneuver.
Plenty of notable names began the day, but could not find a spot in the end game, including Alejandro Lococo, Gianluca Speranza and Eugenio Peralta.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | €241,860 |
| 2 | €152,800 |
| 3 | €109,200 |
| 4 | €84,000 |
| 5 | €64,600 |
| 6 | €49,700 |
| 7 | €38,200 |
| 8 | €29,400 |
| 9 | €22,600 |
The players will return on June 22 at 12.30 p.m. local time, to Level 30, 60,000/120,000, with a 120,000 big blind ante. The final table will be played on a hands-per-level structure, and that number was announced today to the players to be 24.
The action will also be streamed on PokerStars Spain's Youtube and Twitch channels, on a 30-minute delay. Our coverage here will be delayed to match the stream, and will commence at approximately 1 p.m.
Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for all your coverage of the final table, as we see who can emerge as champion in the PokerStars Open Main Event Malaga 2025.