Poker player wins with a royal flush at EPT Malta: a unique hand

At EPT Malta, Briton Scott Margereson became the PokerStars Open champion, and the tournament featured a rare hand with a royal flush that changed the course of the game.

At the recent European Poker Tour (EPT) Malta series, one of the most unusual hands played out, and the largest-ever PokerStars Open tournament concluded with a record number of participants. British pro Scott Margereson became the champion, and his path to the title was marked by memorable moments, including an extremely rare royal flush that determined the fate of one player in the late stages of the tournament. Rare Hand: Royal Flush vs. the Same Hand On Day 3 of the €1,650 PokerStars Open at EPT Malta, an episode occurred that will be remembered for a long time. Claudio Coelho went all-in holding ace-queen suited (A♥Q♥) against Mateusz Moolhuizen, who had the same hand but in a different suit (A♦Q♦). In situations like this, when both players have identical cards, the pot is usually split evenly (a so-called "chop"). However, this time things turned out differently. After a raise and a three-bet to 250,000 from Moolhuizen, Coelho shoved all-in for 760,000 from the small blind. The original raiser folded, and Moolhuizen called after some thought. The flop came J♦K♦5♣, giving Moolhuizen a chance to make a flush, while Coelho was left with no outs to improve. Moolhuizen even jokingly asked the dealer for a royal flush—and his wish came true: the turn brought the 10♦, completing the royal flush (A♦K♦Q♦J♦10♦). The river 8♠ changed nothing, and Coelho had to leave the tournament, despite having the same starting hand as his opponent. This kind of situation is extremely rare in poker: when two players are all-in with identical hands, but one of them, thanks to the suit, makes the highest possible combination—a royal flush—leaving the opponent with no chance to split the pot. The Largest PokerStars Open at EPT Malta: The Road to the Final The €1,650 PokerStars Open attracted 1,845 entries, making it the biggest event at EPT Malta this year. The total prize pool reached an impressive €2,656,800. Over four days at Casino Malta, players battled for the top prize, which ultimately went to Scott Margereson. For his victory, he received €423,700, while his heads-up opponent, Gerard Carbo, finished second and earned €264,650—his biggest live tournament result according to The Hendon Mob. From the moment there were 10 players left at the table, it was Margereson and Carbo who took the initiative and scored all the eliminations until the end. The finalists included well-known players such as EPT Paris 2024 champion Barny Boatman and Spanish pro Ana Marquez. The final battle for the title was short: in just 22 hands, Margereson managed to win most of the pots and secure the victory. At the start of the final day, he was third in chips among the 14 remaining players. While Carbo doubled up in a big hand against Ioannis Oikonomidis and took the lead, Margereson carefully preserved his stack. By the time the unofficial final table of nine was set, he had dropped one spot in the chip count. Oikonomidis couldn’t recover after his loss and was eliminated in 9th place, losing to Margereson. Carbo, holding the chip lead, confidently built his stack, knocking out one opponent after another: first Barny Boatman, then Ana Marquez, followed by Modar Alsoud and Donato De Bonis. When four players remained, Carbo held more than half the chips in play. The Climax: Margereson's Dominance at the Final Table When four players were left, Margereson started to gain momentum. In just a few hands, he eliminated the start-of-day chip leader Evaldas Aniulis, and then third-place finisher Siarhei Sochneu. Before the heads-up began, the players took a short break and even discussed a possible deal. However, Margereson, being the shorter stack, declined after seeing the proposed numbers. As a result, there was still a difference of more than €159,000 between first and second place. In the first few hands of heads-up, Margereson seized the initiative, catching Carbo bluffing and taking the chip lead. After that, he started winning almost every hand, building his advantage to a 5-to-1 chip lead. Even though Carbo still had 20 big blinds—a workable stack for battling—it ended quickly: Margereson shoved preflop, and his 7-6 beat Carbo’s A-9, making a pair and securing the win for the Brit. After the tournament ended, both finalists exchanged hugs and went to collect their six-figure prizes. Margereson, summing up his performance, admitted to his fans that he ran incredibly well in the heads-up. Final Table Results of the €1,650 PokerStars Open (EPT Malta) 1st place: Scott Margereson — €423,700 2nd place: Gerard Carbo — €264,650 3rd place: Siarhei Sochneu — prize not specified 4th place: Evaldas Aniulis — prize not specified 5th place: Modar Alsoud — prize not specified 6th place: Donato De Bonis — prize not specified 7th place: Ana Marquez — prize not specified 8th place: Barny Boatman — prize not specified 9th place: Ioannis Oikonomidis — prize not specified 10th place: Claudio Coelho — prize not specified The exact prize amounts for places 3 to 10 were not specified in the original. Context: The EPT Malta Series and Its Participants The European Poker Tour (EPT) is one of the most prestigious live tournament series in the world, attracting the strongest players from around the globe. The €1,650 PokerStars Open at Casino Malta became the largest event of the stop, highlighting its significance. The finalists included such well-known names as EPT Paris 2024 champion Barny Boatman and Spanish pro Ana Marquez, adding excitement and spectacle to the final table. For Gerard Carbo, second place was his biggest live tournament success, while for Scott Margereson, this victory was yet another confirmation of his high level. Both players plan to take part in the EPT Malta Main Event, which started right after the PokerStars Open concluded. Poker Terms and Explanations All-in — a situation where a player puts all their remaining chips into the pot. Royal flush — the strongest hand in poker: ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the same suit. Chop — splitting the pot between players if they have identical hands. Three-bet — the third raise in a hand (after a raise and a re-raise). Flop, turn, river — the three stages of dealing community cards in poker: first three cards (flop), then the fourth (turn), and finally the fifth (river). Blinds — mandatory bets posted by the two players to the left of the dealer before the hand begins. Stack — the number of chips a player has at any given moment. Heads-up — the final stage of a tournament when only two players remain at the table. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players This story from EPT Malta clearly shows that even in situations that seem standard, poker can deliver surprises. The hand with a royal flush against the same starting hand is a reminder of the importance of not just skill, but also luck in poker. For PPPoker club players, it’s a great reason to reconsider their approach to going all-in with identical hands: even with equal odds, there’s always room for unexpected outcomes. Moreover, Scott Margereson’s path to victory is an example of smart stack management and psychological resilience. He refused to make a deal when he was behind and managed to turn the final match in his favor. For club game participants on PPPoker, this is a reminder: confidence and the right decisions at key moments can lead to great success, even against strong opponents. Finally, the scale and prize pools of the PokerStars Open show that poker tournaments are not just about luck, but also about strategy, discipline, and the ability to adapt to different opponents’ styles. The experience gained in PPPoker clubs can be excellent preparation for participating in major live events, where every pot played and every decision made can be decisive.