The 2017 Cash Game Festival Malta at Casino Malta by Olympic Casino was a big success both on and off the poker tables. Players came from around Europe for five days of nonstop cash game poker action from June 14-18.
Each day during the festival, Brandon Allen hosted two televised feature tables. A variety of co-hosts that were invited to keep him company. The only time Allen wasn't in the booth was when he was on the feature table himself, and he showed his fans he also knows how to win on the poker tables booking the second most profit on the table.
Two players in Finland's Petteri Vanhapelto and France's Tristan Chevalier both won two televised feature tables. While each player individually was one feature table win shy of setting the most feature tables won during a festival with Italy's Federico Drassich (CGF Slovenia - March 2017) and Norway's Knut Rysstad (Gibraltar - May 2017) winning three times, they did set a combined record for the first time more than one player has been the biggest winner on multiple feature tables within the same Cash Game Festival.
Many of the activities away from the poker felt were out of this world and dubbed to be the best ever at a Cash Game Festival. Players raved about the VIP dinner which was held at a private home that housed in huge enclosures white lions, baby tigers and cougars, parrots and many other exotic animals.
Also getting praise were the catamaran trip around the Mediterranean Sea and the VIP Pool Party on the 19th and top floor of the Intercontinental Hotel. What makes the Cash Game Festival different from other poker festivals is that players are able to attend all activities as it is easy to take a break from the poker action and get back to the tables after the activity is over or the next day.
Many players that have attended previous festivals have developed a feeling of family with others. Among the returning players were Betsafe Ambassador Monika Zukowicz, Niklas Blomqvist (who celebrated his birthday during the festival), Michael Fletcher, Sin Menis Melin, Jack Fenton, Veli-Matti Puumala, Trumulis, Dusan Hajek and Petteri Vanhapelto.
With Malta being the home of many gaming companies, many in the industry found it easy to attend including Betsafe Head of Poker Michael Robinson, Nordicbet Head of Poker Jostein Grødum, Betsson Poker Manager Marika Nowak, Guts.com Head of Poker Eirik Thorvaldsen and Guts.com Poker Coordinator Lars Erik Isaksen.
This concludes the PokerNews coverage of the 2017 Cash Game Festival Malta. Next up is the turn to Sunny Beach, with the 2017 Cash Game Festival Bulgaria taking place at Platinum Casino from Aug. 9-13. Head to the Cash Game Festival website for more information about the festival and to register for the TV and side tables.
Malta's Kane Micallef was the biggest winner at the last feature table of the 2017 Cash Game Festival Malta after banking approximately €300 in profit.
After the stream, Micallef, who is a professional soccer player for a Maltese club, shared he has aspirations of playing for a bigger club. This won't stop his desire to continue to get his feet wet in poker as he hopes to play more as time allows.
Malta's Kane Micallef, who is currently competing at the feature table in Seat 6, is a professional soccer player that also loves playing poker.
He wasn't always into poker his entire life. In fact, he can thank an ex-girlfriend for that passion even if their passion for love fizzled out.
I started playing some freerolls on Ultimate Bet because of an ex-girlfriend from Sweden who use to work at the company and told me about the site," shared Micallef.
Although both Ultimate Bet and his relationship with his then girlfriend both no longer exist, his love for poker has continued to grow.
Micallef is a competitor by nature and had a close call for a huge payday after navigating a huge field of around 900 players in the Malta Poker Cup.
"Perhaps my biggest achivement playing poker was when I took 19th place in huge field in the Malta Poker Cup two years ago," Micallef said.
While the 19th place prize awarded €1,870 or a bit lower than the €48,155 awarded to the eventual winner, Ukraine's Roman Skudar, Micallef was able to prove to himself he has what it takes to compete on both the soccer pitch and the poker felt.
Finland's Petteri Vanhapelto, who lives now in Malta, was the biggest winner on the first stream notching in a profit of nearly €600. Not too far behind him was current Cash Game Festival Commentator Brandon Allen.
Vanhapelto, who was the Cash Game Festival commentator last year in Malta, has now been the biggest winner at the feature table two separate times during this festival. He will not be attempting to tie the record as he plans to join Brandon Allen in the booth to commentate the next stream.
One player that will be attempting to tie the record on the next stream is France's Tristan Chevalier. He shared that he would like to be part of history after learning last night he was one away from tieing the record.
The first televised feature table of the day has just begun with stakes at €1/€2 no-limit hold'em. You can check out the coverage on the Cash Game Festival Twitch website and on PokerNews by clicking on the Live Stream tab in our coverage.
It is hard to say who is headlining the table as there are many Cash Game Festival "celebrities" at the table.
France's Tristan Chevalier, in Seat 2, is attempting to tie history. If he is the biggest winner at this feature table, it will make it three times during one festival which will tie him with Italy's Federico Drassich (CGF Slovenia - March 2017) and Norway's Knut Rysstad (CGF Gibraltar - May 2017).
In Seat 3 is Norwegian teacher Magnus Grötvik. This is his first televised feature table experience and is sporting a Guts.com patch at the table.
Finland's Tommi Verkasalo is also making his first televised feature table experience in Seat 4. Verksalo lives in Malta and has been playing poker for 11 years.
The newly dubbed "The French Hunter" aka Cash Game Festival's vlogger and French blogger Maxime Roseau is in Seat 5. Roseau tested his luck late last night on a low limit hold'em table and walked away with a few extra bucks in his wallet. The French Hunter also led the guided city tour of Mdina earlier in the day.
The man, the myth, and the legend Brandon Allen is in Seat 6. Allen is best known for hosting the Cash Game Festival commentary for the past eight festivals and is looking forward to see if he can win money in front of his Twitch fans.
Guts.com Head of Poker Eirik Thorvaldsen is in Seat 7. Thorvaldsen isn't going for a record like Chevalier but is attempting to be the biggest winner at the feature table for the second time in the festival after accomplishing that feat during the first feature table on Day 1.
Welcome to the final day of the 2017 Cash Game Festival Malta at Casino Malta by Olympic Casino. The festival has been a success with the casino with some great poker action at the casino and possibly the most epic side events away from the tables experienced by players in Cash Game Festival history.
Today began with many players recovering from a long night of partying while playing poker at the casino and experiencing the vibrant Maltese nightlife. At 2 p.m., players with the hospitality package headed on a guided tour of a different part of Malta led by Cash Game Festival vlogger and French blogger Maxime "The French Hunter" Roseau. The French Hunter nickname came earlier in the day as Cash Game Festival veteran Niklas Blomqvist, who is celebrating his 28th birthday today, gave Roseau a t-shirt as a present that says his new nickname on the back of his t-shirt.
The first of two feature tables will begin at 5:40 p.m. CEST and will be streamed on a 20-minute delay with stakes at €1/€2 no-limit on a variety of medium including the Cash Game Festival website and PokerNews by clicking on the Live Stream tab in our coverage.
As a treat, Cash Game Festival Commentator Brandon Allen will be heading to the other side and appear on the feature table. Taking control of the booth will be Betsafe Ambassador Monika Zukowicz. Last year's Cash Game Festival Commentator Petteri Vanhapelto is expected to join as Zukowicz's sidekick.
Brandon Allen will return to his commentating duties for the second feature table at 8:40 p.m. CEST on a 20-minute delay.
The PokerNews Live Reporting is on hand to report on all the excitement during Day 5 starting at around 5 p.m. CEST complete with recaps, quotes, pictures and videos.
