EPT Malta 2025 Main Event Smashes Records as 898 Entries Pack Casino Malta
The European Poker Tour’s long-awaited return to Malta was met with a full house.
The €5,300 EPT Malta Main Event drew 898 total entries, making it the largest EPT Main Event ever held on the island and eclipsing the previous high of 895 set back in March 2015.
It's the fourth edition of the tournament and the first since 2016, when Aliaksei Boika triumphed for €355,700. Unlike those earlier freezeout formats, this year’s event featured a single re-entry option, which helped boost the total numbers while still attracting an impressive 640 unique players from 63 different countries.
Together they built a €4,355,300 prize pool, with 135 players making the money and a €760,000 payday reserved for the new champion.
| Year | Entries | Prize Pool | Champion | Country | Top Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | 895 | €4,340,750 | Jean Montury | France | €687,400 |
| Oct 2015 | 651 | €3,157,350 | Niall Farrell | United Kingdom | €534,330 |
| Oct 2016 | 468 | €2,269,800 | Aliaksei Boika | Belarus | €355,700 |
| Oct 2025 | 898 | €4,355,300 | TBD | — | €760,000 |
Payouts
A total of 135 players locked up a minimum cash of €8,400, while a spot at the final table guaranteed at least €91,250. The payouts then soar quickly, with €474,650 for second and €339,000 for third before someone walks away with the €760,000 top prize and the EPT Main Event trophy.
This marks the 149th EPT Main Event ever played, pushing lifetime totals to 118,381 entries and more than €624 million in prize money awarded since the tour’s debut in 2004.
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | € 760,000 | 9 | € 70,250 | 72-96 | € 11,050 |
| 2 | € 474,650 | 10-11 | € 56,050 | 96-119 | € 9,650 |
| 3 | € 339,000 | 12-13 | € 46,750 | 120-135 | € 8,400 |
| 4 | € 260,750 | 14-15 | € 38,950 | 21-23 | € 25,600 |
| 5 | € 200,550 | 16-17 | € 33,850 | 24-27 | € 22,250 |
| 6 | € 154,250 | 18-20 | € 29,450 | 28-31 | € 19,350 |
| 7 | € 118,650 | 40-55 | € 14,650 | 32-39 | € 16,800 |
| 8 | € 91,250 | 56-71 | € 12,700 |
Italy Tops the Charts
Italy led the charge in the nationality breakdown, accounting for 14.1% of the field (90 players), ahead of France (71), Spain (42), Germany (39), and the United Kingdom (39). For comparison, back in 2016, there were 468 players from 54 nations.