The Malta Poker Festival is Finally Here and Starts at 2 PM
Welcome to the Malta Poker Festival which kicks off today at 2 pm local time with Day 1A of the Grand Event in the Portomaso Casino in Malta. The €500,000 guaranteed prize pool is going to attract lots of different players from all over the world and will provide a great time on and off the poker tables for them and the local poker community.
There are three starting days in total with one reentry allowed per player for each flight. Late registration is possible until the end of Level 8. There are 14 levels of play scheduled with a 15-minute dinner break after every three levels and a 75-minute dinner break after Level 6. There is a cap of max 700 players for each flight.
Grand Event Day Structure
| Level | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 | 50 | 100 | - |
| 2 | 45 | 75 | 150 | - |
| 3 | 45 | 100 | 200 | 25 |
| Break | 15 | |||
| 4 | 45 | 150 | 300 | 25 |
| 5 | 45 | 200 | 400 | 50 |
| 6 | 45 | 250 | 500 | 50 |
| Break | 75 | |||
| 7 | 45 | 300 | 600 | 100 |
| 8 | 45 | 400 | 800 | 100 |
| 9 | 45 | 500 | 1,000 | 100 |
| Break | 15 | |||
| 10 | 45 | 600 | 1,200 | 200 |
| 11 | 45 | 800 | 1,600 | 200 |
| 12 | 45 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 300 |
| Break | 15 | |||
| 13 | 45 | 1,200 | 2,400 | 300 |
| 14 | 45 | 1,500 | 3,000 | 400 |
Even though the name is new, the organizers are very experienced and will be hosting several side events besides the €550 Grand Event like a €220 Hendon Mob Championship, the APAT Maltese Amateur Poker Championship, a pot-limit Omaha tournament, and a €100 Ladies Event. And don’t forget about the slew of parties around the Portomaso Casino area like, for example, the MPF Opening Cocktail Party tonight at Quarterdeck in the beautiful Hilton hotel.
Grand Event Schedule
| Day | Date | Starting Time | Late Reg | Entries | Survivors | Further Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | Thursday, November 1 | 14:00 | ~21:30 | - | - | 75 minute-dinner break after Level 6 |
| 1B | Friday, November 2 | 14:00 | ~21:30 | - | - | 75 minute-dinner break after Level 6 |
| 1C | Saturday, November 3 | 14:00 | ~21:30 | - | - | 75 minute-dinner break after Level 6 |
| 2 | Sunday, November 4 | 13:00 | N/A | - | - | 20-minute breaks and 75-minute dinner break after Level 23 |
| 3 | Monday, November 5 | 14:00 | N/A | - | - | 20-minute breaks and 75-minute dinner break after Level 35 |
| 4 | Tuesday, November 6 | 14:00 | N/A | tba | - | Play down to a champion |
The Grand Event will crown a winner on Tuesday, November 6, and the PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to bring you all the action from Malta!
, Degiorgio checked, Magnusson continued with a bet of 1,400 which both Majtyka and Degiorgio called.
on the turn and the 
on the river. Degiorgio showed 
for the flopped pair of jacks, Magnusson tabled 
for the flopped set of jacks, and Majtyka had the pocket deuces for the lower flopped set of deuces.
with a pot containing around 16,000 already. Espen Uhlen Jorstad had checked in the small blind and Michal Wilczynski was considering what to do in the big blind. After a while, Wilczynski opted to also check. Jorstad tabled 
, now Bensimhon took over the initiative and bet 13,000 which was called by the initial raiser.
, Bensimhon checked, the mid-position player shoved for 32,000 and Bensimhon tanked. After a while, Bensimhon decided to make the call for his opponent to show 
for two pair, sevens and treys, to eliminate his opponent.
indeed.
on the flop.
which didn't change the situation as Sammut was still ahead.
on the river was just a formality to complete the board. Jorstad might be back tomorrow for Day 1B.