button in SafariNils Knofler Holds Substantial Lead in Malta Poker Festival Spring Grand Event with Two Further Flights Today
Portomaso Casino is again expected to be a hive of activity today, with two more flights of the €500,000 guaranteed €600 Malta Poker Festival Spring Grand Event on the schedule. Day 1i kicks off at noon, while Day 1j is scheduled for 9 p.m.
A total of 943 entrants have been logged thus far, and 127 players have already booked their spots for Day 2, guaranteeing a €900 minimum cash.
Nils Knofler of Germany (1,909,000) holds a substantial lead over the field at present, after dominating proceedings in Day 1g.
Liutauras Armanavicius of Lithuania (1,183,000) and Italian Davide Raschella (1,150,000) are his closest challengers, after topping the standings in Day 1e and Day 1f respectively.
Top Ten Chip Counts After Day 1h
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nils Knofler | Germany | 1,909,000 |
| 2 | Liutauras Armanavicius | Lithuania | 1,183,000 |
| 3 | Davide Raschella | Italy | 1,150,000 |
| 4 | Abdellah Baali | Algeria | 1,145,000 |
| 5 | Arian Kashi | Denmark | 1,135,000 |
| 6 | Giuseppe Mazza-Boussemart | France | 1,085,000 |
| 7 | Federico Petruzzelli | Italy | 1,042,000 |
| 8 | Mathieu Ikhlef | France | 1,012,500 |
| 9 | June Jenkins | Canada | 965,000 |
| 10 | Mans Ekholm | Sweden | 921,000 |
Players in Day 1i will sit down to a 60,000 starting stack at blind level 100/300, with a 300 big blind ante, and the clock set to 40-minute levels.
Players are permitted unlimited reentries, and late registration will remain open until the start of Level 11.
Play will continue until the field is reduced to 15%, all of whom will return for Day 2 in the money. Day 1j will follow the same structure, except with 20-minute levels in play.
The final chance for players to qualify for Day 2 is turbo flight Day 1k, kicking off at 10 a.m. on April 2, with Day 2 scheduled for 4 p.m. on the same day. The full remaining schedule is set out below.
2026 Malta Poker Festival Spring Grand Event Remaining Schedule
| Day | Date | Time | Buy-In | Stack | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1i | April 25 | 12 p.m. | €600 | 60,000 | 40 minutes |
| 1j | April 25 | 9 p.m. | €600 | 60,000 | 20 minutes |
| 1k | April 26 | 10 a.m. | €600 | 60,000 | 15 minutes |
| 2 | April 26 | 4 p.m. | 50 minutes | ||
| 3 | April 27 | 1 p.m. | 75 minutes |
PokerNews will be on the floor from cards in the air until the trophy is lifted, so stick with us for your coverage of all the action, as we see if anyone can challenge Knofler at the top of the standings.