Main Event Day 1a | 2018 Unibet Open Malta

The second stop of the Unibet Open's 11th season is on Malta! The Intercontinental Hotel, located in the vibrant city of St. Julians, sets the stage for five days of heated poker action. It's the third time Unibet has set up shop on the Mediterranean island, after visits in 2011 and 2016. Martin Soukup of the Czech Republic is the last winner, after taking home €65,000 in 2016.

Two-time Unibet Open champion Mateusz Moolhuizen kicked off his storied poker career here in 2011 with a win and a massive €117,000 first-place prize. The Dutchman has been spotted but will likely appear on Day 1b as he's still active in the €330 Unibet Deepstack Open Cup that concludes today.

Yesterday saw the conclusion of the popular eSports Battle Royale IX, with Scott "Sco" McMillan lifting the trophy and claiming the first-place prize of €5,000, defeating Jordy "MojoOnPC" Janssens (€3,000) and Kevin "Papaplatte" Teller (€2,000). It's the second time McMillan cashed the Battle Royale this season, after finishing 3rd in London earlier this year.

Unibet Open Events in Malta at a Glance

Year	Buy-in	Entries	Prize Pool	Winner	Prize
2011	€1,650	293	€417,525	Mateusz Moolhuizen	€117,000
2016	€1,100	292	€292,000	Martin Soukup	€65,000

Day 1a of the €1,100 Unibet Open Main Event kicks off at noon local time. Both starting days will feature 10 levels of 60 minutes each, with a break after each two levels. A dinner break is scheduled at the end of level 6 and late registration will be open up until the start of level 7. As is traditional at the Unibet Open, the tournament will be played in freezeout mode.

Day 1 Level Structure