The second Battle of Malta of 2022 kicks off tomorrow (October 4) in the lively seaside resort of St Julian’s. Thousands of players are expected to take part in the tenth-anniversary edition with record numbers predicted for the flagship €1 million guaranteed Main Event
The festival, which features a total of 34 tournaments from October 4 to October 12, is being held at the InterContinental Hotel, the largest five-star hotel in Malta. The weather in Malta is glorious right now which also makes attending the event even more appealing for those from colder climes!
In addition to the eagerly-awaited Main Event, the Battle of Malta schedule includes dozens of other tournaments ranging from €70 buy-in turbo satellites right up to a €1,100 High Roller. Among those who will be competing are numerous players who won their seat via GGPoker and 888poker online qualifiers as well as players living in Malta who are already part of the thriving local poker scene and others who have stayed on after competing at the recent Unibet Open to create their own “mega-festival”.
The €555 buy-in Battle of Malta Main Event starts on Wednesday with unlimited re-entries and a total of six starting flights. Each Day 1 gives players a 25,000 starting stack and 40-minute levels (or 20 minutes for the final Day 1e and Day 1f turbos) and will play down to 15% of the field – with all survivors making the money.
Other events on the schedule include the Battle of Malta’s first Mystery Bounty tournament. The two-day event – dubbed the Mystery Siege of Malta – starts on Thursday, October 6 with a £210 + £200 + £40 buy-in and is one of the highlights of the festival with a minimum bounty worth €200.
Also coming up over the next nine days are a Pot Limit Omaha tournament, numerous bounty tourneys and a €25k guaranteed Ladies event. Casino Malta has also partnered with a slew of big-name sponsors to provide a ton of fun side events – including OlyBet, GGPoker, 888, ItaliaPlay, DomusBet, PokerMaps and Let’s Play Poker Live.
The Spring edition of Battle of Malta attracted nearly 2,600 entries creating a monster prize pool of €1,244,160 and providing champion Giuseppe Rosa with a €200,340 payday. Among those who cashed were 2018 BOM champion Julien Stropoli, 2019 runner-up Steven van Zadelhoff, David Lappin, Mateusz Moolhuizen and Dehlia de Jong plus British players such as Joe Grech, Kevin Houghton, Paul Jux-Holderness, Jamie Nixon and Kerryjane Craigie.
Casino Malta, which hosts Battle of Malta, said: “We’re so excited about this Autumn edition of Battle of Malta which is set to be our biggest yet. The turn-out in April was amazing and we will definitely top those numbers over the coming days. There is obviously a lot of excitement about the €1 million guaranteed Main Event but the schedule is also packed with side events, not to mention our round-the-clock cash games at Casino Malta so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Live Updates, Live Stream & Social Media
There will be live updates here on the Battle of Malta website throughout the event with on-the-floor reporting provided by GUKPT star Phil “The Tower” Heald and former PokerListings writer Rod Stirzaker. In addition to the Battle of Malta live stream, event host Laura Cornelius is returning to her role as the “face” of the Battle of Malta. The former PokerNews presenter will be introducing the action in the Eden Arena each day as well as interviewing players, chatting to event winners, and reporting on all the fun and excitement at Battle of Malta’s tenth-anniversary celebrations. The live stream will run throughout the event with expert commentary for the final table. You can also follow the action – and watch the live stream – on the Battle of Malta’s Facebook page.
Off the felt – the BOM Players Party on the Beach!
One of the undoubted highlights of the Battle of Malta is the eagerly-awaited players’ party next Sunday (October 9). The exclusive “Party on the Beach” is being held at Paranga Beach, the InterContinental Hotel’s private beach just minutes from the tournament venue. Entertainment will include DJs, a live singer and a troupe of exciting fire dancers as well as a re-enactment by Knights in full battle dress in recognition of Malta’s fascinating island history.
History of Battle of Malta
2012: Winner Nicodemo Piccolo, €35,000, 349 entries, total prize pool: €169,265
2013: Winner Louis Cartarius, €68,000, 888 entries, total prize pool: €430,680
2014: Winner Antoan Katsarov, €122,750, 1,447 entries, total prize pool: €701,795
2015: Winner Nicolas Proust, €110,000, 1,804 entries, total prize pool: €875,000
2016: Winner Robert Berglund, €160,000, 1,813 entries, total prize pool: €879,305
2017: Winner Nadav Lipszyc, €200,000, 2,074 entries, total prize pool: €1,005,890
2018: Winner Julien Stropoli, €168,500, 3,816 entries, total prize pool: €1,850,760
2019: Winner Serghei Lisii, €247,167, 4,657 entries, total prize pool: €2,258,645
2022 Spring edition: Winner Giuseppe Rosa, €200,340, 2,592 entries, total prize pool: €1,244,160
The Battle of Malta – a former “Event of the Year” at the European Poker Awards – is widely regarded as the best poker festival on the continent for low to mid-stakes poker players. Malta is a superb destination with more than 300 days of sunshine every year, gorgeous beaches and a thriving nightlife scene in St Julian’s. The resort has a wealth of amenities including clubs, restaurants, cafes and bars while the Hotel InterContinental, where the festival is held, is Malta’s largest 5* hotel.
