The Battle of Malta Poker Tournament
Every year, thousands of poker players dawn on Malta to participate in the Battle of Malta tournament, with over €1 million in prizes promised. But what is this tournament, and is it worth participating in? Read this guide now to learn all about why it has been exploding in popularity.
Learn About the Battle of Malta
The primary aim of this blog is to teach you all about the tournament. We’ve started by explaining the history of the Battle of Malta, which has only been in existence for a decade. We’ve then explained the different events, and why the tournament continues to attract plenty of attention from amateurs and professionals alike.
To round out this guide, we’ve provided a brief overview of the latest edition of the battle of Malta poker tournament, before explaining how you can participate in the next iteration. You can either click on the buttons below to jump to each exciting topic or scroll through the whole page to learn it all.
The History of the Poker Battle of Malta
In 2012, PokerListings launched the first Battle of Malta tournament, which was designed for low-to-mid stakes players. Now, the tournament is held by Casino Malta, which is considered one of the best land-based casinos on the island. While its first year saw relatively low attendance, it has exploded in popularity over the last few years.
It is now considered to be one of the most exciting events on the poker calendar in Europe. Only two years after its launch, it won the European Poker Awards “Event of the Year” for tournaments with buy-ins of up to €2,000. It is the most prestigious poker event in Malta, similar to the online poker tournaments in the top Maltese online casinos.
When and Where is it Held?
The tournament is held once a year for seven days, with the 2022 edition held in October at the Eden Arena in the InterContinental Conference Centre in St Julian’s. The next event is set to be held in May of 2023, with registrations now open. Entrants can choose to enter the Main Event or smaller events.
In 2018, the event promised a prize pool of at least €1 million, which was its first year to do so. The main event has a buy-in of €500 + €50 rake. It has beaten that record every year since, with the 2022 prize pool standing at a staggering €3.5 million. There were over 12,400 entries in the competition.
The Events
Participants can either choose to enter the poker Battle of Malta schedule for the main event or plenty of other side events over the course of the week. The number of events changes each year, though recent iterations have seen over 35 side events held. These are held as either Hold’em or Omaha games.
The Battle of Malta pokermain event is held over the entire week and promises a total prize pool of at least €1 million. The side events include super satellites, high roller events, ladies-only events, and several events that are sponsored by major sporting groups or other organisations. Each has varying prize pools that can exceed hundreds of thousands of euros.
Past Winners
Although the side events can generate plenty of action, spectators tend to hover around the main event games. As the total prize pool continues to swell with each passing year, more attention is given to the past few days of the tournament, where winners can walk away with over €200,000.
| Year | Winner | Prize | No. of Entrants | Total Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Nicodemo Piccolo | €35,000 | 349 | €169,265 |
| 2013 | Louis Cartarius | €68,000 | 888 | €430,680 |
| 2014 | Antoan Katsarov | €122,750 | 1,447 | €701,795 |
| 2015 | Nicolas Proust | €110,000 | 1,804 | €875,000 |
| 2016 | Robert Berglund | €160,000 | 1,813 | €879,305 |
| 2017 | Nadav Lipszyc | €200,000 | 2,074 | €1,005,890 |
| 2018 | Julien Stropoli | €168,500 | 3,816 | €1,850,760 |
| 2019 | Serghei Lisii | €247,167 | 4,657 | €2,258,645 |
| 2020 | ONLINE DUE TO COVID | |||
| 2021 | ONLINE DUE TO COVID | |||
| 2022 | Dimitrios Anastasakis | €285,900 | 4,342 | €3,581,415 |
Below, you’ll find the complete list of winners and other interesting details about the tournaments. Please note that via the Battle of Malta online satellites the 2020 and 2021 tournaments were moved online due to Covid. The main events were cancelled.
The 2022 Edition
After two years of an online version were held due to the pandemic, the Battle of Malta 2022 Poker Tournament to its home at the Eden Arena in Malta. The event was one of its biggest yet, with an overall prize pool that exceeded €3.5 million. Of the more than 12,000 total entries, over 4,000 entered the main event.
The winner of the main event was Dimitrios Anastasakis, who became the Battle of Malta’s first-ever Greek champion with a total prize of €285,900. The winner made a three-way banking deal with runner-ups Toivo Rinne and Brit Will Jarman, with an additional €100 thousand going to Anastasakis.
How to Participate
Now that you’ve learned about the Battle of Malta schedule, we wouldn’t be surprised if you were interested in signing up. Registrations for the 2023 edition are open, and you can express interest via the official Battle of Malta website. The event is open to low-to-mid-stake players of all levels. Alternatively, you can buy tickets to spectate as the event is known to be plenty of fun.
Frequently Asked Questions
We know that you may be eager to find even more details about the Battle of Malta poker tournament. This is the reason why we have also included a detailed section where we have answered some of the most common questions about the poker battle of Malta. Check the answers to explore extra details on the topic.
1️⃣ What is the Battle of Malta?
This is one of the most anticipated gambling events. The Battle of Malta event is an annual poker tournament held in St. Julian’s, Malta. There are several side events, but the biggest draw is the Main Event which guarantees a prize pool of over €1 million. The tournament was Launched in 2012.
2️⃣ What events are held during the Battle of Malta poker tournament?
There are dozens of poker battle of Malta events held over the course of the week that the Battle of Malta is held. The Main Event attracts around 4,000 entries with a buy-in of €500 plus €50 rake. The side events include a high-rollers tournament and a ladies-only event. In total, there are more than 12,000 entries each year.
3️⃣ When and where is the Battle of Malta poker tournament held?
It is held annually in St. Julian’s Malta. The Battle of Malta schedule is tight and the event is hosted by Casino Malta but takes place at the Eden Arena in the InterContinental Conference Centre. The 2022 Edition was held in October, with the 2023 edition held in May. Entries are now open for the 2023 tournament.
4️⃣ Who are some past winners of the poker battle of Malta main event?
Over the course of its ten-year history, there have been several Battle of Malta main event winners. The most recent include Dimitrios Anastasakis, Serghei Lisii and Julien Stropoli. The event attracts participants from all over Europe, with the largest portion of players hailing from Italy. The main event prize pool hovers at around €1 million.
5️⃣ Who is the most recent battle of Malta poker winner of the main event?
The winner of the battle of Malta poker 2022 edition of the Battle of Malta was Dimitrios Anastasakis, the first Greek winner of the tournament. Before the event's conclusion, he made a three-way banking deal with the two runner-ups. He then won an additional €100 thousand when he was declared the winner.