Dario Barone is The 2023 Battle of Malta Champion!

The wait is over, the last day of the Battle Of Malta Main Event, and we saw the top 9 in action at the final table, where players fought for most of the total prize pool, which was a fantastic €1,002,970!

Read our report of the final table in this article.

Level 32: 100k /150k

After only a few minutes, Mikhael Busiashvili didn’t survive the first orbit when he shoved with Kd9d and was called by Agnoletto with TdTs.
 
Board: As7s4h3sAh
 
The board did not show a king, and the story for Mikhael Busiashvili is almost over; he was left with just a few chips, which he lost two hands later with T7 against A2 held by Junyu Liu, and the board that came out was J848Q.

And so we were down to 8 players at the final table!

Level 32: 100k / 150k (150k)

Fryda opened with AsKs to 400k and a stack of 4.7m, and in the Big Blind, Junyu Liu woke up with TdTs and went All-In; Fryda called.
 
Board: 9h7s3d6s4s, not enough for Fryda, who leaves the tournament in 8th place and wins €18,800!
 
Junyu Liu is now the chip leader with 13m chips!

Level 33: 100k / 200k

Junyu Liu opened from an early position to 450k, and on the button, Fabian Rolli three-bet to 2.3m and left 1.3m of the total stack.
 
Everyone folded, and Liu called.
 
Board: Ts6hAd
 
Liu pushed All-In, and Rolli called with 9d9s
 
Turn: Js, River: Jh
 
Which meant only one thing for the Swiss, 7th place and €24,200 in prizes.

We continue the game with six players, and at the 34th level, Andrea Agnoletto leaves the game.

Level 34: 100k / 250k

Everyone folded to the small blind, Andrea shoved for 11bb with JdTh, and in the big blind, Dario Barone called with Ad4s.
 
Board: 8s8h7h7sQs
 
Andrea failed to hit the 9, J, or T after the flop, and it’s the end of the road for him.
 
He wins 6th place and a pleasant €31,590!

Level 35: 150k / 300k

Giulio Di Salvo moved All-In from the button for 3.8m with AdTs and was called by Junyu Liu with JhJs.
 
Board: Kh8d6dKs5s, JJ held on, and we were left with four players.
 
Junyu Liu is still the chip leader with a 23m stack.

Giulio Di Salvo finished in 5th place with a prize of €41,100.
 
The current chip order looked like this:

Level 36: 200k / 400k

Miguel Bolivar moved All-In for 6.3m from UTG with As6s and was called by Andrea Dominic with AsJs.
 
Board: KcTh8s9d5d
 
Andrea increased his stack to 13m, and Bolivar only had 0.225m left, and he came to the brink of elimination.
 
On the next hand, Dario Barone opened from UTG with 9s9c, Andrea Dominici called from BUT with Ad4s, and on the SB, Junyu Liu 3bet to 2.2m with KsTs.
 
Miguel Bolivar went All-In with Qd7h with the last few chips, Barron called, and Dominici decided to fold.
 
Flop: 7c5d2d
 
Liu continued with a 2m bet, and Barone called.
 
Turn: 6s
 
Liu checks, and Barone bets 2.5m, to which Liu folds, and the river comes to 4h.
 
Bolivar‘s pair of sevens was not enough against Barone’s overpair 9s9c.
 
Barone‘s Stack is now 22m and has taken over the chip lead, while Liu has fallen to 16m.
 
“Unfortunate” Bolivar leaves the tournament in 4th place and takes €53,200 in prizes.

Level 36: 200k / 400k

Junyu Liu opened from the button to 1.5m with Ah7d, and on the BB, Andrea Dominici went All-In with KsQs for 4.1m.
 
Liu called, and here we are at the showdown.
 
Board: As4c2dTh5h
           
Liu immediately hit Top Pair A, which was the end of the story, although Th, in turn, gave Dominica hope for the future. That was all left, and five h on the river sealed his fate.
 
Andrea Dominici leaves the tournament in 3rd place and €69,890 in prizes!
 
We’ve reached Heads-Up between Liu and Barone