As the excitement builds for the upcoming Autumn Editions of the 2024 Battle of Malta and the 2024 Malta Poker Festival, players are gearing up for an unforgettable poker experience this autumn. Set to take place from October 26 to November 4 for the Malta Poker Festival at the luxurious Portomaso Casino and from October 29 to November 6 for the Battle of Malta at the plush surroundings of Casino Malta and the Eden Arena at the InterContinental Malta, this unique overlap presents a golden opportunity for players eager to dive into both Main Events, while providing mixed game players, those looking for multiple ladies events, and more a chance to curate their schedule with many options.
This author personally recommends both amazing festivals having both worked and played at both ‘can’t miss’ poker events in Malta.
Rather than approach these events from an operator perspective, we opted to as transparently as possible to take a look at both festivals.
Play Both Main Events
Thanks to the thoughtful scheduling of opening days, players can easily participate in both Main Events, although it can be dicey if a player finds a stack to one of the Day 2’s.
The Malta Poker Festival kicks off with its €500,000 guaranteed €550 Grand Event on October 26, allowing players to get their game on early. The first of nine opening flights is an early bird affair awarding players on the island with a €400 buy-in flight. While this is amazing value for those on the island, just €336 goes towards the prize pool with the other eight opening flights on October 28 to November 2 will have €480 go towards the prize pool. While the casino doesn’t collect extra rake, it does take away value from the rest of the field as the playing conditions remain the same despite the buy-in differences.
That being said, we recommend this event due to the growing numbers and the fun vibe with the 2024 Malta Poker Festival Spring Grand Event, with 1,460 entries creating a €700,800 to more than double the €300,000 guarantee.
Those surviving the opening flights already in the money, with each opening flight playing down to 15% with players in the money, will battle for three more days on November 2-4 until a winner is crowned.
Then, just as players are settling into the groove at the Malta Poker Festival, the Battle of Malta’s Main Event launches on October 29. This means that players can enjoy a seamless transition from one thrilling event to the next, maximizing their poker action and potential winnings.
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The Battle of Malta Main Event guarantees triple that of the Malta Poker Festival with a €1.5 million guarantee and also received an overhaul as follows:
There will be two opening flights each day from October 30 to November 2. The first opening flight is how it was run before, albeit with a bigger stack of 40,000 compared to the 30,000 in the past. The early flights boast the normal €600 buy-in that players have become accustomed to at the Battle of Malta while playing down to the usual 15% with players in the money.
The twist comes each evening with a €300 opening flight. Players get half the stack of the other flight with 20,000 in chips and will play down to 7.5% of the field, with players ending the day in the money. This will likely equate to more entries overall, but whether it will also grow the prize pool from the €1,728,010 generated from 3,432 entries in the 2023 Battle of Malta Autumn Edition Main Event is still open for question as is whether it will be the largest attended Battle of Malta of all-time in the 2019 Battle of Malta Main Event which attracted 4,657 entries for a whopping €2,258,645 prize pool. This event ended in an epic fashion as Steven van Zadelhoff battled for many hours against Serghei Liisi with both players on the ropes. Liisi won the top prize of €247,167, while van Zadelhoff earned €217,167 as part of a heads-up deal.
The ninth and final opening flight before the start of Day 2 on November 2 will be a turbo-charged affair with the regular €600 buy-in. Players will then battle for five more days until a winner is crowned on a live stream with this author, Jason Glatzer, commentating the action on the sixth and final day on November 6.
The rake in this event is also higher depending on how you look at the effects of the early bird flight for the Malta Poker Festival Grand Event. The €600 buy-in flights effectively contribute €503.50 to the prize pool, while the €300 buy-in flights contribute €256.50 to the prize pool.
Meanwhile, the Battle of Malta reduces the prize pool by an additional 5%, which is included in the above calculations. In comparison, the Malta Poker Festival Grand Event extracts an additional 4% from the prize pool as a service fee on top of the normal rake.
From a player perspective, many in the poker community consider both events to be softer than most European events of a similar buy-in and, thus, in my opinion, are good value at the end of the day despite any rake breakdowns.
| Date | Time | Festival | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 26 | 4 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €400 MPF Grand Event Day 1a |
| Oct. 29 | 5 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €550 MPF Grand Event Day 1b |
| Oct. 30 | 1 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €600 BoM Main Event Day 1a |
| Oct. 30 | 2 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €550 MPF Grand Event Day 1c |
| Oct. 30 | 8 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €300 BoM Main Event Day 1b |
| Oct. 31 | 1 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €600 BoM Main Event Day 1c |
| Oct. 31 | 2 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €550 MPF Grand Event Day 1d |
| Oct. 31 | 8 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €300 BoM Main Event Day 1d |
| Nov. 1 | 1 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €550 MPF Grand Event Day 1e |
| Nov. 1 | 1 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €600 BoM Main Event Day 1e |
| Nov. 1 | 6 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €550 MPF Grand Event Day 1f |
| Nov. 1 | 8 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €300 BoM Main Event Day 1f |
| Nov. 1 | 9 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €550 MPF Grand Event 1g |
| Nov. 2 | 10 a.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €550 MPF Grand Event Day 1h |
| Nov. 2 | 1 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €600 BoM Main Event Day 1g |
| Nov. 2 | 6 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | MPF Grand Event Day 2 |
| Nov. 2 | 8 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €300 BoM Main Event Day 1h |
| Nov. 3 | 10 a.m. | Battle of Malta | €600 BoM Main Event Day 1i |
| Nov. 3 | 3 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | MPF Grand Event Day 3 |
| Nov. 3 | 8 p.m. | Battle of Malta | BoM Main Event Day 2 |
| Nov. 4 | 1 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | MPF Grand Event Final Table |
| Nov. 4 | 1 p.m. | Battle of Malta | BoM Main Event Day 3 |
| Nov. 5 | 1 p.m. | Battle of Malta | BoM Main Event Day 4 |
| Nov. 6 | 2 p.m. | Battle of Malta | BoM Main Event Final Table |
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Mixed Game and Ladies Event Scheduling
But that’s not all—both festivals are packed with daily mixed game offerings, ensuring players have something exciting to engage with daily. From H.O.R.S.E. tournaments to high rollers and ladies events, there’s a diverse range of competitions catering to every type of player.
That being said there is some overlap with both festivals hosting an 8-Game tournament unless one switches the schedule on November 3. They do start three hours apart, so it is possible for casino hoppers to play both if unsuccessful in the first one.
| Date | Time | Festival | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 29 | 6 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €280 Sviten Special hosted by Eva “Chic” Jiretorn |
| Oct. 30 | 5 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €330 Sviten Special |
| Oct. 30 | 5 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €230 HORSE 5 Mix hosted by Jon Kyte |
| Oct. 31 | 5 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €330 Pot-Limit Omaha |
| Nov. 1 | 5 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €330 Pot-Limit Omaha |
| Nov. 1 | 5 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €300 PLO Knights Crusaders hosted by Mayoman |
| Nov. 2 | 5 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €330 Pot-Limit Omaha |
| Nov. 3 | 4 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €330 8-Game |
| Nov. 3 | 7 p.m. | Malta Poker Festival | €220 MPF 8-Game |
| Nov. 5 | 4 p.m. | Battle of Malta | €330 HORSE |
Fortunately, the ladies events were broken out nicely for women to enjoy poker against each other on the island. Both the Malta Poker Festival and the Battle of Malta encourage diversity and have added tremendous value to their events.
The €200 Ladies First! hosted by PokerStars Ambassador Kerryjane Craigie on November 2 at 2 p.m. will have tons of value. Globetrotting Poker founder and friend of PokerPro Maureen Bloechlinger acting as the Off the Felt host at the Malta Poker Festival to create an amazing vibe around the week to differentiate itself from the Battle of Malta, which will have a players party at the Eden SuperBowl. Women will have the opportunity to a fun Lunch with Ladies First! Hostess Kerryjane Craigie at The Avenue, located steps away from Portomaso Casino earlier in the day at 12:30 p.m.
The event itself boasts a €10,000 guarantee and also a package to the Women’s Winter Festival to be held at the Hippodrome in November. There will also be a €60 Women’s Winter Festival by PokerStars satellite on November 3 at 5 p.m. with 10 added seats to the festival.
More value will be had for women on November 4 at Casino Malta, with the €150 NLH Ladies Event kicking off at 2 p.m. This event not only boasts a €5,000 guarantee, but the top three women in the event will get a free Battle of Malta buy-in in 2025. This event also warms up with a lunch with FLIP founder Daiva Byrne at one of the best pizzerias on the island to cap off a memorable three days for female poker players.
Community Buzz
The buzz among players is palpable as they anticipate this dual offering. Many are thrilled about the chance to compete in back-to-back tournaments without needing to travel elsewhere or stay for a few weeks at a time. Malta’s stunning Mediterranean backdrop, vibrant nightlife, and high-stakes poker combine to create an enticing package for both local and international players.
Telly Bartolo, Event Manager at Casino Malta, and Malta Poker Festival founder Ivonne Montealegre expressed their enthusiasm about welcoming back poker lovers for another action-packed week. Bartolo and Montealegre each highlighted that this year’s structure aims to enhance the player experience while catering to their diverse needs.
With the overlap between the Battle of Malta and the Malta Poker Festival, players can look forward to an unparalleled poker experience. The ability to curate your schedule and make the most out of your own needs makes this a must-attend festival for anyone serious about poker. As the dates approach, anticipation continues to build among players eager to be part of this historic week in one of Europe’s most beautiful settings. Don’t miss out on your chance to join in on the action!
* Images courtesy of Battle of Malta and The Malta Poker Festival
