Get ready for a hotbed of poker activity inside and outside Malta’s Portomaso Casino as The Festival Series makes its triumphant return to the island on Sept. 8-15.
The festival boasts more than 40 different events across a wide variety of poker variants, along with rare casino tournaments featuring what are usually table games in Blackjack, Roulette, and Slots. While we admit that the slots tournament comes down to pure luck, it is a different case for Blackjack and Roulette tournaments where GTO can provide longer-term advantages.
Hold’em players will have a wide selection of events each day, including the highlight of the festival in the three-day €550 Main Event from Sept. 10-15, with Oystein Brenden heading back as the defending champion after defeating a field of 617 entries to win the €60,700 top prize.
Mixed game players have their own Main Event in the two-day €550 Mixed Games Main Event HORSES on Sept. 8-10.
Check out the full schedule of The Festival Series Malta below:
| Date | Time | Event # | Buy-in | Event |
| EVERYDAY NONSTOP | Monday – Saturday 21:00-23:00 | X | Various | Stand ´n Goes – “Frankes Flips Flops” |
| September 8 | 14:00 | 1 | €250 | The Hendon Mob Championship Day 1A |
| 15:00 | 2 | €550 | Mixed Games Main Event – HORSES Day 1A | |
| 18:00 | 3 | €40 | The Hendon Mob Championship Satellite Day 1B | |
| September 9 | 15:00 | 4 | €250 | Sviten Special |
| 16:00 | 1 | €250 | The Hendon Mob Championship Day 1B | |
| 17:00 | 2 | €550 | Mixed Games Main Event – HORSES Day 1B | |
| 20:00 | 5 | €70 | Super Satellite to Main Event | |
| 20.00 | 6 | €250 | Cash Game Challenge €2/2 Texas | |
| 22:30 | 7 | €250 | Cash Game Challenge €2/2 PLO | |
| September 10 | 12:00 | 8 | €550 | MAIN EVENT DAY 1A – 12 Levels (9 handed) |
| 12:30 | 9 | €250 | Heads Up Texas, CAP 32 | |
| 13:00 | 10 | €250 | PLO Masters | |
| 15:00 | 2 | €550 | Mixed Games Main Event – HORSES Day 2 | |
| 15:30 | 11 | €125 | Roulette Championships | |
| 16:00 | 1 | €250 | The Hendon Mob Championship Day 1C | |
| 19:00 | 12 | €70 | Satellite to Main Event | |
| 20.00 | 13 | €250 | Cash Game Challenge €2/2 Texas | |
| 21:00 | 14 | €150 | Turbo Satelite to PLO Highroller | |
| 22.30 | 15 | €250 | Cash Game Challenge €2/2 PLO | |
| September 11 | 12:00 | 8 | €550 | MAIN EVENT DAY 1B – 12 Levels (9 handed) |
| 13:00 | 1 | Closed | The Hendon Mob Championship Day 2 | |
| 14:00 | 16 | €125 | 8-Game | |
| 16:00 | 17 | €125 | Blackjack Championships | |
| 17:00 | 18 | €1.100 | PLO High Roller | |
| 19:00 | 19 | €70 | Satellite to Main Event | |
| 20:00 | 20 | €250 | Cash Game Challenge €2/2 PLO | |
| 21:00 | 21 | €150 | Turbo Satelite to TX NL Highroller (2 Tickets guaranteed) | |
| 22:30 | 22 | €250 | Cash Game Challenge €2/2 Texas | |
| September 12 | 12:00 | 8 | €550 | MAIN EVENT DAY 1C – 12 Levels (9 handed) |
| 13:00 | 23 | €250 | H.O.R.S.E. | |
| 16:00 | 24 | €250 | Malta Deepstack TX NL Day 1 | |
| 17:00 | 25 | €1.100 | NLH High Roller | |
| 19:00 | 26 | €70 | Satellite to Main Event | |
| 20:00 | 27 | €250 | PLO 4/5/6 Cards (7 Max) | |
| 20.00 | 28 | €250 | Cash Game Challenge €2/2 Texas | |
| 21:00 | 29 | €125 | Slots Championships | |
| 22.30 | 30 | €250 | Cash Game Challenge €2/2 PLO | |
| September 13 | 12:00 | 8 | €550 | MAIN EVENT DAY 1D – 12 Levels (9 handed) |
| 12:30 | 31 | €250 | Open Face Chinese | |
| 13:00 | 24 | €250 | Malta Deepstack TX NL Day 2 | |
| 16:00 | 32 | €125 | The Festival Queens | |
| 19:00 | 33 | €125 | NL Texas Surprice | |
| 20:00 | 34 | €500 | Cash Game Challenge €5/5 Texas | |
| 20:00 | 8 | €550 | MAIN EVENT DAY 1E Turbo – 12 Levels (9 handed) | |
| 21:00 | 35 | €250 | BigO | |
| 22:30 | 36 | €500 | Cash Game Challenge €5/5 PLO | |
| September 14 | 12:00 | 8 | €550 | MAIN EVENT DAY 2 |
| 13.00 | 37 | €125 | Sportsbook Tournament | |
| 14:00 | 38 | €250 | PLO Freezeout | |
| 15:00 | 39 | €250 | Texas Mystery Bounty Day 1 | |
| 20:00 | 40 | €1.000 | Cash Game Challenge €5/5 Texas | |
| 22:30 | 41 | €1.000 | Cash Game Challenge €5/5 PLO | |
| September 15 | 12:00 | 42 | €60 | Texas Lowroller |
| 13:00 | 43 | €250 | Seniors 50+ | |
| 13:30 | 44 | Closed | Texas Mystery Bounty Day 2 | |
| 14:00 | 8 | Closed | MAIN EVENT DAY 3 (Final 16 players) | |
| 15:00 | 45 | €1.100 | OFC High Roller |
Why Come to The Festival Series Malta?
The Festival Series was launched by Swedish poker enthusiast and entrepreneur Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk. He is not just the founder but stands by his festival and plays as many of the events himself in hopes of becoming the winner of the Player of the Festival Award, which comes with a package to the next The Festival Series in Bratislava near the end of the year.
It has moved from strength to strength and looks to build on its successful stop earlier this year at Kings Resort. Franke likes to have fun, and was able to generate some cool hospitality activities while in Rozvadov. While we would recommend Kings Resort for any poker enthusiast just about any week of the year with major events and an amazing casino vibe, it is safe to say that Franke will have much more to work with on the island of Malta thanks to its amazing weather, a wide selection of world-class restaurants and bars, along with the welcoming island atmosphere Malta is known for.
The entire festival is based on the concept that poker (and casino games) is fun. Qualifiers and other guests can enjoy hospitality activities that are both unique and fun at every stop.
Cash game enthusiasts will have plenty to choose from and can even participate in a feature table competition with many of the games televised where they can win a package to The Festival Series Malta.
While we already mentioned two ways players can win a value-added package to the next Festival Series, including the Player of the Festival and the winner of the Cash Game Leaderboard, as is the tradition, there will be at least one more package given away to the player that wins the most flips during the rake-free Franke’s Flip Flops running throughout The Festival Series Malta.
We hope to see you in Malta. Stay tuned to PokerPro, as this author will be at The Festival Series Malta, enjoying the wide variety of action instead of reporting it for a first-hand player perspective and select interviews throughout the opening days.
