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  1. Home
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  3. The Malta Poker Festival Kicks Off With Glorious Temperatures in 10 Days!!
Friday 14th April, 2023

The Malta Poker Festival Kicks Off With Glorious Temperatures in 10 Days!!

By Jason Glatzer

The Malta Poker Festival makes its triumphant return to Portomaso Casino in 10 DAYS with 33 action-packed events.

If you are looking for the perfect poker holiday, look no further as not only does Malta provide perfect weather in the Spring (21C/70F in the day!) but there is plenty of poker and parties to make the Malta Poker Festival one you will always remember. 

 

The schedule features something for everyone with buy-ins ranging from €120 to €1,100 with a variety of poker formats including No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Crazy Pineapple, and HORSE with the highlight easily being the €300,000 guaranteed €550 MPF Grand Event.

“2023 is a super exciting year for all of us at Portomaso Casino and the Malta Poker Festival,” shared Malta Poker Festival founder Ivonne Monetalagre. “We're eagerly waiting for all of you. And as you can see on the schedule, we've been very creative. We've been trying to do things outside the box and try to give you a super affordable schedule, yet a five-star poker service.”

€300,000 GTD MPF Grand Event

The €550 MPF Grand Event powered by USDO boasts a whopping €300,000 guarantee. However, this is likely simply a placeholder as last spring the €300,000 guarantee was smashed with 1,014 entries generating a €486,720 prize pool to win the 2022 MPF Spring Edition Grand Event. Netherlands’ Marthijn Lakerveld came out on top to collect the huge €71,000 top prize.

The autumn version was even bigger with 1,326 entries battling it out in October in the 2022 MPF Grand Event to generate a €636,450 prize pool. Italy’s Mirko Mostaccio was the hero of the event after winning the €136,670 top prize after a deal (below with a pre-printed cheque for the original 1st prize before the deal)

There is a good reason why so many players turn out for the MPF Grand Event as not only are players competing in the lap of luxury but also enjoy an excellent tournament structure.

 

There are tons of online satellites and Live Main Event satellites are running at Portomaso Casino every evening on April 24th-28th.

The Grand Event provides an amazing structure with players starting off with a massive stack of 50,000 in chips during each of the five opening flights on April 26-29 starting at 2pm each day, excluding Day 1E TURBO at 9pm. Late registration is available for the first 8 levels on Day 1s.

 

Blinds will increase slowly at every 40 minutes with the only exception being the final opening flight with Day 1E billed as a turbo-charged affair with 20-minute blind levels. Players can re-enter up to two times during each opening flight providing plenty of chances to advance in the Grand Event with a healthy stack.

Players that find a bag during any of the opening flights will already be in the money before battling it out for two more days on April 30 and May 1 until a winner is crowned. Players who are looking for bigger bags, ie more chips for Day 2, can surrender their stack and take another shot on another Day 1.

Players have the option to pre-register for the Grand Event, satellites, and side events via MainEventTravel.com or using the Luxon Pay app.

Players purchasing VIP Packages with MainEventTravel.com including Grand Event Buy-in or pre-registering will be able to fast-track through the queue on the day of the event. Chips go into play once you pick your ticket up and take your seat.

Players not only can qualify for just €60 with satellites running at Portomaso Casino but also can win their packages online at the reputable Unibet Poker and Betsson Poker. You can also buy your Grand Event seat directly here at Main Event Travel, along with entry to a number of the tournaments on the schedule!

Poker Community Gets Involved With Side Events

Mixed game guru and Sviten Special author Martin Smith will be hosting the €230 HORSE event on April 25. Jackie Cachia, affectionately known as “Poker Mama” in the Maltese poker community will be hosting the first-ever €230 MPF Seniors Event. While Seniors Events are more normalized in the USA, it is rare to see one in a recreational poker festival and one we will have to keep our eyes on.

This is not all as WPA Advocate Chris Read will be traveling from the USA to host the €120 Ladies First! Also, Poker Power Director of Education and Technology AJ Rudolph will be on hand not only to play the Ladies First! but to also host a course to help ladies give the poker skills they need to compete. Be on the lookout for a dedicated article where we dive into the ladies’ initiatives at the Malta Poker Festival in more detail.

“We have some very fun side events,” Montealegre shared. “There's inclusions in the calendar such as the Seniors Event hosted by Jackie Cachia and the Ladies First! hosted by Chris Read. We like to include also some variation tournaments such as the HORSE event hosted by Martin Smith and the crazy pineapple. And also, there's a very cool event called the Betsson One Bullet, which is a complete freezeout tournament. There is a little something for every taste while we are also promoting a friendly and inclusive event.”

Poker Holiday in Malta

The Malta Poker Festival provides plenty of poker but this is just half the story for those looking for a poker holiday experience as the weather is normally spectacular in the Spring. There are no shortage of amazing restaurants and bars littered across the island while there are plenty of sites to see. Of course, you can simply relax by the pool or the beach when you need to clear your mind as well.

Montealegre also planned many activities where old friends can get together while new friends can meet in an inclusive environment with poker as a common interest. Some of the events include a Meet and Greet, Welcome Drinks, All-in Friday party at the Club Level 22 with beautiful surroundings, a Valletta City Tour, and a unique Taco Night at Hammett’s Mestizo.

 

BOOK DISCOUNTED HOTEL ROOMS & PACKAGES WITH MET

 

MPF teamed up with MainEventTravel.com this year to make booking travel even easier.

 

MET already offers fantastic rates on pre-paid hotels, usually lower than most major online travel providers.

 

In addition, MET has Special Offers on Malta Poker Festival Hotel Rooms and VIP Room + Grand Event Buy-in Packages. 

 

Discounted rates are available at the 5* Hilton Malta & 4* Cavalieri Arts, both hotels are just a few minutes walk from the event venue.

 

VIP Packages include:

 

  • 5 or 6 night stays
  • Bed & Breakfast
  • Single, Double, or Executive Rooms
  • €550 Grand Event Entry Ticket
  • VIP Bracelet
  • Drinks Package at the Event Venue
  • Dinner Buffet at the Event Venue
  • Welcome Party
  • Concierge Service
  • Nightclub access and more!

 

Special Offers rates are available until 17th April, click here to book today!  

 

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