Malta Poker Festival Grand Event Smashes Expectations at Portomaso Casino

Day 1a: Local Heroes Shine

Day 1a saw 158 entries, with 24 players advancing to Day 2. Malta’s own Andrew Cutajar put on a clinic, topping the counts with a stack of 873,000, closely followed by Charles Eichner (France, 568,000) and fellow Maltese player Sergei Cutajar (518,000), making it a proud day for the Cutajar family and the local poker community.

Reigning Spring 2024 Grand Event champion Jordan Dumas also made it through with a healthy 311,000, eyeing back-to-back titles.

Day 1a Top Performers:

1. Andrew Cutajar (Malta) – 873,000
2. Charles Eichner (France) – 568,000
3. Sergei Cutajar (Malta) – 518,000
4. Egon Holdhus (Norway) – 486,000
5. Erik Lindqwist (Sweden) – 482,000

Day 1b: Ludovic Uzan Dominates

Day 1b featured 82 runners, and it was all about Ludovic Uzan, who bagged a monstrous 1,412,000 — the largest stack across any flight so far. The Frenchman, who already boasts over $138,000 in recorded earnings, stormed through the field after hitting runner-runner quads in a pivotal pot.

Joining him from this flight are Boban Stevanovic (Serbia, 674,000) and Alexander Maskell (UK, 477,000), who rounded out the Day 1b podium.

Day 1b Top Performers:

1. Ludovic Uzan (France) – 1,412,000
2. Boban Stevanovic (Serbia) – 674,000
3. Alexander Maskell (UK) – 477,000
4. Jason Shellum (UK) – 350,000
5. Uwe Behrendt (Germany) – 322,000

Day 1c: Malta’s Scicluna Emerges on Top

The action ramped up further during Day 1c, which drew a flight-high 206 entries. At the end of the day, 31 players bagged for Day 2, with Malta’s own Justin Scicluna topping the leaderboard with 1,066,000 chips. He was followed by Jan Jensen of Denmark (917,000) and Italy’s Alessio Assennato (754,000).

With a combined 446 entries across the first three flights and 67 players already through, this year’s Grand Event is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and international yet.

Day 1c Top Performers:

1. Justin Scicluna (Malta) – 1,066,000
2. Jan Jensen (Denmark) – 917,000
3. Alessio Assennato (Italy) – 754,000
4. Niccolo Cadoni (Italy) – 647,000
5. Jaime Lozano Diaz (Spain) – 636,000

Days 1d & 1e: Scala Leads as Grand Event Guarantee Smashed

The energy at Portomaso Casino remained electric as 258 entries across Days 1d and 1e pushed the €550 Grand Event beyond expectations, smashing the €300,000 guarantee with the prize pool now sitting at €324,615 — and two more starting flights still to come. A total of 39 players punched their ticket to Day 2, led by Antonio Scala of Italy, who bagged 870,000 chips. Scala, whose largest live cash to date is under $5,000, will be eyeing a breakout performance. He’s followed closely by Christoforos Chrysochoidis of Greece (816,000), who is fresh off a €25,500 PLO Bounty win in Tallinn, and fellow Italian Vallone Aurelio (722,000), who recovered well after being shown a bold bluff by James Paris, who ultimately didn’t make the cut. With a strong international mix and rising stacks, the race to Day 2 is heating up fast.

A Festival of Poker Excellence

The Malta Poker Festival isn’t just about cards and chips—it’s about community, competition, and celebration. The Portomaso Casino is buzzing with excitement, offering an unforgettable poker experience complete with side events, cash games, and stunning Mediterranean views.

With multiple Day 1 flights still to play, the field is expected to swell further, bringing more stars, more drama, and more unforgettable poker stories.