Malta Poker Festival: History and Schedule of Tournaments
Find out all the information you need about the biggest poker tournament in Europe: schedule, events, facts & records of Malta Poker Festival.
Malta Poker Festival History
The Malta Poker Festival (MPF) is a significant event in the world of poker that has an incredible popularity.
The Malta Poker Festival was founded in November 2018 and has been held annually ever since, attracting players and poker fans from all over the world. The founder of this festival is Yvonne Montealegre, a Founder & Event Director within the poker industry and a well-known personality in the Maltese online gaming industry and beyond. She set out to organize a truly great event that would unite poker players of different nationalities and give them an incredible experience, and she succeeded!
The first Malta Poker Festival took place in November 2018 and was a resounding success. Poker players from all over the world flocked to Portomaso Casino in St. Julian’s, Malta for the week-long series. This tournament attracted 1,366 entrants and Italian Enamuele Onnis came out on top and took home an impressive €150,000 for his win.
The festival continued in 2019, but in 2020 organizers were forced to take a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2022 and 2023 with spring and fall editions, a trend that continued this year!
Today Malta Poker Festival is the most exciting and friendly low buy-in poker festival in Europe!
Malta Poker Festival 2024 Schedule
While it is already over, it won’t hurt to take a look at Malta Poker Festival tournament schedule for the fall 2024 season to understand how it is conducted:
| Date | Time | Event |
| 26 Oct | 7:00 PM | €65 Satellite to MPF Grand Event |
| 27 Oct | 2:00 PM | €400 NLHE MPF Grand Event Day 1A |
| 7:00 PM | €65 Satellite to MPF Grand Event | |
| 29 Oct | 1:00 PM | €65 Satellite to MPF Grand Event |
| 5:00 PM | €550 NLHE MPF Grand Event Day 1B | |
| 6:00 PM | €280 Sviten Special hosted by Eva Jiretorn | |
| 7:00 PM | €65 Satellite to MPF Grand Event | |
| 9:00 PM | €200 NLHE MPF Texas | |
| 30 Oct | 1:00 PM | €65 Satellite to MPF Grand Event |
| 2:00 PM | €550 NLHE MPF Grand Event Day 1C | |
| 4:00 PM | €170 NLHE Betsson one Bullet | |
| 5:00 PM | €230 H.O.R.S.E. hosted by Jon Kyte | |
| 7:00 PM | €250 NLHE Hendon Mob Championship Day 1 | |
| 9:00 PM | €65 Satellite to MPF Grand Event | |
| 31 Oct | 2:00 PM | €550 NLHE MPF Grand Event Day 1D |
| 3:00 PM | The Hendon Mob Championship Day 2 | |
| 5:00 PM | €175 NLHE Bounty Hunter Days Malta | |
| 7:00 PM | €65 Satellite to MPF Grand Event | |
| 8:00 PM | €200 NLHE MPF Halloween Special | |
| 1 Nov | 1:00 PM | €550 NLHE MPF Grand Event Day 1E |
| 3:00 PM | €230 NLHE Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty | |
| 5:00 PM | €300 PLO Knight Crusaders hosted by Mayoman | |
| 6:00 PM | €550 NLHE MPF Grand Event Day 1F | |
| 7:00 PM | €65 Satellite to MPF Grand Event | |
| 9:00 PM | €550 NLHE MPF Grand Event Day 1G Turbo | |
| 2 Nov | 10:00 a.m. | €550 NLHE MPF Grand Event Day 1H Turbo |
| 2:00 PM | Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty Day 2 | |
| 2:00 PM | €200 NLHE Ladies First hosted by KerryJane Craigie | |
| 3:00 PM | €150 High Roller UDSO Gold Satellite | |
| 5:00 PM | €120 NLHE APAT Maltese Championship Day 1 | |
| 6:00 PM | MPF Grand Event Day 2 | |
| 9:00 PM | €1,100 NLHE High Roller UDSO Gold | |
| 3 Nov | 2:00 PM | APAT Maltese Championship Day 2 |
| 2:00 PM | €300 Satellite to Super High Roller | |
| 3:00 PM | MPF Grand Event Day 3 | |
| 3:00 PM | €300 NLHE MPF Seniors hosted by Andreas Hoivold | |
| 4:00 PM | €1,100 NLHE High Roller UDSO Gold | |
| 5:00 PM | €60 Women’s Winter Festival by PokerStars Satellite | |
| 6:00 PM | €200 NLHE MPF Deepstack | |
| 7:00 PM | €2,500 NLHE Super High Roller hosted by Lukas Robinson | |
| 7:00 PM | €220 8-Game | |
| 4 Nov | 1:00 PM | MPF Grand Event Final Table |
| 2:00 PM | €170 NLHE Bounty Hunter Days Progressive Closer | |
| 4:00 PM | €2,500 Super High Roller Day 2 | |
| 6:00 PM | €250 NLHE Win the Button | |
| 8:00 PM | €230 NLHE MPF Last Chance |
How To Enter the Malta Poker Festival
To enter the Malta Poker Festival, follow the steps below:
The festival offers a variety of tournaments with buy-ins ranging from €65 to €2,500. Check out the full schedule of tournaments and choose the one you want to participate in.
You can register for tournaments in two ways: online at the official Malta Poker Festival website or directly at the Portomaso Casino in St. Julian’s, Malta during the festival days (October 26 to November 4, 2024).
Main Event Travel is an official partner of the festival and offers a variety of packages that include accommodations and event buy-ins. Check out the details of these offers on the company’s website and choose the right one for you.
Just before the festival, online satellites will be available on various poker platforms. This will allow players to qualify for events at a lower cost than direct buy-ins.
Make sure you have all the necessary travel arrangements organized, including airfare and accommodation if you are coming to Malta from another country. Then simply take part in the tournament at the appointed time and place and enjoy the incredible atmosphere and your winnings.
Malta Poker Festival Main Event Winners
The Malta Poker Festival is a gathering place for hundreds of talented and successful poker players, many of whom have managed to win big prizes by competing in tournaments. Here are the names of some of the Malta Poker Festival champions:
| Year | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Emanuele Onnis | €150,000 |
| 2019 | Mirko Mostaccio | €137,004 |
| 2020 | Tomas Sujeta | €167,773 |
| 2021 | Kjetil Hanstvedt | €144,478 |
| 2022 | Julien Stropoli | €168,500 |
| 2023 | Emanuele Onnis | €172,986 |
| 2024 | Jordan Dumas | €100,900 |
FAQs
When will the Malta Poker Festival 2024 start?
Malta Poker Festival 2024 was held on October 26 and until November 4, 2024.
Where will the Malta Poker Festival be held?
The festival is held at the Portomaso Casino in St. Julian’s, Malta.
Where can I find the Malta Poker Festival schedule?
The Malta Poker Festival schedule can be found on the official website of the festival or on various news resources.
Where to watch the Malta Poker Festival 2024?
To watch Malta Poker Festival, you can follow the broadcasts on specialized poker platforms and social media.
How many players are participating in the Malta Poker Festival?
The number of participants in the Malta Poker Festival varies, but in previous years the main event has attracted more than 1,400 players. It is expected that in 2025 the number of participants could be even higher.