The Battle of Malta Main Event took another major step toward crowning its champion as Day 3 reduced the field from 158 players to just 24 survivors. The 600€ tournament now enters its decisive stages, with everyone remaining guaranteed at least 8.950€. A final-table appearance will be worth a minimum of 18.900€, while the biggest rewards remain firmly in sight.
Anton Makejev secured the overnight lead with 14.050.000 chips, thanks largely to a dramatic confrontation against Stefano Gianas. Following an early-position raise from Casper Jensen and a three-bet from Gianas, Makejev cold four-bet shoved for 7 085 000 with A d K h . Gianas called with Q h Q c to create a pot worth almost 15 million. The 8 d 7 h 4 h flop and 3 d turn left Makejev needing help, but the A s river delivered a crucial double-up.
There is little breathing room at the top. Greece’s Marios Kapiris finished just 100 000 chips behind Makejev on 13 950 000, having also benefited from a major late pot. Kapiris was paid off by Marco Lopez Coronado after shoving the river with A h 9 c on a 5 h 2 c 2 h 9 s Q c board, beating his opponent’s pocket threes. Poland’s Jakub Skurzynski completes the leading trio with 13.000.000, while Tereza Vernerova and Ryan Sweeney round out the top five.
The tournament is guaranteed a new champion after defending 2025 Autumn Edition winner Candido Cappiello departed in 71st place. Among the experienced contenders still standing is Jon Kyte, although his 2.290.000 stack leaves him with just nine big blinds. A difficult late confrontation against Coronado’s full house pushed the Norwegian toward the bottom of the counts, setting up an immediate survival test when play resumes.
The final 24 return on November 3 at 2 p.m. local time, with coverage available through the official Battle of Malta live blog and YouTube channel. Makejev and Kapiris begin almost level, but the tightly packed chasing group leaves the contest wide open. The champion will collect 227.835€, with 141.250€ for second place and 92.550€ for third.
Top 10 Chip Counts Before Day 4:
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | BB |
| 1. | Anton Makejev | Estonia | 14,050,000 | 56 |
| 2. | Marios Kapiris | Greece | 13,950,000 | 56 |
| 3. | Jakub Skurzynski | Poland | 13,000,000 | 52 |
| 4. | Tereza Vernerová | Czech Republic | 12,050,000 | 48 |
| 5. | Ryan Sweeney | United Kingdom | 11,500,000 | 46 |
| 6. | Alessandro De Michele | Italy | 11,270,000 | 45 |
| 7. | James Malatynski | United Kingdom | 10,970,000 | 44 |
| 8. | Marco Lopez Coronado | Spain | 10,400,000 | 42 |
| 9. | Ofer Tadmor | Israel | 9,650,000 | 39 |
| 10. | Emmanouil Chalkiotis | Greece | 9,600,000 | 38 |
Sources: BattleOfMalta, PokerNews
