The Festival Malta wrapped up its run at the Portomaso Casino with a historic Main Event. The tournament, featuring a €550 buy-in, set a new record with 804 entries, surpassing the previous high of 666 entries. While 101 players reached the payout places, it was Norway's Terje Bengtsen who walked away with the largest share of the prizes.
Yazdanpanah Dominated the Final Day from the Start
The final day kicked off with the last 16 players, with Mehdi Yazdanpanah in clear leadership. The Swedish player brought 6,420,000 chips from Saturday's Day 2 and steadily increased his position. By the time the final table began, he was the only player holding over ten million chips.
The Swede knocked out three opponents, entering the heads-up with roughly 80% of the chips. Given this setup, the final duel appeared to be just a formality. Yazdanpanah had a massive lead, and Bengtsen quickly found himself on the brink of elimination.
A Magical Comeback to End the Tournament
The outcome could have been decided quickly when the players went to a preflop all-in. Bengtsen held a pair of 9 s 9 h against his opponent's A c 8 h. The flop 7 h 6 c 9 d gave him a set, but the T c on the turn completed a straight for Yazdanpanah. However, the final 6 h on the river paired the board, giving the Norwegian a full house and keeping him in the game.
This river dramatically shifted the heads-up's course. Bengtsen then scored two consecutive double-ups, erasing the deficit and taking the lead for the first time.
In the decisive hand, all the chips went to the middle on the flop of 5 s 9 c 7 d, with Bengtsen holding 7 s 5 c, while Yazdanpanah had 9 s 8 h. Neither the J h on the turn nor the 2 d on the river helped the Swede. After counting the stacks, he was left with just 75,000 chips, which he had to blindly push in the next hand.
No "chip 'n' chair" miracle followed, and with the last board of the tournament, it was decided—Terje Bengtsen completed a dazzling comeback, earning his first title from The Festival Series and a main prize of €65,001. Yazdanpanah accepted the defeat in good spirit, congratulated his opponent, and acknowledged him as a tough and excellent adversary. For his second-place finish, he collected €40,100.
Results of the Main Event Final Day at The Festival Malta:
| # | Name | Country | Prize |
| 1. | Terje Bengtsen | Norway | €65,001 |
| 2. | Mehdi Yazdanpanah | Sweden | €40,100 |
| 3. | Sebastian Mortensen | Denmark | €28,900 |
| 4. | Bas de Laat | Netherlands | €21,915 |
| 5. | Davide Biondo | Italy | €17,429 |
| 6. | Sami Pulliainen | Finland | €13,375 |
| 7. | Pel Nieuwenhuis | Netherlands | €10,150 |
| 8. | Jozsef Hegyi | Hungary | €8,110 |
| 9. | Serhii Ivanenko | Ukraine | €6,810 |
| 10. | Thibaut Thevenet | France | €5,790 |
| 11. | Ruben Lucas | Portugal | €5,110 |
| 12. | Gabriele Sava | Italy | €4,530 |
| 13. | Matz Lindman | Sweden | €4,070 |
| 14. | Georgios Efthymiadis | Greece | €4,070 |
| 15. | Barnabas Nagy | Hungary | €4,070 |
| 16. | Kare Hallamaa | Finland | €3,700 |
Terje Bengtsen’s victory capped off an exceptionally successful week at Portomaso Casino. The Main Event, with its 804 entries, set a new record for the Malta stop, highlighting the growing interest in The Festival Series’ unique blend of tournament poker, mixed games, casino contests, and a lively side program.
For complete results, photos, and the latest updates direct from the Portomaso Casino, visit the official live blog of The Festival Malta. Finally, enjoy a gallery of moments from the event captured by none other than the event's photographer Mairo Toom.
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