Successful Slovak Premiere Draws Over 1,500 Entries
The renowned Battle of Malta brand made its debut in Slovakia, achieving remarkable success right out of the gate. The Main Event, with a €400 buy-in, generated 1,510 entries through several initial flights, boosting the prize pool to an impressive €402,840.
A total of 185 players cashed, with a minimum payout of €700. The nine-player final table included four Austrians, three Slovaks, one Hungarian, and one Bulgarian. Peter Kadlec secured the best starting position at the final table, bringing in 14,875,000 chips and holding a significant lead over his nearest competitor.
Live Stream from the Final Table:
Kadlec Survives a Miracle, Then Falls to a Failed Bluff
Kadlec was a central figure in the final day's action. Initially, he knocked out two opponents in a single hand when his aces held up against two pairs of kings. However, the dominant leader gradually became the short stack. Kadlec's downfall was self-imposed, as he aggressively pushed with 4 h 3 h on a A c K h 4 s flop. Markus Skalicky, holding A s K c, had the stronger hand after the all-in, with his two pairs remaining the best. Kadlec was eliminated in fifth place, pocketing €9,800 for his efforts.
Slovakia still had a representative among the final four. Henrich Miculik sent Geischlaeger packing with A h A d against A c 5 d, entering the final trio with a viable shot at a home victory. Skalicky took third place for €23,000 when his 6 c 3 d couldn't outdo Klaic's A h 2 d.
In the final battle, Miculik held a lead with 35 million chips to Klaic's 24 million. Before heads-up began, the players agreed on a €40,000 prize for each, with the remaining €6,900 and the trophy still up for grabs.
Klaic quickly seized control. In the final hand, he hit two pair with 5 c 3 d on a K d 5 d 3 h flop, while Miculik had K h Q s. All chips went in on the J d turn, and Klaic improved to a full house with the 3 c. The Austrian online grinder secured his first live trophy and €46,900, while Miculik settled for €40,000 as runner-up.
Final Results of the Main Event:
| # | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1. | Mario Klaic | Austria | €46,900* |
| 2. | Henrich Miculik | Slovakia | €40,000* |
| 3. | Markus Skalicky | Austria | €23,000 |
| 4. | Alexander Geischlaeger | Austria | €15,000 |
| 5. | Peter Kadlec | Slovakia | €9,800 |
| 6. | Hassibullah Hafizi | Austria | €7,600 |
| 7. | Daniel Georgiev | Bulgaria | €6,300 |
| 8. | Norbert Kerepesi | Hungary | €5,296 |
| 9. | Radoslav Herman | Slovakia | €4,400 |
Bartoš Dominates High Roller, Nemes Collects Bounty for €11,500
Silviu Nemes delivered an outstanding performance in the €220 Mystery Bounty, eliminating 14 out of 23 participants. He added €4,875 for first place with €11,500 in bounties, pocketing a total of €16,375 from Šamorín.
Slovakia celebrated a winner in the High Roller event with a €1,000 buy-in. Martin Bartoš overcame a field of 43 entries to secure €17,200. He bested Czech Zdeněk Svoboda, who took home €11,000 in the heads-up battle.
The Deepstack Turbo trophy went to Austria's Jonas Bachan, along with €3,225. Meanwhile, in the final Second Chance tournament, Brit Ross Whitelaw clinched victory for €4,560, following a final table appearance in the High Roller.
Source: BattleofMalta Live Blog, YouTube