The Battle of Malta brand was established in 2012 and has always been built on a simple idea: offering mid-stakes tournament players an experience typically reserved for high-stakes series. The first champion was Italy's Nicodemo Piccolo, who claimed the title and €35,000 in a field of 349 entries. However, the brand has since grown into something much larger. By 2019, the Main Event had attracted 4,657 entries and in the fall 2025 edition, it reached a record milestone: 6,039 entries, a €2,707,970 prizepool, and participants from 67 countries.
The summer edition of 2026 runs from May 27 to June 3, boasting a total guarantee of €1,000,000. The main attraction is the €600 Main Event titled “Let The Battle Begin,” carrying a €700,000 guarantee. But the festival doesn't rest solely on this main event. It also features the Mystery Bounty “Siege of Malta” with a €100,000 guarantee, a €1,100 High Roller with a €200,000 guarantee, several bounty events, PLO tournaments, mixed games, a Ladies Event, satellites, and various side events.
The opening flight of the Main Event attracted 214 entries yesterday. Thirty-two players advanced to the second day, with Greece's Konstantinos Dimadis bagging the largest stack, finishing the day with 585,000 in chips. He was followed closely by Israel's Ronen Avraham with 550,000, and Poland's Dominik Wochnik with 535,000.
Top 10 Players After Day 1A:
| Rank | Player Name | Country | Stack |
| 1. | Konstantinos Dimadis | Greece | 585,000 |
| 2. | Ronen Avraham | Israel | 550,000 |
| 3. | Dominik Wochnik | Poland | 535,000 |
| 4. | Jader Pederzini | Italy | 506,000 |
| 5. | Anthony Damien Ouillon | France | 493,000 |
| 6. | Jean-Pascal Vernet | France | 448,000 |
| 7. | Nihat Muldur | Turkey | 403,000 |
| 8. | Marc Sanz Clausin | Spain | 403,000 |
| 9. | Nigel Hartwell | England | 372,000 |
| 10. | Antonios Koukouras | Greece | 361,000 |
Another year of the Battle of Malta has kicked off exactly as expected. With a large field, international participation, and poker stories waiting to unfold in the coming days.
Find the complete list of advancing players and live reports of the event on the official site here.
