Norway’s Oskar Bilstad Wins the Record-Breaking PokerStars Open Malaga Main Event

In March this year, Oskar Bilstad triumphed in an €880 Pot-Limit Omaha event that was part of the Poker North Masters & Norwegian Championship in Bratislava. That victory earned the Norwegian €29,154. Only three months later, Bilstad blew that career-best score out of the water by helping himself to a €178,840 prize and the title of 2026 PokerStars Open Malaga Main Event champion.

The €1,100 PokerStars Open Malaga Main Event saw 1,753 entries processed, including re-entries, resulting in a €1,682,880 prize pool. Those impressive numbers surpassed the 1,636 entrants and €1,575,560 prize pool of the 2025 edition, meaning this event can boast the largest-ever field in Malaga.

Such a large prize pool meant everyone at the final table locked in at least €23,900 for their efforts, but, thanks to a deal, the top three finishers returned home with six-figure hauls.

€1,100 PokerStars Open Malaga Main Event Final Table Results

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Spain’s Antonio Ruiz Tellado had only two results on his Hendon Mob Database profile before this event, totaling €660. He now has a €23,900 score to his name after bowing out in ninth place.

Stefano Rage Gianas cashed in the 2023 European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona Main Event for €31,250. There must be something about poker in Spain that the Italian enjoys because he banked another €31,100 with his eighth-place finish.

Seventh-place and a career-high €40,400 went to another Italian in the shape of Francesco Caramazza, before Frenchman Herve Gouzil fell in sixth for €52,500. That payment took Gouzil’s live tournament earnings over the $1.3 million threshold.

Back-to-Back PSO Malaga Cashes for Kim and De Paula

There was also a career-best score for South Korea’s Min-Guk Kim. They cashed in the 2025 edition of the PokerStars Open Malaga Main Event, but busted during the first couple of payout tiers. This time around, Kim navigated to a fifth-place finish worth €68,300.

It was a similar story for Francisco De Paula. He min-cashed in 2025 but went much deeper 12 months later. De Paula fell in fourth, a finish good for €88,700.

Deal Sees Final Three Split €534,980

The final trio of grinders had each locked in more than €100,000 by reaching this stage. However, the pay jumps were substantial, especially given that the buy-in was €1,100. This ultimately resulted in a three-handed deal that saw all three players reel in similar prizes.

Jose Vallas of Andorra busted in third for €180,160 before Bilstad defeated Hungary’s Daniel Heredi heads-up to clinch the title, €178,840 and to resign the runner-up to a €175,980 consolation prize.

PS Open Heads to Barcelona in August

The next PokerStars Open takes place in August and is also in Spain. PokerStars Open Barcelona serves as the warm-up act for the 2026 PokerStars EPT Barcelona festival. It has a larger €1,650 buy-in, a €1 million guarantee, and should see a ridiculously large turnout. Last year, 5,036 entrants created a €7,251,840 prize pool. France’s Alexis Nicolai came out on top and helped himself to a €772,000 score.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.