The Battle of Malta has come a long way from its €2 million guaranteed beginnings. Last year’s festival awarded more than €6 million in prize money, and with participation continuing to grow, the question now is just how much bigger the event can get.
From October 27 to November 4, thousands of poker players are expected to descend on Casino Malta in St. Julian’s for the 2026 Battle of Malta Fall Edition, which comes with €2 million in guaranteed prize pools and a packed schedule of tournaments catering to just about every bankroll.
The €600 Main Event accounts for €1.5 million of those guarantees, while a €300,000 guaranteed High Roller and a €150,000 Mystery Siege of Malta give players plenty of other opportunities to chase a major payday.
And if recent editions are anything to go by, those guarantees could be comfortably surpassed.
Battle of Malta Fall Edition Full Schedule
Battle of Malta Keeps Getting Bigger
The Battle of Malta has developed into one of Europe’s largest poker festivals, attracting recreational players, experienced grinders and travelling poker groups from across the continent and beyond.
In 2024, the festival generated €4,782,250 in prize money. That figure climbed to €6,064,470 in 2025, an increase of nearly 27%.
| Year | Total Prize Pools |
|---|---|
| 2024 | €4,782,250 |
| 2025 | €6,064,470 |
| 2026 | To be determined |
Whether 2026 can set another record remains to be seen, but the Fall Edition has plenty working in its favour. Alongside the headline tournaments, the schedule includes affordable side events, bounty competitions, Pot-Limit Omaha and mixed games, giving players plenty to get involved in even if the Main Event doesn’t go their way.
€1.5 Million Guaranteed Main Event Headlines the Festival
The centrepiece of the festival is the €600 Battle of Malta Main Event, which carries a €1.5 million guarantee and features nine starting flights running from October 28 through November 1.
Players can choose between €600 starting flights with 40,000 chips and 40-minute levels, or the more affordable €300 flights with 20,000 chips and 20-minute levels.
Survivors will return for Day 2 on November 1, with the tournament continuing through to its final table on Wednesday, November 4.
There’s also plenty happening away from the Main Event tables.
The €450 Mystery Siege of Malta begins on October 27 and offers a €150,000 guarantee, with €200 mystery bounties adding another incentive to send opponents to the rail.
For those with deeper pockets, the €1,100 Star Yes High Roller comes with €300,000 guaranteed, while the €5,200 Mega Teddy High Roller and €2,200 Casino Malta Royal High Roller offer further opportunities to compete for bigger prizes.
Mixed-game players haven’t been forgotten either. The schedule features several PLO tournaments, a €300 Sviten event and a €330 H.O.R.S.E. tournament, alongside the usual selection of No-Limit Hold’em events.
One event worth circling on the calendar is the €330 PokerNews Open, which gets underway on Tuesday, November 3 at 5 p.m.
The tournament features a 30,000 starting stack and 25-minute levels, offering players another chance to get their hands on a trophy during the closing stages of the festival.
PokerNews will be on the ground in Malta, providing live coverage of both the €600 Main Event and the €330 PokerNews Open.
2026 Battle of Malta Fall Edition Highlights
| Date | Time | Buy-in | Event | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Oct 27 | 7 p.m. | €450 | Mystery Siege of Malta Day 1A | €150,000 |
| Wed, Oct 28 | 1 p.m. | €600 | BOM Main Event Day 1A | €1,500,000 |
| Wed, Oct 28 | 8 p.m. | €300 | BOM Main Event Day 1B | €1,500,000 |
| Thu, Oct 29 | 1 p.m. | €600 | BOM Main Event Day 1C | €1,500,000 |
| Thu, Oct 29 | 8 p.m. | €300 | BOM Main Event Day 1D | €1,500,000 |
| Fri, Oct 30 | 1 p.m. | €600 | BOM Main Event Day 1E | €1,500,000 |
| Fri, Oct 30 | 8 p.m. | €300 | BOM Main Event Day 1F | €1,500,000 |
| Sat, Oct 31 | 1 p.m. | €600 | BOM Main Event Day 1G | €1,500,000 |
| Sat, Oct 31 | 8 p.m. | €300 | BOM Main Event Day 1H | €1,500,000 |
| Sun, Nov 1 | 10 a.m. | €600 | BOM Main Event Day 1I | €1,500,000 |
| Sun, Nov 1 | 8 p.m. | — | BOM Main Event Day 2 | — |
| Sun, Nov 1 | 9 p.m. | €1,100 | Star Yes High Roller Day 1 | €300,000 |
| Mon, Nov 2 | 1 p.m. | — | BOM Main Event Day 3 | — |
| Mon, Nov 2 | 4 p.m. | €5,200 | Mega Teddy High Roller | — |
| Tue, Nov 3 | 2 p.m. | — | BOM Main Event Day 4 | — |
| Tue, Nov 3 | 3 p.m. | €2,200 | Casino Malta Royal High Roller | — |
| Tue, Nov 3 | 4 p.m. | €330 | H.O.R.S.E. | — |
| Tue, Nov 3 | 5 p.m. | €330 | PokerNews Open | — |
| Wed, Nov 4 | 2 p.m. | — | BOM Main Event Final Table | — |
Can Anyone Follow in Alejandro Asenjo’s Footsteps?
The last time the Battle of Malta rolled into town, Spain’s Alejandro Asenjo walked away with the Main Event trophy after navigating a field of 2,667 entries.
The 2026 Summer Edition Main Event generated a €1,186,962 prize pool, with Asenjo collecting €94,520 following a four-way deal.
His victory also continued a rather unusual run of success for his poker circle. Two years earlier, his friend Cosme Gomez had won the 2024 Battle of Malta Autumn Edition Main Event.
Asenjo had travelled to Malta with Gomez, but even he hadn’t expected to follow in his friend’s footsteps.
Whether the Spanish duo can make it three Main Event titles between them this fall is another question entirely, but there will be thousands of players hoping to write their own Battle of Malta story.
Calum Grant
Senior Editor & Live Events Executive