Party Poker MILLIONS Malta Wraps

Eleven days ago the Party Poker MILLIONS Festival landed in Malta with a 33-event schedule featuring several key big money tournaments. The €1m guaranteed Party Poker Grand Prix dominated the schedule with eight starting days and numerous satellites to get into it. It concluded with a very worthy winner in Argentinian Jacques Blit, a Party Poker online player who qualified for the event years ago by winning a passport package that he was unable to use until now due to COVID lockdown. He maintained a big stack throughout the event, converting his starting day chip lead into a title, a trophy and €145,000! Click here to read more about his victory.

It was also a great festival for Dutchman Michel Molenaar, who finished runner up in the Hydra Entertainment High Roller to Belgian Bart Lybaert, who claimed the €72,864 first prize. Michel cashed for €49,632 in this event and followed it up with a third place finish in the €1,100 Mystery Bounty tournament. However he took down four of the bounties and his combined payday was bigger than that of eventual winner Eftychios “Good Luck” Giorgiou.

Cypriot Giorgiou is something of a phenom when it comes to live mystery bounty tournaments, with an impeccable three wins from three tournaments entered. Its a record that would make any poker player envious. Full story here.

The Party Poker MILLIONS Main Event was the highlight for €3k players, attracting 154 runners for a prize pool of over €400k. Mario Trattou from England rose above the competition, coming back from just two big blinds on day two to secure the €93,000 prize and a very nice looking trophy. Party Poker Team Pro Matt Staples took a very respectable 4th place for €31,500.

These three key events were live streamed on Twitch with commentary from Jason Glatzer and Matt Staples. If you missed the action, the replay can be watched on the on the PartyPokerTV Twitch channel.

Mixed game fans were also well catered for with two Omaha tournaments, an 8-game event and a H.O.R.S.E and there were several affordable side events throughout.

But its not just about the poker, Party by name, Party by nature and on Sunday evening we did just that with a roaster of a players party held in the exclusive “Twenty-Two” nightclub with 360 degree views of the island. A good time was had by all. Party Pics can be found here.

Photography the event was by Jean Marc Zerafa and Philip Miner. They took over 4,000 pics during the event, so if you attended its a racing certainty that there’s at least one of you in there. They can all be found on Flickr.

The next Party Poker MILLIONS takes place at the Party Poker Irish Festival in Dublin from 31st October to 5th November. We’re swapping the balmy late Mediterranean summer for a much colder environment, but you can guarantee that the action at the tables will be hot, regardless of the temperature outside.

Its been an emotional ride for me also. Having been a live event operator for over a decade, I took a back-seat from the live poker business for the last few years, but it’s been great to be felt-side once again. I’ve caught up with several ex-colleagues and friends and made some new ones along the way. The Party never stops, it just moves on to the next location. Hope to see you there, wherever that may be!

Jonathan Raab

Party Poker MILLIONS Malta Media Coordinator