It’s time to vote for your favorite 2015 PokerListings Spirit of Poker nominees or forever hold your peace.

Voters have until Sept. 13 (this Sunday) to make their picks from the 24 players nominated for awards this year.

The winners will be announced during the 2015 Battle of Malta in St. Julian’s, Malta, which is set to take place Nov. 4-9, 2015. You can vote on the 2015 Spirit of Poker Awards page.

Here’s a look at every player nominated this year:

2015 Most Inspiring Player Award

Leo Margets nominated for most inspiring.

Martin Jacobson
Davidi Kitai
Leo Margets
Aditya Agarwal
Dominik Nitsche
Anatoly Filatov
Jason Somerville
Max Pescatori

Rising Star Award

Adrian Mateos
Dzmitry Urbanovich
Fedor Holz
Charlie Carrel
Sabina Hiatullah
Akira Ohyama
Pablo Gordillo
Claudico

Living Legend Award

Konstantin Puchkov
Dan Heimiller
Barry Greenstein
James Woods
Humberto Brenes
Jackie Cachia
Padraig Parkinson
Erik Seidel

SOPA Winners Represent Pure Passion for Poker

The PokerListings Spirit of Poker Awards aren’t just about who won the most tournaments or made the most money but instead represent the players that brought the most passion, imagination or inspiration to the game.

Last year Dominik Panka, Thor Hansen and Shannon Shorr all earned Spirit of Poker Awards and the year before that it was Luca Moschitta, Naoya Kihara and Pierre Neuville taking top honors.

Once public voting narrows the list of nominees down to three in each category a PokerListings panel of experts will ultimately determine this year’s winners.

If you're thinking about playing the €500k guaranteed 2014 Battle of Malta this year, two more side events on the schedule may help sway your decision.

Back for its third year alongside the marquee Main Event, the Siege of Malta, our signature €220 second-chance tourney, will run over two days Nov 8-9.

Capped at just 400 players it's the perfect opportunity for players looking to re-coup an early ME bustout.

Canadian Mike Bland took home the €110 Siege of Malta title last year, earning €5,800 in the process.

Grandmaster High Roller Added By Popular Demand

2013 Siege of Malta winner Mike Bland.

A new tourney on the BOM schdule - our exclusive €3,850 Grandmaster of Malta High Roller event - is on the table by virtue of popular demand.

So many of last year's attendees asked for a high-roller to sweeten their pot we couldn't refuse. Also scheduled to run Nov 8/9, the Grandmaster is capped at just 100 players.

Along with the increased guarantee of €500,000 for the €550 main event plus plenty of cash games to be found it sets the 2014 Battle of Malta up to be the highest value ever offered.

As last year's event broke the record for the most-attended tourney in Malta history, that bar is already set pretty high.

Buy a discounted Early Bird package for the 2014 BOM before May 31 right here; full BOM schedule below.

1. 2014 Battle of Malta Main Event

2. Siege of Malta Second-Chance Tournament

One of three BOM trophies to go after in 2014.

3. BOM Grandmaster High Roller Tournament

For a complete rundown of all the Battle of Malta has to offer check our 2014 Battle of Malta page.

The voting period for the 2015 PokerListings Spirit of Poker Awards has officially closed and we have our three finalists in each of our three categories.

An eclectic mix of poker players from around the world, the nine finalists exemplify exactly what we envisioned when we created the awards in 2013.

There are "big" names and lesser-knowns, high-stakes pros and everyday grinders and eight different nationalities represented.

The third annual Spirit of Poker Awards will be handed out during the 2015 Battle of Malta and our readers have picked an impressive group on nominees to now pick a winner from.

Here are the finalists selected via fan voting.

Living Legend: Brenes, Cachia, Seidel

In our Living Legends category we’re honoring players who disprove the popular notion that poker is now a young person’s game.

These players consistently distinguish themselves with both extraordinary spirit and a level of skill that passes the test of time. They are true role models for players around the world.

Poker mama inspires.

Poker personalities in this pool for 2015 included characters like Dan Heimiller (US), long-time high roller and charity legend Barry Greenstein (US), eternal tournament regular Konstantin Puchkov (RUS), one-liner specialist and spearhead of Irish poker Padraig Parkinson (IRL), and Hollywood icon/poker player James Woods (US).

In the end the three players who captured your imagination the most were Humberto “The Chark” Brenes, Jackie “Pokermama” Cachia, and Erik “Seiborg” Seidel. Without a doubt there are good reasons for each of the three to be there.

Humberto Brenes is the man who single-handedly put Costa Rica on the poker map. A long-time PokerStars pro team member Brenes moved on from the team last year but not before he nailed 10 cashes at the WSOP.

An endless source of enthusiasm and poker stories Brenes has brought innumerable amounts of new players into the poker fold in Central America and beyond.

Jackie Cachia is our "surprise" candidate here but her nomination and number of votes show that a local hero with a bottomless passion for the game can inspire people as much as any WSOP bracelet.

And then there is Erik Seidel. Some call him “Sly;" some call him “Gentle Giant;" some call him “Seiborg." We just call him unstoppable.

Former winners of this category are Norwegian poker icon Thor Hansen and 2015 WSOP November Niner Pierre Neuville. Hansen and Neuville are also players that have stood the test of time in multiple ways. Read here how they literally fought death to find life in poker.

Most Inspiring Player: Filatov, Agarwal, Somerville

No game in the world is as multi-faceted and global as poker. This is why it can be equally well represented by Russian eccentric Anatoly Filatov, Indian phenomenon Aditya Agarwal, and US Twitch star Jason Somerville.

Bright light for Indian poker.

These are your most inspiring players of the last twelve months, edging out (still reigning) WSOP champion Martin Jacobson, highest ranking European in the GPI Davidi Kitai from Belgium, first European with four bracelets Max Pescatori from Italy, WSOP Last Woman Standing and social media activist Leo Margets and poker nomad Dominik Nitsche.

Seen by many as the most important category of the PokerListings Awards, a look at the past winners says a lot about the quality and qualities that players need to have to become the favorites of PokerListings readers.

The first winner was Japan’s first-ever bracelet winner Naora Kihara and last year Shannon Shorr earned the award.

Rising Star: Carrel, Urbanovich, Holz

The closest race in all of the PL awards categories. The top three all finished very close and results confirm these three have shown impressive performances over the last 12 months.

Psychedelic Charlie Carrel.

Charlie Carrel from England, known to some as the guy with the psychedelic attire, to others as Epiphany77, went from online player to €25k EPT Grand Final high roller winner within a year of his first live cash.

Dzmitry Urbanovich, a Belarussian player based in Poland, has been crushing one high roller event after the other, final tabling 18 events within one year and finishing in the top three 12 times.

Fedor Holz, another weapon in the German poker arsenal, has cashed big everywhere he's been since joining the live scene, from Barcelona to Vegas.

And that’s not even including his success as CrownUpGuy online, not the least of which is a WCOOP Main Event title. Even more impressively he continues to share his poker profits with noble causes via the REG Charity.

To the Panel

The PokerListings Awards Panel will now sit down this week to determine the winners in each category.

The final results will be published on Monday next week. Good luck to all of our deserving candidates!

It’s not a stretch to say at one point in 2004, at least for a while, William Hung was the most famous person in America.

Or one of them at least.

To millions of Americans Hung is still instantly recognizable as "the 'She Bangs' guy" from the third season of American Idol. The endearing, off-key performer and unintentional star of one of the United States' first truly 'viral' videos.

What followed Hung's mocking at the hands of the judges (and onslaught of negative stereotyping in the media to follow), however, is a story that continues to inspire people around the world to "live a life without regrets."

A student of the game for over 10 years Hung has taken poker a bit more seriously over the past couple of years and has some results to show for it.

He has over $30k in cashes since 2014 including a win in a Nightly Aria $100 tournament this summer and a third in a Rio Deepstacks event for over $17k.

He'll be one of our special VIP guests at the 2015 Battle of Malta and graciously answered a few questions for us about his past, present and poker future.

PokerListings: It’s pretty fair to say at one moment in time you were the most famous person in America. American Idol was still a relatively new thing, as was “going viral.” How do you explain/put into context just what happened to someone who might not have seen it?

She Bangs forever.

William Hung: I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. This goes to show you can’t always predict what comes next in your life.

PL: Over a decade later what’s the one thing that stands out about the experience for you? The greatest opportunity it’s given? Your favorite moment?

WH: The one thing that stands out is how most people still recognize me as a celebrity 11 years later, since people saw my audition back in 2004. I thought the entire experience was the greatest opportunity, being able to travel and make new friends around the world.

PL: When you went out for that first audition what were your expectations? Did you have any idea people would be so drawn to it, both positively and negatively?

WH: I did not expect very much from my audition at all. I thought just the experience of going through the audition was already good. I know for many people who auditioned for American Idol, they hope to win and make a name for themselves. I did not expect to win at all. I was just trying to have fun.

PL: After your appearance you eventually got to record three albums. That’s more than most people who make it to the late stages of American Idol  - even some winners – get. Has that satisfied all of your musical aspirations? Do you still hope to sing/make more music?

Wouldn't trade experience at all.

WH: I still enjoy singing as a hobby, but I don’t see that as my focus moving forward. I am definitely satisfied with my musical aspirations. I tried something different and got a lot out of it. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything else.

PL: One of the things we love most about poker is the range of people who are drawn to the game. How did you get into it? Did you play online, around Los Angeles, etc?

WH: I started playing poker about 10 years ago. I still remember the first time I played poker, it was $2/$4 Limit Hold’em at the Reno Hilton. I won a few hundred dollars and I got hooked into the game afterwards.

I also played quite a bit online when it was still legal in the U.S. Unfortunately, after Black Friday, I couldn’t play as much in live games and I only played when I have time.

PL: Since 2014 it looks like you’ve taken the game a bit more seriously. You’ve even taken down a couple of $100 buy-in events and scored $17k in a Rio Deepstack this summer. Do you consider yourself a semi-pro of sorts or still just a hobbyist? Cash games or tournaments?

Hung at the felt. (Photo: Bicycle Casino)

WH: I play both cash games and tournaments. I still treat poker as a hobby. I realize how people have improved so much the last 4-5 years from studying poker online, so I am doing the same thing.

PL: What’s your favorite poker moment so far? And your poker aspirations?

WH: My favorite poker moment was when my KK held up against my opponent’s TT at the final table at the Rio Deepstack tournament. It just felt like a huge relief. As for my poker aspirations, I am planning to play at the World Series of Poker Main Event next year. That is my goal.

PL: Your background is a bit varied from engineering to statistical analysis to now pursuing an MBA. How does it help/hurt you in poker?

WH: I feel it helps me in poker, as I can learn the basics very quickly.

PL: You’ve spoken a lot about not giving up in the face of negativity/living a life of no regrets since your American Idol experience. Has that attitude helped you in poker?

WH: In poker, being able to handle adversity is very important. Especially when playing tournaments, because it is easy to get short-stacked and it is natural to just feel like giving up.

But that is not a good attitude to have, because anything can happen in poker. If you play bad when your luck is bad, then you may not have a chance to turn things around when your luck is good.

Naturally, a Maria Ho fan.

PL: You must get recognized at the poker tables. Does your image from American Idol help your game? Do people expect you to be a bit of an amateur/easy mark? What can people expect if they draw the same table as you?

WH: It’s a mixed bag. Sometimes people want to play more straightforward against me because they think I am an amateur. Other times, people are trying harder than usual to bluff me off a hand, because they think I am easy to push over.

With this in mind, I don’t have any default strategy I stick to very long. It all depends on how they decide to play against me.

PL: Any poker players in particular you admire? Have you made many friends in poker or do you have a professional group of players you talk hands with, etc?

WH: My favorite poker players are Jonathan Little, Bart Hanson, David Tuchman and Maria Ho. I typically post my hands online for discussion after my sessions using an online nickname.

PL: Do you know much about Malta? Have you been there before?

WH: No, I’ve never been there before. I found out that it’s a nice beautiful island south of Italy.

PL: We’re running a Karaoke contest this year for one of our readers to win a Battle of Malta package. Any suggestions for what to do/how to make it memorable? Do you have a go-to Karaoke number of your own?

WH: For singing, the hardest thing to do is to sing from your heart. This means making the words you sing match the emotions you are trying to portray. As for my favorite Karaoke song, I don’t have a particular favorite. I just pick songs that I enjoy singing.

PL: Last question: Is there anything you wish you had said to Randy or Simon during your audition? Especially when it became clear they were not taking you seriously?

WH: Well, I said 'I already gave my best, I have no regrets at all.' I don’t think I would have said something different.

Very often in life, things don’t work out the way you want it to and that’s okay. As long as you gave your best, you can move on and try again next time.

After three months of fan voting and a long, heated debate by the PokerListings panel the winners of the 2015 Spirit of Poker Awards have been determined.

Costa Rican poker legend Humberto Brenes, Russian spark plug Anatoly Filatov and psychedelic young Brit Charlie Carrel will receive PokerListings’ own Spirit of Poker Awards during the 2015 Battle of Malta.

Brenes will collect the Living Legend Award, Filatov Most Inspiring Player and Carrel the Rising Star Award.

Brenes a True Legend

In our Living Legend category there was no denying that fan favorite Humberto Brenes, the spearhead of Latin-American poker, deserved more than just an honorable mention as a nominee.

Game changer for Latin American poker.

“The Chark” was nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame last year and didn’t make the shortlist this year, but Brenes took up tournament poker the year (1974!) before Daniel Negreanu was born.

He’s an old school, all-round player who feels just as comfortable in NLHE as in Omaha Hi-Lo or Ace-Five Triple Draw.

Brenes came fourth in the WSOP main event before any of the GPI top 20 were even born and was one of the early members of Team PokerStars, joining in 2006 and staying on for nine years.

Still, despite all his success, Brenes never considered himself a professional player. He was always involved in a business on the side to keep poker more fun than work.

It showed in his joy at the tables and that clearly still resonates with fans as Brenes easily collected the most votes overall to top fellow nominees like Erik Seidel and Barry Greenstein.

Congratulations to Humberto Brenes from everyone at PokerListings! We look forward to greeting him at the Battle of Malta in early November and seeing Maria Ho hand over our Living Legends Award to “the epitome of competitive spirit and class” (Nolan Dalla).

Filatov in a Landslide for Most Inspiring Player

Our search for the Most Inspiring Player over the last 12 months found such a clear winner this year there wasn't much to discuss.

Russian Anatoly Filatov received over 70% of the total votes to make him the runaway choice and obvious driving force in one of the most important markets in the poker economy.

Anatoly Filatov or JCVD?

Known online and on Twitter as nl_profit Filatov has amassed $1.8 million in earnings and transitioned to being a regular at the biggest live tournaments around the world.

Filatov represents the fastest growing poker room in Russia – Pokerdom – and is known for being a meticulous worker who spends a lot of time coaching other players.

Long before Twitch Filatov was also one of the first players who streamed his games live using a website now known as gosupoker.

For the European Poker Awards held last March in Malta he was elected to be on the panel of judges who picked the winners.

With his outspoken nature and his memorable style Filatov won the PokerListings readers over to defeat Indian superstar Aditya Agarwal and Twitch phenomenon Jason Somerville, both of whom have recently joined the PokerStars pro team.

Last not least his famous “Filatov splits” show that he’s one of the modern players who values physical fitness just as highly as mental vigor. Kudos from PokerListings to Anatoly Filatov, who on his next trip to Malta will be on the receiving side of an awards ceremony.

Carrel Claims Rising Star

It's always difficult to predict if a young gun who’s had some early success will make it to the top of the international elite and stay there.

Talented and fashionable.

This year there's no doubt in our minds that each of the top three players in the Rising Star category will have long careers in the game if they choose to.

We'll hear from Charlie Carrel, Dzmitry Urbanovich and Fedor Holz for many years but it was British player Carrel who has collected and inspired the most fans among the readers of PokerListings so far.

Carrel has risen to the highest levels of the game in a dazzlingly short timeframe, going from ranking around 20,000 in the GPI to the top 200 within the last 12 months; from depositing $15 to playing NL5k; from being a relatively anonymous online player as 'epiphany77' to EPT Grand Final high roller champion.

This was the closest race of the three categories of the Spirit of Poker Awards and in the final vote Carrel rose to the top over German wunderkind Holz, who just may have grown right past the level of 'rising' and into the legend category.

Kudos to Mr Carrel; we look forward to presenting your award at the Battle of Malta.

Ceremony at Battle of Malta in November

Our three winners follow in the footsteps of popular poker personalities Shannon Shorr, Pierre Neuville, Dominik Panka, Thor Hansen, Naoya Kihara and Luca Moschitta.

Maria presents Dominik Panka with Rising Star award.

This is the third year PokerListings has presented the Spirit of Poker Awards and the list of nine winners already covers some of the most fascinating and inspiring players around the globe.

Representing nine different nationalities they also show just how far-reaching the game of poker has become and hint at how much further it can go.

Host Maria Ho will present our latest group of awards at the Battle of Malta 2015, held November 4-9 at the Portomaso Casino in St. Julian’s.

There are still lots of seats for the “Best Low Buy-in Tournament of the Year" winner at last year's European Poker Awards. Buy your complete package here or qualify online at one of our partnering online poker rooms.

What is it about Finnish models and poker?

Highstakes legend Patrik Antonius is, of course, a former model.

Miss Finland Sara Chafak took the poker world by storm with her daring bluff in Season 1 of PokerStars' Shark Cage.

Now model and singer Kim Herold  - solo artist and lead singer of the band Humane - is making his mark at the felt.

Last year Herold won the Finnish championships in Pot-Limit Omaha, a pretty prestigious title in a country that has brought forward Omaha masters such as Ilari Sahamies.

That was quite a story back in his home country as Herold at the same time is a well-known singer and songwriter.

Now Herold has his eyes on a new title. In November he'll take a week out of his busy schedule to travel to Malta to play the Battle of Malta for the first time

On the Trail of Jukka Dudeson

“I've never been to Malta so I’m happy to see a place for the first time. I always come to win and have a good time.

Jukka Dudeson went deep.

"I really enjoy sitting down and playing cards for a week.”

Besides playing the €500.000 guaranteed Main Event Herold is also looking forward to the €250 PLO Knights Crusade - won last year, of course, by a Finn, Aarno Kiveliö.

The multi-talented Herold isn't the first Finnish celebrity to play the Battle of Malta. In 2013 MTV stunt group The Dudesons brought their mayhem to the Mediterranean island and even enjoyed a deep run.

Jukka ‘The Rockstar’ Hilden made it to the final two tables where he tried to distract his opponents by ordering 20 beers for his table.

Eventually Hilden busted in 17th place and had to drink most of the beers himself. Herold is unlikely to make a similar display of consumption but he is ready to have a good time in Malta.

“Ha-ha, that sounds like Jukka. But I really don’t have a game plan for most things I do in life. I just go with the flow."

Special Edition Shirts from Royal Marine

The 2015 Battle of Malta will play out at the Portomaso Casino November 4-9 in St. Julian’s. Even if you're not a Finnish model can you still look like one at the tournament.

Looks good with or without shirt, really.

Underwear brand Royal Marine will be at BOM with an exclusive line of boxer shorts and Battle of Malta shirts.

Both promise to be great memorabilia items as the stylish brand is working hard on the special edition.  

"We're very excited to launch this one of a kind product," says Kris Jes Petersen, Managing Director of Royal Marine.

"We have a designer working on the shirts and he has found great inspiration in the BOM poker tournament.

"Looking great is also a big part of feeling great and, eventually, playing great."

Every day from Nov. 5-8 Royal Marine will also host a exhibition of its new collection with an open bar right outside the tournament floor at the Grandmaster Suite at the Hilton. More details here.

Need a vacation but can’t afford it?

The 2015 Battle of Malta is looming with a trip to a picturesque island and €100,000+ first-place prize up for grabs.

Fortunately online qualifiers for the contest have swung into high gear over the last week so you have a ton of options to qualify on the cheap.

RedBet, Betsson Running Satellites

The Battle of Malta

Some of the biggest online poker sites in the world including 888poker, Ladbrokes and Betssafe are running satellites for the 2015 Battle of Malta.

It’s possibly to qualify for these events for free but you can always buy in directly if you want your best shot at qualifying for the award-winning Battle of Malta.

This year’s Battle of Malta Main EVent is set to take place Nov. 4-9 with a €500,000 guaranteed prize pool. Once again the competition will take place entirely at the five-star Hilton Hotel in beautiful St. Julian’s.

For more information just head over to our Battle of Malta homepage.

Here’s a complete look at the numerous potential ways to qualify over the coming weeks:

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015

Site: Ladbrokes
Event: BOM Main Event Qualifier
Buy-in: €50
Time: 21:00 GMT
Prize: €1,690 package

Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015

Site: 888poker
Event: Weekly 888poker BOM Qualifier
Buy-in: $160
Time: 7:05 p.m. GMT
Prize: €2,000 package including BOM buy-in, accommodations and travel expenses

Friday, Oct. 9, 2015

Site: RedBet
Event: RedBet Road to Malta Final Freeroll
Buy-in: Freeroll (Qualify through Road to Malta or play 1,000 raked hands)
Time: 20:30 CET
Prize: €1,550 package

Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015

Site: NetBet
Event: NetBet BOM 2015
Buy-in: €75
Time: 21:00 CET
Prize: 2 X €1,310 packages

Site: Play Against Friends Poker
Event: Play Against Friends Poker BOM Final Freezeout
Buy-in: $320
Time: 20:00 CET
Prize: €1,800 package

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015

Site: Ladbrokes
Event: Ladbrokes BOM Main Event Qualifier
Buy-in: €50
Time: 21:00 GMT
Prize: €1,690 package

Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015

Site: 888poker
Event: 888poker Weekly Qualifier
Buy-in: $160
Time: 7:05 p.m. GMT
Prize: €2,000 package including BOM buy-in, accommodations and travel expenses

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015

Site: Betsson/Betsafe/NordicBet
Event: Betsson/Betsafe/NordicBet Bom Weekly Final
Buy-in: €175
Time: 20:00 CET
Prize: €1,550 package

Event: Play Against Friends Poker BOM Final Freezeout
Buy-in: $320
Time: 20:00 CET
Prize: €1,800 package

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015

Site: Ladbrokes
Event: Ladbrokes BOM Main Event Qualifier
Buy-in: €50
Time: 21:00 GMT
Prize: €1,690 package

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

Site: 888poker
Event: 888poker Weekly Qualifier
Buy-in: $160
Time: 7:05 p.m. GMT
Prize: €2,000 package including BOM buy-in, accommodations and travel expenses

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015

Site: Betsson/Betsafe/NordicBet
Event: Betsson/Betsafe/NordicBet Bom Weekly Final
Buy-in: €175
Time: 20:00 CET
Prize: €1,550 package

Site: Play Against Friends Poker
Event: Play Against Friends Poker BOM Final Freezeout
Buy-in: $320
Time: 20:00 CET
Prize: €1,800 package

The 2015 Battle of Malta begins in three weeks and it will be the biggest, most high-value edition ever.

What can players expect? More events, more parties, more players, more money – and more battle.

Last year the Battle of Malta broke the record for largest standalone tournament in Europe. But that was last year.

Just how epic will the 2015 edition be? Let's count down the ways.

10. Buy-In Still Just €550

Last year the Battle of Malta aimed to be the best-value tournament in Europe. According to the European Poker Awards, it was.

Big field, tiny buy-in.

The 1,447 entries, €700,000 prize pool, 4,934 pints of Maltese Cisk poured and 4 am heads-up battle were all record-breaking numbers as one new BOM Wikipedia page can attest.

Still, despite the massive success, the one thing that won't grow this year is the buy-in.

The guarantee is again a massive €500,000 but the buy-in is still a very affordable €550.

9. Still Satellites Running at 1 Cent

If you're wondering how to get a ticket to the BOM cheap there are still plenty of options.

Check our “How to Qualify” page to find out which online poker sites are still offering satellites.

888poker, RedBet, NetBet, betsson, betsafe, NordicBet, paf.com and Ladbrokes are all sending players to the BOM main event with VIP packages.

If you’re running out of time or patience for online satellites you can always purchase your ticket or BOM package online.

8. Easy Online Purchase of Economy + VIP Packages

If you can't be bothered to go the online qualifier route you can hit our BOM payment page right now and secure a ticket to the main event.

Hilton Malta

The big-value economy package includes your main event ticket (Day 1b), four nights in the Rokna Hotel right around the corner, Cocktail Party, All-in Friday, VIP Player Party and daily Casino buffet.

If you treat yourself to the full VIP package you'll stay in the 5-Star Intercontinental Hotel, choose which starting day you want to play and get free entrance to all three parties on top of everything the economy package offers.

Note: The Hilton Hotel is already fully booked so hurry up! We strongly suggest you reserve yourself a ticket upfront to make sure you’ll get a seat. You can also get single-entry tickets to any of the parties and special events. There are many ways/levels to join and many options to have fun.

7. Play the Pros

The Battle of Malta is a tournament for poker players who aren't professionals. Hobby players are the vast majority of all BOM players and, as many can attest, the level of fun/play reflects that.

Gaelle is back.

But that doesn’t mean that international pros aren't interested in it.

In past years pros and celebrities in the field have included Dan “jungleman” Cates, Dominik Panka, Thor Hansen, Naoya Kihara, Pierre Neuville, Luca Moschitta, Sofia Lövgren, Lauri Pesonen, Fabrice Soulier, Leo Margets, Luca Pagano, Dominik Nitsche, Johnny Lodden, Dermot Blain, Rupert Elder and Andreas Hoivold.

This year Humberto Brenes, Anatoly Filatov, Gaelle Garcia Diaz and Sabina Hiatullah are just a few of the big names who have confirmed they'll play.

6. More Parties

If you remember this party song or this one, you've likely been sitting at poker tables legally for over 20 years. And you like to party.

Today there's no poker event with a higher party frequency than the Battle of Malta. That’s a fact.

We will treat you to an Opening Cocktail Party on Thursday, the All-in Friday special event at Club Level 22 and the official VIP Players Party on Saturday.

Want to see what a BOM party looks like? Check the video.

5. Maria Ho

Maria gets mobbed.

Our fabulous Battle of Malta host Maria Ho took over from Kara Scott last year and she’ll be back in 2015.

Maria will play the main event, get the party started again and be around the players area for the entire tournament.

If last year is an indication she’ll also be the most photographed person at the whole BOM.

4. Flippers in November

Yes, even in early November the weather in Malta is so nice and warm that you can go swimming.

Temperatures usually rise well above the 20° mark. Although there can be rain, too, it’s rather an exception.

If you wonder how to spend the time when you’re not playing we suggest you go outside and start walking. There are many things to do and we have collected some suggestions for you.

3. Inside Poker Jokes!

When you walk around the Casino and tournament areas, pay attention to our new PokerListings roll-ups.

They're a special edition with less political correctness and more fun.

Also, you’ll need a bit of poker knowledge to understand them. Poker jokes are funny, right?

2 - Side Events

The Battle of Malta main event will break records again and we expect the same for the side events. Last year all but the high roller tournament completely sold out, so we’ve added more.

We’ll give you the chance to play the now famous Siege of Malta Second Chance, the Grandmaster High Roller, the PLO Knight Crusade as well as a Deepstack turbo and a Win the Button event.

Are you asking yourself what all this means? Check it out here.

1. And the Main Reasons Are ...

This, this, this, and this. Oh, and these, of course. There's now even this, if you really want to embrace (and permanently capture) the whole experience.

And if you click on this, you’ll definitely want to be there. Let the Battle begin!

The clock is ticking and the 2015 Battle of Malta is getting dangerously close.

So if you’re looking to qualify for the award-winning €500,000-GTD live tournament in sunny Malta you better get moving.

Ladbrokes, 888poker, RedBet and Betsson are running online qualifiers for the tournament.

PokerStars is even running a live qualifier for the Battle of Malta tomorrow in the midst of EPT Malta.

If you want to play the live PokerStars qualifier for Battle of Malta, which is scheduled to take place at 18:00, you can actually register through your PokerStars Live account.

BOM Expected to be Bigger Than Ever

The 2015 Battle of Malta is set to run Nov. 4-9, 2015, with over 1,800+ players expected to play thanks to an expanded schedule.

The Battle of Malta

The tournament will once again take place at the five-star Hilton and Portomaso Casino in St. Julian’s, Malta.

Poker pro Maria Ho is returning as host and will attempt to make back-to-back cashes in the tournament. She’ll be joined by a number of poker pros/celebs like Gaëlle Garcia Diaz, Humberto Brenes, Sabina Hiatullah and American Idol contestant William Hung.

Last year Antoan Katsarov outlasted 1,447 players to win the first-place prize of €122,750.

Since then BOM received a nod at the European Poker Event of the Year in the under-$2000 buy-in category at the European Poker Awards.

Below is a look at the various qualifiers for Battle of Malta packages that are still running with buy-ins ranging from free to $320.

To learn more head to our Battle of Malta online qualifier page or our BOM Live Satellite Schedule page.

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015

Event: PokerStars EPT/IPT Malta Live BOM Satellite
Location: Portomaso Casino, Malta
Buy-in: €70+€10
Time: 18:00 GMT
Prizes: €550 Battle of Malta seats

Event: Ladbrokes BOM Main Event Qualifier
Buy-in: €50
Time: 21:00 GMT
Prize: €1,690 package

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015

Event: 888poker Weekly Qualifier
Buy-in: $160
Time: 7:05 p.m. GMT
Prize: €2,000 package including BOM buy-in, accommodations and travel expenses

Friday, Oct. 23, 2015

Event: RedBet Leaderboard Freeroll
Buy-in: Qualify by placing top 10 in RedBet BOM Road to Malta
Time: TBA
Prize: One €1,550 package to Battle of Malta

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015

Event: PokerStars EPT Malta Live BOM Satellite
Location: Portomaso Casino, Malta
Buy-in: €70+€10
Time: 18:00 GMT
Prizes: €550 Battle of Malta seats

Event: Betsson/Betsafe/NordicBet Bom Weekly Final
Buy-in: €175
Time: 20:00 CET
Prize: €1,550 package

Event: Play Against Friends Poker BOM Final Freezeout
Buy-in: $320
Time: 20:00 CET
Prize: €1,800 package

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015

Event: Ladbrokes BOM Main Event Qualifier
Buy-in: €50
Time: 21:00 GMT
Prize: €1,690 package

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015

Event: BOM 2015 Spooky Satellite
Location: Portomaso Casino, Malta
Buy-in: €55+€5
Time: 20:00 GMT
Prize: €550 Battle of Malta seat

Monday, Nov. 2, 2015

Event: BOM 2015 Supervalue Satellite
Location: Portomaso Casino, Malta
Buy-in: €55+€5
Time: 20:00 GMT
Prize: At least five €550 Battle of Malta seats guaranteed

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015

Event: BOM 2015 Supervalue Satellite
Location: Portomaso Casino, Malta
Buy-in: €55+€5
Time: 20:00 GMT
Prize: At least five €550 Battle of Malta seats guaranteed

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015

Event: BOM 2015 Supervalue Satellite
Location: Portomaso Casino, Malta
Buy-in: €55+€5
Time: 20:00 GMT
Prize: At least five €550 Battle of Malta seats guaranteed

What started out as just a "crazy idea" has turned into one of the biggest standalone poker tournaments in Europe.

Now going into its fourth year the PokerListings Battle of Malta has also established itself as a valuable asset to Malta’s economy.

Last Friday BOM organizers, Maltese Tourism representatives and a cross-section of poker industry workers gathered in the conference center in the Hilton Hotel in St. Julian’s for a press conference.

It was hosted by Ivonne Montealegre, BOM Tournament Director, Martin Carlesund, CEO of Highlight Media Group Ltd, Paul Bugeja, COO of the Malta Tourism Authority and Eros Ganzina, General Manager of the Portomaso Casino.

Introducing some of the new additions for BOM 2015 they also recounted the astonishing development of the Battle of Malta from just another poker tournament to an event so big it has an effect on Malta’s national economic growth.

With 349 players BOM 1 showed promise.

A "Crazy Idea"

In 2012, when Montealegre approached PokerListings with the idea to create a new poker event, it was, in her words, "just a crazy idea.

"But within three years it has turned into one of the largest poker tournaments in Europe and beyond.”

“We were very happy to see 349 players that year but in 2014 that number had grown to an amazing 1,447. People are coming to Malta to play from all over Europe, from the Americas, and even as far as Australia.”

The initial (and still) ultimate goal of the BOM, added Carlesund, “was to bring back something that was lost from poker – fun.”

“We are now looking at 2,000 players for 2015, so it seems like we succeeded in doing so. It’s a fantastic development, and we are proud to be in the industry.”

Put Malta on the Map

An emerging poker industry in Malta has started to have a significant effect on the economy of Malta.

On the map as poker destination.

Paul Bugeja, COO of the Malta Tourism Authority, said it accounts “for 12% of the GDP and growing. It is second only to tourism.”

The MTA is running an initiative to extend the tourism season in Malta beyond the summer months and with the BOM taking place in November “it has really put Malta on the map," he says.

“More than 30 international journalists have covered the Battle of Malta and it has become a fixed component of the initiative above.”

Today you can find information about the Battle of Malta not only on poker websites but also on plenty of other media venues from promotional sites like visitmalta.com to public review websites like tripadvisor.com.

Now Playing in the Champions League

Ganzina, the General Manager of the Portomaso Casino, was one of the many people who initially doubted the chances of success.

Growing force every year.

“When I was first contacted by Mrs. Montealegre," he said, “I wasn’t convinced of the project. But when I heard the next day they had booked 300 nights at the Hilton Hotel I knew they were serious.”

“This past year the Battle of Malta won the European Poker Award for Best Tournament Under $2,000 buy-in, which really put us in the spotlight. We’re now playing in the Champions League.”

The success of the Battle of Malta is extraordinary. From the first to the second edition the main event field grew by 154% from 349 to 888 players. The next year saw growth of 64% to 1,447 players. This year the target number is 2,000 entries.

“To reach another 30% more players is not a joke," said Gazina in his last statement. “But I’m optimistic that we’re going to have a bigger festival every year.”

The next Battle of Malta will place from November 4-9 at the Portomaso Casino. The Hilton Hotel is already fully booked for the event but packages and single buy-ins are still widely available on our Battle of Malta page.

Find out more about online qualifiers, satellites and side events there as well.

Battle of Malta Quick Stats

Watch the video from the press conference below:

Ever wonder what it's like to earn a living competing in the biggest poker tournaments in the world?

How about appearing on the adventure-themed reality-TV show The Amazing Race?

Well, this Thursday is your lucky day.

Poker pro and PokerListings Battle of Malta host Maria Ho is scheduled for an AMA on Reddit, giving poker fans and curious laymen alike the chance to pepper her with questions, no holds barred.

The AMA will take place Thursday, November 29 at 5pm EDT.

Find it on Reddit here.

Poker Pro, TV Personality, BOM Host

Ho has been a fixture on the live poker circuit for close to a decade.

She's had great success including two deep runs in the WSOP Main Event and also held the honor of the biggest WSOP cash by a woman for her second-place finish in 2011 that earned her more than $540,000.

Join Maria at the Battle of Malta Nov. 4-9.

Ho co-hosted the TV show Poker Night in America: The Tour and is a celebrity spokesperson for WinStar World Casino.

In 2009 she competed in the Emmy Award winning TV show The Amazing Race with friend and fellow poker player Tiffany Michelle and she's also sung on American Idol and appeared as a panelist on Anderson Cooper 360.

Since 2014 Maria has been the host of the PokerListings Battle of Malta, a role she'll be reprising next week when the award-winning event returns to the Portomaso Casino in St Juliens.

Watch Maria Ho's Best Poker Moment

Check out this video to hear Maria explain one of the defining moments of her poker career.

The clips have been watched, the views tallied and the decision made.

The winner of the 2015 Battle of Malta Karaoke Contest is Kati Garske from Düsseldorf, Germany!

Kati took karaoke to the next level when she recorded a clip of her and a friend singing along (or trying to) to Pharrell Williams' smash hit "Happy."

It definitely pushes the boundaries of karaoke, and that's exactly what the judges were looking for in picking a winner.

As Garske put it in her FB post where you can watch the clip:

Try singing karaoke in a rollercoaster... it's as exciting as starting with pocket aces at Battle of Malta by PokerListings!!
‪#‎BATTLEOFMALTA‬
‪#‎karaokeinarollercoaster‬
‪#‎rollercoaster‬
‪#‎happy‬
‪#‎karaoke‬

See you on stage Maria Ho!

Joining William Hung and Maria Ho Onstage in Paceville!

With over 400 views plenty of people agreed the challenge to "clap along" rocketing around on a rollercoaster was not your usual pub fare.

Maria: Cold killer with a mic.

And just as she envisioned she will join Maria Ho onstage for a night to remember at the Footloose Bar in Paceville, Malta, on November 4th.

Even better the two will be joined by American Idol icon and master of joyful sing-alongs, William Hung - another VIP guest at the 2015 Battle of Malta.

Along with the prized night of karaoke with Ho, Hung and the PL staff Garske also of course will enjoy a full 2015 Battle of Malta VIP package that includes:

Seats and VIP packages are still available for the Best Low Buy-in Poker Tournament in Europe if you're interested in joining the party. Find out more and buy your ticket right here.

PokerListings’ premier €500k-GTD Battle of Malta only costs €550 to buy into but how much better would it be to pay nothing at all?

That’s what Betsafe and Betsson are potentially offering in their exclusive “Flip” freerolls this Thursday (and every Thursday until Aug. 28).

To enter you simply have to play 50 raked hands seven days prior to the freeroll start time.

Once you’re in the Flip freeroll you just kick back and watch as every player is all-in on every hand. You don’t even have to be logged in to play, just registered.

If the cards go the right way you’ll walk away with a €1,600 package to sunny Malta this November.

The package includes four nights accommodation at the 5-Star Hilton Malta, €550 Main Event buy-in, €300 in spending cash, daily breakfast/buffet and tickets to two VIP parties.

Full details on our 2014 Battle of Malta qualifiers page right here.

$2,200 Package Every Sunday on 888poker

The Kipster is coming!

The Battle of Malta, which takes place Nov. 6-9 this year, is the top small buy-in, big prizepool guarantee VIP-style event in Europe.

Maria Ho, Andreas Hoivold, Paul Jackson and Luca Pagano are among the pros confirmed to play the tournament this year.

Danish pro Jesper 'Kipster' Hougaard is the latest pro to announce his intentions to play. Hougaard is best-known for his WSOPE bracelet he won in PLO in London in 2008.

While there will be some pros in attendance there will also be plenty of amateurs looking to bask in the Maltese sun while getting in a little poker action.

Nearly 1,400 players are expected to play this year’s event, hosted at the world-class Portomaso Casino in St. Julian’s.

888poker also runs daily steps qualifiers for the Sunday BOM qualifier running all summer. The 888poker BOM steps program starts at just 1c for Step 1.

Each weekly winner of the 888 BOM qualifier receives a $2,200 package that includes a $300 flight credit.

For more information go to our Battle of Malta qualifiers page. If you fail to win a package you can also just buy-in directly for €550 on the Battle of Malta homepage at any time.

It's finally here.

After a torturous 360-day wait and a sun-drenched city tour of Valletta yesterday for media and guests, the 2015 Battle of Malta is on the brink of the shuffle up and deal.

Kicking off today at 2 pm from the Portomaso Casino in St. Julian's we've got a sold-out five-star hotel, a massive and growing list of registrants and a buzz in the Malta air we haven't seen since, well, last year at this time.

Plenty of poker action is in store for the next five days but along the way a ton of fun, booze and light-hearted international poker banter will be spread liberally across the poker tables and beyond.

New additions are also in store alongside everything that helped make the 2014 BOM the toast of low buy-in tournaments at the European Poker Awards. Here's a quick look at what's to come

Massive Prize Pool, Low Buy-in, Side Action

First up: the poker.

Poker and more poker

The 2015 Main Event features the same affordable €550 and massive €500,000 guaranteed prize pool.

With 1,447 entries last year that ballooned to €701,795 and registration so far suggests this year will top that.

With one re-entry available players will get two stabs at taking home a share of it. If that doesn't work out the side action is also amped up from last year.

The €250+€25 Siege of Malta Second Chance is back along with the €300+€30 Deepstack Turbo.

A €1,200+€120 Grandmaster High Roller and €250+€25 PLO Knight's Crusade are new as is a €150+€15 (Re-buys) Win the Button event.

If you're still looking to get in the Main Event on the cheap €55+€5 re-entry satellites will run tonight and tomorrow night at the Portomaso Casino

Cash games will also be readily at hand. Check the full schedule of events here.

Parties

If the poker doesn't go as swimmingly as planned the parties will certainly bring your mood back up.

Beverages plentiful

Things get started tonight at 10:00 pm with a special Karaoke night for our karaoke contest winner with Maria Ho, American Idol icon William Hung and the PokerListings Team at Footloose Bar in Paceville.

The comparatively mellow Opening Cocktail Party for Package Holders and Staff kicks off tomorrow night at 9:30 at the Hilton.

The pace picks up with the new All-In Friday spectacular at Club 22 and peaks on Saturday with the blowout BOM Official VIP Player Party.

Sunday's BOM After Battle Prosecco Breakfast winds things down for the bustees while the Main Event grinds down to the final table and the big paydays.

In between the schedules parties there's still plenty of consolation cocktails on hand in the Betting Connections Lounge overlooking the tournament floor.

Live Coverage Begins Today at 2 PM

If you want to follow the action as it happens it all begins at 2 pm from the Grandmaster Suite at the Hilton with live coverage available in eight languages.

Fatima in the field.

Among our celebrity and pro guests expected to hit the field over the first two days include PokerStars pro Fatima Moreira de Melo, 2015 Spirit of Poker Award winners Humberto Brenes and Anatoly Filatov, American Idol William Hung, BOM regular Andreas Hoivold and of course our host Maria Ho.

Locals and past guests we wouldn't be surprised to see pop by include Sofia Lovgren and Jorryt Van Hoof.

2014 champ Antoan Katsarov will also be back to defend his title alongside a big contingent of local Maltese talent headed by 2014 runner-up Alan Brincat and the Poker Mama Jackie Cachia.

If you're looking for specific updates on friends and family in the field just hit us up in the comments here or on the live coverage page or drop us a note on Twitter or our Battle of Malta Facebook page. Use the #BattleofMalta or #BOM hashtags and will track it down for you.

Watch it all shake down for the next five days right here!

For a poker "hobbyist," Humberto Brenes has piled up some pretty impressive results over his decade-long career.

The Costa Rican poker "Chark" became a household name during the poker boom years with his entertaining appearances on the WSOP broadcast and he's barely slowed down since.

In 2014, in fact, he cashed 10 times at the World Series of Poker and looked as primed to capture his third career gold bracelet as ever.

Since moving on from Team PokerStars pro last year Brenes has slipped into a much more casual role as a hobby player but make no mistake: he's still as sharp as ever when the game's afoot.

He's also not lost much of his worldwide popularity as he was a clear winner in the online voting for the Living Legend Award this year, defeating such esteemed nominees as Erik Seidel, Barry Greenstein and James Woods.

He's here on the island to accept his award and play the Battle of Malta Main Event and PokerListings Spain's Esther Amores had a quick chat with him before things got underway:

Happy and flattered.

PokerListings: The final vote tally for the PokerListings Living Legend Award gave you a landslide win that shows just how strongly the poker community admires you. How do you feel to be the winner of this award?

Humberto Brenes: I feel very happy and flattered to receive this recognition that has been decided with the participation of the people. I would like to thank everybody who thought of me to receive this award.

PL: You already have one of the most important poker titles with two WSOP bracelets but we know you're looking for the third. What are your poker goals now?

HB: My goal is to keep playing more years as I have the opportunity of being a poker player as a hobby, a kind of hobby where age does not matter so much and I can keep enjoying it.

PL: You're playing the Main Event of the Battle of Malta 2015. Although this is your first time at this tournament we'd like to know what attracted you to play and what do you expect to find?

HB: One of the things that attracts me is the fact that I am going to discover such as nice place as Malta and also lot of new faces in the poker community.

PL: As you know the Battle of Malta is a low buy-in tournament that appeals to recreational players with an atmosphere of more fun than other tournaments. In Europe we know there are not too many tournaments like this but we're not sure about Latin America. Are there any similar tournaments or shall we start thinking of exporting our Battle?

HB: I have played in several similar tournaments with low buy-ins but they try to spread the gamer of poker and also to promote tourism among the players. This kind of tournaments are more enjoyable because the main focus is not the money; it's just the game.

PL: You're one of the players that prefers to play tournaments over cash games. Why? And how do you think the game has changed?

HB: Yes, the tournament tables are more competitive. At the tournaments everybody starts with the same stack so players make the difference among the others with their skills and not with their economic power.

PL: At the tables you're very well known for being The Shark but also because of your personality and your singing. We've heard you singing at the tables while you're listening to your iPod and sometimes not everybody likes that. Do you have a memorable story that happened at the table with your music?

HB: Yes. At one of the WSOP tournaments after playing for nine hours with a young player next to me, he went All-In with a pair of Aces and lost the hand.

Never play a buy-in where you don't feel comfortable

When he stands up from the table, he says 'goodbye' and with very bad Spanish says 'well Humberto, see you later. The only good thing about leaving is that I won't have to listen to you singing.'

Then he shakes hands with me smiling and leaves the room.

PL: Remembering again that you have won the Living Legend Award can you tell us the recipe for your success?

HB: The biggest secret is that poker is my hobby, so I have never played any tournament or cash table where I didn't feel comfortable with the people or with the buy-in.

PL: Finally, what are the 3 tips you can give to new players?

HB: If you want to be a winner I recommend:

Never play a buy-in where you don't feel comfortable

Never play when you don't feel good or your mind is not clear

Spend some time at the beginning to know the players at your table. What you know about your opponents will make the difference.

The Battle of Malta — Europe’s leading stand-alone tournament — kicked off today in dramatic fashion.

Maria Ho provided the traditional shuffle up and deal with Maltese knights in her entourage.

A total of 305 players joined the action on Day 1A of the 2015 Battle of Malta. That’s just under the total number of players in the WSOPE main event in Berlin.

Twelve levels were played and when the dust settled at around 1:00 a.m. Ninety-eight of them made it into Day 2.

Here’s a look at the top 10 chip counts to end the day:

1. Alexander Kosholap - 213700
2. 
Linus Loeliger - 200000

3. Rasmus Ericson - 176900

3. Mateuz Moolhuizen - 176000

4. Alexis Urli - 169600
5. 
Jacki Cachia - 169400

6. Alexandre Bey - 159800

7. Bernardo Cucio - 148600
8. 
Claudio Pagano - 141500

9. Sesay Sulaiman - 140000
10. Alan Gilmore - 133600

Felix Stephensen, Sabina Hiatullah Make Day 2

The Chaaark was in the house.

Day 1a attracted notable pros like Fabrice Soulier, WSOP runner-up Felix Stephensen, Humberto Brenes, Andreas Hoivold, Sofia Lövgren, Anatoly Filatov and Sabina Hiatullah.

Most of them didn’t actually make it through, however. They will have to give it another try tomorrow, as the BOM allows every player one re-entry.

Brenes was the first of the pros to fall but he took it with the grandeur of a true poker gentleman, wishing everybody good luck and saying “see you tomorrow," which means there’s a very good chance he fires another bullet.

Andreas Hoivold and Fabrice Soulier had proper rollercoaster rides but also busted before the chips were bagged.

Sofia Lövgren and Anatoly Filatov got hit by the poker gods when they suffered bad beats and got busted in terrible fashion.

Felix Stephensen ended the day with a stack of 30,800 chips, which puts him at the bottom of the leaderboard, while Sabina Hiatullah finished only a little above that with 40k.

Kosholap Charges Hard on Day 1a

Alexander Kosholap

Our first chipleader at the BOM 2015 is Alexander Kosholap who managed to accumulate 213,700 chips, which will surely make him one of the top contenders in Day 2 no matter what happens on the other two starting days.

The only other player who finished the day with 200,000 chips (exactly) is Linus Loeliger from Switzerland, who had his first and only live tournament cash yet at the IPT Malta last March.

Last year, we had over 500 players on the first starting day but with an additional starting day this year there’s a good chance the final numbers will trump the record 1,447 total entries in 2014.

The second-to-last satellite for the Main Event was also running today, with a staggering 278 players taking part.

Seats Still Up for Grabs in Last Live Satellite

There will be one more satellite on Thursday evening at 9 PM. Use your chance to get a main event ticket – or maybe even a second one that you can sell to one of the unlucky poker fans who didn’t manage to get a seat.

If you’re still thinking of playing the Battle of Malta, make sure to take your seat tomorrow on day 1B, because the third starting day might be sold out.

There’s a good chance many of the busted poker pros will be back tomorrow. Maria Ho and American Idol legend William Hung are also going to play.

Day 1b begins at 2PM tomorrow and PokerListings is going to guide you through the whole day with live updates and videos.

Take a look at Maria Ho’s Shuffle Up and Deal at the start of the day and our daily recap video:

The 2015 PokerListings Battle of Malta is edging closer and closer to the biggest prize pool in the history of the tournament.

Day 1b garnered a total of 639 entries as the overall number grew to 944 over both starting days with one more to come.

Big-name pros Maria Ho, Thor Hansen and Luca Moschitta all hit the felt with the goal of grabbing a chunk of a potentially massive prize pool.

Instead it was Ivan Timotic and Daniel Mountford who stole the headlines with massive stacks of 317,200 and 285,000 respectively.

Here’s a look at the top 10 chip counts at the end of play:

Former Champs Survive to Day 2

You never know who’s going to show up to play the Battle of Malta and Day 1b was no exception with former American Idol star William Hung, Finnish model/song writer Kim Herold and even a player wearing a pigeon mask hitting the tables.

Maria Ho

Front and center were former champions Antoan Katsarov (2014) and Louis Cartarius (2013).

The only champ that’s missing is our inaugural winner Nicodemo Piccolo who won in 2012 and still has one more day to register for the tournament.

Some of the other notable figures to join in the action were Anatoly Filatov, Andreas Hoivold and Ken Lennaárd.

At the end of play a total of 214 survived to see Day 2. Ho, Hung, Herold and Thor Hansen were among the notables who busted.

Day 1c of the 2015 Battle of Malta kicks off at 2 p.m. local time tomorrow. It’s the final starting day of the tournament so it’s almost assured to be packed. If you’re playing you’ll want to get here early.

The tournament only needs to draw 492 to break last year’s record-setting 1,447 so there’s a good chance we see records fall tomorrow.

Keep it locked on PokerListings for complete live coverage of tournament.

Watch Maria Ho Recap Huge Day 1B

A massive Day 1c with 780+ entries already has the 2015 PokerListings Battle of Malta breaking records with more than 1,700 entries overall and counting.

Registration remains open in the tournament until the dinner break.

The 2015 Battle of Malta drew 305 entries on Day 1a and another 639 on Day 1b but Day 1c appears to be the biggest by far.

It’s safe to say the €500,000 guarantee has easily been smashed and even the €701,795 that was generated in last year’s edition will be surpassed.

You can follow the tournament as it progresses with the PokerListings Battle of Malta live updates.

Battle of Malta’s Explosive Growth Continues

This is the first year the Battle of Malta has had three starting days, which means more players than ever before were able to get in on the action.

Poker pro Fatima Moreira de Melo

The 2014 Battle of Malta broke records as Malta’s biggest tournament with 1,447 entries but that number will be easily eclipsed by this year’s contest.

At this point the Battle of Malta is only competing with itself.

Day 1c has already been one of the most prolific starting days for big name poker pros and personalities with Fatima Moreira de Melo, Humberto Brenes, Maria Ho as well as former American Idol star William Hung and former tennis pro Raemon Sluiter.

Players are allowed one re-entry that they can use at any point during the first three starting days.

Tomorrow will see the surviving players from all three starting days return to Portomaso Casino to play under the same roof for the first time.

Here’s a look at the rapid expansion of the Battle of Malta since its introduction in 2012:

2012: 349 entries
2013: 888 entries
2014: 1,447 entries
2015: 1,700+ (still climbing)

A total of 859 entries crammed into the Portomaso Casino for Day 1c of the 2015 Battle of Malta on Friday and helped create the biggest tournament in the history of poker on Malta.

Once you include the 305 entries from Day 1a and 640 from Day 1b you have a total of 1,804 entries for this year’s Battle of Malta, which is the biggest tournament ever held on the Island.

The exact prize pool will be announced tomorrow but it will easily crush the €500,000 guarantee and surpass even the €701,795 prize pool that was generated last year.

Sergio Di Ruberto looks to have grabbed the overnight chip lead for Day 1c with 275,300 chips with approximately 582 making it through to Day 2.

Here are the top 10 chip counts at the end of play after Day 1c:

Fatima de Melo, Tone Damli Touch Down in Malta

Fatima Moreira de Melo

Noted poker pros Maria Ho, Sofia Lovgren, Humberto Brenes, Luca Moschitta, William Hung and Thor Hansen all fired a second bullet on Day 1c but walked away empty handed.

Meanwhile there were a few completely new faces with Fatima Moreira de Melo and former tennis pro Raemon Sluiter making their BOM debuts.

Moreira de Melo and Sluiter finished with 27,000 and 100,200 chips respectively

Norwegian singer Tone Damli also made her first appearance at the Battle of Malta and appeared to be a lock to make Day 2. Unfortunately she busted on the last hand of play and will have to wait until next year to take another shot.

The surviving players from all three starting days (a total of about 580 players) will return to the Portomaso Casino tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time and play under the same roof for the same time.

You can follow the action via PokerListings' exclusive live updates with photos, videos, news and more.

The money bubble can be an arduous process for any tournament where there’s significant money on the line.

That wasn’t the case on Day 2 of the 2015 PokerListings Battle of Malta.

A rapid fire series of eliminations blazed right past the 180-player bubble mark without so much as a single hand of hand-for-hand play.

French poker pro Nicolas Proust shredded the competition to snag the overnight chip lead with 1.6 million. He’s followed closely by Henrik Jacobsen with 1.3 million.

Here’s the top chip leaders out of the remaining 88 players at the end of play:

Prize Pool Hits Record €874,940

Tournament officials announced the prize pool on Day 2 with

Jacki Cachia

The official prize pool numbers were finally released on Day 2 with a record €874,940 up for grabs with a €165,000 first-place prize thanks to the 1,804 entries.

You'll find complete payout information on this page.

Former Dutch tennis pro Raemon Sluiter was the first player to be eliminated but he was happy to add a €1,150 cash to his rapidly expanding poker profile.

Meanwhile local Jacki “Poker Mama” Cachia made it a bit further. The prolific Maltese casher Cachia finished 143rd for €1,250.

Louis Cartarius, Antoan Katsarov, Felix Stephensen, Sabina Hiatullah, and Noah Vaillancourt were also among the nearly 500 players who busted on Day 2.

It was a roller-coaster of a day for Dutch Team PokerStars Pro Fatima de Melo who peaked around 800,000 chips but fell down to under 200k before ending the night strong with 610,000.

de Melo is already guaranteed at least €1,550 for making it into the final 88.

Messina, Nilsen, Escobar Make it to Day 2

There are trophies to be won!

Some of the other notable players to make it to Day 2 include Gianluca Escobar (1.2 million), Valentin Messina (1.05 million) and Silje Nilsen (122,000)

Play actually ended early tonight and there’s a good chance play will be extended past Day 3, which was scheduled to be the last day of the tournament.

Play may end tomorrow once the final table is reached.

Regardless, the PokerListings live update team will be on hand for news, photos, videos and more.

Action resumes at 2 p.m. tomorrow.