I have to admit that now, less than a week after coming back from a 5-week round-the-world trip, all I want is to curl up on my couch with my cats and eat good food.
That being said I’m not worried because I know that after such a big trip, and even though I need to recharge my batteries, in a few days I’ll be yearning for a new adventure.
This time I won’t have to improvise, as I planned months ago that I would be coming to Malta to play one of the most enticing tournaments in the world: the Battle of Malta!
This tournament is very accessible with just a €550 buy-in but it’s also one of the most profitable, as thousands of players turn out. Last year the three finalists each took home more than €100,000.
This will be the fifth edition. Personally, I took part in the first two, but I always knew I'd come back for more as soon as my schedule allowed.
Beautiful and Slots-Free
Malta may be a small country but there are always things to do. If you enjoy fine food you'll love all the restaurants Malta has to offer -- in particular the Japanese ones.
The fish is great on the island and there’s a huge Japanese community, which makes the Japanese restaurants among the best.
Obviously, there are restaurants of all kinds, but as a fan of Japanese cuisine I have to admit it’s what I’m looking forward to most.
But the tournament has other strengths: it is played at the St Julian’s Hilton, in one of the most beautiful areas of Malta, next to the marina.
I love tournaments that are played in hotels instead of casinos. They feel much “cleaner,” there is more light and less stress, and at least you don’t have to walk past a million slots – which, I think, a lot of poker players will appreciate.
This also means that the hotel is closer than ever to the tournament venue. Even if the Hilton is full there are plenty of other hotels within 500m of the venue.
A Wonderful Hangover Remedy
I don’t go out much but it’s hard to avoid parties in Malta since all the good bars are close to the hotel. But the good thing is that the tournament doesn’t start until 2 pm which gives you more than enough time to recover.
If you’re staying at the Hilton you can spend some time at the heated pool or in the sauna, a wonderful hangover remedy, or even go to the gym or for a run.
The Main Event has three Day 1s with one re-entry per day. My advice is to plan precisely how many shots you want to take and what other tournaments you might want to play.
I hope I won’t be able to play any other events than the main, but if I do (shit happens), I think the €1,200 Grandmaster High Roller could be a lot of fun. There are tournaments from €50 so really there’s something for everyone.
You can book the buy-in+hotel package here with everything included - especially the VIP party.
So if you’re up for it I will see you there. In the meantime I will get back my thirst to play poker from my couch with my cats. See you very soon!
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Leo Margets will be one of several poker stars to attend the 5th Battle of Malta from November 2-7. Check out the full calendar of events here.
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