The 2017 Battle of Malta schedule is officially out with a record-setting number of tournaments, parties and activities set for Nov. 2-7 at the Portomaso Casino in St. Julian’s.
This year’s BOM has nine different tournaments on the calendar and €650,000 in prize pool guarantees spread across the Main Event, Siege of Malta Second Chance and Grandmaster High Roller.
The off-the-table schedule has also been expanded with opening cocktails, the signature VIP party, a pool party, "Knight Life" Speakeasy drinks and more.
The 2017 BoM also marks the debut of its first-ever Ladies Event along with new host Gaëlle Garcia Diaz.
First-Ever Ladies Event, Win the Cross
The main attraction at BoM is still the €500,000-guaranteed Main Event, which runs Nov. 2-7, and will once again feature a live stream of the final table on the last day.
Last year Swede Robert Berglund outlasted 1,813 entries in the BOM Main Event to win €160,000 from the €875,000 prize pool.
As usual the Main Event offers a very player-friendly structure and this year its been improved with a weekend-style format to give more recreational players a chance to get into the action.
Day 1A has been moved to Thursday (one day later than last year's Day 1A) to allow registration for players coming only for the weekend, which is expected to increase overall numbers for the Main Event.
The change was made based on feedback from last year's tournament.
Last year players got to watch the final-table action from afar for the first time ever thanks to a dedicated live stream hosted by Roland Boothby and Rikard Åberg.
This year players will once again be able to fire up PokerListings on Nov. 7 to see a new BoM champion crowned but the entire stream experience has been enhanced.
A couple of brand-new events debut on this year’s schedule as well with a €165 buy-in Ladies Event on Nov. 4 and a special €110 re-buy event called “Win the Cross.”
This year the €245 buy-in Siege of Malta Second Chance tournament will offer a €100,000 guarantee and the €1,320 buy-in Grandmaster High Roller will feature a €50,000 guarantee.
Once again BOM will host a Movember Charity tournament with a €165 buy-in Crazy Pineapple event on Nov. 6. Here's a look at the key dates for tournaments at BoM:
Battle of Malta €550 Main Event (Three Starting Days) - Nov. 2-7, 2017 Ladies Event €165 buy-in - Nov. 4, 2017 No-Limit Hold'em Win the Cross €110 buy-in - Nov. 4, 2017 Siege of Malta Second Chance €245 w/ re-entry - Nov. 5-7, 2017 PLO Knight's Crusaders €220 buy-in - Nov. 5, 2017 NLHE Grandmaster High Roller €1,320 buy-in - Nov. 6-7, 2017 IPC "After Battle" Turbo €220 buy-in - Nov. 6, 2017 NLHE DeepStack Battle Turbo €330 buy-in - Nov. 6, 2017 Crazy Pineapple Movember Charity €165 w/ re-entry, Nov. 6, 2017Get a €187 Discount on VIP packages Right Now!
Early-bird discounts for the 2017 Battle of Malta are still available and players can currently save €187 on single-player VIP packages if they book ASAP.
The deals are even more significant for players traveling in groups. The two-player package or Economy package for €995 means a discount of nearly €400 off normal price.
2017 Battle of Malta VIP packages include:
5 nights at the 5-Star Hilton Hotel (full breakfast buffet included) €550 Main Event buy-in with estimated prize pool over €900,000 Tickets to all 4 BOM VIP Player Parties Access to 6 side events, all cash games, off-site activities and merchandise giveaways Daily dinner buffet at the Portomaso CasinoPoker isn’t the only thing on the BOM menu, of course, and the blowout BoM VIP party will be making a return along with the opening Cocktail Party and All-In Friday.
Sunday means a trip to the pool for an exclusive poolside party. Monday will see one more gathering in the form of "Knight Life" Monday. The knight life means heading to a hip speakeasy bar in Malta for a wind-down drink (or wind up!).
Poker presenter/player Gaëlle Garcia Diaz will make her debut as host. Diaz played the tournament in 2014 but this year she'll join the ranks of Kara Scott and Maria Ho as the official host of the event.
You can check out the complete 2017 Battle of Malta schedule here. You can also register for tournaments on our BOM home page.
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