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Boris Becker present at MPNPT’s Battle of Malta

A gargantuan field of eager poker players descended on Malta’s Intercontinental Hotel hosted by Casino Malta yesterday for Day 1b of the MPN Poker Tour @ Battle of Malta Main Event. By the time registration closed at the end of Level 10, a total of 1,404 entries had been recorded for the day; together with Day 1a’s 451 entries, and with Days 1c and 1d still to go today, both the €1,000,000 guarantee and last year’s record field of 2,074 are all but certain to be absolutely obliterated by this year’s field. Of the 1,404 Day 1b entries, 211 players made it through to Day 2, led by Jalulins Nikolajs on 683,000. They will join the 68 Day 1a survivors for Day 2 on Sunday, along with today’s Day 1c and Day 1d survivors.

The €500 + €50 NLH Main Event is taking place over six days, October 25-30. There are four starting flights in total, including the turbo-format Day 1d. Unlimited re-entries are permitted up to Level 10 on each start day, and play ends on each start day when the field has been reduced by 85%, with the remaining 15% of players from each start day picking up at least €500 and progressing to Day 2. A feature table is being live-streamed throughout, and the final table will be live-streamed on Tuesday, hole cards and all. The full tournament schedule may be found here.

Away from the Main Event, Paul Dux Holderness took down the charity sit’n’go in aid of breast cancer awareness charity Pink October Malta. Tickets were sold at €10, and a draw took place to decide who would play a sit’n’go against tennis legend Boris Becker and high-stakes crusher Patrik Antonius to win a seat to next year’s Battle of Malta Main Event. Players raised €2,400 through ticket sales, which was bumped up to a hefty €20,000 by the organisers. The donation was presented to Malta’s First Lady acting on behalf of the charity in a ceremony that took place immediately after the event had ended.

Today sees a double Day 1 whammy – Day 1c begins at 1pm, and the turbo-format Day 1d begins at 9pm. On the side event front, the €100 + €10 Ladies’ Event begins at 5pm, and the €150 + €15 PLO Double Chance event kicks off at 6pm. Some heads may be pounding owing to last night’s well-attended MPNPT Welcome Drinks party, but there is enough going on in the schedule to lure even the most hearty of partiers away from their plush hotel beds.

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