Battle of Malta, WSOP Circuit and Poker Moves

A packed poker week with titles, records and market shifts

The week of November 2–6, 2026 delivered a rare mix of live tournament drama and off-the-felt industry news. We saw a massive Battle of Malta Main Event, record-level movement on the WSOP Circuit, a major Asian festival winner, a headline streaming signing, and a fresh regulated market update in Canada. For players, that combination matters because it shows where the game is growing, which formats are still drawing huge fields, and how poker rooms continue to compete for attention.

This wasn’t just a list of winners. It was a snapshot of modern poker: a game where one river card can swing a career-best score, where Circuit consistency can match all-time records, and where streaming and regulation now shape the business as much as the cards do.

Battle of Malta Autumn Edition: Makejev’s comeback run

The Battle of Malta Autumn Edition Main Event drew 5,368 entries at Casino Malta, generating a €2,413,281 prize pool and comfortably beating its €1.5 million guarantee. That kind of turnout is exactly why Malta remains one of Europe’s most durable live poker destinations: the brand has a strong reputation, the structure attracts regulars and traveling pros, and the field size keeps the prize pool healthy.

By the time the field was trimmed to the final 24, Estonia’s Anton Makejev held the chip lead with 14,050,000 chips. What makes the run even more interesting is how far he had to climb. He ended Day 2 with only 1,400,000 chips, so his turnaround was not a routine chip accumulation — it was a true tournament reset.

The defining hand came when Makejev cold 4-bet jammed A-K from the button. Stefano Gianas called with QQ, but an ace on the river flipped the pot in Makejev’s favor and gave him a stack worth almost 15 million chips. For tournament players, this is a textbook reminder that pressure spots matter just as much as raw card distribution. In a deep run, one correct aggression point can rewrite the entire event.

Hamid Izadi ties the Main Event record on the Circuit

At the WSOP Circuit Southern Indiana Main Event, Hamid Izadi successfully defended the title he had won a year earlier against Maurice Hawkins. Back-to-back Main Event wins are rare enough; doing it at the same stop makes the achievement even more notable.

The victory gave Izadi his fourth Circuit Main Event title, which ties the all-time record held by Hawkins. He now owns 11 Circuit rings, placing him among the most accomplished players in the series’ history. That kind of consistency is a major deal on the Circuit, where repeated deep runs often matter more than one isolated big score.

Out west, Scott Stewart added another major line to his resume by winning the Lake Tahoe Main Event for $125,279 and capturing the ninth ring of his career. In heads-up play, the 2024 WPT World Championship winner came back from a 3-to-1 chip deficit against Tyler Parker. That comeback is a good example of why heads-up experience and stack-depth adjustments are so valuable in live tournament poker.

For players comparing live options and looking at the broader ecosystem of poker clubs and touring events, the Circuit remains a proving ground. It rewards discipline, adjustment, and repeatability — not just one big heater.

Andrew Han wins the KPC Main Event in Jeju

In Jeju, Australia’s Andrew Han captured the KPC Main Event at the Jeju Poker Festival on November 1, defeating American Yifu He heads-up at LES A Casino for KRW 150,000,000 — about $111,770. For Han, it was the biggest score of his career so far, and an important milestone after only starting to play the Asian circuit in 2025.

The event drew 747 entries across five starting flights. He earned KRW 102,500,000 for second place, while Germany’s Fabian Gumz led three-handed before finishing third. The final two battled for nearly two hours, which tells you a lot about the structure and the quality of the field: once the money gets deep, every decision gets magnified.

Asia’s live poker calendar has become increasingly relevant for international pros and ambitious travelers. Events like this are no longer side trips; they are legitimate stops where a player can build a season, chase trophies, and collect meaningful results against diverse opposition.

Lex Veldhuis joins GGPoker and PokerStars enters Alberta

One of the most significant non-tournament stories of the week was Lex Veldhuis officially joining GGPoker as its Global Streaming Ambassador. The Dutch streamer had already been playing on the site since January, but the announcement formalizes a relationship that had been developing for months. For GGPoker, this is a smart move: Veldhuis is one of the most recognizable faces in poker streaming, and his audience brings both credibility and reach.

At the same time, PokerStars on FanDuel went live in Alberta, becoming the province’s second regulated online poker room alongside 888poker. That matters because Alberta’s regulated market launched in July without a poker option at all, so the province has quickly moved from zero to two rooms in a short span.

For now, both rooms are geo-restricted to Alberta players only, and anyone returning to PokerStars must open a new account. A decision on shared liquidity is still pending, and that ruling could be the real long-term unlock if it allows players to join larger pooled games. If you follow promotions & bonuses, market launches like this are worth watching closely, because competition usually leads to better offers and more traffic.

Expert analysis: what this week says about poker right now

This week was more than a collection of headlines. It highlighted three major trends that matter to players and operators alike.

• Live events still draw massive fields when the brand, location and structure line up.
• Circuit consistency is becoming an elite skill, as shown by Izadi’s record-tying run and Stewart’s ninth ring.
• Streaming is now a strategic business lever, not just a publicity tool, which explains why a name like Veldhuis matters.
• Regulated markets are expanding in stages, and Alberta shows how quickly a jurisdiction can evolve once poker is added to the mix.

From a strategic point of view, players should read this as a reminder to think beyond one tournament. The best long-term results often come from choosing the right calendar, the right room, and the right format for your edge. That’s why improving at a poker school and understanding the ecosystem can be just as important as studying push/fold charts.

What comes next on the calendar

The action doesn’t slow down. The WSOP Circuit returns to Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Illinois from November 5–16, featuring 18 ring events and a $600,000 guarantee on the $1,700 Main Event. Online, GGPoker’s $20 million PLO Series runs through November 17 and includes six $1 million events. The $11 Flip & Go Millionaire also builds toward its Go Stage on November 11.

The takeaway is simple: poker is still a game of cards, but the business around it is moving just as fast. Players who keep an eye on the full landscape — live series, online traffic, streaming, and regulation — are better positioned to find value when the next big opportunity appears.

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