The Festival Malta Hits Midway With New Champions

The Festival Malta has passed the halfway mark, with big titles decided and the Main Event, High Roller, and Player of the Series race still alive.

Poker players competing at The Festival Malta inside Portomaso Casino

The Festival Malta reaches the halfway mark

The Festival Malta has officially moved past the halfway point, and the week has already produced the kind of storylines that make live festival poker worth following. Two of the headline events — the TORSES Main Event and the Hendon Mob Championship — are already in the books, but there is still a full second half of poker and casino action to come before the series wraps up on September 20.

That matters because festival poker is rarely decided by one big result alone. The players who thrive in this environment are usually the ones who can switch gears fast, handle mixed formats, and stay sharp across a long schedule. The Malta stop is built exactly around that idea, combining live [poker rooms]( /en/pokerrooms ) style tournament energy with mixed games, casino events, and a community-driven festival atmosphere.

Portomaso Casino, Sviten and the festival formula

This is the fourth straight year The Festival has been held at Portomaso Casino, and it is the first visit since the venue’s refurbishment. That gives the stop a slightly different feel: familiar enough for regulars, but refreshed enough to keep the experience modern and player-friendly.

That blend is a big part of why The Festival has built such a loyal following. Some players come for the standard NLH grind, others for the unusual formats, and many are drawn by the chance to test themselves in a setting that feels more like a poker holiday than a simple tournament stop. If you want to sharpen your fundamentals before taking on a mixed schedule like this, a good [poker school]( /en/pokerschool ) can be a smart place to start.

Graham Clarkson wins TORSES Main Event and grabs the lead

One of the biggest results of the week came in the TORSES Main Event, where Graham Clarkson defeated Mateusz Szymanski in a heads-up ICM deal to claim his second Festival Series title. Clarkson later joked that he has now “won more tournaments than I did when I was playing professionally,” a line that captured both the fun and the confidence that often define this series.

The win also pushed Clarkson to the top of the Player of the Series standings, overtaking Lars Jensen, who had taken the early lead after winning the NLH 7-2 Special. In a long festival race like this, consistency is often more valuable than a single deep run. One title can put you in position, but repeated cashes and final tables are what usually decide the overall leaderboard.

The TORSES Main Event also showed healthy growth. Entries climbed from 69 last year to 87 this time, which is a strong sign for a format that still sits slightly outside the mainstream. For players looking to plan a live schedule around value and package opportunities, it is worth keeping an eye on [promotions & bonuses]( /en/blog/promotions ) that can help turn satellites and package deals into a cheaper route into major events.

TORSES Main Event payouts

*ICM deal

Dmitri Dudakov makes Hendon Mob Championship history

The other major headline belonged to Dmitri Dudakov, who beat Alkan Aydingoz heads-up to win his second Hendon Mob Championship title. That makes him the first player to repeat in the event at a Festival Series stop, which is a meaningful milestone for both the player and the brand behind the tournament.

The final hand summed up the match nicely. Aydingoz, known online as Spielomeister, briefly narrowed a two-to-one chip gap, but Dudakov’s A-7 held against Q-10 when it mattered most. On top of the trophy and the prize money, the win comes with a package to the Hendon Mob Championship in Johannesburg, extending the value of the result far beyond Malta.

For many live grinders, this is exactly the kind of event that fits a long-term travel plan. It offers prestige, attainable field sizes, and a route from online qualification to a meaningful live score. Players who regularly move between online and live events often also work with a [poker agent]( /en/pokeragent ) to organize schedules, packages, and travel logistics.

Hendon Mob Championship payouts

Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk takes Sviten Special on one bullet

Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk, the founder of The Festival and a Swedish Poker Hall of Famer, delivered one of the week’s most fitting storylines by entering the Sviten Special once and turning that single bullet into a title. It was his ninth win of the year and, according to the series’ own notes, possibly his first ever title from a single entry.

That makes the result more than just a personal score. It reinforces the identity of The Festival as a series built around personality, format variety, and hands-on involvement from the people who created it. Sviten has become one of the event’s signature games, and when the founder himself wins it, the format gains even more credibility as a real competitive test rather than a quirky side event.

The final five players agreed to an ICM deal, after which Belgium’s Soner Vanelderen offered to flip heads-up for the trophy. Von Zweigbergk chose to play for the title, while Vanelderen took the larger cash payout from the deal. That split is a classic live-poker example of how money and legacy do not always point in the same direction.

Sviten Special payouts

Casino events, package winners and the off-felt experience

The Festival Malta stands out because it does not treat poker as the only attraction. The Blackjack Championship drew 55 entries, making it the third-largest casino-game turnout in Festival Series history, behind only two previous Rozvadov editions. That is a strong result considering registration had opened with just nine players in the field.

The casino side added plenty of colour. Von Zweigbergk ran hot with four max-bet splits in one stretch and even scooped a big hand against the dealer’s 17, though he did not make the final 16, who played down to a €2,221 top prize. Greece’s Konstantinos Vatseris won the Roulette Championship, while Michal Borovsky finished third and later reached the Blackjack final heats as well, chasing a second cash of the week.

A lot of the field came through online satellites on the iPoker Network or Unibet, winning full packages that included travel, the Main Event seat, and the hospitality program running alongside the poker. Those winners have also enjoyed a welcome drink, pizza and beer at The Avenue, beach mornings at Golden Bay under the “Morning Dip” banner, and rotating afternoon activities such as Maxi Yatzy, cornhole, and Chicago School and tourney sessions. For players who want to build a similar path into live poker, it pays to monitor both [poker clubs]( /en/pokerclubs ) and [promotions & bonuses]( /en/blog/promotions ) that feed these kinds of packages.

Expert analysis: why this stop matters for modern players

The Malta stop is a good snapshot of where live poker is heading. The strongest series are no longer defined only by one flagship tournament; they are built like ecosystems. That means a mix of NLH, mixed games, casino events, social programming, and online qualification routes that make the whole week feel accessible.

For regulars, the takeaway is simple: live festival poker rewards preparation, table selection, bankroll discipline and format flexibility. Whether you are studying at a [poker school]( /en/pokerschool ) or organizing your next trip through a [poker agent]( /en/pokeragent ), the goal is the same — put yourself in the best position to turn volume and adaptability into results.

What remains at The Festival Malta

The most watched stretch of the week is still ahead. The remaining schedule includes Main Event Day 1C, the €20,000 GTD NLH High Roller, further Main Event flights, Day 2, 10-Game Mix, Sportsbook Championship, Slots Championship, and Sunday’s Day 3 final table.

Clarkson’s TORSES win has already given him a meaningful edge in the Player of the Series race, but the leaderboard is far from settled. In a festival like this, one deep run in a late event can completely reshape the standings. That is the appeal of The Festival Malta: it is not just about one trophy, but about the chance to build a week that changes how the entire stop is remembered.

FAQ

Who won the TORSES Main Event at The Festival Malta?

Graham Clarkson won the TORSES Main Event after a heads-up ICM deal with Mateusz Szymanski. The result also moved him into first place in the Player of the Series standings.

Who won the Hendon Mob Championship in Malta?

Dmitri Dudakov of Estonia won the Hendon Mob Championship. He became the first player to win the title twice at a Festival Series stop.

What is Sviten Special at The Festival?

Sviten Special is one of the signature mixed-game formats in the Festival Series. It is a niche but popular event that rewards adaptability and strong decision-making.

How many players entered the Blackjack Championship?

The Blackjack Championship drew 55 entrants, making it the third-largest casino-game field in Festival Series history.

What events are still left on the schedule?

The remaining schedule includes Main Event flights, the NLH High Roller, 10-Game Mix, Sportsbook Championship, Slots Championship and Sunday’s final table.