In a thrilling showdown at the PartyPoker MILLIONS Festival Malta, Jacques Ammiel Blit emerged as the champion of the €1 Million Guaranteed €550 Grand Prix, securing a remarkable €145,000 in winnings and the largest slice of the €1,011,000 prize pool. Blit’s victory was a culmination of his journey, having won a PartyPoker Live Passport before the COVID pandemic disrupted his poker plans.
Starting Day 2 in the upper echelons of the chip counts, Blit maintained his dominant position throughout and reached the final table in second place, trailing behind Italian player Eros Nastasi.
The live-streamed final table witnessed the elimination of Italian Luciano Borghetti in the initial stages, followed by the experienced Andrea Bonelli and the local favorite, Juuso Keskitalo, also known as “The Smiling Finn.”
As the field narrowed, Cyprus’ Marios Mansour exited in sixth place, leaving Blit as the sole non-Italian contender. Salvatore Ritrovato claimed fifth place, winning €31,000, while Massimiliano Ferro secured €45,000 for fourth. The third-place finish went to Nastasi.
As the heads-up stage arrived, Blit held a chip lead with 58 million chips against his opponent
Marcello Favaloro’s 44 million. Despite facing some challenges, Blit managed to maintain his lead and clinched victory in the final hand with A♥Q♥, outplaying Favaloro’s J♣2♣.
Following the win, a jubilant Blit expressed his joy, describing the experience as heavenly. His decision to use an unused passport package to participate in the festival paid off handsomely.
For those who missed the action, the replay is available on the PartyPokerTV Twitch channel.
PartyPoker Grand Prix Final Table Results
| Position | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Ammiel Blit | Argentina | €145,000 |
| 2 | Marcello Favaloro | Italy | €86,000 |
| 3 | Eros Nastasi | Italy | €61,000 |
| 4 | Massimiliano Ferro | Italy | €45,000 |
| 5 | Salvatore Ritrovato | Italy | €31,000 |
| 6 | Marios Mansour | Cyprus | €20,500 |
| 7 | Juuso Keskitalo | Finland | €14,500 |
| 8 | Andrea Benelli | Italy | €11,700 |
Trattou Wins MILLIONS
After an intense battle at the €3,000 buy-in PartyPoker MILLIONS Malta Main Event, the UK’s Mario Trattou emerged as the victor, conquering a field of 154 competitors and claiming the €93,000 first prize, along with a prestigious trophy and lasting memories.
Trattou’s journey concluded with a heads-up victory over Sicilian Domenico Gala. The final hand of the tournament saw Gala limp with ace-queen, only to then get in against Trattou’s pocket aces.
Fabio Peluso, a WSOP bracelet winner, held the chip lead going into the final stages, displaying an aggressive playing style early on. However, the mercurial Italian eventually finished in third place.
PartyPoker Team Pro Matt Staples achieved his largest live win to date, earning €31,900 for his 4th place finish.
Trattou’s victory was a remarkable turnaround, as he had been reduced to just two big blinds on the second day of the event. In a post-match interview, he expressed his delight and gave credit to his family and their pet dog for his success. Having reignited his passion for poker during the COVID lockdown, Trattou’s triumph in Malta marks a significant milestone in his poker journey, leaving him eager for more.
PartyPoker MILLIONS Malta Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mario Trattou | United Kingdom | €93,000 |
| 2 | Domenico Gala | Italy | €64,000 |
| 3 | Fabio Peluso | Italy | €41,000 |
| 4 | Matt Staples | Canada | €31,900 |
| 5 | Erik Lindqwist | Sweden | €24,510 |
| 6 | Giuliano Boellis | Italy | €19,400 |
| 7 | Alberto Cigliano | Italy | €15,900 |
| 8 | Adam Hari | Hungary | €13,700 |
Lybaert Wins High Roller
In a high-stakes showdown at the €5,300 Hydra Entertainment High Roller, Belgian player Bart Lybaert emerged as the champion, outlasting a field of 44 competitors to claim the impressive €72,864 first prize and a striking trophy. Second place was secured by Michel Molenaar from the Netherlands, who aimed for a second €5K event win in Malta this year.
PartyPoker €5,300 Malta Hydra Entertainment High Roller Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bart Lybaert | Belgium | €72,864 |
| 2 | Michel Molenaar | Netherlands | €49,632 |
| 3 | Kamil Sokol | Czechia | €31,680 |
| 4 | Teun Mulder | Netherlands | €24,288 |
| 5 | Farid Jattin | Colombia | €17,952 |
| 6 | Leo Margets | Spain | €14,784 |
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Editor & Live Reporter
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.
