Tereza Vernerova of Czechia has won the Battle of Malta Autumn Edition Main Event, becoming the first woman ever to take down the series' flagship tournament. The €600 buy-in event at Casino Malta drew 5,368 entries, and Vernerova beat Israel's Ofer Tadmor heads-up after more than 12 hours of final-table play, according to PokerNews coverage published on November 5, 2026.
It is a result with real historical weight. Battle of Malta Main Events are among the busiest low-buy-in festival tournaments in Europe, and a field of more than 5,000 is a serious test of stamina, patience and nerve. Winning one is hard for anyone. Winning it as a player who, by her own account, had never reached a final table of this size is the kind of story that explains why poker still has such a pull on recreational players.
The Numbers Behind the Win
The tournament's original first-place prize was set at €227,835. As is common at the sharp end of big-field events, the final three players agreed an ICM deal, so the actual payouts differed from the posted ladder. Vernerova took home €162,635 from the deal, with €22,635 and the Knight Trophy left to play for. Tadmor's listed prize was €175,000 and third-place finisher James Malatynski of the UK collected €125,000. PokerNews did not explain why the runner-up's listed figure is larger than the winner's, so treat the deal numbers with a little caution; what is clear is that the trophy and the extra money stayed in play until the very last hand.
The remaining final-table payouts were:
- 4th: Lulei Hu (China) – €62,150
- 5th: Marios Kapiris (Greece) – €43,400
- 6th: Rosario Saddemi (Italy) – €32,000
- 7th: Ivane Khazaradze (Georgia) – €25,150
- 8th: Marco Lopez Coronado (Spain) – €21,150
For Vernerova, the €162,635 is a career-best result. For context on how different a field of 5,368 is from a typical regional main event, see our guide to tournaments and how prize pools are built.
How the Final Table Played Out
Vernerova began the final table as chip leader and held that position for roughly the first four hours. According to the report, she often met resistance when trying to extend the lead, which is typical of a final table where short stacks are desperate and medium stacks are protecting ladder jumps.
Lulei Hu was the early short stack and kept bouncing back. He doubled up after turning a set against Malatynski and survived several near-eliminations before eventually going out in fourth. Marco Lopez Coronado, the first to leave in eighth, lost most of his stack to Marios Kapiris and then shoved the remainder; Kapiris completed a flush to send him home.
The middle stages swung momentum. Malatynski doubled up, then won a large river pot against Hu to take the chip lead, later eliminating Hu in fourth. Tadmor then made a straight flush against Vernerova, a cooler that handed him the chip lead. That kind of hand is a good reminder of how much variance sits inside even a dominant stack, a theme we explored in our piece on bankroll management.
Once the three-way deal was struck, the dynamics changed. Malatynski became more aggressive after the deal, but Vernerova hero-called his river shove, leaving him short, and he was eliminated shortly afterwards. Heads-up, Vernerova flopped trips against Tadmor's top two pair to win a pivotal pot and retake the lead. Tadmor doubled up more than once and kept the match alive, but on the final hand he moved all-in on a paired flop and Vernerova snap-called with trip tens. Neither the turn nor the river helped him.
What Vernerova Said
Vernerova described the win as one of the best feelings of her life and said she was speechless. She admitted she was nervous at the final table despite starting as chip leader, because she had never played one this large. Her husband, who also plays, helped her prepare, brought her food and water during breaks and supported her throughout. The trophy will join his in their home, and she confirmed it is the biggest in their collection.
The win earns her an invitation to the Battle of Malta's 2027 tour. Announced stops include Barcelona, Bratislava, Tallinn and a summer return to Malta, with Barcelona the series' first visit there. She said Bratislava is close to home and that she would be happy to return to Tallinn, which she visited during a WSOP Circuit stop.
Why the Result Matters
A milestone for women in the main event
Women remain a minority in open live fields, and a first-ever women's win at the Battle of Malta Main Event is a visible milestone for a tournament that attracts thousands of players across skill levels. Results like this tend to matter beyond the headline: they show recreational players, particularly those who feel the poker room is not for them, that a big-field title is genuinely open to anyone willing to enter.
The 12-hour final table lesson
A final table that lasted more than 12 hours is a physical event as much as a mental one. Vernerova credited her support team with food and water, and that is practical advice worth copying. Decision quality in late-night heads-up play depends on blood sugar, hydration and focus. Players who treat the final table as a marathon rather than a sprint tend to make fewer fatigue-driven errors.
Deal-making and ICM
The three-way deal shows how real-world final tables rely on ICM thinking. When three players share a ladder with large gaps, chopping based on chip counts and ICM calculations removes variance for everyone. It also changes behaviour: as seen with Malatynski, a deal can make a player more aggressive because the remaining money is smaller than the pre-deal ladder suggested. Knowing how a deal shifts incentives is an edge, and it is worth learning the maths before you ever reach a final table. Our poker odds calculator is a good place to practise the underlying equity concepts.
The Battle of Malta Context
The Autumn Edition win comes after a busy year for the brand. Alejandro Asenjo won a Battle of Malta Main Event in June 2026, and Luca Topazio won the first-ever WSOP Circuit Malta Main Event in October 2026. Joris Ruijs took the Malta Poker Festival Grand Event (€141K) in November 2025. Malta has become a genuine poker hub, with several tours and festivals overlapping, and with 2027 stops planned for Barcelona, Bratislava and Tallinn, the Battle of Malta is expanding its footprint across Europe. If you are planning a live trip, check our online poker vs live poker comparison to decide whether a big-field festival suits your style and budget.
What This Means for Players
There are several practical takeaways for anyone considering a €600-level festival main event.
First, big fields reward patience. Vernerova was chip leader early, but the trophy still came down to a heads-up battle with a rival who doubled up several times. Staying composed when your lead shrinks is as important as building it.
Second, learn deal etiquette before you need it. ICM-based deals are routine at the end of large events, and being comfortable negotiating, or at least understanding what you are being offered, can be worth thousands of euros.
Third, take care of the basics. Sleep, food and water are boring, but they are the reason some players make the correct hero call on a river at hour eleven and others do not.
Finally, mid-priced festival events remain one of the best value propositions in poker. A €600 buy-in giving a shot at a six-figure score and a trophy is far more accessible than the high-roller circuit. If you want to build up to events like this, consider starting with satellites and smaller online fields; our beginner poker sites page and real money poker guide cover where to begin, and BC Poker and Americas Cardroom both offer tournament lobbies where you can practise multi-table formats.
Vernerova's win is a story about nerves, preparation and support as much as cards. The next Battle of Malta stops will give another group of players a chance to write their own chapter.