Portomaso Autumn Series 2026: €3 Million Guaranteed Festival Kicks Off in Malta
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Malta’s busiest poker fortnight is under way. The Portomaso Casino in St Julian’s has brought three festivals together for its Autumn Series: the Malta Poker Festival (MPF), Italian Poker Sport (IPS) and Mini IPS. Combined, they guarantee €3,000,000 in prize money from October 23 to November 4.
Today’s highlight is the opening flight of the €600 MPF Grand Event, which carries a €1,000,000 guarantee. The 2025 WSOP Main Event champion, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, is hosting it from the first flight to the final table.
Portomaso Autumn Series 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Dates | October 23 – November 4, 2026 |
| Venue | Portomaso Casino, St Julian’s, Malta |
| Total guarantee | €3,000,000 |
| Festivals | Malta Poker Festival, IPS, Mini IPS |
| Grand Event host | Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi |
| Biggest guarantee | IPS – €1,500,000 |
| Cheapest headline event | Mini IPS – €250 |
| Special guests | Jon Kyte, Paul “Rinty” Monaghan, Kerryjane Craigie, Tanya Masters, Ivonne Montealegre |
The Three Headline Events
| Event | Buy-in | Guarantee | Starting stack | Dates |
| Mini IPS | €210 + €40 | €500,000 | 40,000 | October 23–31 |
| MPF Grand Event | €530 + €70 | €1,000,000 | 60,000 | October 23 – November 3 |
| IPS Main Event | €340 + €50 | €1,500,000 | 50,000 | October 29 – November 4 |
Together, these three events make up the full €3 million guarantee. Italian Poker Sport is organized by Eurorounders, whose IPS events at King’s Casino Rozvadov are known for drawing huge Italian fields. That’s one reason the IPS carries the series’ biggest guarantee.
MPF Grand Event: €600, €1,000,000 Guaranteed
The Grand Event is the centrepiece of the Malta Poker Festival, with ten starting flights spread across the series.
MPF Grand Event Schedule
| Flight | Date | Time (Malta) | Time (IST) |
| Day 1A | Fri, Oct 23 | 14:00 | 17:30 |
| Day 1B | Sat, Oct 24 | 14:00 | 17:30 |
| Day 1C | Sun, Oct 25 | 14:00 | 18:30 |
| Day 1D | Mon, Oct 26 | 14:00 | 18:30 |
| Day 1E | Tue, Oct 27 | 14:00 | 18:30 |
| Day 1F | Wed, Oct 28 | 14:00 | 18:30 |
| Day 1G | Thu, Oct 29 | 14:00 | 18:30 |
| Day 1H | Sat, Oct 31 | 14:00 | 18:30 |
| Day 1I | Sun, Nov 1 | 14:00 | 18:30 |
| Day 1J (Turbo) | Sun, Nov 1 | 22:00 | 02:30 (Nov 2) |
| Day 2 | Mon, Nov 2 | 12:30 | 17:00 |
| Final Table | Tue, Nov 3 | 12:00 | 16:30 |
Malta moves to winter time on October 25, so the gap with India changes from 3.5 to 4.5 hours that weekend.
Grand Event Structure
- Buy-in: €530 + €70 (€600 total)
- Starting stack: 60,000 chips
- Day 1 levels: 40 minutes (Day 1J turbo: 15 minutes)
- Day 2 levels: 45 minutes
- Final table: hand-for-hand level structure
- Re-entry: allowed
Practical tip: Day 1J is a turbo with 15-minute levels, almost three times faster than the regular flights. Unless you specifically want a fast game, the 14:00 flights give you much more play for the same €600.
Can the Grand Event Hit €1 Million? Past Results
The MPF Grand Event has a strong track record at Portomaso. Here’s how recent editions compare:
| Edition | Buy-in | Entries | Prize pool |
| MPF Autumn 2025 | €550 | 1,987 | €903,498 |
| MPF Spring 2026 | €600 | 1,451 | €684,390 |
| MPF Autumn 2026 | €600 | To be confirmed | €1,000,000 GTD |
The 2025 autumn edition was won by Joris Ruijs of the Netherlands for €141,000.
What It Will Take
Neither of the last two editions reached €1 million. By our calculation, the Autumn 2025 field put about €455 per entry into the prize pool, and Spring 2026 about €472. At those rates, the €1 million guarantee needs roughly 2,100 to 2,200 entries. That’s more than any recent edition, including last autumn’s 1,987.
That means the guarantee is ambitious. If the field falls short, the casino covers the difference with an overlay, which is good news for players. Mizrachi’s presence and the IPS crossover could push numbers up, but these figures are our estimates from published results, not official projections.
Mini IPS: €250, €500,000 Guaranteed
The Mini IPS is the best value entry point of the series:
- Buy-in: €210 + €40
- Starting stack: 40,000 chips
- Levels: 30 minutes
- Flights: nightly at 19:00 or 20:00 from October 23 to 29, plus a speed flight on Friday, October 30 at 10:00
- Day 2: Friday, October 30, 16:00
- Final Day: Saturday, October 31, 16:00
IPS Main Event: €390, €1,500,000 Guaranteed
The Italian Poker Sport Main Event is the biggest guarantee on the island:
- Buy-in: €340 + €50
- Starting stack: 50,000 chips
- Re-entry: allowed
- Day 1A: Thursday, October 29, 17:00
- Final starting flight: Day 1J turbo, Tuesday, November 3, 10:00
- Day 2: Tuesday, November 3, 17:00 (50-minute levels)
- Final Day: Wednesday, November 4, 13:00
- Bonus: the prize pool includes 50 tickets to MPF Grand Event Day 1H
Side Events and Highlights
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Host |
| Mon, Oct 26 | PLO Knights | €270 + €30 | – |
| Tue, Oct 27–28 | The Hendon Mob Championship | €200 + €30 | – |
| Tue, Oct 27 | Sviten Special | €270 + €30 | Sone Vanelderen |
| Wed, Oct 28 | MPF Knockout | €200 + €200 + €50 | – |
| Wed, Oct 28 | H.O.R.S.E. (5 Mix) | €200 + €30 | Jon Kyte |
| Thu, Oct 29 | MPF Seniors 50+ | €270 + €30 | Paul “Rinty” Monaghan |
| Thu, Oct 29 | Betsson One Bullet | €220 + €30 | – |
| Thu, Oct 29 | MPF 8-Games | €170 + €30 | – |
| Fri, Oct 30 | Ladies First! | €180 + €20 | Kerryjane Craigie |
| Oct 30 – Nov 1 | APAT Maltese Championship | €125 + €25 | – |
| Sat, Oct 31 | MPF Halloween | €220 + €30 + €10 | Tanya Masters |
| Mon, Nov 2 | MPF Bounty Hunters | €100 + €100 + €30 | – |
| Mon, Nov 2 | Highroller Mystery Bounty | €500 + €500 + €150 | Ivonne Montealegre |
| Mon, Nov 2 | MPF PLO Night | €220 + €30 | – |
| Tue, Nov 3 | MPF Highroller | €600 + €100 | – |
| Tue, Nov 3 | Scandinavian Open Poker Championship | €220 + €30 | – |
| Wed, Nov 4 | MPF Last Chance | €270 + €30 | – |
The Highroller Mystery Bounty winner also receives a €2,200 Costa Rica package. A Midnight KO Hyperturbo runs every night at 00:00 (€70 + €100 + €30).
Satellites into the Main Events
- MPF Grand Event satellites: €60 + €10, nightly at 21:00 from October 23 to 28
- IPS satellites: €78 + €22, at 21:00 or 22:00 from October 29 to November 1
Online qualifiers on the iPoker network (Betfair, William Hill, bet365, Paddy Power and others) ran from August 24 to October 12, so they’re now closed.
Tips for Playing the Portomaso Autumn Series
- Start with the Mini IPS. At €250 it’s the cheapest way to play for a share of a six-figure guarantee.
- Use satellites. A €70 MPF satellite can save you €530 on a Grand Event entry.
- Watch for overlay. If Grand Event numbers fall short of €1 million, the later flights become even better value.
- Plan around the clock change. Malta switches to winter time on October 25, so double-check start times that weekend.
- Avoid the turbo flights if you can. Day 1J flights in both the MPF and IPS are much faster than the regular flights.
FAQs
When is the Portomaso Autumn Series 2026?
It runs from October 23 to November 4, 2026 at Portomaso Casino in St Julian’s, Malta.
How much is guaranteed across the Autumn Series?
€3,000,000 in total: €1,000,000 in the MPF Grand Event, €1,500,000 in the IPS Main Event and €500,000 in the Mini IPS.
What is the MPF Grand Event buy-in?
€600 (€530 + €70), with 60,000 starting chips. Day 2 is November 2 and the final table is November 3.
Who is hosting the MPF Grand Event?
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, the 2025 WSOP Main Event champion, hosts the Grand Event from Day 1 through the final table.
How many players entered last year’s MPF Grand Event?
The Autumn 2025 Grand Event drew 1,987 entries for a €903,498 prize pool. Joris Ruijs won €141,000.
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