Juan Pardo and Roland Rokita win major tournaments at EPT Malta

EPT Malta kicked off with major victories: Juan Pardo and Roland Rokita claimed titles in prestigious tournaments. Details of the festival’s opening days are in our review.

The PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Malta festival kicked off on October 1 at Casino Malta, St. Julian’s, and in the first few days, the strongest players in several prestigious tournaments have already been determined. Well-known professionals Juan Pardo and Roland Rokita added new titles to their poker resumes, claiming victories in the €5,000 Mystery Bounty and €12,300 PokerStars Cuatro Knockout tournaments, respectively. In this article, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the events, prize pools, and results from the opening days of EPT Malta, as well as practical takeaways for PPPoker club players. Juan Pardo Closes the Gap in the EPT Rankings Spanish pro Juan Pardo once again confirmed his high status by winning the €5,000 Mystery Bounty event. According to The Hendon Mob Database, Pardo ranks tenth on the list of the most successful EPT players by total winnings—his overall series earnings amount to $6,672,744. With this victory, he closed in on Frenchman Jean-Noel Thorel, who is in ninth place with $6,863,027, narrowing the gap by €145,900—the exact amount Pardo received for first place. The Mystery Bounty format means that part of the prize pool is allocated to “secret” rewards for knocking out opponents. However, this time the final table saw no major surprises in terms of bounties: neither Jon Ander Vallinas (6th place, €11,800) nor Weiran Pu from China (5th place, €15,200) received additional payouts for knocking out opponents. In the battle for the title, Pardo faced [Removed:608] heads-up, who has been showing excellent results in recent months. Despite this, the Spaniard proved stronger and claimed another Spadie trophy and the tournament’s top prize. Final Table Results €5,000 Mystery Bounty 1st place — Juan Pardo: €145,900 2nd place — [Removed:608]: €50,600 3rd place — Paul Lagan: €66,200 4th place — Pavel Spirins: €59,500 5th place — Weiran Pu: €15,200 6th place — Jon Ander Vallinas: €11,800 A total of 36 players took part in the tournament, the prize pool amounted to €349,200, and payouts from the main pool went to the top six finishers. Roland Rokita Wins €12,300 PokerStars Cuatro Knockout Austrian pro Roland Rokita emerged victorious in the €12,300 PokerStars Cuatro Knockout event. Despite a modest field of 17 entrants, the high buy-in brought the total prize pool to €199,920 (including both knockout and main pool payouts). The Knockout format means that for each opponent eliminated, a player receives an additional cash reward. In this tournament, only three players made it into the main prize pool. Third place went to Dutchman Joris Ruijs, who received €30,400. In heads-up, Rokita faced American high roller Byron Kaverman, who had eliminated Ruijs to secure his spot in the final. However, Rokita proved stronger and earned €99,920, while Kaverman had to settle for a consolation prize of €69,600. Final Table Results €12,300 PokerStars Cuatro Knockout 1st place — Roland Rokita: €99,920 2nd place — Byron Kaverman: €69,600 3rd place — Joris Ruijs: €30,400 The First EPT Malta Side Event Champions In addition to the main events, winners have already been determined in several side events of the series: Peter Krajnyak — winner of the €550 Seniors event, prize €7,265. Umberto Ruggeri (Italy) — won the €1,100 NL Hold'em Freezeout, taking home €38,700. Federico Fulcinitti (Italy) — best in the €550 Hyper Turbo Freezeout, prize €12,020. Jan Bendik, EPT Grand Final 2016 champion, won the €1,050 Hyper Turbo Freezeout and received €20,560. These tournaments featured more affordable buy-ins and attracted a wide range of participants, allowing both well-known and new names to join the list of EPT Malta winners. Schedule of Remaining EPT Malta Events The EPT Malta festival runs until October 12, with several key events still ahead. Among them: €1,650 PokerStars Open (starting from Day 2) €100,000 EPT Super High Roller Main event of the series — €5,300 EPT Malta Main Event The PokerNews team is providing live coverage from the venue, reporting on key hands and results. Context: About the Series and the Venue The European Poker Tour (EPT) is one of the most prestigious poker series in Europe, bringing together the best players from around the world. The series is held under the auspices of PokerStars, and the Malta stop traditionally attracts both professionals and amateurs thanks to the variety of formats and buy-in levels. Casino Malta in St. Julian’s is a regular venue for major poker events, known for its high level of organization. The players mentioned in this article are recognized masters: Juan Pardo consistently ranks in the EPT top 10 by prize money, Roland Rokita and Byron Kaverman are known for their success in high roller tournaments, and Jan Bendik has already been crowned EPT Grand Final champion. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, news from EPT Malta is a great reason to reflect on their own growth and development. First, the results of such tournaments show that even in compact fields with a small number of participants, the competition remains at the highest level. This is relevant for club games, which often gather small but strong lineups—and every tournament can be a chance to prove yourself. Second, the variety of formats at EPT Malta—from Mystery Bounty to Hyper Turbo Freezeout—highlights the importance of versatility for the modern player. PPPoker clubs regularly host tournaments with different structures, and experience in these will help you better prepare for any format if you decide to try your hand at major live series. Finally, the successes of players like Juan Pardo and Roland Rokita are inspiring: the road to big prizes starts with regular practice and participation in tournaments of all levels. Use the opportunities in PPPoker clubs to hone your skills, learn new formats, and build your own poker success story.