Malta is a near perfect destination for a poker holiday – for starters, there’s lots of poker but if you’re headed to the island with non-poker playing friends – or even if you just fancy a break from the tables yourself – there are also tons of other things to do. Whether it’s strolling around the gorgeous capital city of Valletta, clubbing all night in Paceville or chilling out at Golden Bay beach, Malta really does have something for everyone.
Malta’s phenomenal rise as one of the world’s premier iGaming hubs has encouraged some of the biggest names in the business to set up shop on the island and make Malta their new base. Among the companies with sizeable offices in Malta are industry leaders PokerStars, Unibet and Betsson. That means the island is already home to hundreds of poker players, and many hundreds more have moved there to play online, or enjoy live cash games and tournaments at the island’s casinos.
The three main casinos are all located in Paceville in St Julians, the heart of Malta's thriving nightlife scene. Surrounded by cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, with tons of hotels also conveniently located in the area, this is the #1 destination for poker players.
Casino Malta
Casino Malta, which has lately taken over the award-winning Battle of Malta tournament, is fast becoming one of the island’s top poker venues. Located on the edge of St George’s Bay in San Giljan, the poker club is open daily from 6pm and features daily cash games and regular tournaments. Casino Malta claims to have the lowest rake on the island at 4%, capped at €10. This year, the Casino is hosting three of the biggest poker tournaments in Europe: the Unibet Open from May 16-20, the Unibet Deepstack Open from September 5-9 and the Battle of Malta in October.
Portomaso Casino
Portomaso Casino is in the heart of buzzing St Julian’s and claims to be the biggest and most popular poker room in Malta. The casino hosts tournaments every day with two on Saturday. Most of the tourneys have guarantees and buy-ins range from €35 to €110. There are also Special Poker events every month, along with a host of international events. As you’d expect, there are cash games running every day, at €1/€2+. The staff are friendly and there’s free wine and non-alcoholic drinks served during play.
Dragonara Casino
Dragonara Casino’s boast is that it’s the only poker room on the island with a sea view. Situated on the terrace of the majestic Dragonara Palace overlooking St. George’s Bay, the Poker Room at Dragonara Casino provides poker die-hards with a daily schedule of tournaments and all night cash games. The Dragonara also hosted the Redbet Live tour in January and March.
Oracle Casino
Oracle Casino is located towards the north of Malta in a spectacular setting at St Paul’s Bay. Cash Games run daily from 8pm onwards with minimum €100 buy-in. Blinds are at €1/€2 for NLHE and €2/€2 for Omaha unless otherwise requested. Like the other casinos, Oracle also runs daily tournaments with byy-ins ranging from €20 to €30.
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