The autumn edition of the Malta Poker Festival ended on a high note with two fantastic players taking home some big prizes. Mirko Mostaccio was crowned the Grand Event winner, walking away with €136,670. In the CasinoCoin High Roller event, Gabriele Re bagged the win taking home €40,000. It was a fantastic tournament from start to finish, making it an event that poker players will definitely put in their calendars going forward.
We caught up with the winners and got some insight into what they thought of the tournament, and what we can expect from them in the future.
Mirko Mostaccio heads to Vegas
The winner of the grand event at the Malta Poker Festival has big plans for his poker career. We had a chat with him to see how he felt after his big win.
[PD] What did you like the most about the MPF, besides winning, of course?
[MM] Besides the victory, I liked the whole organization of the tournament. Meeting old friends that I haven’t seen for ages was also great.
[PD] In your opinion what were the main factors that contributed to you winning the event?
[MM] Just like in any live tournament, there are many factors that have to be intertwined, certainly a fundamental one was to study a lot before leaving for Malta. Then you put in 14 years of experience and a bit of luck.
[PD] What does the win mean to you? How did it feel?
[MM] The victory in this live tournament means a lot to me, given that I had always won large sums online but never had I managed to win such a large sum in a live event.
[PD] What will you do with the money?
[MM] I will certainly use a good part of it to continue playing, the rest I will dedicate to my family.
[PD] Are you looking forward to your WPT experience?
[MM] Yes, I can’t wait! it will be my first time in Vegas, a dream come true.
[PD] What’s next for you?
[MM] The next step is playing the WSOP this summer.
Gabriele Re hunts for another trophy
The winner of the CasinoCoin high roller event took home a hefty sum, and his first live event trophy. Here are some of his thoughts on his Malta Poker Fest journey.
[PD] What did you like the most about the High Roller, besides winning, of course?
[GR] If I’m honest, I didn’t love the atmosphere of this event because I was late reg, and only started on day 2, but I liked the carelessness of the players. There was not too much stress in the High Roller, and all the players were more friendly.
[PD] In your opinion what were the main factors that contributed to you winning the event?
[GR] I think to win this tournament, I ran very well. I didn’t play many showdowns preflop but the key hand was against YohViral where I check/jammed the river with a bluff (I turned 3rd pair in the bluff), and he called my bluff with the worst hand
[PD] What does the win mean to you? How did it feel?
[GR] This win doesn’t change anything in my life or my routine, but it’s important because it’s my first live win with a trophy so I’m really happy to have conquered it!
[PD] What will you do with the money?
[GR] I will not do anything in particular, just bankroll my poker journey and my life.
[PD] What’s next for you?
[GR] I’m going to Rozvadov to play the Main Event of the WSOPE so I’m hunting for another trophy
Wishing these two amazing players all the best for their upcoming trips, Mirko to Vegas and Gabriel to Czech Republic. We hope to see them walk away with more titles under their belts! From the solid performances and great play, we can only expect great things from these two in the future. Good luck!
