Mario Klaic Wins Battle of Malta Slovakia Main Event After Heads-Up Comeback
Austrian Mario Klaic won the inaugural Battle of Malta Slovakia Main Event, overcoming Henrich Miculik heads-up for his first live title and €46,900.
The Battle of Malta brand made its Slovak debut with the inaugural Battle of Malta Slovakia Edition, and the Main Event drew 1,510 entries at a €400 buy-in, generating a prize pool of €402,840. Austrian player Mario Klaic emerged as the champion, defeating Slovakia's Henrich Miculik in heads-up play to claim his first live tournament title and €46,900.
A Successful Slovak Premiere
The Main Event built its field across several starting flights, and 185 players finished in the money with a minimum cash of €700. The nine-handed final table featured a strong regional presence: four Austrians, three Slovaks, one Hungarian, and one Bulgarian.
Peter Kadlec of Slovakia entered the final table with the chip lead, holding 14,875,000 chips and a significant advantage over his closest rival. That lead, however, would not survive the day.
Kadlec's Rise and Fall
Kadlec was at the center of the final day's action. He first made headlines by eliminating two opponents in a single hand when his pocket aces held against two separate pairs of kings. Despite that surge, the dominant leader gradually slid down the counts and eventually became the short stack.
His elimination came after he pushed aggressively with 4h3h on an AcKh4s flop. Markus Skalicky, holding AsKc for two pair, had the stronger hand and called the all-in. Skalicky's two pair remained best, sending Kadlec out in fifth place for €9,800.
Miculik Carries Slovak Hopes
Slovakia still had a representative among the final four. Henrich Miculik eliminated Alexander Geischlaeger with AhAd against Ac5d, advancing to the final three with a realistic shot at a home victory.
Markus Skalicky finished third for €23,000 when his 6c3d could not beat Klaic's Ah2d. That set up a heads-up match between Miculik and Klaic, with Miculik holding a lead of roughly 35 million chips to Klaic's 24 million.
Before heads-up play began, the two players agreed to a deal that guaranteed each €40,000, leaving €6,900 and the trophy to be decided on the felt.
Klaic Seizes Control
Klaic quickly turned the match around. In the final hand, he made two pair with 5c3d on a Kd5d3h flop, while Miculik held KhQs. All the chips went in on the Jd turn, and Klaic improved to a full house when the 3c landed on the river.
The Austrian online grinder secured his first live trophy and €46,900, while Miculik took €40,000 as runner-up.
Main Event Final Table Results
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- Mario Klaic, Austria — €46,900
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- Henrich Miculik, Slovakia — €40,000
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- Markus Skalicky, Austria — €23,000
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- Alexander Geischlaeger, Austria — €15,000
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- Peter Kadlec, Slovakia — €9,800
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- Hassibullah Hafizi, Austria — €7,600
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- Daniel Georgiev, Bulgaria — €6,300
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- Norbert Kerepesi, Hungary — €5,296
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- Radoslav Herman, Slovakia — €4,400
Side Event Action
Beyond the Main Event, the series produced several notable winners.
In the €220 Mystery Bounty, Silviu Nemes delivered a standout performance, eliminating 14 of the 23 participants. He earned €4,875 for first place plus €11,500 in bounties, taking home a total of €16,375.
Slovakia celebrated a home winner in the €1,000 High Roller, where Martin Bartoš overcame a field of 43 entries to win €17,200. He defeated Czech player Zdeněk Svoboda in heads-up play, with Svoboda collecting €11,000.
The Deepstack Turbo trophy went to Austria's Jonas Bachan, who earned €3,225. In the final Second Chance tournament, Britain's Ross Whitelaw claimed victory for €4,560, following a final table appearance in the High Roller.
What the Result Means
For Klaic, the win represents a breakthrough on the live felt. Described as an online grinder, he had not previously secured a live title, making the Battle of Malta Slovakia Main Event a significant milestone. The heads-up deal also reflects a common practice in modern tournament poker, where remaining players reduce variance by locking up guaranteed payouts while leaving a smaller amount and the trophy to play for.
The inaugural Slovak edition of the Battle of Malta drew more than 1,500 entries for its flagship event, a strong signal of the brand's regional appeal and the continued appetite for live tournament poker in Central Europe.
FAQ
- Austrian player Mario Klaic won the inaugural Battle of Malta Slovakia Main Event, defeating Henrich Miculik heads-up to claim his first live title and €46,900.