IPT7 Malta Day 1A Gets Under Way

Half a year ago, the EPT made its debut here on the beautiful island of Malta. Now, the tour is back at Portomaso Casino as the PokerStars.com EPT 12 Malta Poker Festival kicked off today at noon (local time).

It's the €1,100 IPT Malta Main Event which is getting the action under way. Last season, Greek pro Georgios "ZISIMO7" Zisimopoulos triumphed here in the record-breaking 1,285-strong tournament, taking home €142,205 after a five-way deal. The 27-year-old Greek will defend his title here after qualifying online on PokerStars.

Today's 1A flight already has 170+ players seated including Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano, who holds the record for most cashes and most final table apperances in EPT Main Events. Although he has never won an EPT champion's title, the Italian certainly has experience in lifting a trophy - he took down the IPT Sanremo Main Event back in Season 3.

Team PokerStars Pro Online Mickey Petersen already has an EPT title under his belt, earning it in Copenhagen. The Dane is joined in the field by EPT7 Berlin winner Ben "NeverScaredB" Wilinofsky and EPT7 Sanremo champion Rupert Elder. Day 1a also features Irish poker pro Dara O'Kearney who came within a hair's breadth of winning a WSOP bracelet this summer, finishing second in the $1,5k NLH Event for $262,502. EPT11 Deauville finalist Matas Cimbolas is also playing today as well as IPT5 Sanremo fourth place finisher Marcin Wydrowski, IPT Saint Vincent High Roller winner Morten Mortensen, 2014 WSOP Heads-Up champion Davide Suriano and EPT Vienna High Roller finalist Rasmus Agerskov. The host nation is represented by at least five players including EPT London Women's Event winner Jackie "Mama Poker" Cachia, along with her partner Line Teuma.

EPT5 Prague runner-up Massimo di Cicco is among 42 players who secured their IPT Malta ticket via yesterday's satellites. Di Cicco's fellow countryman, IPT Sanremo champ Alessandro Minasi also qualified last night.