Robert McAdam has emerged from a final-day discipline of 12 hopefuls to be topped Malta Poker Pageant Spring Grand Occasion champion, the Brit taking dwelling €104,475 after a four-way deal left solely the vacation spot of the ultimate €30,000 of the record-breaking €684,390 prize pool, and the trophy, to be decided.
McAdam’s ultimate opponent was Austrian Pascal Inkert, who was the short-stack when the deal was struck, and took the bottom payout of the 4. Giuseppe Mazza-Boussemart held a commanding lead at that time, and it was maybe shocking a deal was struck, however he took barely greater than the ICM worth of his stack. The Frenchman crashed out in fourth nonetheless, after being on the improper finish of a brutal cooler with the champion.
The outcome represents a brand new career-best and first six-figure rating for McAdam, an enormous milestone in any poker profession. McAdam’s return on funding (ROI) was even higher as he satellited into the occasion.
2026 Malta Poker Pageant Spring Grand Occasion Closing Desk Outcomes
1Robert McAdamUnited Kingdom€104,750*
2Pascal InkertAustria€60,000*
3Erik OstergaardDenmark€62,710*
4Giuseppe Mazza-BoussemartFrance€87,055*
5Davide RaschellaItaly€30,040
6Vito RomeiItaly€23,080
7Abdellah BaaliAlgeria€17,980
8Sebastian MortensenDenmark€13,840
9Dario BaroneItaly€10,260
*Denotes four-handed deal
Crediting His Assist System
McAdam, an digital funds guide who has simply moved to North Wales from Chester, is on a sizzling run in Spring 2026, having completed second within the Manchester GUKPT Most important Occasion, and third in a WSOP-C occasion in Amsterdam, each final month. He’s additionally a comparatively new father, having welcomed Alfie into the world 14 months in the past with companion Ewa, and credited the assist of his higher half, and a contented household life, for his current focus.
At the beginning of the ultimate desk, McAdam had ten massive blinds, and commented to PokerNews on his return to the desk on the restart, “Just one factor to do now”. Requested the way it felt to be standing with the trophy and a six-figure rating 4 hours later, he mentioned “That is poker for you, wonderful. That just about summed up your entire match, effectively Day 2 and Day 3, Day 1 was a bit extra clean crusing. They have been rollercoasters, chip main to 10 bigs, chip chief once more 2 hours later, again to quick. Actually cool expertise, that is undoubtedly the largest discipline I’ve gained in earlier than.
On the cooler with Mazza-Boussemart and the implications of the deal, he mentioned “Yeh you must get in there and play. You need to take care of your chips to a level however you must take dangers with winner takes all. Just about everybody gave the impression to be ready to do it. That was a pure cooler, it was humorous it was kings. Really feel like I’ve bought fairly unfortunate with these over time, however over the 2 days I wakened with them so many instances once I wanted it, and possibly I am going to have to alter my thoughts about them! He was undoubtedly there to battle, the momentum shifted with that, and that is once I actually thought there is a good probability of profitable it.”
“I have been attempting to play extra lately, a greater steadiness with work and spending extra time with my son. My girlfriend, Ewa, is wonderful, she encourages me to play, regardless of having a one-year previous at dwelling. So each time an honest match comes up she’s similar to yeh if you wish to go, go, she’s unbelievable, I am so so fortunate.
I really feel like one thing’s clicked lately with poker, I’ve had the second and third locations, so first in an enormous discipline, feels very nice. I am operating actually good for positive. Alfie is 14 months and the primary six months I did not play, and since I got here again I have been on this loopy run. She let me go to the World Sequence for ten days, which was an enormous ask, however that is what I imply she’s wonderful. I’ve bought a number of issues mapped out, I’ve bought two seats for the Most important already, however yeh I undoubtedly hope to be taking part in much more within the subsequent whereas, I am going to undoubtedly be again in Malta, and yeh outcomes like this clearly assist.”
On the pageant generally, “Yeh I actually loved the occasion, terrific workers and site, Malta all the time has good vibes, it will not be lengthy earlier than I am again!”
*Pictures courtesy of Malta Poker Pageant
