Bilstad takes PokerStars Open Malaga 2026 title after three-way chop
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Norway’s Oskar Bilstad is heading home from the Costa del Sol €178,840 richer after topping the €1,100 Main Event, following a three-way chop.
This is by far the biggest score of the 27-year-old’s career, and it came in the biggest edition of this festival so far. The tournament set a new participation record with 1,753 entries, resulting in a total prize pool of €1,682,880.
We reached the final day of play with just 16 players still in contention for the title. The tournament offered a €258,080 top prize, but the final three players–Bilstad, Daniel Heredi, and Jose Valls—reached an agreement to adjust the payout amounts while continuing to compete for an additional €18,000 and the championship trophy.
It was actually third-place finisher Valls from Andorra who banked the most, taking €180,160. Runner-up Daniel Heredi from Hungary secured €175,980.
Oskar Bilstad (left) shakes hands with runner-up Daniel Heredi
PokerStars Open Malaga Main Event Results
Dates: June 24-28, 2026
Buy-in: €1,100
Entries:1,753
1. Oskar Bilstad (Norway) – €178,840*
2. Daniel Heredi (Hungary) – €175,980*
3. Jose Valls (Andorra) – €180,160*
4. Francisco De Paula (Spain) – €88,700
5. Min-guk Kim (South Korea) – €68,300
6. Herve Gouzil (France) – €52,500
7. Francesco Caramazza (Italy) – €40,400
8. Stefano Rege Gianas (Italy) – €31,100
9. Antonio Ruiz Tellado (Spain) – €23,900
*indicates a deal was made
DAILY UPDATES
FRIDAY, JUNE 25
Italian player Elia Salerno took down the PokerStars Open High Roller on Thursday, claiming the €119,420 top prize after defeating his compatriot Luca Bernardi in heads-up play.
The Women’s Event and a PLO tournament also took place on Thursday, with victories going to Line Lindsholm and Iker González, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Main Event has completed its first two starting flights, recording 478 entries for Flight 1A and 104 for Flight 1B.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
The PokerStars Open Málaga festival kicked off on Monday (June 22) at the Casino Gran Madrid, Torrequebrada, located on the stunning Málaga coast.
The €220 Bounty tournament saw the UK’s Nicholas Ralph top 281 entries to take home €5,362 plus bounties. Over in the €220 Deep Stack, Norway’s Thomas Jakobsen claimed the trophy and €8,707 after a deal with Manuel Romero (3rd – €8,700) and Romanian Andrei-Eduard Pirvulescu (2nd – €8,695).
Buy-ins bumped up on Tuesday night as the first flagship event of the week, the €2,200 PokerStars Open High Roller, attracted 280 entries on Day 1. That number has climbed above 300 as 131 players took a seat on Day 2 today.
Defending Malaga Main Event champ Manuel Ferrari is back in 2026, currently battling in the High Roller
Portuguese player Joao Fernandes da Silva finished Day 1 as the chip leader with 298,000 chips. Other notables in the field include last year’s Main Event champ Manuel Ferrari, French crusher Arthur Conan, Irish streamer Conor O’Driscoll, Award-winning podcaster and author Dara O’Kearney, and EPT runner-up Andrew Hulme.
MONDAY, JUNE 22
We’re off and running at the PokerStars Open Malaga, with multiple side events kicking off proceedings. There’s a €220 Bounty event followed by a €220 Deep Stack on the schedule today, as well as a satellite to the €1,100 Main Event.
Speaking of the Main Event, we had 49 seat-only qualifiers book their seat on PokerStars and among them are some very familiar faces.
The newest addition to Team PokerStars, David “PHISHINBOY” Lappin, will be there thanks to a satellite win. Lappin, who became a PokerStars Ambassador following the inaugural PokerStars Live League, is a regular at the Open festivals, and you can expect to see the Malta-based Irishman in events throughout the week.
We’ve also got the likes of Conor “ccOOnnOOrr” O’Driscoll on the qualifier list. O’Driscoll is in fine form, winning two side events at EPT Monte Carlo last month and finishing sixth at EPT Prague last December.
Then there’s Matt “Harn1” Harniman, a name we would have expected to see as a Power Path Silver Pass qualifier rather than a seat-only winner. That’s because Harniman is the greatest player in Power Path history, having won more Gold and Silver Passes than any other player.
ABOUT POKERSTARS OPEN MALAGA
Located on the Spanish coast, Malaga is situated in the ideal spot for relaxing off-the-felt, from chilling by the Mediterranean Sea to sampling the nightlife in nearby Marbella.
If it looks like PokerStars Open Malaga has everything you need, it’s because it probably has.
There are huge prize pools on offer, attracting the biggest names in the game. But the PokerStars Open Malaga is also an excellent place for novices looking to experience the rush of the live tables without the intimidation. Malaga has it all from an on-the-felt perspective.
Then there’s the action away from the tables.
KEY FESTIVAL DATES
Festival Dates: June 22-28, 2026
- High Roller: June 23-24 – €2,200
- Main Event: June 24-28 – €1,100 (€1,000,000 GTD)
- Second Chance: June 26-27 – €550
- Super High Roller: June 27 – €5,000
- Mystery Bounty Cup: June 27-28 – €400
OFF-THE-FELT ACTIVITIES
The Tulum Beach Bar was the place to be for players and guests at PokerStars Open Malaga 2025 – see you there this year!
CASA DEL JUEGO / PLAYERS’ LOUNGE
Tulum Beach Bar, June 24-27
Open from 12:00 – 01:30
Head to the fantastic Tulum Beach Bar, literally a stone’s throw from the casino, for live showings of the FIFA World Cup, plus fun activities, free merch, and free drinks during the evenings.
It really is the place to be–when you’re not at the poker table, of course. We had tons of fun last year, so see you there in 2026!
You’ll find more details for what’s happening day to day below.
Players and guests only.
Don’t miss the happy hours. They’re a great way to enjoy some downtime while meeting other player in a relaxed environment away from the tables. There are several Happy Hours during the event, so there’s no need to miss out.
WORLD CUP 2026 & HAPPY HOURS
June 24 from 21:00
June 25 from 22:00
June 26 from 21:00
June 27 from 23:00
FOOSBALL & WORLD CUP QUIZ
June 24 – during the dinner break
Win exclusive PokerStars merch!
Fancy a game of foosball? Well there’s plenty of that, what with football being popular this summer! Not only is it a chance to enjoy some friendly competition off the felt, you can with exclusive PokerStars merch in the process.
BINGO, WORLD CUP QUIZ & BEER PONG
June 25 – during the dinner break
Another chance to bag yourself some PokerStars goodies
GAMES NIGHT
June 26 – during the dinner break
Play games, win merch, what’s not to love?
Chilling by the pool (not that kind). Pool is on offer for those who like their down time to enjoy some competition at a different kind of table. Enjoy a game along with quizzes and that pub staple beer pong. Or, just enjoy a drink relaxing with friends. Old ones or new ones.
WORLD CUP FIESTA
June 27 – during the dinner break
Head to the Tulum Beach Bar on the last night for more games and more prizes!
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?
Manuel Ferrari took it down for €206,300 in 2025. The smile he has here takes a long time to wear off.
The 2025 PokerStars Open Málaga came to a close on Sunday (June 22) with Manuel Ferrari crowned Main Event champion after a heads-up deal with fellow countryman Ermanno Di Nicola. Ferrari took home €206,300, while Di Nicola pocketed €188,360.
A record-breaking Main Event saw 1,636 entries from 944 unique entries, representing a huge 42% and 48% growth on 2024’s numbers, respectively, resulting in a huge prize pool totalling €1,570,560.
Meanwhile, the High Roller also saw higher numbers of entries from 2024 with an increase of 38%, as a result, boosting the total prize pool to €552,960, with first place won by Jorge Ruiz, who took home winnings of €112,960.
PokerStars Open Málaga Main Event
Dates: June 18-22, 2025
Buy-in: €1,100
Prize Pool: €1,570,560
Entries: 1,636
1 Manuel Ferrari (Italy) – €206,300*
2 Ermanno Di Nicola (Italy) – €188,360*
3 Morten Lie (Norway) – €109,200
4 Jorgen Dyhrberg (Denmark) – €84,000
5 Fernando Quintana (Spain) – €64,600
6 Linda Nguyen (Norway) – €49,700
7 Davis Harari (United States) – €38,200
8 Joel Haapio (Finland) – €29,400
9 Ignacio Cuesta (Spain) – €22,600
Take a look through all the Malaga results here.
POKERSTARS OPEN WINNERS
Here’s a look at all the Open Main Event winners so far:
Adrian-Sorel State (Romania) – €363,000 (Campione, March 2025)
Jon Kyte (Norway) – €340,000 (Monte Carlo, May 2025)
Jean-Vincent Lehut (France) – €238,000 (Namur, May 2025)
Manuel Ferrari (Italy) – €206,300 (Malaga, June 2025)
Alexis Nicolai (France) – €772,000 (Barcelona, August 2025)
Scott Margereson (UK) – €423,700 (Malta, October 2025)
Tuan Le (United Kingdom) – £149,200 (Manchester, October 2025)
Julian Bogdanov (Bulgaria) – €398,135 (Prague, December 2025)
Paul François Tedeschi (France) – €195,700 (Cannes, December 2025)
Elvir Nuhiu (Switzerland) – €200,640 (Campione, January 2026)
Patrik Demus (Hungary) – €551,090 (Paris, February 2026)
Joris Ruijs (Netherlands) – €317,398 (Monte Carlo, May 2026)
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