Seven Full Houses and a Statement Victory in Malta
Andras Nemeth showed the poker world why he’s one of the most feared PLO players on the planet, storming through the €10,300 PLO Grand Slam Malta Championship at Casino Malta to claim the title, the trophy, and €407,854 in prize money. The Hungarian high-stakes pro, known online as “probirs,” topped a 182-entry field in his first-ever Diamond Poker Series appearance to secure yet another major live title.
Nemeth’s path to victory was nothing short of remarkable. Over the course of the final day, he revealed a full house no fewer than seven times, including the back-to-back monsters that sealed the deal against Finland’s Aku Joentausta in a quick heads-up battle. The two had already agreed to a deal that left €65,000 in play, with Joentausta banking €325,346 for his runner-up finish — the biggest live score of his career.
Final Table Payouts
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andras Nemeth | Hungary | €407,854* |
| 2 | Aku Joentausta | Finland | €325,346* |
| 3 | Andreas Thelin | Sweden | €197,400 |
| 4 | Ole Schemion | Germany | €161,700 |
| 5 | Hossein Ensan | Germany | €129,700 |
| 6 | Stanislav Zegal | Germany | €100,600 |
| 7 | “Sonic” | N/A | €74,400 |
| 8 | Filip Lovric | Sweden | €54,700 |
| 9 | Aki Vihikainen | Finland | €43,600 |
*Denotes heads-up deal
From Chip Leader to Champion
Nemeth came into Day 3 with the chip lead and wasted no time setting the tone. He sent Danyil Zaremba to the rail in 13th place (€32,000) and continued to build momentum. Joentausta briefly took over after eliminating Austrian veteran Harry Casagrande on the final table bubble, but Nemeth quickly struck back once the last nine were seated.
After winning a sizable pot against Ole Schemion, Nemeth reestablished control and began dismantling the table one elimination at a time. He knocked out “Sonic” in seventh place, then took care of Stanislav Zegal and Schemion himself to enter three-handed play with roughly 60 percent of the chips in play.
The Heads-Up Battle
Sweden’s Andreas Thelin, who was playing his first tournament since 2019, fell in third place for €197,400, setting up the final showdown between Nemeth and Joentausta. The pair agreed to a heads-up deal, leaving €65,000 on the table to play for and diving into heads-up action with Nemeth holding a near two-to-one advantage.
The duel was short and sweet. Nemeth won the bulk of the pots and closed out the match in just 30 minutes, sealing his victory with another of his signature full houses. It was an emphatic finish to a near-flawless performance.
Another Trophy for the Collection
With the win, Nemeth joins Tom-Aksel Bedell and Imad Derwiche as PLO Grand Slam Championship winners, adding yet another piece of hardware to his already overflowing trophy cabinet. For the Diamond Poker Series, it was a fitting end to a €1.88 million event that saw some of the game’s elite — including Schemion, 2019 WSOP Main Event champ Hossein Ensan, and Filip Lovric — battle it out for glory.
After posing for his winner’s photo, Nemeth made a quick exit from the casino, unsure whether he’d jump into the €5K PLO Grand Slam Malta Million, which had just kicked off nearby. Whether or not he decided to play, one thing was certain — this was Andras Nemeth at his absolute best, proving once again why he’s among the elite in four-card poker.
