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Tereza Vernerova has made history by becoming the first woman to win the Battle of Malta Main Event. The Czech player defeated Ofer Tadmor heads-up at the 2026 Battle of Malta Autumn Edition, held at Casino Malta, after a final table that stretched beyond 12 hours.
The €600 buy-in event drew 5,368 entries, creating a prize pool that originally earmarked €227,835 for first place. Following an ICM deal among the final three players, Vernerova ultimately banked €162,635 along with the Knight Trophy.
Vernerova admitted to feeling nervous entering the final table despite holding the chip lead, noting it was the biggest such stage she had ever faced. She credited her husband, who stayed by her side throughout the tournament offering food, water, and encouragement, for helping her stay composed.
The final table saw several dramatic swings. Lulei Hu battled back from the short stack multiple times before eventually falling in fourth, while James Malatynski surged into the chip lead with a big win over Hu before being eliminated after a costly aggressive shift following the three-way deal.
In heads-up play, Vernerova seized control after flopping trips against Tadmor’s two pair. She closed out the match when Tadmor’s river all-in with a paired board was snap-called by her trip tens, leaving him without the needed help on the turn or river.
Her victory also secures Vernerova an invitation to the Battle of Malta’s 2027 tour, which includes new stops in Barcelona, Bratislava, and Tallinn, plus a return to Malta for the summer edition. She expressed excitement about potentially visiting Bratislava, given its proximity to her home in the Czech Republic.
