Blogger Contest Part 2: Results!

RankingHero and Betsson Group offer you an exclusive €1,500 VIP package including:

The buy-in for the Battle of Malta Main Event

A 5-star hotel

Travel expenses

And you get to be the official RKH reporter in Malta!

#MaltaBOMParty  

In this challenge, you were asked to describe the Battle of Malta VIP Party.

And we can already say that whoever goes there as the RKH reporter, we’re going to have some fun reports!

@DecoGTX will send us blurry pictures of all the drinks he had.

@Jonny2192 will tell us about his dreams after taking the wrong kind of mushrooms.

And @Skilful will gather all the juicy gossip but will unfortunately not be able “to repeat it here in print” So maybe we’ll have to rely on our new star reporter this week, @Kat Arnsby.

Here are the points you earned in this round:

And here is the general Leaderboard:

Click here to discover the 3rd and last challenge!

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Important:

Everything will ultimately be settled with cards and chips:

At the end of the 3 contests, the 9 members who earn the most points will participate in a private SNG to decide who gets the €1,500 package to Malta!

#MaltaBOMParty

Malta is a beautiful Catholic girl, who has her hair neatly pinned up and her prayer book under her arm as she spends her days steeped in history and culture. By night, she pulls on her suspenders, cracks open the Bolly and parties like a demon till the sun comes up.

It's been a party all week at the Battle of Malta 2015, and as the Main Event and side events create victims and heroes, the fun, beer-happy environment bubble that you can depend on in a mid-buyin tournament schedule has not yet burst.

Tomorrow will see the end of play on the Main Event, and with the largest every prizepool to play for in this record breaking schedule, I came out tonight to the BOM VIP Player's Party to see if I can spot any likely candidates for a hangover-fuelled spew (chip spew or actual vomit) tomorrow.

I decided to walk to the party from my hotel, because 15 years of living in the North of England has told me that you should enjoy the outside when it's not raining. As I stroll down to the exclusive Villa club (a mind blowingly swanky, award-winning venue, overlooking Balluta Bay) I can hear the party before I see it, and I can tell it's going to be a good night.

The BOM VIP Parties have become the stuff of legends, and as I approach the front entrance, it becomes clear why. This is a turned-out venue, ladies and germs, this is the aspirational poker life that low/mid stakes players like me can usually only dream of... it is also a health and safety nightmare!

Before I even cross the threshold, I am offered a free shot (probably designed to help me grow adamantium claws as it literally glows bright green), dodge the wild feet of a pair of scantily clad pole dancers (sharing one pole!!), and lose 25% of an eyebrow to a fire artist (not gambling, I just stood too close).
The Maltese don't just party, they put on a show.

As I always do at parties, I head straight for the buffet; one simply does not cultivate a body like this from avoiding the buffets at parties. The only thing the Maltese do better than party is eat, they know their food, and I get straight into the spread of meat and sweet pastries; utter bliss.

The other good reason to hang out by the buffet is the vantage point it offers to observe the rest of the room. This event is growing year on year, and the BOM Main Event is attracting more and more pro-players and well-known poker names.

A quick chat with Dominic Panka reveals that the pro interest in this tourney is not only the huge prizepool, it's the vibe of the whole week and Malta's atmosphere that has brought him back to BOM 2015 after a double bullet last year failed to bring him a decent result.

After midnight, this party starts to get less polite.

The DJ is throwing out some dirty dub and the dancefloor is heaving, although, like most poker parties, it's possible to see corners of geeks playing Kalooki/random wacky poker variants.

The friendly atmosphere here is overwhelming, possibly due to familiarity among the high number of returning players, but in some way attributable to the well-organised schedule and down-time opportunities that the organisers have laid on.

As I try to decide between champagne truffles and some interesting looking pink sponge, I spot Alan Brincat, a local guy and runner-up in last year's BOM Main Event after a hard-stop at closing time.

I collar him for an interview, but he's having none of it, he tells me I work too hard and drags me onto the dancefloor.

Suddenly, the night doesn't feel like it's about poker. There are introductions, re-introductions, hugs and cheers.
The beer is flowing, the chandeliers are being swung from, and conversations range from football and poker to politics and art. This party is a strange and brilliant mix of people, because poker brings out all sorts, the only common ground being a love for the beautiful game.

A Maltese party night would not be complete without fireworks, and the display on the beach at 1am is spectacular; players line up, with arms linked to watch the night sky light up with shapes and colours that put the stars to shame. Many of us were transported to our childhoods as we “oohed” and “aahed” in unison.

The party is still going strong at 4am, when I have to leave, partly because I'm a bit sloshed, and partly because I know I have just eight hours until Day 2 starts.

As I walk back to my hotel, I see a large group of players, wearing nothing but BOM branded baseball caps running naked on the shore and splashing in the sea.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a pretty sight, but it is a perfect visual reminder that The Battle Of Malta is probably the most unique, party atmosphere, stand-alone poker tournament in Europe, if not the world.

I was lucky to win my seat this year, because the buyin is outside my personal roll, but if I don't win a seat next year, I'm coming back anyway, just for the party, for the camaraderie, for the pole dancers, and above all else, for the pure poker love and shared passion that was in the room tonight.

Aside from the buffet, I'm not much for parties, but this party was more than just lame drinking and dancing, this was a re-union of a family that I never even knew that I had.

OH NO!

I've let myself down with this one!! There was a deadline for 5th October, and I have been non stop partying since 3rd October which was the VIP Party day at BOM. I was meant to be writing here to tell you guys all about it, but I was so hungover the day after I thought I'd wait and even now my head feels like I have hit it onto a wall and the events of that night are more than a 'bit' of a blurr...

It started when I arrived, I walked to the bar and said I'll have a double JD and coke (nothing like easing into things...) I took some cash from my pocket and the barman told me it was free, on the house, VIPs don't pay for drinks... Well things were going to get a little crazy from this point I had no doubt about it...

A few more JD's and I didn't really care who I was talking to, so I went and pulled up a seat next to @Daniel Negreanu, @Nicolas Levi  , @Phil Hellmuth  and @Phil Ivey , others were just sitting around on the outskirts, but i just went straight in there and pulled up a chair.

I started talking some semi random stuff to introduce myself and I could see Daniel and the two Phil's were thinking who is this guy? But Nicolas came to the rescue when he said.. oh this is skilful he's our blogger, well with that little introduction all hell broke loose. They all started telling me about some crazy stories I can't even repeat here in print.

Anyway to the point of this article you want to know what was going on at the party. @B165L1Ck75  was still on cloud 9 from having the news his wife was pregnant! Very nice, and we all spent some time congratulating him for this.

@Rémi Rkh  has just finished the latest newsletter for RKH which included photos of @Elena RKH and @Alessio Bianchi  dancing and of course victory photos of @Ina Rkh  who was still enjoying every moment of the party after finishing 1st in the whole main event, her efforts entering the sunday supersats had paid off after all!

Having gathered this news early in the party, and also having just spent the past hour at the table of these poker celebrities I made it my task to go and find some more RKH celebrities of my own, because i needed to get the lowdown on how their main event had gone.

First I found @Jonny2192  laughing away with @Arty Mcfly , Jonny knew he was going to be seeing Arty tonight so to everyones amusement had come dressed as a penguin. Funnily enough he had a sign around his neck in big white letters which read 'Not Pingachu' apparently an in joke between the two about the way that Unibet had finally released the Penguin Avatar after Arty's 1 year petition / lobbying campaign only for someone to beat Arty to his own name!

I ordered some oysters for Arty, couldn't resist that little joke before leaving the table and ventured out across the dance floor. I did a bit of Ceroc on my way through (it had been quite a few years... but surprising what comes back to you) - not sure EVERY lady

I happened to randomly take into my arms and start dancing with fully appreciated my 'shouldersway switch' or 'catapult' or the Ceroc dance floor spirit of if a lady is free dance with her, but it was fun - and there were a few funny things to report, but being the blogger here I have the great privilidge of deciding what to include in this report and what not to! :)

Back to the bar and i didn't even need to order as it was just lined up with cocktails from one end to the other, nice i took two and carried on with my reporting tour. I spied @Mark Duguid  next, who was at the bar talking to @Jason Somerville ,Jason has just invited Mark onto one of his Tuesday twitch streams as a special guest, very nice for a long term fan, - and you heard it here first guys!

I ended my night of reporting by catching @William Calder and #Jaime Staples  who were discussing the pros and cons of the delayed CBet on monotone flops. But not before spending half hour with @Kat Arnsby ,@Annie RKH  @Liv Boeree and @Victoria Coren Mitchell who were all discussing the rise of female pros in the sport, for an article Kat was putting together.

There you have it guys, the VIP party was the BOM at BOM

and i'll wrap this report up now, because we've arranged to do it all again just for fun in about... 3 hours time!

#MaltaBOMParty

#MaltaBOMParty

#maltabomparty

Stepped in the club like..

..then I

a bit..

AND


a bit...


It was not so fun. So I decided to look around..

Wooooohooooo and then I saw one of the biggest names of Poker, doing this:


You wanna know who ????
GIve me likes and I will reveal ;)

I thought they were a Myth, a tale told to build hype,A story to sell tickets.....

Now it was time to find out for myself.

It all started with a competition, Rankinghero.com was holding another competition
to win seats to a poker event.

I entered hoping to bink that seat and worked my way to the final, I took down
the 9 man sng and secured my place.

Later that day I recieve my package details via email and a message saying they
have given me access to "The Golden VIP Ticket party" with a few winks after it.
What were they meant to mean?

So I google "Golden VIP Ticket party" and the results are strange...
Its like reading a fantasy novel surely its an exageration or just total bull.

Later that month I fly of to malta, check in to the hotel and commence with
my first day of poker it goes ok and I manage to have chips left by the end of the day
but now its getting time for the player party and my anticipation grows.

I get changed and head down to the party room, a bored guy stood at the door says tickets please, I show him my golden ticket not sure if it was my imagination but hes eyes seemed to widen and his whole demeanour seemed to change. "Through here sir a host will be with you soon"

I walk through the door and ..................

Its a dark dingy room with a few bored poker players stood around,a really bad singer stood
on stage croacking out some kind of song.

Well that will teach me to take in the hype.

Forget this I think, might as well get a good nights sleep and be fresh for poker tomorrow.
I start to head out of the room and a man in full evening dress approaches me. Jonny? he says
I reply yes, "come with me sir, this party is not for you".

He then leads me to a golden elevator behind a set of curtains at the back of the room,
"Just enter your ticket in the slot", I do and the doors swing open, I enter giving a brief
look behind me and seeing stares of jealousy and envy from the few people in the room.

The doors slide closed and my descent into who knows what begins..............

I eye shake my head in disbelief at the sights in front of me.
Its like I am outside but I cant be.
The area is full of lush trees with a waterfall in the middle.

Beautifull women everywhere but wait they all have pointy ears, I hear galloping and look to see a unicorn pass by and on its back is @Nicolas Levi i he gives a nod and a knowing smile on his way past.

I make my way to the waterfall, "come join us" urge 2 girls that look familar, its @Ina Rkh  and @Annie RKH 
I am sure they dont have elven ears in the profile pics on RKH.

I strip down to my shorts and enter the pool under the waterfall, ina urges me to drink the water, so i taste it and its not water its champagne
but just a few sips send me into a world of pleasure.

After that drink I just want to party for the whole night or day because for some reason there is sunlight down here, the night
becomes a blur, I remember glimpses of many wonders unsure if its dream or reality, eventually I lie down in the field and fall asleep
under the beating sun.

Some time later I wake in my hotel room, feeling relaxed and as though I dont have a care in the world,
what a night.

Then a knock on the door, I open it to find @Pedro Canali  there, "you ready for another?" he asks

"Hell yea" I say and promptly follow him for another night of extasy.

I have wrote this story in my blog, I know a lot of you will think its bull.
The only way you can find out is enter the RankingHero.com roadtomalta competition and get that golden vip ticket for yourself.

#MaltaBOMParty

You can't most of this party!!!!!!

#MaltaBOMParty

Over 1500 players took the opportunity to attend the event and prepare for the BOM party with a free buffet and a three-hour open bar. They were greeted at the entrance by hostess, who welcomed everyone personally and distributed tickets for four ree drinks for when it would end the period of open bar. He also gave all the coupons in the form of poker chip that could be mistaken for a T-shirt BOM Party.

So the party started

... dessert	DJ

Drink	appetizers

Party & rock	Live Music

Dance floor is full...	...and we appreciated

we arrive by limo to be greeted by fire breathing acrobats twirling through the air , an shaolin monks performing feats of pure skill an bravery , there is one guy on stilts, people on unicycles handing out shots , calvin harris is DJing with rihanna performing also , and even an inflatable bar outside where u can get a british pint an fish n chips . there is so many people having such a blast dancing an mixing with one another , outside in the courtyard there is a ferris wheel where atop u can see the whole island of malta lit up under the sky's stars , a great moment to reflect an appreciate such a great nyt as fireworks shoot up in the air an make almighty bangs , back at the bar i meet some fellow rkh members an we decide to do shots of tequila an sambuca an this is where things get messy we do in the free champagne an start dancing on tables shirts off an doing british style football chants but changed to poker references which wont be repeated lol . there is some f the most beatiful women in the world here an a bunch of guys in hoodies an sunglasses looking pale white not seen the sun all trip an is funny to watch these guys just get mixing ryt in an having a ball , there is guy sperforming magic tricks with cards an stuff an also people actually playing poker u just cant stop some i suppose from taking a nyt off , all in all its been a wonderful eye opening experience to say the least anits all thanks to rankinghero an all our fantastic members .so hopefully see you all there next time gd luck guys cheers #'@quadzilla #MaltaBOMParty   

#MaltaBOMParty 

Hi guys, boys and girls !!!....hic

we were in the vip party of players in Malta

there was lots of lights

there was a lot of drinks

there was lots of dancing and music

sorry, but I do not remember anything !!!....hic.....hic