Martin Franke von Zweigbergk, one of poker’s ultimate characters, created The Festival Series, which returns to Malta September 8-15. [Image: TheFestival.com]

Franke

The first time I met Martin Franke von Zweigbergk was at a Unibet Open in Bucharest. Franke, as he is generally known, was the loudest and most inebriated man in the room, as he often is. He was on his umpteenth bullet in the side event we were playing, as he often is. After busting it just before re-entry closed, he was more than keen to reenter, as he always is. There was one problem, though: he was out of liquid funds, and his cards were maxed out, as they often are after a long day of drinking and poker.

he shrewdly surmised me to be the most likely mark

Looking around the table, he shrewdly surmised me to be the most likely mark to be able to lend him the few hundred euros needed to continue his day. I quickly agreed and handed over the cash. Franke was grateful, but then had a realization.

“You don’t really know me, and I probably won’t remember this tomorrow, so I give you collateral”

Rummaging in his pockets, he located and handed over his passport. He scurried off to re-enter, busting it with his trademark efficiency, just after re-entry closed. When I told a friend I was holding Franke’s passport as collateral, she laughed.

“You’re not holding his passport. You’re holding one of his many passports”

When I located Franke the following day and told him I had his passport, he asked how much I owed him.

The Festival Series, Franke’s baby

Franke is a man not only with many passports, but many fingers in many pies. He is probably best known as the man behind the very popular The Festival Series.

the secret sauce of The Festival Series is how they cater to lovers of mixed games

Last year, The Festival Series Malta smashed records on the Mediterranean archipelago with 50 champions crowned during a jam-packed eight days at the Portomaso Casino. The €550 ($608) Main Event was won by Oystein Brenden of Norway for €60,700 ($67,127), but the secret sauce of The Festival Series is how they cater to lovers of mixed games, embracing a cross-over with the casino games and putting a lot of thought into fun off-the-felt activities.

The Festival Series returns to Malta September 8-15 this year, having already had a stop in Rozvadov and with another on the horizon in Bratislava in November. Unibet is proud to be partnered with the event, offering package and seat satellites every week on UnibetPoker.