A leading figure in Malta’s poker community is receiving an outpouring of support after a heart attack left him facing a long and difficult rehabilitation.
Antoine Degiorgio, the man behind the Malta Poker Fish community and a familiar face at poker events on the island, suffered a cardiac arrest on March 17. His brain was deprived of oxygen during the emergency, resulting in significant brain damage.
Now, after years spent using poker to raise money for other people, Degiorgio and his family are finding the roles reversed.
His sister Lucienne has launched a fundraising campaign seeking €85,000 to help pay for the specialist rehabilitation and care he needs.
A Familiar Face in Malta Poker
Degiorgio has been involved in Malta’s poker scene for more than 15 years and founded Malta Poker Fish, a Facebook community that has grown into an important hub for players on the island.
The group helps players keep track of live and online poker events while also connecting Malta’s sizeable community of local players and international residents.
Degiorgio has become particularly well known for bringing poker and fundraising together.
His charity tournaments have supported a number of causes over the years. In December 2025, the Annual Round Table Malta Charity Poker tournament he organised raised €11,125 for Dar Bjorn.
Previous Malta Poker Fish charity events have also involved major names from the poker and gaming industries, with Degiorgio helping to bring players together to raise money away from the usual tournament circuit.
He is a player himself, too. Degiorgio has appeared at poker festivals across Europe and recorded a third-place finish at The Festival in Rozvadov in 2024 for €33,900 plus a WSOP Europe Main Event seat.
Heart Attack Changed Everything
Degiorgio’s situation changed dramatically when he suffered the heart attack earlier this year.
His condition was initially so serious that doctors gave him little chance of survival, according to his sister.
After approximately two weeks in intensive care, he was transferred to a cardiac medical ward. His family was warned that the damage caused by the lack of oxygen to his brain could leave him in a vegetative state.
Five months later, his recovery has already gone considerably further than initially feared.
Degiorgio is now able to walk and speak in sentences and continues to make gradual progress.
His family says that progress has been made possible by his determination and the work of the doctors, nurses and carers treating him.
Family Seeks Specialist Rehabilitation
The next stage of Degiorgio’s recovery presents another challenge.
His family says he requires extensive rehabilitation, including neurological and physical treatment, cognitive therapy and round-the-clock supervision.
Finding a facility capable of providing that combination of care has proved difficult.
Degiorgio remains in the cardiac medical ward at Mater Dei Hospital and is on a waiting list for Dar Bjorn, the same organisation that benefited from the charity poker tournament he helped organise last year.
With an appropriate place currently unavailable, his family has turned to private rehabilitation.
Lucienne Degiorgio launched the “Help make Antoine great again” fundraising campaign with a target of €85,000 to help cover the costs.
The response was immediate, with more than €31,000 raised shortly after the appeal became public.
Poker Community Gets Chance to Give Something Back
There is a cruel irony to Degiorgio’s situation.
For years, he has helped organise poker events designed to raise money for people who needed support. Now his own family is relying on that same generosity as they try to give him the best possible chance of recovery.
Degiorgio’s influence extends beyond charity events. Malta Poker Fish has become part of the infrastructure surrounding poker on the island, while Degiorgio has regularly promoted Malta as a destination for visiting players.
His family says the messages, donations and offers of help received since the fundraising campaign began have demonstrated just how many people he has affected during those years.
For a man accustomed to bringing the poker community together for other people, Malta’s players now have an opportunity to rally around one of their own.
