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Veli-Pekka Penttinen Crowned King as 2026 OlyBet Kings of Tallinn Concludes
- Veli-Pekka Penttinen won the €1,100 Main Event for €149,775.
- Erik Friberg secured the €5K High Roller title.
- The €200 Mini Main Event set new attendance records.
The 2026 Kings of Tallinn poker festival concluded with Veli-Pekka Penttinen winning the €1,100 Main Event for €149,775. Over 11 days, the festival saw record entries and elite performances from High Roller champion Erik Friberg and Mini Main winner Jevgenijs Zotovs.
The 2026 OlyBet Kings of Tallinn has officially cemented its status as Northern Europe’s poker powerhouse, concluding an 11-day marathon that rewrote the record books.
Hosted at the prestigious Olympic Park Casino and Hilton Tallinn Park Hotel, the 11th edition of the festival delivered a massive 74-event schedule, drawing a global field of players to compete for seven-figure prize pools and the most coveted trophies in the Baltics.
Main Event: Highlights
The €1,100 Main Event stood as the festival's crown jewel. After a three-way deal, Finland's Veli-Pekka Penttinen secured the title and the lion's share of the prize pool. The final table was a high-octane affair, featuring a satellite qualifier's deep run and aggressive play from runner-up Tal Barasofsky.
- Winner: Veli-Pekka Penttinen (€149,775*)
- Runner-up: Tal Barasofsky (€112,770*)
- Prize Pool: Exceeded €1,000,000 (GTD met)
- Entries: Over 1,000 total entries
€5,000 High Roller Highlights
A star-studded field of 46 runners gathered for the High Roller. Swedish veteran Erik Friberg, famous for his 2006 WSOP Main Event final table, proved he still has the winning touch by defeating French pro Alexis Lucarini in a grueling heads-up battle.
- Winner: Erik Friberg (€71,700)
- Runner-up: Alexis Lucarini (€47,100)
- Prize Pool: €209,760
- Entries: 46
€200 Mini Main Event Highlights
The Mini Main Event shattered expectations, drawing a massive field of 903 entries. Latvia's Jevgenijs Zotovs emerged victorious after a marathon Day 2, claiming the largest prize of the opening week and cementing his status as a rising star in the Baltics.
- Winner: Jevgenijs Zotovs (€25,570)
- Runner-up: Athanasios Kostouros (€17,060)
- Prize Pool: €142,764
- Entries: 903
Side Event Spotlight: Mixed Games and Major Titles
Beyond the Main Event, the 2026 schedule showcased incredible variety, catering to purists and high-speed action seekers alike.
Mixed Game Mastery: The series leaned into niche formats with great success. Fabian Bartuschk claimed the €350 OFC Pineapple title (€6,650), while Latvia’s Konstantin Mikhailyuk conquered a specialist field in the €200 PL 2-7 Triple Draw (€3,410).
Championship Glory: Two major mid-stakes trophies stayed in the Baltics. Martin Zobel dominated the €555 Championship for a cool €53,520, and Kristaps Sipols took down the €350 Kings of Tallinn Cup (€26,940) during a massive opening weekend.
Fan Favorites & Queens: The "Franke" factor was in full swing as Martin von Zweigbergk secured the €200 Sviten/PLO5 title (€4,550). In the €555 NLH Queens event, Natalia Manuyko emerged victorious, banking €3,535 in a showcase of the region's top female talent.
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