2025 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Autumn Edition – €1,100 NLH Main Event

Presumably, no one who woke up in Riga this morning was under the impression that this would be like any other Saturday in the Latvian capital. No, this twenty-seventh of September was deemed to be something extraordinary, and it all would be going down at the Olympic Voodoo Casino. On the schedule? The most intense day of the 2025 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Autumn Edition, and most importantly, the final day of the €1,100 Main Event.

From Idle to Chaos

The aforementioned Main Event had not disappointed up to the final day. A total of 150 entries had created a €142,500 prize pool, with a big €33,330 first-place payout awaiting the winner. When Day 2 concluded yesterday, i.e., September 26, ten players bagged their chips and, hopefully, got some good hours of sleep to be prepared for the grand finale.

The contestants arrived at the poker room shortly before 12:00 and took their seats. All presumptions were there for an affair to be remembered; would Roberts Krīgers be able to defend his Main Event title from the Spring Edition? Would the well-experienced Gabi Livshitz be able to make a legendary comeback from just six Big Blinds? Would the disciplined Ēriks Krūmiņš be able to follow up the great results he’s had recently? Or, would someone else come knocking out of left field? Only time would tell.

Considering there were ten of them, play started with two five-handed tables. It didn’t take too long before Henrik Veldhoen busted, which resulted in the floor quickly conducting a new seat draw. What followed then were two somewhat idle hours; some chips were trading owners back and forth, but overall, it was a very calm start to the final table. Of course, this was somewhat expected, as the payjumps were quite hefty.

When the final table started, Krūmiņš was the chipleader, and Krigers was not far behind. What’s more, Livshitz had managed to double up his stack twice prior to the final table and was now once again a force to be reckoned with.

The first major happening for the day was when Konstantin Arber found himself all-in against Edgars Beizaks, lost the coin flip, and survived with less than one Big Blind. In miraculous fashion, he managed to double up twice during one orbit – one time by cracking the aces of Arunas Satkus – and before you knew it, his stack had again reached respectable proportions.

That whole sequence was the spark that ignited the fire. From a somewhat calm preamble for the final day, it now became a certified bustout bonanza. The first victim on the final table would soon prove to be Edgars Beizaks; his pocket queens came up short to the ace-jack of Satkus, who had a top-three stack after that pot.

Satkus wasn’t done yet, though. He was out for blood, and his next victim would be the sole Finn at the final table, Pekka Ikonen. Ikonen was looking really good to double up and make a dent in the Satkus stack, but the Lithuanian managed to find a two-outer on the river, which saw Ikonen hitting the rail in somewhat brutal fashion.

Meanwhile, Arber’s stack had grown bigger after winning some chips here and some pots there. Eventually, he reached the threshold where he had Israelian Alexander Levin covered. Levin hung on to his relatively few chips for quite some time, but eventually, he couldn’t crack the pocket queens of Arber. Levin busted in seventh place.

Back to Satkus, who not only had been displaying great aggressive plays, but he also ran well. He picked up kings and knocked out Livshitz, who picked up ace-king at the worst time imaginable. The Satkus stack was now massive; in fact, with five players left, he had roughly 45 % of the chips in play. Speaking of ace-king versus pocket kings, that would also soon become the fate of Krūmiņš. There’s no doubt that Krūmiņš was the most active player on the table, and he showed why he’s a very prominent poker player. He lost 99 % of his stack to Arber, and Yaniv Peretz then delivered the final blow.

Krūmiņš and Krīgers have sort of the same vibe and aura; they both feel very serious about their poker and leave nothing to chance. Krīgers had done a great job surviving with a non-optimal amount of chips for some time and taking a couple of payjumps, but, eventually, Arber out-kicked the Latvian, who had to settle with a fourth-place finish.

Naturally, Satkus was the big stack with 50 % of the chips in play when three-handed play started. Peretz and Arber had pretty similar stacks in the beginning, but Peretz lost a couple of key hands, which drastically reduced his total number of chips. He soon thereafter lost a coin flip to Arber, and with Peretz out in third, the stage was set for a heads-up.

It can’t be said enough; what Arber was on the verge of achieving would go down in the international poker history books. Coming back in such a major tournament when having less than one Big Blind…it sounds like a Cinderella story. Unfortunately for him, the Satkus mountain was too big to climb. After not many more than ten hands, all the money was in the middle. It was a classic coinflip situation, and when Satkus hit one of his overcards on the flop, Arber wasn’t able to catch up.

With that, Satkus was crowned the winner of the €1,100 Main Event during the 2025 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Autumn Edition. He takes home the coveted trophy and the €33,330 first-place prize; by far the Lithuanians biggest live cash.

€1,100 Main Event – Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Arunas Satkus	Lithuania	€33,330
2	Konstantin Arber	Gemany	€22,060
3	Yaniv Peretz	Latvia	€15,950
4	Roberts Krīgers	Latvia	€12,430
5	Ēriks Krūmiņš	Latvia	€9,650
6	Gabi Livshitz	Israel	€7,510
7	Alexander Levin	Israel	€5,850
8	Pekka Ikonen	Finland	€4,730
9	Edgars Beizaks	Latvia	€3,800

While that’s a wrap for the Main Event and the poker.pro live coverage, the festival is not quite finished yet. The schedule for tomorrow (Sunday, September 28) features the final day of the €350 OlyBOOST Mystery Bounty, a €250 NLH Deepstack, and a €20 Satellite to the aforementioned Deepstack.

The OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo should be a must on all poker enthusiasts’ calendars. It’s an absolute stellar event; everything from the staff, the venue, the tournament structures…it’s flawless. Big credit goes to everyone who’s been working day and night to create such a nice atmosphere.

After eliminating Konstantin Arber during heads-up, Arunas Satkus is now crowned the winner of the €1,100 Main Event. The €33,330 payout is by far the biggest cash of the Lithuanian’s career, and he has now cemented himself into the poker history books.

That wraps up the poker.pro live coverage from the 2025 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Autumn Edition, but fear not. A smaller recap of the Main Event will be published within the hour, and tomorrow, poker.pro CEO Jason Glatzer will, as per usual, deliver a more proper write-up of everything that went down at the Olympic Voodoo Casino this glorious Saturday.

This poker.pro live reporter would like to thank everyone who’s been tuning into the live blog during this event.

€1,100 Main Event – Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Arunas Satkus	Lithuania	€33,330
2	Konstantin Arber	Gemany	€22,060
3	Yaniv Peretz	Latvia	€15,950
4	Roberts Krīgers	Latvia	€12,430
5	Ēriks Krūmiņš	Latvia	€9,650
6	Gabi Livshitz	Israel	€7,510
7	Alexander Levin	Israel	€5,850
8	Pekka Ikonen	Finland	€4,730
9	Edgars Beizaks	Latvia	€3,800
10	Henrik Veldhoen	Germany	€3,150
11	Agnese Barča	Latvia	€3,150
12	Jari Porkka	Sweden	€2,750
13	Jonas Klaus	Germany	€2,750
14	Victor Amat	Spain	€2,440
15	Jari Mahonen	Finland	€2,440
16	Jonas Lapinskas	Lithuania	€2,210
17	Eimantas Adomavičius	Lithuania	€2,210
18	Adria Roura	Spain	€2,030
19	Tero Hakanen	Finland	€2,030
20	Valtteri Rintamaki	Finland	€2,030

Perhaps at the tenth hand of the heads-up battle, all the money went into the middle. Konstantin Arber was the player at risk; if he doubled his 1,440,000 through Arunas Satkus, it would be somewhat even stacks.

Konstantin Arber: 10♠10♦
Arunas Satkus: A♥Q♠

Arber was slightly ahead with his pocket pair, but Satkus wasted zero time overtaking the lead thanks to the 4♠A♣3♠ flop. No help for Arber on either the J♣ or the 6♠, and that settled it. Arber was eliminated in second place for €22,060, but, as he said himself, “This was the poker comeback of a lifetime.” When nine players remained, he had less than one Big Blind, and somehow, he managed to convert it. Hats off.

Arunas Satkus: 5,550,000
Konstantin Arber: 0

Yaniv Peretz, who was the shortest stack out of the three, moved all in for roughly 470,000 from the Button. Arunas Satkus surrendered his Small Blind before Konstantin Arber snap-called.

Yaniv Peretz: K♥Q♠
Konstantin Arber: J♦J♣

Peretz was alive, but the jacks of Arber were good on the A♥5♠7♦7♠3♣ board. Gracious in defeat, Yaniv wished the two remaining contestants the best of luck in the heads-up battle before he headed to collect €15,950 for his third-place finish.

Going into the heads-up, Satkus has a big chip lead over Arber.

Arunas Satkus: 3,450,000
Konstantin Arber: 1,050,000
Yaniv Peretz: 0

The remaining three players are now enjoying their second 15-minute break of the day. When they come back, they will resume play on Level 26: Blinds 15,000/30,000, with a 30,000 Ante. The three musketeers have reached a common agreement; from now on, the levels will be 40 minutes instead of the full hour.

Below are the current standings.

Seated on the Button, Roberts Krīgers moved all in for roughly 300,000. When action came to Konstantin Arber, he snap-called.

Roberts Krīgers: A♥J♣
Konstantin Arber: A♠K♥

“I need a jack,” Krīgers urged as he saw the bad news. “Jack,” he continued asking as the dealer revealed the 8♦7♠4♥ flop. The 8♣ turn offered him some additional out, but the 2♥ eventually ended his tournament life.

Incredible, impressive feat from Krīgers, who won this exact tournament during the 2025 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition a couple of months ago. For his fourth-place finish, he gets a €12,430 paycheck.

Konstantin Arber: 1,900,000
Roberts Krīgers: 0

Ēriks Krūmiņš opened to 50,000 UTG. Action folded to Konstantin Arber in the Small Blind, who three-bet to 185,000. After a minute of total silence, Krūmiņš announced he was all in, and Arber snap-called.

Ēriks Krūmiņš: A♣K♠
Konstantin Arber: K♣K♥

Not the ideal scenario for Krūmiņš, and the 3♥J♥8♠J♣3♦ offered no consolation. “I think you cover me,” Krūmiņš said to Arber as he rose from his chair, put his bag on, and got ready to leave the tournament area. The floor urged him to wait while they counted, just to make sure.

“No way!” Arber shouted in disbelief. Krūmiņš had survived with 5,000; his stack prior to the encounter was 745,000, and Arber had 740,000. Krūmiņš was forced all-in on the very next hand as he was seated in the Big Blind, and Yaniv Peretz was “forced” to call from the Small Blind.

Ēriks Krūmiņš: Q♥4♣
Yaniv Peretz: A♠K♦

“Good luck,” Peretz joked as he turned over his hand, and the whole table shared a laugh. The A♦7♦7♠10♥Q♠ board sealed Krūmiņš’ fate, who’ll have to settle with €9,650 for his fifth-place finish.

Konstantin Arber: 1,600,000
Ēriks Krūmiņš: 0

This is one crazy final table, folks. The first two hours were idle, and then, boom! Players are busting within minutes of each other.

Most recently, Gabi Livshitz clashed all in against Arunas Satkus, after some preflop shenanigans this reporter wasn’t able to pick up. Livshitz was the player at risk, playing 620,000.

Arunas Satkus: K♥K♣
Gabi Livshitz: A♣K♠

Satkus is runnin’ hot, and he managed to dodge an ace on the Q♠8♦10♥4♣5♥ flop. He sent Livshitz to the rail in sixth place for €7,510, and Satkus now has quite a considerable chip lead.

Arunas Satkus: 2,350,000
Gabi Livshitz: 0

Seated in the Hi-jack, Alexander Levin moved all in for 220,000. Konstantin Arber made the call comfortably.

Alexander Levin: K♠Q♦
Konstantin Arber: Q♥Q♠

Levin was drawing thin, and he didn’t connect on the 3♣6♥7♦9♥8♠ board. He bid farewell in seventh place for €5,850.

Arunas Satkus opened to 40,000 from the Cut-off. Seated in the Big Blind, Pekka Ikonen moved all in for 175,000. Back to Satkus, who made the call.

Pekka Ikonen: 5♣5♥
Arunas Satkus: 2♥2♠

“Deuces never loses,” Satkus calmly determined as the dealer started to reveal the 6♥J♠10♥ flop. Ikonen was still good on the Q♣ turn. “On the river, maybe, for ultimate salt,” Satkus wished. Said and done, a brutal 2♦ river sent Ikonen to the rail in eighth place for €4,730.

Arunas Satkus: 1,750,000
Pekka Ikonen: 0

Arunas Satkus opened to 40,000 from the Cut-off. Edgars Beizaks fancied a three-bet to 100,000 from the Button, a bet which Satkus decided to call.

First to act, Satkus checked the K♦9♦A♦ flop. Beizaks then bet 50,000, and Satkus completed a check-raise to 175,000. As fast as humanly possible, Beizaks moved all in for 430,000. After receiving the count and spending a minute in the tank, Satkus made the call.

Edgars Beizaks: Q♣Q♦
Arunas Satkus: A♣J♣

Satkus had made the correct read and was ahead, and Beizaks didn’t improve to a flush on the 4♣4♥ runout. As such, Beizaks became the first casualty on the final table. For his ninth-place finish, he received €3,800.

Arunas Satkus: 1,500,000
Edgaras Beizaks: 0

Edgars Beizaks opened to 40,000 from the Button. Seated in the Small Blind, Konstantin Arber three-bet to 125,000. When action came back to Beizaks, he moved all in for perhaps 280,000. Arber made the call.

Edgars Beizaks: 7♥7♠
Konstantin Arber: A♣8♠

Beizaks took a firm grip as the flop came 7♣A♦6♦, and Arber wasn’t able to catch up as the board completed with 8♦5♦. Arber was now down to 15,000; less than one Big Blind. A few hands later, he got it in with J♣10♦ against the A♠7♥ of Pekka Ikonen. He managed to survive the clash, as the J♦5♥7♠J♠A♣ board favored him.

Then, a few hands later, Beizaks opened to 40,000 UTG. Once again, Arber moved all in, this time for 95,000. Then, out of the blue, Arunas Satkus raised to 170,000. This was big enough to force a fold from Beizaks, who claimed he threw away ace-king.

Konstantin Arber: K♥Q♠
Arunas Satkus: A♥A♣

Surely this would be the end for Arber? Nope! He hit trips on the Q♣Q♦J♦ flop, and he never looked back as the board completed with 6♥3♠. He is still alive in the tournament, now playing just shy of 200,000.

After two hours, the nine players are now enjoying their first 15-minute break of the day. They are set to return to Level 24: Blinds 10,000/20,000, with a 20,000 Ante. Below are the current chip counts.

Ēriks Krūmiņš, who’s been quite active on this final table, opened to 30,000 from UTG+1. Konstantin Arber called from the Button, before the players in the Blinds folded.

Krūmiņš check-called a 65,000 bet from Arber on the 10♥J♠7♥ flop. Action then went check-check on the 9♦ turn. Krūmiņš bet 45,000 on the Q♠ river, and Arber quickly called.

Krūmiņš turned over A♠K♦ for the stone-cold nuts, and Arber looked visibly shocked.

Ēriks Krūmiņš: 965,000
Konstantin Arber: 360,000

Ēriks Krūmiņš opened to 30,000 from the Cut-off. Seated in the Small Blind, Arunas Satkus fancied a three-bet to 85,000. Krūmiņš stared at his opponent’s stack for a minute or two before four-betting to 210,000. It didn’t take long for Satkus to go all in for roughly 600,000, and it went even faster for Krūmiņš to fold.

Arunas Satkus: 675,000
Ēriks Krūmiņš: 940,000

Seated UTG, Ēriks Krūmiņš opened to 30,000. Action folded all the way to Yaniv Peretz, who decided to defend his Big Blind.

Peretz check-called a 20,000 bet from Krūmiņš on the A♠2♣3♠ flop. Both players then fancied a check on the 5♣ turn. Peretz completed the check trifecta on the 10♥ river, before Krūmiņš bet 40,000. Peretz called fairly quickly.

Ēriks Krūmiņš: A♦2♦
Yaniv Peretz: A♥A♣

“I don’t have one ace,” Peretz said before the players turned over their respective holdings. “What are you doing raising that UTG,” Peretz joked, and the whole table – including Krūmiņš – shared a laugh.

Yaniv Peretz: 320,000
Ēriks Krūmiņš: 520,000

This live reporter joined the action when the board read 6♥6♦Q♥10♣5♣ with roughly 110,000 in the middle. Edgars Beizaks, who began the hand seated in the Big Blind, had checked it over to Roberts Krīgers on the Button. Krīgers then bet 82,000, before Beizaks moved all in for 305,000. Krīgers took an extra peek at his hole cards before he eventually let his hand go.

Edgars Beizaks: 420,000
Roberts Krīgers: 305,000

Pekka Ikonen opened to 24,000 from the Cut-off. Chip leader Ēriks Krūmiņš (Small Blind) and Alexander Levin (Big Blind) both made the call.

Krūmiņš and Levin both checked on the 8♣4♥3♣ flop, prior to Ikonen betting 30,000. Krūmiņš folded quickly before Levin made the call.

Levin then overtook the aggressive lead, as he bet 27,000 on the 3♦ turn. Ikonen made the call; it was so quiet in the tournament area that you could hear a pin drop.

Levin contemplated for two minutes before checking the 9♣ river. Ikonen used about the same amount of time before he fired a hefty 130,000 bet. Yet some consideration from Levin, who eventually let his hand go.

Pekka Ikonen: 460,000
Alexander Levin: 269,000

Seated UTG+1, Konstantin Arber opened to 25,000. Action eventually came to Yaniv Peretz, who spent two minutes in the tank before raising to 60,000. Arber took a good look at his opponent’s stack before making the call.

Both players checked the 7♠10♦8♣ flop. Action repeated on the 10♣ turn. “Enough is enough,” Arber must’ve thought, as he forced his opponent all in for roughly 215,000 on the 6♣ river. Within a split second, Peretz mucked his hand.

Konstantin Arber: 630,000
Yaniv Peretz: 215,000

Konstantin Arber opened to 40,000 from the Button. Action eventually folded to Henrik Veldhoen; Arber could see that his opponent had a decision. “Go ahead, I already have the calling chip in my hand,” Arber speech-played, waving a blue 25,000 chip. Veldhoen shared a laugh with his German compatriot before moving all in for roughly 225,000. Being a man of his word, Arber snap-called.

Henrik Veldhoen: 10♥10♠
Konstantin Arber: A♦7♣

“I have the nuts,” Veldhoen joked as he proudly revealed his pocket pair. “Sorry,” Arber said as the flop came 6♥K♣7♠. He had a gut feeling that he would win the hand, and that became the case, as the board completed with A♥3♥.

As such, Veldhoen became the player who just missed out on the final table. The German should still be happy with his €3,150 payout for tenth place. Prior to this hand, the short-stacked Gabi Livshitz had managed to double up twice.

The nine-handed final table is now set; stay tuned for the final table seat draw and chip counts!

Konstantin Arber: 560,000
Henrik Veldhoen: 0

The legendary phrase “shuffle up and deal” has been announced by the floor. It’s go-time.

This is it, ladies and gentlemen. This is the absolute climax of the 2025 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Autumn Edition. The final stage of the €1,100 Main Event is about to begin with the ten players who are still in the mix.

Of course, poker.pro will cover every nook and cranny of this highly anticipated affair. Make sure to tune in to the live blog frequently to stay up to date with all the action.

With that, let’s get ready to rumble.

At the moment this live reporter woke up in the morning, I knew it was going to be a good day. Outside, the sun was shining in the mesmerizing Latvian capital, even though there had been rumors that it was going to rain. As soon as I departed my residence for the week, I was filled with good energy, and the depression from my bad beat in yesterday’s €250 NLH Progressive Bounty vanished – just like that!

I entered the casino, ready to rock and rumble. It was Day 2 of the €1,100 Main Event, and it was always destined to be an intriguing affair. The tournament kicked off at noon, and those 45 who had secured their seat from any of the three starting-day flights would be accompanied by those who decided to take advantage of the 2-hour late registration window. When said window closed shortly after 14:00, the final numbers of the tournament were declared. A total of 150 entries had created a €142,500 prize pool, which had generated a juicy €33,330 first-place payout. Needless to say, all contestants had their eyes on the prize.

Forty-four players were still in the mix at this stage, and their first shared goal was to get top 20 and secure the €2,030 min-cash. Eventually, the bubble burst when Roberts Krīgers turned trips against Joerg Schneegab, who became the unlucky bubble boy. After that, a good ol’ fashioned post-bubble bustout bonanza followed, which saw several players busting out from the tournament in a relatively short time. One after one, the Latvian players managed to knock out the many Spanish warriors who had managed to make the money.

Play intensified when 12 players remained. Jari Porkka was the next one to bust, meaning the dream for a Swedish winner was shattered. The hope was still alive for a first-ever female OlyBet Showdown Main Event winner as Agnese Barča was still in the field, but eventually, her pair of threes couldn’t crack the code against the pocket aces of Arunas Satkus.

Ten players then remained, and with one hour left on the clock, you’d think one more player would’ve been eliminated to set the nine-handed final table. This wouldn’t be the case, even though there were perhaps three or four all-in and call situations. Sixty minutes flew by, and the survivors all received a plastic bag each for their well-earned chips. They are set to return tomorrow at 12:00 to pick up where they left off.

€1,100 Main Event – Final Day Seat Draw & Chip Counts

Table	Seat	Player	Country	Chips	Big Blinds
3	2	Henrik Veldhoen	Germany	306,000	26
3	5	Edgars Beizaks	Latvia	250,000	21
3	6	Arunas Satkus	Lithuania	552,000	46
3	7	Konstantin Arber	Germany	600,000	50
3	8	Gabi Livshitz	Israel	64,000	5
4	1	Roberts Krīgers	Latvia	783,000	65
4	2	Yaniv Peretz	Latvia	201,000	17
4	3	Pekka Ikonen	Finland	398,000	33
4	5	Ēriks Krūmiņš	Latvia	1,045,000	87
4	6	Alexander Levin	Israel	225,000	19

The stage is set for quite the finale tomorrow. The chip leader is none other than Ēriks Krūmiņš. The Latvian prodigy is not to mess around with; he already has two WSOP Circuit Rings to his name, as well as other impressive achievements, such as his win in the €350 Heads-up Championship during the 2025 Irish Poker Open. Presumably, he’s many people’s favorite to claim the title.

It won’t be a walk in the park for the humble Krūmiņš; quite the contrary. The reigning champion, Roberts Krīgers, is second in chips. He won the €1,100 Main Event during the 2025 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition and is looking to become the first ever to take home two OlyBet Showdown Main Events. The fact that he’s earned himself great presumptions to do it back-to-back is even more impressive.

The player with the far most live poker earnings on The Hendon Mob, Gabi Livshitz, may be last in the chip counts with just five Big Blinds, but if someone is able to spin it up, it’s him.

Overall, it’s a strong mix of players still left, and they’ve all earned their assigned ticket to the final day. Tomorrow will see a new chapter in the Latvian poker history books being written, and the excitement is unbearable. Thanks to everyone who’s been tuning into the poker.pro live blog today, and we’ll see you tomorrow at noon for the thrilling conclusion.

Below is the seat draw and chip counts for Day 3 (the final day) of the €1,100 Main Event. The first level of the day, Level 22, will feature Blinds 6,000/12,000, with a 12,000 Ante.

After a long, long Day 2, play has now concluded for today in the €1,100 Main Event. It’s been a bamboozling day, and when it ended, 10 players were still standing strong. They will return tomorrow and continue the battle for the coveted trophy, the €33,330 first-place payout, and the Main Event title here at the 2025 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Autumn Edition.

While today’s live coverage is done and dusted, the seat draw for tomorrow and the chip counts will be uploaded here, as well as a small recap of today’s action. Tomorrow, poker.pro CEO Jason Glatzer will, as per usual, post a more in-depth summary of everything that went down today at the Olympic Voodoo Casino.

Tomorrow’s live coverage will commence at 12:00 when the final stage of the Main Event starts, but once again, tune back into the blog in 30 minutes to take care of a small recap.

Arunas Satkus opened to 20,000 from the Cut-off. Action folded to the only lady left in the field, Agnese Barča, who moved all in for 100,000 from the Big Blind. Satkus had an easy decision and made the call.

Agnese Barča: 3♣3♦
Arunas Satkus: A♠A♦

Barča’s tournament life came to an end as the board spelled out 4♥9♦K♥J♠K♠. The journey for the first-ever female winner of an OlyBet Showdown Main Event goes on. For her feat, Barča received €3,150.

Arunas Satkus: 472,000
Agnese Barča: 0

Action folded to Jari Porkka, who moved all in for 90,000 from the Cut-off. He got called by Arunas Satkus in the Small Blind.

Jari Porkka: A♥9♦
Arunas Satkus: 9♥9♣

Porkka was praying for an ace, but the pretty cards were absent on the 5♣4♦Q♥10♠K♥ board. Porkka went out in twelfth place for €2,750, and unless you’re counting this reporter, there are no Swedes left in the Main Event.

Arunas Satkus: 462,000
Jari Porkka: 0

The remaining 12 players are now on the last 15-minute break of the day. When they return, the last level for the day will commence. That’s Level 21, which features Blinds 5,000/10,000 and a 10,000 Ante. Below are the current standings.

After some pre-flop shenanigans, Jonas Klaus and Henrik Veldhoen clashed all in. Klaus was the player at risk, playing 195,000.

Jonas Klaus: J♠J♦
Henrik Veldhoen: A♥Q♠

A classic coinflip scenario, and the Q♦3♠4♣10♦9♣ board favored Veldhoen. For his thirteenth-place finish, Klaus was awarded €2,750.

Veldhoen is looking to script a sunshine story, considering he was down to one Big Blind when there were 26 players left. Somehow, he survived the bubble, and now, he sits at quite the stack.

Henrik Veldhoen: 530,000
Jonas Klaus: 0

Big-stacked Roberts Krīgers opened to 16,000 from the Lo-jack. Spain’s Victor Amat spent perhaps two minutes in the tank, before raising to roughly 100,000 – leaving himself with 28,000 behind. Action came back to Krīgers who made the call faster than the speed of lightning.

Victor Amat: K♠Q♦
Roberts Krīgers: A♠A♣

There are worse hands in poker than pocket aces. No cracking for Amat on the 5♦8♠3♦K♣2♠ board, who went out in fourteenth place for €2,440.

Roberts Krīgers: 800,000
Victor Amat: 0

Action folded to the sole woman still in the tournament, Agnese Barča, who opened to 16,000. Seated in the Small Blind, Jari Mahonen moved all in for 103,000 in total. Barča made the call.

Jari Mahonen: A♠7♣
Agnese Barča: A♣J♣

Mahonen was praying for a seven, but the Poker Gods didn’t listen as the board ran out in Barča’s favor. Mahonen went out in fifteenth place for €2,440.

Agnese Barča: 370,000
Jari Mahonen: 0

Perhaps, the Swedish saying “Det går fort i hockey” might not translate well into English. Nevertheless, it’s a fact that since the bubble burst, people are busting left and right from the tournament.

The most recent elimination was Jonas Lapinskas, who found himself on a K♠4♠4♦ flop with 68,000 in the middle. On the other side of the table sat his opponent, who bet 9,000. Lapinskas then raised to 20,000, just to be forced all in for roughly an additional 100,000. After some consideration, Lapinskas made the call.

Mr. X: K♥5♥
Jonas Lapinskas: 9♠7♠

Lapinskas was chasing a flush, but seeing as his opponent improved to a full house on the 4♥ turn, it didn’t matter that he hit a fifth spade on the Q♠ river. He went out in sixteenth place for €2,210, and the tournament is now down to the final two tables.

Jonas Lapinskas: 0

UTG, Jonas Klaus opened to 12,000. Gabi Livshitz (Cut-off) and Yaniv Peretz (Big Blind) both made the call.

First to act, Peretz checked the 5♥K♥7♠ flop, prior to Klaus betting 12,000. Livshitz called, before Klaus mucked.

Klaus continued on the aggressive path, as he bet 35,000 on the 10♠ turn. Livshitz wasn’t going anywhere and made the call. Klaus slowed down and checked the A♦ river. Livshitz spent a few minutes in the tank before firing a 95,000 bet, leaving himself with 38,000. Klaus looked as confused as a duck on midsummer, as he pondered for perhaps four minutes. Eventually, he surrendered the pot to Livshitz.

Gabi Livshitz: 215,000
Jonas Klaus: 140,000

Not long after the bubble burst, Valtteri Rintamaki and Tero Hakanen went out in twentieth and twenty-first place for €2,030 each. Shortly after that, the remaining 18 players went on a break. When they return, they will resume play on Level 19: Blinds 3,000/6,000, Ante 6,000. Below is the current chip count.

Big stack (might even be the chip leader) Roberts Krīgers used his solid chip advantage and opened to 10,000 from the Cut-off. Seated in the Big Blind, Joerg Schneegab was the sole caller.

Schneegab checked to Krīgers on the 9♦8♣2♦ flop, who bet 11,000. After two idle minutes, Schneegab announced all in for 71,000. Krīgers made the call as fast as humanly possible, something that made Schneegab concerned.

Joerg Schneegab: Q♠10♥
Roberts Krīgers: 8♦6♦

Krīgers was already ahead, but Schneegab was still alive. The 8♠ took away some of his outs, and the 2♣ was the nail in the Schneegab coffin. He became the unfortunate bubble boy, and the remaining 20 players are now all guaranteed a €2,030 min-cash.

Roberts Krīgers: 704,000
Joerg Schneegab: 0

Moldova’s Andrei Silencov has been the short stack for quite some time. A couple of minutes ago, he moved all in for 20,000 from the Hi-jack. Konstantin Arber called him off from the Small Blind.

Andrei Silencov: A♠4♠
Konstantin Arber: 9♣8♥

Silencov took a firm grip as he benefited most from the A♣8♣5♦ flop, but, as we all know, poker can be a brutal game at times. The 6♦7♣ runout saw Arber improving to a straight, and a disappointed Silencov left the tournament area.

That means that 21 players remain, and the tournament is on the stone-cold bubble. As such, hand-by-hand play has started.

Kobstantin Arber: 270,000
Andrei Silencov: 0

Action folded to German Konstantin Arber, who made it 10,000 on the Button. Jonas Lapinskas decided to defend his Big Blind.

Lapinskas check-called a 10,000 bet from Arber on the Q♠7♦2♥ flop. Action went check-check on the 8♣ turn, and Lapinskas checked again on the 6♦ river. Arber now bet 55,000, something that had Lapinskas utterly confused. After a couple of minutes’ worth of head scratching, the Lithuanian made the call.

He was surprised to see Arber turn over 5♦4♦ for a rivered straight; he didn’t expect that.

Konstantin Arber: 283,000
Jonas Lapinskas: 133,000

Perhaps, Ēriks Krūmiņš is mostly known for his win in the €250 NLH Ring Event during the 2024 WSOP Circuit Tallinn. Now, he’s in Riga and playing a good stack in the €1,100 Main Event.

This reporter joined the action on a J♥6♦K♣5♥8♥ board, with roughly 110,000 in the middle. After a check from Jose Domene, Krūmiņš forced his opponent all in for 125,000. Domene twisted and turned for a good three minutes before he decided to make the call.

Krūmiņš turned over K♥Q♠, a hand Domene clearly couldn’t beat as he immediately mucked his cards and left the tournament area in twenty-fourth place.

Ēriks Krūmiņš: 635,000
Jose Domene: 0

This live reporter wants to inform all readers that I’m in fact not sleeping. It’s just that the last half hour has been as exciting as it is watching cucumber grow. With only 24 players remaining, it’s understandable that players are holding on tight to their chips; they all want to become top 20 and secure a €2,030 min-cash.

Hopefully, there will be some memorable moments and/or hands soon.

UTG, Ēriks Krūmiņš opened to 8,000 before Moldova’s Andrei Silencov moved all in for 25,000. Then, Joni Liimatta re-shoved for perhaps 175,000. Back to Krūmiņš, who, much to Liimatta’s discomfort, snap-called.

Andrei Silencov: 6♠6♣
Joni Liimatta: 10♠10♦
Ēriks Krūmiņš: K♥K♣

The already big-stacked Krūmiņš was on the verge of acquiring even more chips and knocking two players out in the process. The board spelled out A♣8♦9♣5♣6♦, which resulted in Silencov tripling up and Liimatta busting out.

Ēriks Krūmiņš: 525,000
Andrei Silencov: 90,000
Joni Liimatta: 0

The remaining 26 players are now on the second 15-minute break of the day. When they return, play will resume on Level 17, which features Blinds 2,000/4,000 and a 4,000 Ante. Below are the current chip counts.

Victor Amat opened to 6,000 UTG, and when action came around to Guillermo “GGordo” Gordo, he three-bet to 22,000. Amat apparently wanted to play a big pot, seeing as he put in a 45,000 four-bet. After some consideration, Gordo made the call.

Amat came out swinging on the 2♥8♥2♠ flop; he continued for 25,000, and Gordo made the call. Action went check-check on the 9♣ turn, but both players spent a couple of minutes in the tank. On the K♦ river, Amat pondered for at least five minutes before he announced all in for 78,500. A visibly agonized Gordo twisted and turned for a decent time before eventually making the call.

Victor Amat: K♠J♠
Guillermo Gordo: 8♣7♣

A pure GTO hand that resulted in Amat winning a very big pot from his compatriot, perhaps 20 minutes before the next scheduled break.

Victor Amat: 295,000
Guillermo Gordo: 42,000

Roberts Rumba opened to 6,000 from the Hi-jack. Jonas Klaus pondered for a minute before moving all in for roughly 65,000 from the Small Blind. Action folded back to Rumba; Klaus had Rumba just covered, and the latter made the call for his tournament life.

Jonas Klaus: 5♥5♣
Roberts Rumba: 9♠9♣

Rumba had his opponent in rough shape, and the 6♠4♣J♠ flop saw him closing in on a full double-up. Sadly for him, though, the board completed with 2♦3♥, giving Klaus a straight. A disappointed Rumba immediately left the tournament area, as Klaus started stacking his newly won chips.

Jonas Klaus: 142,000
Roberts Rumba: 0

The 2024 WSOP Circuit Tallinn €1,100 Main Event winner, Aurimas Stanevicius, opened to 5,000 from the Lo-jack. The 2025 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition €1,100 Main Event winner, Roberts Krīgers, clicked it to 10,000 from the Cut-off. After some consideration, Stanevicius made the call.

Stanevicius checked the 4♣2♦5♣ flop, and Krīgers wasted little to no time before forcing his opponent all in for 30,000. A visibly disappointed Stanevicius mucked his hand. Krīgers noticed this live reporter trying to count his stack, and being the good sport that he is, he was kind enough to inform me that he played 670,000.

Krīgers is trying to become the first-ever back-to-back winner of OlyBet Showdown Main Events, and so far, it’s looking good.

Roberts Krīgers: 670,000
Aurimas Stanevicius: 30,000

Mantas Urbonas opened to 5,000 from the Lo-jack. Action folded to Joni Liimatta in the Big Blind, who forced his opponent all in for roughly 50,000 in total. Urbonas double-checked his holdings before he made the call.

Joni Liimatta: A♣10♣
Mantas Urbonas: A♦Q♠

Urbonas was way ahead and looked good to double up. The flop 8♠J♣3♥ flop didn’t threaten him, but the devastating 10♥ on the turn saw Liimatta taking the lead. Urbonas didn’t catch up on the A♥ river, and as such, he was eliminated.

Joni Liimatta: 268,000
Mantas Urbonas: 0

The payouts have now been announced. Twenty players will be paid, with a staggering €33,330 waiting for the winner.

The players have returned from the first break of the day, and late registration is now closed. The prize pool reads €142,500, and while the payouts are not yet official, a juicy first-place prize is to be expected.

Below are the current chip counts.

Action folded to Edgars Beizaks in the Small Blind, who decided to limp. Lukas Poškus would allow it as he checked.

Beizaks continued by betting 2,000 on the 3♦9♥5♦ flop, a bet which big-stacked Poškus decided to call. “Go big or go home,” Beizaks must have been thinking, as he sized up to 16,000 on the 4♣ turn. After a minute’s worth of consideration, Poškus decided to save his money and let his hand go.

Lukas Poškus: 255,000
Edgars Beizaks: 155,000

Joni Liimatta opened to 4,000 from the Hi-jack. Liutauras Armanavičius called from the Big Blind.

The J♥10♥2♥ flop would prove to bring all the action; Liutauras Armanavičius checked, Joni Liimatta bet 4,000, Liutauras Armanavičius raised to 10,500, Joni Liimatta re-raised to 25,000, and Liutauras Armanavičius made the call.

After another check by Liutauras Armanavičius on the 7♠ turn, Joni Liimatta wasted little time before forcing his opponent all in for 77,000 in total. After a heavy sigh, Liutauras Armanavičius let his hand go.

Joni Liimatta: 200,000
Liutauras Armanavičius: 77,000

Seated UTG, Arunas Satkus opened to 4,000. Jari Porkka (Big Blind) was the sole caller.

Porkka check-called a 3,000 continuation bet from Satkus on the 8♠7♠Q♥ flop. Satkus sized up to 11,000 on the 3♣ turn, and Porkka called once again.

Porkka completed the check trifecta on the 5♦ river, and Satkus now bet 10,000. Much to the Lithuanians disgust, Porkka pulled of a check-raise move as he fired 37,000. Satkus pondered for perhaps three minutes before folding, showing Q♦. With roughly one hour left for late registration, Porkka is the sole Swede in the field.

Jari Porkka: 145,000
Arunas Satkus: 65,500

Action folded to Jonas Lapinskas, who opened to 3,000 from the Small Blind. Spain’s Jose Domene then made it 7,000 from the Big Blind. After a minute’s worth of consideration, Lapinskas forced his opponent all in for roughly 60,000 in total. Domene made the call swiftly.

Jonas Lapinskas: A♠10♦
Jose Domene: Q♦Q♣

Domene was ahead, and the 8♣K♠8♥ flop didn’t feature a scare. He sealed the win after improving to a full house on the Q♠ turn; the 10♥ river was dealt as a pure formality.

While this reporter wrote down the hand, a sudden sneezing frenzy hit me. “Apsveicam!” I assume Spain’s Guillermo “GGordo” Gordo said. “Write that in the blog,” Jose Domene joked. “I must be allergic to pocket queens,” I joked, and I got at least 60 % of the table laughing. There are four players representing the Spanish flag seated at Table 3.

Jose Domene: 124,000
Jonas Lapinskas: 54,000

One of the two ladies currently in the tournament, Agnese Barča, opened to 3,000 from the Cut-off. The other woman, Anna Bezdek, called from the Small Blind, and Jari Porkka also joined the party from the Big Blind.

All three players checked the 6♦3♥9♣ flop. Bezdek and Porkka also checked the J♥ turn, before Barča tempted her opponents with a 3,000 bet. Bezdek folded, but Porkka decided to stay around.

Porkka checked the 9♥ turn, and Barča determined 7,500 to be a good sizing for her next bet. Porkka pondered for a minute before letting his hand go. Barča and Bezdek are both aiming to become the first-ever female winner of an OlyBet Showdown Main Event.

Agnese Barča: 145,000
Jari Porkka: 48,500

Rasmus Sihvonen opened to 3,000 UTG. Tomi Hietala called from the Lo-jack, before Tomas Bulkšas moved all in for 35,000. Action folded back to Sihvonen, who also let his hand go, before Hietala made the call.

Tomas Bulkšas: J♠J♣
Tomi Hietala: A♥Q♦

It was a classic coin flip scenario, and Bulkšas prepared for departure as he saw the 7♦A♣4♣. He looked more comfortable once the dealer revealed the J♥ on the turn, and, just for good measure, the Lithuanian improved to quads on the J♦ river. Quite the decent start.

Tomas Bulkšas: 148,000
Tomi Hietala: 60,000

Day 2 of the €1,100 Main Event kicked off at noon, just as planned; due to the ongoing NATO conference that is taking place at the adjoined hotel, all mobile data and wifi signals were blocked for a while, but now it’s up and running.

Late registration is open for two more hours; the current €123,500 is deemed to increase, and it wouldn’t be too bold to assume it reaching the €150,000 mark. Play will conclude after nine 60-minute levels, or when a final table has been reached.