€1,120 Main Event Highlights the 2025 Finnish Poker Championship

The lord knows that live poker events in Scandinavia are a rarity nowadays. After the closure of Casino Cosmopol Stockholm in Sweden earlier this year, it joins Norway as a country without a single casino. While the various poker/gambling regulations in Scandinavia are a discussion for another time, it can be established that Finland and Denmark are the sole two countries out of the quartet that offer organized live poker.

Presumably, many Finnish poker players are excited about October, when the 2025 Finnish Poker Championship will be played. Over six days, new champions will be crowned, and a new chapter in Finnish poker history will be written. Highlighted by a €1,120 Main Event, one can understand why this is the pinnacle of the Finnish poker year.

The Climax of Finnish Poker

Helsinki will most certainly be the place to be for all Finns in October. The 2025 Finnish Poker Championship will be played October 6-11 at the colorful and bright Casino Helsinki. The event has quite a noble history; judging from The Hendon Mob, the first-ever edition of what then was referred to as the Finnish Open Championship was played in 2003. Since then, the event has come and gone, and this year’s edition will be the third consecutive year the championship is held.

The buy-in of the main event has changed since last year. When Jonatan Fors won the 2024 Finnish Poker Championship Main Event for €22,998, the tournament had a €670 price tag. The stakes will be somewhat higher in this year’s €1,120 Main Event, which ought to attract the top Finnish players. The tournament is a two-day affair, kicking off with Day 1 on October 10. The Main Event is capped at 120 players; that being said, players who are knocked out can re-enter during Day 1, and those who are unfortunate not to get a set from the get-go can put their name up on a waiting list on-site. The casino has also promised to run some live satellites to the Main Event in the weeks prior to the event.

The €445 Mini Main Event, which is scheduled for October 11, also allows 120 contestants. The two PLO tournaments – the €670 PLO Terminator and the €1,120 PLO Main Event – are both capped at 90 players, whilst the €670 Texas NLH Terminator welcomes 100 brave warriors.

It wouldn’t be a Finnish Poker Championship without Sökö. This variation on five-card stud is the grandfather of Finnish poker, and it’s an educated guess that some locals will consider the €445 Sökö PL the “real” main event of the championship. A big part of the unique charm of Sökö lies in the hand rankings. Allegedly, the Finns found the original five-card stud too dull, since a pair often was deemed the winning hand at showdown. As such, a four-card straight and a four-card flush are squeezed in the hand rankings between three-of-a-kind and an ordinary five-card straight.

2025 Finnish Poker Championship – Tournament Schedule

Date	Time	Event
October 6	16:00	€670 Texas NLH Terminator
October 7	16:00	€670 PLO Terminator
October 8	16:00	€1,120 PLO Main Event
October 9	16:00	€1,120 Texas NLH Main Event Day 1
October 10	16:00	€1,120 Texas NLH Main Event Day 2 (Final Day)
	16:00	€445 Sökö PL
October 11	16:00	€445 Mini Main Event

The Venue for Champions

Surely, this’ll be a week to remember for Finnish poker enthusiasts. Helsinki Casino has communicated that it will extend its opening hours during the event. What’s more, cash games starting from Blinds €5/€5 will be offered throughout the event.

Casino Helsinki has been around for roughly 30 years, and outside of Vegas, it must be one of the most colorful and scenic venues for live poker. It’s located in the beautiful capital, Helsinki, and apart from the poker, there are also table games, slots, a restaurant, and a bar. The 2025 Finnish Poker Championship will be played in the Fennia saloon, the most luxurious part of the casino. Without a doubt, it’s a worthy venue for a National championship.

There’ll be a handful of new Finnish champions in roughly one month. The expectations for the 2025 Finnish Poker Championship are high, and considering the vast popularity of poker in Scandinavia, the event will most certainly not disappoint.