The highly anticipated 2026 OlyBet Kings of Tallinn got off to an outstanding start on Thursday, February 5, on the casino floor of Olympic Park Casino, where attendance exceeded expectations and filled the venue with eager players from across Europe and beyond. It was a fitting prelude to what promises for the next 10 days as players begin to file in and compete for Kings of Tallinn glory.
Running officially from February 6-15 at Olympic Park Casino and luxurious Hilton Tallinn Park, this OlyBet-backed series features a packed schedule of 74 numbered events, a generous €1 million guaranteed €1,100 Main Event, and the signature hospitality that has made Kings of Tallinn a staple on the live poker calendar. As the action ramps up today, all eyes are on the storylines that will unfold over the next 10 days.
The live reporting team at poker.pro will be bringing you the action to your doorstep starting on Friday, with the live stream coverage beginning with the final day of the €555 NLH Kings of Tallinn Championship on Tuesday.
- Read more: Learn Why You Shouldn’t Miss Opening Weekend at Kings of Tallinn (Feb. 5-16)
- Read more: OlyBet Announced Record 74-Event 2026 Kings of Tallinn Schedule (Feb. 5-16)
- Read more: 2026 Kings of Tallinn live reporting at poker.pro
Thursday’s Casino Floor Action
While the festival officially begins on Friday, Thursday’s soft start already had the buzz and excitement of a full festival. The festival kicked off with a Freebuy Mega Satellite with 10 seats guaranteed to the two-day €200 Mini Main Event. The guarantee was smashed through the roof with 206 unique players adding enough with the €20 rebuys and add-ons to award 26 seats.
The €200 Mini Main Event kicked off the first of its three opening flights a few hours later. The casino floor was mobbed with action, with 198 entries already adding €31,304 to the prize pool. Norway’s Espen Hagen parlayed his 30,000 opening stack into 291,000 in chips to bag the overnight chip lead over the 82 players to advance. Finland’s Niko Heikkinen (269,000), Sweden’s Patric Mattsson (180,000), Spain’s Victor Prior Fernandez Amat (169,000), and the 2017 Kings of Tallinn Main Event champion Matias Knaapinen (165,500) round out the top five from the Day 1a flight.
While many players already come to Tallinn with their OlyBet Team Challenge team in place, there are plenty of others coming alone. Players shouldn’t stress coming alone as the experienced OlyBet team will help you form a team, which often leads to new friendships.
In addition to the 74-event schedule, cash games are running on the casino floor at various stakes and games throughout the festival.
2026 Kings of Tallinn Schedule (February 6)
Action shifts from the casino to the expansive conference rooms at Hilton Tallinn Park, delivering a jam-packed Friday schedule that rivals full festival slates elsewhere.
Kicking things off, players have three shots at quick silverware: the €200 PLO5/PLO5 Hi-Lo at 3 p.m., €555 NLH at 5 p.m., and €200 PLO Baduci/Badacey at 7:30 p.m. Mixed game players are already licking their lips about two of those events with hopes and dreams to find their way to the winner’s throne.
The €200 Kings of Tallinn Mini Main continues with its last two starting flights at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., while a second Freebuy turbo fires up earlier in the day at 12 p.m., upping the ante with at least 7 seats guaranteed, echoing Thursday’s format.
The next big multi-dayer launches with the two-day €350 NLH Kings of Tallinn Cup at 8 p.m., backed by a €20 satellite at 2:30 p.m., promising seven seats. Estonia’s Stanislav Smeljov will return as the defending champion after topping 555 runners to win the €26,100 top prize at the 2025 Kings of Tallinn.
The traditional satellite action heats up too, including the €80 PLO5 sat at 7:30 p.m. (five seats min. to the €1,100 PLO4/PLO5 Championship) and the €80 Mega at 10 p.m. (10 seats to the €555 Kings of Tallinn Championship).
Of course, the cash games will run throughout the day and evening at Olympic Park Casino.
Check out the full schedule for Friday below and head to the Kings of Tallinn landing page at OlyBetEvents.com to review the full schedule, sign up for the OlyBet Team Challenge, a player’s guide, and more.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | Event #3: FREEBUY NLH Satellite, €20 Rebuys & Add-On, 7 x €200 Mini-Main Event Seats GTD! |
| 13:00 | Event #2: €200 NLH Kings of Tallinn Mini Main Flight 1B, Plays 10 Levels Day 1 |
| 14:30 | Event #4: €20 NLH Satellite, €20 Rebuys & Add-On, 7 x €350 Kings of Tallinn Cup Seats GTD! |
| 15:00 | Event #5: €200 PLO5/PLO5 Hi-Lo, Button Round Each, 8-handed |
| 17:00 | Event #6: €555 NLH |
| 19:00 | Event #2: €200 NLH Kings of Tallinn Mini Main Flight 1C, Plays 10 Levels Day 1 |
| 19:30 | Event #7: €200 PL Baducey/ Badacey, Button Round Each, 6-handed |
| 19:30 | Event #8: €80 PLO5 Satellite to €1,100 PLO4/PLO5 DeepStack Mystery Bounty, 5 x €1,100 SEATS GTD! 8-handed |
| 20:00 | Event #9: €350 NLH Kings of Tallinn Cup Flight 1A, Plays 10 Levels Day 1 |
| 22:00 | Event #10: €80 NLH Mega-Satellite to €555 Kings of Tallinn Championship, 10 x €555 SEATS GTD! |
- Photos courtesy of Elena Kask / OlyBet Poker
- Article originally produced at poker.pro.
