Are you excited yet for the 2026 Kings of Tallinn at Olympic Park Casino on Feb. 6-15? The long-standing festival, and the largest in Northern Europe, boasts a record-breaking 74 events, with more tournament tables than ever before, highlighted by the $1 million-guaranteed 2026 Kings of Tallinn €1,100 Main Event.
The ever-popular OlyBet Team Challenge is back for the 2026 Kings of Tallinn, and it’s shaping up to be the most exciting edition yet. This friendly but fiercely competitive Team Challenge has grown into a core part of the festival’s identity, where camaraderie, team spirit, and a little math all come together to crown a different kind of champion.
As always, players will form teams of four and compete across the entire series for bragging rights and a share of the dedicated Team Challenge prize pool. But this year brings some noteworthy changes, including a refined scoring system, adjusted prize distribution, and a fresh incentive for teams that get in early.
How It Works
Participation couldn’t be simpler. Form your squad of four and register your team at OlyBetEvents.com. Once registered, every time a team member enters an eligible Kings of Tallinn event and earns points, those points automatically go toward the team’s overall total. There’s no entry fee for the Team Challenge; it’s completely free to join and is funded by two percent of all eligible live event prize pools. That means the more players and tournaments there are, the larger the team rewards get.
Teams registering before Thursday, January 15, also score an added perk, free custom team T-shirts, perfect for repping your crew around the Olympic Park Casino tables.
Just make sure your team is fully registered before play begins in your chosen events. Don’t stress if you’re coming alone or without a team, as the helpful staff at OlyBet Poker, led by Kings of Tallinn Tournament Director Teresa Nousiainen, will be happy to help you form one. Many of these situations in the past have resulted in new life-long friendships as teammates cheer each other on to victory.
New and Improved Scoring System
This year introduces a revamped points structure designed to better balance participation and results while giving more incentive for deeper runs in larger buy-ins.
Here’s how it works:
- Attendance Points are earned once per eligible tournament, not per entry. A player earns:
- 1 point for events with buy-ins of €555 or less
- 2 points for €1,100 and €2,000 events
- 3 points for high rollers between €3,000 and €5,000
This change makes higher buy-ins more rewarding from the get-go, regardless of re-entries.
- Cash Points are earned whenever a player finishes in the money. The number of cash points is calculated by dividing the player’s prize by the tournament’s average prize pool per player. Attendance points are then added to that figure for the final total.
This scoring model ensures that both grinders who play many events and high-performing players who go deep in big games have a fair shot at contributing crucial points to their team.
In case of deals or adjusted payouts, all players involved receive points based on the lowest finishing position covered in the deal, avoiding any unfair boost from off-record agreements.
And yes, Women’s and Senior’s Events will be fully eligible for the first time to earn Team Challenge points, while satellites and the Online Event at OlyBet Poker remain excluded from the leaderboard.
Revised Leaderboard Payouts for 2026
Another major update this year is the expanded prize distribution. The Team Challenge prize pool will now be shared among the top seven teams — spreading the rewards across more participants while still keeping the top-heavy edge for those aiming for glory.
Here are the official 2026 payout percentages:
- 1st place: 35%
- 2nd place: 22%
- 3rd place: 15%
- 4th place: 11%
- 5th place: 8%
- 6th place: 5%
- 7th place: 4%
It’s a highly competitive structure that rewards excellence across the board but still gives every team a realistic shot at a return. The increase in payouts also reflects the festival’s growth, as the competition has expanded from awarding the top two teams to the top five, and now the top seven.
Team Kiired ja Vihased from Finland Wins Big in 2025
Last year’s 2025 OlyBet Kings of Tallinn Team Challenge witnessed €75,983 in prizes awarded to the top five teams, with this year expected to generate an even larger prize pool.
Team Kiired ja Vihased, featuring Tommi Lankinen, Max Rotko, Elias Suhonen, and Juho Suutari, shared the top prize of €30,393, resulting in each player earning €7,598.25 in addition to their earnings during the events.
The Spirit of Team Poker in Tallinn
Part of what makes the Kings of Tallinn so special is that it’s not just a series of poker tournaments; it’s a true festival. The Team Challenge captures that community feeling perfectly, transforming what’s usually a solo grind into a shared pursuit.
For the pros, it’s a way to track bragging rights among peers. For recreational players, it’s a chance to feel part of something bigger and celebrate deep runs together. And for everyone, it’s become a highlight of the week, one that often goes down to a photo finish on the final day.
The winners will be officially announced on Monday, February 16, 2026, following the conclusion of the last Kings of Tallinn event, when all points are tallied and verified. As always, OlyBet reserves the right to adjust or amend the challenge details during the series, but all signs point to an epic battle ahead.
So gather your crew, register your team at OlyBetEvents.com, brush up on your tactics, and get ready to fly your colors proudly. The 2026 Kings of Tallinn Team Challenge is where friendship meets fierce competition, and this year, it’s bigger and better than ever.
- Photos courtesy of Elena Kask / OlyBet Poker
- Article originally produced at poker.pro.
