Lithuania’s Grantas Naujokas leads 64 survivors into Day 3 of the Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026 Main Event, powered by OlyBet, after a dramatic Day 2 at the Olympic Park Casino in the Hilton Tallinn Park produced one of the festival’s defining moments when the Prince of Poker, Scotty Nguyen, called off his stack with ace-nine on the bubble, flopping trips, and living to fight another day.
Two former Kings of Tallinn Main Event champions are also still alive, setting up Saturday’s penultimate session as a loaded precursor to Sunday’s final table. The 607-entry field produced a final prize pool of €564,510, well past the €500,000 guarantee. Thursday’s recap covers how the four opening flights built that number.
Three champions were crowned on Friday. Sweden’s Andreas Reimblad won the €250 NLH Progressive Bounty for €3,090 plus bounties, France’s Baptiste Caim shipped the €200 NLH Turbo, 8-handed for €4,446, and Finland’s Onni Huttunen hoisted the trophy in the €555 NLH for €7,260.
Two other events opened with winners to be crowned on Saturday: the €555 PL Sviten and the €1,100 NLH Mystery Bounty, with envelopes containing mystery prizes set to open from the start of the day, and players already in the money.
- Seven Kings of Tallinn Winners Crowned on Thursday as Main Event Advances to Day 2
- Noah Rogers Wins the €555 Championship as Juha Helppi Claims an Emotional Deepstack Victory at Kings of Tallinn
- Four Winners on Tuesday at the Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition as the Main Event Opens Wednesday
- Seven Winners on Monday at the Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition
- Greece’s Christos Chalkiotis Wins the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn €250 Mini-Main Event
- Three First Winners Crowned at the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition as Solheim Leads 166 Into Mini-Main Final Day
- The Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026 Is Off to a Flying Start as Solheim Leads Day 1A
- The Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition Is Here and the Opening Weekend Is Stacked
- Northern Europe’s Biggest Poker Festival Returns for the Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026
- Kings of Tallinn 2026 OlyBet Team Challenge Brings New Scoring and Bigger Rewards
- How to Approach the €555 PL Sviten Championship at Kings of Tallinn
- Join poker.pro on Telegram for Breaking Tournament News and Results
- Pebel Is Changing How Poker Staking Works
Scotty Nguyen Survives the Bubble
Scotty Nguyen has been a regular presence in Tallinn for more than a month on a European tour with Teddy. The poker and the five-time WSOP bracelet winner and 1998 World Champion showed exactly why he belongs at the table on Friday. On the bubble at Level 17 (2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante), Nguyen was in the big blind with just 37,000 behind when Finland’s Julius Kettunen moved all-in from a much bigger stack. Nguyen called off his tournament life with ace-nine. The flop brought a nine, letting Nguyen relax temporarily as a massive favorite to win the hand. Kettunen picked up a gutshot straight draw on the turn but bricked the river, letting Nguyen double up and bag 138,000 for Day 3.
The bubble itself ended from an unlikely spot. Finnish poker millionaire Tommi Lankinen, whose live earnings exceed €1,000,000, needed a club, a king or an ace on the river to survive. It did not come. The field was in the money.
Naujokas Leads, Former Champions Return
Lithuania’s Grantas Naujokas bagged the chip lead at 909,000, well clear of Finland’s Ville-Tapio Mesiranta in second with 820,000 and Spain’s David Santalla Marfil in third with 745,000. The average stack among the 64 survivors is approximately 284,000, or about 47 big blinds when play resumes at Level 19 (3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante) on Saturday at noon.
Two former Kings of Tallinn Main Event champions are alive and hunting a second title. Sweden’s Johan Karlsson, who won the 2020 edition for €126,900, returns with 393,000. Fellow Swede Johan Creutz, the 2016 champion who took €52,200, bags 358,000. No player has ever won the Kings of Tallinn Main Event twice, and both are well within range heading into Saturday.
Belarus’s Iryna Tsikhanskaya has consistently pressured opponents throughout the day and bags 395,000, the largest stack among the women still in the field. Sweden’s Mounir Tajiou, runner-up at the 2025 Kings of Tallinn Main Event, is back in contention with 242,000 and still chasing the title that eluded him last year.
Lithuania’s Mantas Bagocius, the reigning Kings of Vilnius Main Event champion, bags 302,000. Bagocius and several Lithuanian players return to Vilnius next week when the Kings of Vilnius 2026 gets underway, but for now he’s focused on Tallinn. Lithuania’s Linas Bulksas, the reigning Kings of Vilnius Championship title holder, sits seventh overall with 512,000.
Nine Estonians made it through to Day 3, led by Kert Soitu (398,000) and Sander Leigri (342,000). Igor Pihela (422,000), Eedi Kirves (208,000), Tiiu Naar (173,000), Oskar Ojaveer (171,000), Martin Piik (164,000), and Erik Põlluveer (57,000) are also still in the hunt on home soil. Naar’s run has been one of the festival’s stories, and she continues to draw attention from the local crowd at the Olympic Park Casino.
Day 3 on Saturday sets the stage for Sunday’s finale, with the field needing to reduce from 64 players to a final table of nine before a winner is crowned and the €104,310 top prize is awarded.
Day 3 Chip Counts
€1,100 buy-in | 607 entries | €564,510 prize pool | 64 players remain
| Position | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Grantas Naujokas | Lithuania | 909,000 |
| 2 |  Ville-Tapio Mesiranta | Finland | 820,000 |
| 3 |  David Marfil | Spain | 745,000 |
| 4 | Tomas Kirchovas | Lithuania | 644,000 |
| 5 |  Edgars Hauks | Latvia | 595,000 |
| 6 | Juho Suutari | Finland | 558,000 |
| 7 | Linas Bulksas | Lithuania | 512,000 |
| 8 | Juhani Hassi | Finland | 489,000 |
| 9 |  Jorgen Andersen | Denmark | 475,000 |
| 10 |  Jawad Habib | Sweden | 450,000 |
| 11 |  Julian Selinger | Germany | 428,000 |
| 12 |  Igor Pihela | Estonia | 422,000 |
| 12 | Arturs Krasnoluckis | Latvia | 422,000 |
| 14 | Pasi Sormunen | Finland | 422,000 |
| 15 | Kert Soitu | Estonia | 398,000 |
| 16 |  Iryna Tsikhanskaya | Belarus | 395,000 |
| 17 | Johan Karlsson | Sweden | 393,000 |
| 18 | Martin Zobel | Germany | 380,000 |
| 19 | Jon Martinez De Antonana Garaial | Spain | 370,000 |
| 20 |  Antoine Vranken | Belgium | 368,000 |
| 21 | Johan Creutz | Sweden | 358,000 |
| 22 |  Erhan Arican | Turkey | 343,000 |
| 23 | Sander Leigri | Estonia | 342,000 |
| 24 | Jesus Martinez Ucero | Spain | 328,000 |
| 25 | Mantas Bagocius | Lithuania | 302,000 |
| 26 |  Andrei-Iustin Birgaoanu | Romania | 291,000 |
| 27 |  Philippe Lefrancois | Canada | 289,000 |
| 28 | Jordi Conejos Baixas | Spain | 281,000 |
| 29 | Lluis Murcia Grano | Spain | 280,000 |
| 30 |  Evgeny Vyal | Ukraine | 278,000 |
| 31 | Mikael Haapaniemi | Finland | 266,000 |
| 32 | Miika Töyräs | Finland | 254,000 |
| 33 | Pasi Laihinen | Finland | 252,000 |
| 34 | Iiro Elomaa | Finland | 245,000 |
| 35 | Mounir Tajiou | Sweden | 242,000 |
| 36 | Eedi Kirves | Estonia | 208,000 |
| 37 | Adrian Jimenez Ruano | Spain | 195,000 |
| 37 |  Samuel Ju | United States | 195,000 |
| 39 | Martins Poritis | Latvia | 182,000 |
| 40 | Mikko Ylämäki | Finland | 180,000 |
| 41 | Tiiu Naar | Estonia | 173,000 |
| 42 | Oskar Ojaveer | Estonia | 171,000 |
| 43 |  Xavier Lyu | France | 169,000 |
| 44 | Martin Piik | Estonia | 164,000 |
| 44 | Kaarle Parikka | Finland | 164,000 |
| 46 |  Samuel Adnoy | Norway | 155,000 |
| 47 |  Yaniv Peretz | Israel | 151,000 |
| 48 | Totti Arosuo | Finland | 144,000 |
| 49 |  Scotty Nguyen | Vietnam | 138,000 |
| 50 | Andrei Rozinko | Ukraine | 109,000 |
| 51 | Julius Kettunen | Finland | 106,000 |
| 52 | Mario Boos | Germany | 101,000 |
| 52 | Lars Kjestrup | Denmark | 101,000 |
| 54 | Krisjanis Balodis | Latvia | 92,000 |
| 54 |  James Noonan | Ireland | 92,000 |
| 56 | Kristaps Kalva | Latvia | 91,000 |
| 57 | Kimmo Kurko | Finland | 88,000 |
| 58 | Artjoms Skvarkovskis | Latvia | 71,000 |
| 59 |  Sergi Kapanadze | Georgia | 68,000 |
| 59 | Audrius Navickas | Lithuania | 68,000 |
| 61 | Rokas Barzdzius | Lithuania | 64,000 |
| 62 | Erik Põlluveer | Estonia | 57,000 |
| 63 | Ludwig Hedström | Sweden | 52,000 |
| 64 | Teemu Sattanen | Finland | 50,000 |
Kings of Tallinn Main Event Payouts
€1,100 buy-in | 607 entries | €564,510 prize pool
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | €104,310 |
| 2 | €71,400 |
| 3 | €47,850 |
| 4 | €33,600 |
| 5 | €25,350 |
| 6 | €18,950 |
| 7 | €14,350 |
| 8 | €11,650 |
| 9 | €9,450 |
| 10-11 | €8,050 |
| 12-13 | €6,950 |
| 14-15 | €6,200 |
| 16-17 | €5,500 |
| 18-20 | €4,900 |
| 21-23 | €4,300 |
| 24-27 | €3,750 |
| 28-31 | €3,300 |
| 32-39 | €2,900 |
| 40-55 | €2,550 |
| 56-71 | €2,300 |
| 72-79 | €2,200 |
Saturday Schedule at the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition
Saturday at the Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026 is a full day at the Olympic Park Casino. The Main Event returns at noon for Day 3, looking to reduce the 64-player field toward Sunday’s finale. The €555 PLO Sviten Championship also plays its final day starting at noon.
A women-only satellite to the €250 NLH Queens fires at 12:30, followed by the €350 PLO4 Hi-Lo/PLO5 Hi-Lo at 13:00 and Day 2 of the €1,100 NLH DeepStack Progressive Bounty.
The €3,000 NLH High Roller gets its first flight at 14:00, with the €250 NLH DeepStack at 15:00 and the €250 NLH Queens women-only event at 17:00. The evening rounds out with the €350 NLH/PLO4/PLO5 at 19:00, the €150 OlyBet Online PKO at 21:00, and the €200 NLH Turbo at 21:30.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | €1,100 NLH Main Event — Day 3 |
| 12:00 | €555 PLO Sviten Championship — Final Day |
| 12:30 | Women-Only NLH Freebuy Satellite to Event #59 |
| 13:00 | €350 PLO4 Hi-Lo/PLO5 Hi-Lo (8-handed) |
| 13:00 | €1,100 NLH DeepStack Progressive Bounty — Day 2 |
| 14:00 | €3,000 NLH High Roller — Day 1 |
| 15:00 | €250 NLH DeepStack |
| 17:00 | €250 NLH Queens (WPF Worldwide Weekend, Women Only) |
| 19:00 | €350 NLH/PLO4/PLO5 (8-handed) |
| 21:00 | €150 NLH OlyBet Online PKO (€5,000 GTD) |
| 21:30 | €200 NLH Turbo (8-handed) |
Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026: FAQ
How many players advanced to Day 3 of the Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026 Main Event?
64 players bagged chips at the end of Day 2 and return for Day 3 on Saturday, October 17, at the Olympic Park Casino in the Hilton Tallinn Park. Play resumes at noon at Level 19 (3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante). Day 3 is the penultimate session, setting up Sunday’s finale and a €104,310 top prize.
What is the Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026 Main Event prize pool?
The Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026 Main Event, powered by OlyBet, drew 607 entries and produced a final prize pool of €564,510, surpassing the €500,000 guarantee. The winner takes home €104,310. A total of 79 players finished in the money, with a minimum cash of €2,200.
Who is the chip leader going into Day 3 of the Kings of Tallinn Main Event?
Lithuania’s Grantas Naujokas leads the field with 909,000 chips going into Day 3 at the Olympic Park Casino. Finland’s Ville-Tapio Mesiranta is second with 820,000 and Spain’s David Santalla Marfil third with 745,000. The average stack among the 64 survivors is approximately 284,000.
Are any former Kings of Tallinn champions still in the Main Event?
Two former champions are alive in Day 3. Sweden’s Karl Johan Karlsson, the 2020 Kings of Tallinn Main Event champion (€126,900), bags 393,000. Sweden’s Johan Creutz, the 2016 champion (€52,200), returns with 358,000. No player has ever won the Kings of Tallinn Main Event twice.
What happened to Scotty Nguyen on the bubble at the Kings of Tallinn Main Event?
Five-time WSOP bracelet winner and 1998 World Champion Scotty Nguyen, a regular at Tallinn’s Teddy.Poker, was in the big blind with just 37,000 chips at Level 17 when Finland’s Julius Kettunen moved all-in. Nguyen called with ace-nine, flopped trips, and survived when Kettunen’s straight draw missed the river. He bagged 138,000 for Day 3.
Who was the 2025 Kings of Tallinn Main Event runner-up and is he playing in the 2026 Autumn Edition?
Sweden’s Mounir Tajiou finished runner-up at the 2025 Kings of Tallinn Main Event and is back in the 2026 Autumn Edition, bagging 242,000 for Day 3. He is among the more notable names still in contention at the Olympic Park Casino.
- Article originally produced at poker.pro.
About the author
More Articles
Seven Kings of Tallinn Winners Crowned on Thursday as Main Event Advances to Day 2
How to Approach the €555 PL Sviten Championship at Kings of Tallinn
Noah Rogers Wins the €555 Championship as Juha Helppi Claims an Emotional DeepStack Victory at Kings of Tallinn
Four Winners on Tuesday at the Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition as the Main Event Opens Wednesday
Seven Winners on Monday at the Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition
Chalkiotis Wins the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn €250 Mini-Main Event
Three First Winners Crowned at the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition as Solheim Leads 166 Into Mini-Main Final Day
The Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026 Is Off to a Flying Start as Solheim Leads Day 1A
