Seven Kings of Tallinn Winners Crowned on Thursday as Main Event Advances to Day 2

Thursday at the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition, powered by OlyBet, was the festival’s biggest day so far. Seven events concluded at Olympic Park Casino and the Hilton Tallinn Park; the Main Event sent 156 survivors into Day 2, led by Finland’s Mikael Haapaniemi, and the €500,000 guarantee looks set to be shattered when the final count comes in.

Sweden’s Dennis Berglin won the €555 NLH, Sweden’s Lena Björn took the €555 8-Game, Finland’s Henri Mikael Schalin claimed the €350 PLO Mystery Bounty, Czech Republic’s Karel Kratochvil won the €350 NLH DeepStack Progressive Bounty, Estonia’s Erik Põlluveer took the €200 PL Sviten/PLO5, Finland’s Antti Raasu claimed the €350 PLO Progressive Bounty, and Norway’s Espen Hagen closed out the night in the €200 NLH Turbo.

Dennis Berglin Wins the €555 NLH

Sweden’s Dennis Berglin closed out the €555 NLH on Thursday, outlasting 32 entries to take €5,360. Berglin had already shown his form earlier in the week and delivered a dominant final-table performance, leaving Sweden’s Johan Creutz as runner-up with €3,780.

Spain’s Jesus Martinez Ucero finished third with €2,720, Greece’s Emmanouil Chalkiotis fourth at €1,880, and Estonia’s Alger Pissarev rounded out the paid places at €1,140.

€555 buy-in | 32 entries | €14,880 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Dennis Berglin	Sweden	€5,360
2	Johan Creutz	Sweden	€3,780
3	Jesus Martinez Ucero	Spain	€2,720
4	Emmanouil Chalkiotis	Greece	€1,880
5	Alger Pissarev	Estonia	€1,140

Lena Björn Wins the €555 8-Game

Sweden’s Lena Björn beat Germany’s Sascha Manns heads-up to claim the €555 8-Game title at the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition. The two players reached a deal before the final hand, before Björn won the trophy for €5,285 and Manns left with €4,325.

The 34-entry field ran through eight game rotations, with Finland’s Jyri Merivirta finishing third for €2,840. Finland’s Risto Pönniö was fourth for €1,940, and Finland’s Janne Riku Raevaara was fifth for €1,420.

€555 buy-in | 34 entries | €15,810 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Lena Björn	Sweden	€5,285*
2	Sascha Manns	Germany	€4,325*
3	Jyri Merivirta	Finland	€2,840
4	Risto Pönniö	Finland	€1,940
5	Janne Raevaara	Finland	€1,420

* Heads-up deal.

Henri Schalin Wins the €350 PLO4/PLO5 DeepStack Mystery Bounty

Finland’s Henri Mikael Schalin emerged from a 118-entry field to take the €350 PLO4/PLO5 DeepStack Mystery Bounty, claiming a combined €12,460 including his mystery bounty envelope. The event combined €16,319 in standard prize money with €17,700 in mystery bounty payouts for a total prize pool of €34,019.

Players collected bounty envelopes after eliminating an opponent once the money was reached, with the values hidden until opened, and Schalin sealed the win with an €8,300 mystery bounty on top of his €4,160 main prize. Finland’s Eetu Johannes Sepponen finished runner-up with €7,910 combined, and Norway’s Tarjei Forus took third with €1,950. Latvia’s Kristaps Renga finished fourth with a combined €3,220, and Denmark’s Nicklas Krohn Dehli finished fifth with a combined €3,590.

€350 buy-in | 118 entries | €34,019 prize pool (includes €17,700 mystery bounties)

Place	Player	Country	Prize	Bounty	Total
1	Henri Schalin	Finland	€4,160	€8,300	€12,460
2	Eetu Sepponen	Finland	€2,810	€5,100	€7,910
3	Tarjei Forus	Norway	€1,950	€0	€1,950
4	Kristaps Renga	Latvia	€1,420	€1,800	€3,220
5	Nicklas Dehli	Denmark	€1,090	€2,500	€3,590
6	Stavros Zounis	Greece	€860	€0	€860
7	Andreas Backlund	Finland	€700	€0	€700
8	Argo Garamaga	Estonia	€590	€0	€590
9	Marko Paasikoski	Finland	€500	€0	€500
10	Arturs Kurnajevs	Latvia	€420	€0	€420
11	Risto Pönniö	Finland	€420	€0	€420
12	Erik Põlluveer	Estonia	€370	€0	€370
13	Kaarle Parikka	Finland	€370	€0	€370
14	Henri Pulliainen	Finland	€330	€0	€330
15	Konstantins Birjukovs	Latvia	€330	€0	€330

Karel Kratochvil Wins the €350 NLH DeepStack Progressive Bounty

Czech Republic’s Karel Kratochvil won the €350 NLH DeepStack Progressive Bounty, taking the trophy, the €4,788 top prize, and the big bounty at the end.

Latvia’s Reinis Reinbergs finished runner-up with the same €4,788 prize as Kratochvil, however, with far fewer bounties. France’s Ali Boulacel finished third with €3,250, Sweden’s Andreas Johansson fourth for €2,370, and Estonia’s Matis Martens fifth for €1,850. The event generated €13,800 in progressive bounty payouts on top of its €25,985 main prize pool; individual bounty amounts varied by player and are separate from the figures listed below.

€350 buy-in | 138 entries | €25,985 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Karel Kratochvil	Czech Republic	€4,788
2	Reinis Reinbergs	Latvia	€4,788
3	Ali Boulacel	France	€3,250
4	Andreas Johansson	Sweden	€2,370
5	Matis Martens	Estonia	€1,850
6	Hannes Õun	Estonia	€1,460
7	Gerardas Luksenas	Lithuania	€1,170
8	Eimantas Stasevicius	Lithuania	€960
9	Mantas Burba	Lithuania	€810
10	Raivo Grislis	Latvia	€690
11	Kaapo Einari Tapio	Finland	€690
12	Tero M. K. Hakanen	Finland	€600
13	Risto Hentunen	Finland	€600
14	Logi Thor Laxdal	Iceland	€520
15	Aleksejs Gusevs	Latvia	€520
16	Sarunas Dargis	Lithuania	€460
17	Antero Johannes Sillanpää	Finland	€460

Erik Põlluveer Wins the €200 PL Sviten/PLO5

Estonia’s Erik Põlluveer took down the €200 PL Sviten/PLO5, a 50-entry field that ran through two of the most unusual formats on any festival schedule. Põlluveer claimed €2,715 for the win after defeating Finland’s Klaus Erik Grönberg (second – €1,780).

Norway’s Nils Kollandsrud finished third for €1,300, with Estonia’s Andres Burget fourth for €960, Canada’s flaghunter Dominick French fifth for €700, and Latvia’s Kaspars Renga sixth for €450.

€200 buy-in | 50 entries | €7,905 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Erik Põlluveer	Estonia	€2,715
2	Klaus Grönberg	Finland	€1,780
3	Nils Kollandsrud	Norway	€1,300
4	Andres Burget	Estonia	€960
5	Dominick French	Canada	€700
6	Kaspars Renga	Latvia	€450

Antti Raasu Wins the €350 PLO4/PLO5/PLO6 Progressive Bounty

Finland’s Antti Raasu won the €350 PLO4/PLO5/PLO6 Progressive Bounty, taking €3,055 plus bounties from the 75-entry field after defeating Norway’s Vidar Assersen heads-up.

€350 buy-in | 75 entries | €14,123 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Antti Raasu	Finland	€3,055
2	Vidar Assersen	Norway	€3,055
3	Reijo Manninen	Finland	€2,330
4	Jari Mähönen	Finland	€1,660
5	Nicklas Dehli	Denmark	€1,250
6	Piermatteo Stromillo	Italy	€950
7	Mohammad Hasan Majidi	Afghanistan	€760
8	Deniss Lebedevs	Latvia	€603
9	Kimmo Kurko	Finland	€460

Espen Hagen Wins the €200 NLH Turbo

Espen Hagen Wins in February 2026 Kings of Tallinn. Photo: Elena Kask.

Norway’s Espen Hagen closed out Thursday with a win in the €200 NLH Turbo, taking €3,482 from a 66-entry field. The eight-handed format kept the pressure on throughout, and Hagen pulled away from the final table to finish ahead of Finland’s Ville-Matti Keränen, who collected €2,230 as runner-up. Finland’s Jiri Marsalo finished third for €1,530, Norway’s Noah August Rogers fourth for €1,080, and Estonia’s Mati Pirn fifth for €830.

€200 buy-in | 66 entries | €10,742 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Espen Hagen	Norway	€3,482
2	Ville-Matti Keränen	Finland	€2,230
3	Jiri Marsalo	Finland	€1,530
4	Noah Rogers	Norway	€1,080
5	Mati Pirn	Estonia	€830
6	Kaapo Tapio	Finland	€660
7	Albertas Voisnarovic	Lithuania	€520
8	Janis Mengelis	Latvia	€410

Main Event Day 2: 156 Survivors, Haapaniemi Leads

Mikael Haapaniemi at 2025 Kings of Tallinn. Photo: Elena Kask.

The €1,100 NLH Kings of Tallinn Main Event has 156 players returning for Day 2, drawn from 462 total entries across four Day 1 flights. The €500,000 guarantee was widely expected to be smashed by the time late registration closes in the first four levels of Day 2. Day 1A sent 38 of 124 entries through; Day 1B advanced 19 of 48; Day 1C, the turbo flight, moved 60 of 196 players into Day 2; and Day 1D added 39 more from 94 entries.

Finland’s Mikael Haapaniemi carries the chip lead into Day 2 with 256,000 chips, starting the session with blinds at 600/1,200. Sweden’s Jawad Habib sits just behind at 250,400, and Denmark’s Jorgen Andersen is third with 243,000. Estonia’s Tiiu Naar and Iceland’s Jonas Nordquist round out the top five. Lithuania’s Mantas Bagocius, who won the Kings of Vilnius Main Event in 2025, is in ninth with 209,900.

€1,100 buy-in | Day 2: 156 survivors | 462 total entries | Day 2 starts: 600/1,200 BB

Position	Player	Country	Chips	BBs
1	Mikael Haapaniemi	Finland	256,000	213
2	Jawad Habib	Sweden	250,400	209
3	Jorgen Andersen	Denmark	243,000	203
4	Tiiu Naar	Estonia	242,800	202
5	Jonas Nordquist	Iceland	242,600	202
6	Sander Leigri	Estonia	230,500	192
7	Kristaps Kalva	Latvia	228,500	190
8	Kaarle Parikka	Finland	213,400	178
9	Mantas Bagocius	Lithuania	209,900	175
10	Stanislav Smeljov	Estonia	202,900	169

Friday Schedule

Main Event Day 2 headlines Friday, with late registration open for the first four levels until 16:30. A €50 PLO5 Satellite to the €555 Sviten Championship runs at 12:30, eight-handed, with five seats guaranteed.

The €250 NLH Progressive Bounty starts at 15:00, and the €555 PL Sviten Championship begins Day 1 at 16:30, running six-handed PLO5 and Draw formats. The €1,100 NLH DeepStack Progressive Bounty opens Day 1 at 18:00, and the €200 NLH Turbo and €555 NLH round out the evening at 19:00 and 21:00 respectively. A €150 NLH Satellite to the €3,000 NLH closes out the night at 22:30, with three seats guaranteed.

Time	Event
12:00	€1,100 NLH Main Event Day 2 (Late Reg first 4 levels)
12:30	€50 PLO5 Satellite to €555 Sviten Championship (8-handed, 5 x €555 Seats GTD)
15:00	€250 NLH Progressive Bounty
16:30	€555 PL Sviten Championship Day 1 (PLO5 & Draw, 6-handed)
18:00	€1,100 NLH DeepStack Progressive Bounty Day 1 (8-handed)
19:00	€200 NLH Turbo (8-handed)
21:00	€555 NLH
22:30	€150 NLH Satellite to €3,000 NLH (3 x €3,000 Seats GTD)

Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition 2026: FAQ

Who won the €555 NLH at the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition?

Sweden’s Dennis Berglin won the €555 NLH, taking €5,360 from a 32-entry field. Sweden’s Johan S. A. Creutz finished runner-up at €3,780, and Spain’s Jesus Martinez Ucero was third at €2,720.

Who won the €555 8-Game at Kings of Tallinn?

Sweden’s Lena Anita Björn won the €555 8-Game title, defeating Germany’s Sascha Manns in a heads-up deal. Björn took €5,285 and Manns €4,325. The 34-entry event ran through eight game rotations before crowning its champion.

Who is leading the Kings of Tallinn Main Event after Day 1?

Finland’s Mikael Johannes Haapaniemi leads the Main Event heading into Day 2 with 256,000 chips. Sweden’s Jawad Habib is close behind at 250,400, and Denmark’s Jorgen Dyhrberg Andersen is third with 243,000. A total of 156 players survive from 462 entries across four Day 1 flights.

Who won the €350 PLO4/PLO5 DeepStack Mystery Bounty?

Finland’s Henri Mikael Schalin won the €350 PLO4/PLO5 DeepStack Mystery Bounty, claiming €4,160 from a 118-entry field. The event paid out €17,700 in mystery bounty money on top of its €16,319 main prize pool. Finland’s Eetu Johannes Sepponen finished runner-up, and Norway’s Tarjei Forus placed third.

Who won the €200 NLH Turbo at the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition?

Norway’s Espen Hagen won the €200 NLH Turbo, taking €3,482 from a 66-entry, eight-handed field. Finland’s Ville-Matti Keränen finished runner-up with €2,230, and Finland’s Jiri P. J. Marsalo finished third with €1,530.

Where is the 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition taking place?

The 2026 Kings of Tallinn Autumn Edition is being held at Olympic Park Casino and the Hilton Tallinn Park in Tallinn, Estonia. Powered by OlyBet, the festival features a full schedule of NLH, PLO, mixed game, and specialty format events over multiple days.

Article originally produced at poker.pro.
Photos compliments of Mairo Toom except where noted.

About the author

Author · Head of Content

Jason Glatzer

Jason Glatzer is a seasoned poker player, journalist, commentator, and content creator with over a decade of experience in the industry. His journey in poker began in the 1980's playing for pennies on kitchen tables and enjoying stud game in the 1990s in Atlantic City, before transitioning to online poker in the early 2000s. Glatzer's career in poker media took off at PocketFives, which led to opportunities with PokerNews and other prominent poker media outlets. Throughout his career, he has covered major poker events, and has contributed to various poker publications as a writer, editor, and live reporter.

View profile