Justas Vaičiulionis Wins OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition Main Event (€34,950)

The penultimate day of the 2026 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition featured a buzz throughout the day as many new champions were crowned on Saturday at Olympic Voodoo Casino.

Lithuania’s Justas Vaičiulionis was not only the brightest star of the day, but of the entire festival after coming back from behind against Lithuania’s Artūras Kesleris to win the three-day €1,100 Main Event for €34,950.

Other champions on Saturday included Finland’s Kai Kangas, winning the two-day €350 NLH Progressive Bounty for €4,245 plus bounties, Latvia’s Egita Segliņa winning the €150 NLH Queens for €1,411, Latvia’s Valdis Muižnieks winning the €250 NLH for €2,832, and Finland’s Andreas Backlund earning the title in the €200 PLO4/PLO5 for €2,590.

In other news, Estonia’s Martin Keskkula earned a trophy in the €150 OlyBet Showdown Riga Online Progressive Bounty, online at OlyBet Poker, for €1,832, including €1,122 in bounties.

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Justas Vaičiulionis of Lithuania has been crowned as the 2026 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition Main Event champion here at Olympic Voodoo Casino, Riga, after defeating fellow countryman Artūras Kesleris heads-up to complete a wire-to-wire victory, banking €34,950 of the €150,100 prize pool in the process.

Day 1a chip leader Vaičiulionis was at the top of the standings at the start of Day 2, and remained there for the start of the final day. However, his journey to the title was not without significant periods of adversity, as he mounted a remarkable comeback from a 6:1 chip deficit in the four-hour heads-up duel to ultimately seal his triumph over a 158-entry field.

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Justas Vaičiulionis	Lithuania	€34,950
2	Artūras Kesleris	Lithuania	€23,260
3	Ņikita Žarovs	Latvia	€16,810
4	Kaspars Butāns	Latvia	€13,090
5	Ville Keranen	Finland	€10,160
6	Albert Ostrovskij	Lithuania	€7,910
7	Roberts Krīgers	Latvia	€6,160
8	Pāvels Spirins	Latvia	€4,980
9	Viktors Čaikins	Latvia	€4,010

Full-time professional Vaičiulionis was understandably exhausted after the grueling battle, but was delighted to be sitting with the trophy.

“Thanks. It was a pretty interesting heads-up match! I had very low expectations when I was down to a few big blinds but somehow I managed to turn it around, so very happy. I got lucky in a few spots of course, in particular the jacks versus ace-five hand, but that has to happen sometimes to win.

My opponent played great, I think it ended up being four hours, so yeh, really nice feeling.”

Despite being at the top of the counts for the entire tournament, Vaičiulionis was not necessarily putting pressure on himself to close out the win, saying “I know, Day 1a chip leader never wins the tournament! I didn’t really have any expectations, I was just ready to play my best. Play one hand at a time and see what happens. I thought if I make top four or five that would be nice. It went really fast from six-handed to three-handed, and yeh just happy I was able to turn it around at the end.

Vaičiulionis had warm words for the venue and tournament staff, saying, “Really good organisation, nice staff, great dealers, everything on the top level. The food is actually the best I think I’ve had at a casino! No, unfortunately there won’t be a party tonight, I’ve got a flight to catch!”

Only 13 players returned for the final day, with a €2,910 payday guaranteed, and it wasn’t long before Mateusz Oscilowski became the first casualty of the day in a battle of the blinds with Ville Keranen.

Still in the first level, Albert Ostrovskij conjured a miracle two-outer on the river in a four-bet pot against fellow big-stack Ryhor Karapanau, propelling himself into the chip lead.

Karapanau continued on the flop with Big Slick on a king-high flop, but then checked a brick turn. Ostrovskij fell into the trap when he jammed with pocket nines, and Karapanau was shell-shocked when a nine appeared on the river. Ostrovskij could barely believe his luck either.

Karapanau was left with dust and busted in the next hand to Kesleris, while Nico Marraffa was next to go, running pocket tens into the pocket queens of the eventual champion. Georgios Orestidis was the final table bubble boy when he lost out to 2025 Kings of Tallinn Main Event champion Kaspars Butāns in another blind on blind confrontation while always behind.

At the start of the final table, Ostrovskij had a 24 big blind lead over his closest challenger, Pāvels Spirins, while Vaičiulionis was in third. Kesleris, the eventual runner-up, was sitting with a sub-ten big blind stack and was joint bottom of the pile with Viktors Čaikins.

However, Kesleris went on to have possibly the most extraordinary run this reporter has ever seen, as within 90 minutes, he was bossing the table with a 3:1 lead over second place.

First, Caikins exited to Vaičiulionis in ninth, before Kesleris doubled twice in successive hands through Spirins and the eventual champion, holding in flips. Kesleris proceeded to take a three-bet pot versus Butāns and was by now among the top stacks. He woke up with rockets against Spirins’ pocket tens, and then went to war with the previous leader, Ostrovskij, whom he now covered.

In a four-bet pot, Ostrovskij continued on the king-high flop, but then checked the turn. Kesleris overbet jammed, sending Ostrovskij into a world of pain. He eventually folded after about four minutes in the tank, and suddenly Kesleris was miles ahead of the field.

Kesleris disposed of the defending OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition Main Event champion Roberts Krīgers in seventh, despite his ace being dominated, to increase his lead, while Vaičiulionis finished off Ostrovskij in sixth after winning another race. Kesleris subsequently found ace-king in the big blind when Keranen jammed from the small blind with an inferior ace, sending the Finn packing in fifth, and unbelievably woke up with aces again shortly after to eliminate Butans.

Ņikita Žarovs was now the short-stack in third, squeezed between the eventual champion and runner-up. Vaičiulionis finished him off in short order, setting up the heads-up battle, Kesleris starting with a 3:1 lead.

Four hours of combat ensued, Kesleris maintaining his lead for the vast majority, but seemingly unable to land the decisive blow. At one point, after rivering a flush, Kesleris held a 6:1 advantage over Vaičiulionis.

Shortly after, Kesleris must have thought the title was his. Vaiciulionis was all-in with ace-five suited versus Kesleris’ pocket jacks, and a jack was in the window. However, Kesleris flopped a flush draw, binked it on the turn, and Kesleris could not fill up on the river.

Kesleris still had a 3:1 advantage, and Vaičiulionis again allowed that to extend significantly. The comeback started in earnest when Vaičiulionis came from behind when all-in against Kesleris’ weak ace, and he took another pot after turning a full house, getting paid on the river after some deception.

Vaičiulionis then took the lead for the first time by grinding small pots, and the key hand of the tournament followed shortly after. Kesleris flopped top pair, but the champion went runner-runner for the nut flush, and got a big bet paid on the river, reversing the 3:1 chip position.

Kesleris refused to give up and battled valiantly, but the final curtain came when Vaičiulionis jammed the button with king-high, and went runner-runner to make trips nines, usurping Kesleris’ ace-high, bringing to an end a truly remarkable final table.

• 2026 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition Main Event reports and live coverage by Richard Hayes.

2026 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition €1,100 Main Event Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Justas Vaičiulionis	Lithuania	€34,950
2	Artūras Kesleris	Lithuania	€23,260
3	Ņikita Žarovs	Latvia	€16,810
4	Kaspars Butāns	Latvia	€13,090
5	Ville Keranen	Finland	€10,160
6	Albert Ostrovskij	Lithuania	€7,910
7	Roberts Krīgers	Latvia	€6,160
8	Pāvels Spirins	Latvia	€4,980
9	Viktors Čaikins	Latvia	€4,010
10	Georgios Orestidis	Greece	€3,320
11	Nico Marraffa	Italy	€3,320
12	Ryhor Karapanau	Belarus	€2,910
13	Mateusz Oscilowski	Poland	€2,910
14	Jason Glatzer	Lithuania	€2,580
15	Uldis Lejnieks	Latvia	€2,580
16	Darius Narmontas	Lithuania	€2,350
17	Viesturs Ošis	Latvia	€2,350
18	Mantas Bagočius	Lithuania	€2,150
19	Martin von Zweigbergk	Estonia	€2,150
20	Priit Vanem	Estonia	€2,150

The final day of the 2026 OlyBet Showdown Riga Voodoo Spring Edition will not only bring sad goodbyes, but two players will also win trophies. Many players have already shared that they plan to see each other soon at the inaugural OlyBet Showdown Tallinn at Olympic Park Casino on April 10-19.

The day begins with the final nine players, led by Latvia’s Jānis Veļķeris, in the €350 OlyBet Mystery Bounty with players not only in the money but ready to collect mystery bounty prizes.

At the same time, a €20 satellite guaranteeing at least five seats to the final event of the festival, the €250 NLH Deepstack Closing Event, which kicks off at 3 p.m.

Best of luck to all of the players on the final day. Check out today’s schedule below and head to OlyBetEvents.com to learn more about the full schedule, a player’s guide, and more.

• Article originally produced at poker.pro.