With only a mere two months left of 2025, it’s hard for this poker journalist not to become a tad sentimental. I’ve been working in the poker media industry full-time since the first of January, and the experiences I’ve gained this year can not be compared to anything else in my life.
Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Estonia, Latvia… the list of European countries I’ve had the opportunity to visit covering live poker events this year is long. Needless to say, my gratitude to poker.pro is vast, and I’m super excited for this journey to go on for many years to come.
As 2026 is just around the corner, it feels right to take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about all my experiences this year. Meeting new friends, seeing players become winners, witnessing astonishing bluffs, and inhaling excessively many €9 casino hamburgers are just the tip of the iceberg amongst all the great moments I’ve had this year. As such, I present to you my top five most memorable moments of my first year working full-time as a poker journalist for poker.pro.
Number Five: The Thessaloniki Trip
The first one on the list is arguably the most scenic and exotic trip of my year. At the end of June, poker.pro CEO Jason Glatzer, poker host media icon Glenn Brown, his better half Liza McNamara, and I went to Thessaloniki for the 2025 Greek Poker Odyssea. Seven days of intriguing poker action at the Regency Casino were in front of us, and boy, were we in for a treat.
From the airport, it was perhaps a 20-minute taxi ride to our hotel. Unfortunately, my English vocabulary isn’t good enough to give the mesmerizing view from the Royal Hotel Thessaloniki. It was absolutely amazing, and the nights we shared by the pool talking about everything between heaven and earth are memories I’ll always carry with me. There were also tennis courts on the grounds; being an avid player myself, Glatzer and Brown tried to set up a match between the local tennis coach’s son and me. Sadly, there was no time for this, but if I ever return to the City of Saint Demetrius, I’ll give Mr. Costas’ son a brutal taste of the Swedish backhand.
I’ll also never forget the first time we stepped into the Regency Casino Thessaloniki and were given a tour of the premises by the casino manager. Holy smokes, I’ve never seen such a big casino. It just didn’t stop; room after room filled with slot machines, roulette and blackjack tables, and obscure table games I’ve never heard of, all located within a building with an interior that would make the average palace look pale. I can imagine it’s the place of many gamblers’ dreams.
Even though the casino left nothing to wish for, the 2025 Greek Poker Odyssea wasn’t played within those specific locals. Instead, the green-felted tables were set up in the adjacent Vergina Theatro. I couldn’t believe what I was about to see; a historic theater filled with poker tables was such a powerful scene. It was truly remarkable, and perhaps, the battle fought out with ceramic chips and ace-king suited was not so much different than the mighty performances usually seen on that particular stage.
The cherry on top of this amazing trip was railing Brown at the final table of the €250 Progressive Knockout. Unfortunately, he missed out on the trophy by the smallest of margins, as he lost the heads-up to Greek poker prodigy Theodoros Ampelikiotis. Even though the tournament finished shortly after midnight, Brown took his €4,305 runner-up cash and treated us to an unforgettable dinner. Eating the best seabass of my life at the beach, gazing out over the Greek night sky, was such a magical moment. All things considered, the whole Thessaloniki trip definitely deserves a place on the list.
Number Four: THMC at Dusk Till Dawn
I have made a few trips to the UK this year, the first one being to Nottingham in March. The 2025 Hendon Mob Championship in Nottingham was set to be played at the legendary Dusk Till Dawn, and I had the honor of doing the live reporting.
It was quite the trip to get to the home of Robin Hood. I flew to Manchester Airport and then had a longer train ride, but I didn’t mind it; I enjoy the traveling that comes with this occupation, and even such a banal thing as experiencing a new type of commute in a new country brings its own kind of excitement.
I arrived at the hotel pretty late and caught a few hours of sleep, and in the morning, I went down to the ground floor for an all-English breakfast. That’s where I met my boss for the week, Roland Boothby, Head of Partnership at The Hendon Mob. Those who’ve met Boothby know what a great guy he is, and we hit it off instantly. We quickly discovered that we’re both into long-distance running, and he helped me map out a scenic route along the River Trent, which I managed to run three times before my shifts. I’ve met Boothby at multiple events throughout the year, and he has grown to become one of my closest friends in the poker community.
The first time I stepped into Dusk Till Dawn was very compelling. Founded by entrepreneur and UK poker legend Rob Yong, Dusk Till Dawn was built solely for poker players. That means that you more or less won’t be able to find any casino games in the building. In my opinion, this fills the whole venue with a certain aura; you know that everyone who’s in there has a love and passion for the game of poker specifically. The Hendon Mob Championship only reinforced this sense in the room; I covered the £280 Main Event, and I’ve never worked at such a joyful event before. All players had a good time, and as far as I saw, there was nothing but pure joy and good sportsmanship over the three days I worked there. Big shoutout to Dusk Till Dawn’s Marketing Operations Manager, Glenn Townsend, who really is running a tight ship at one of – if not the best – live poker venues in the UK.
When I met Boothby at the 2025 PartyPoker Tour Birmingham roughly one week ago, we reminisced about our experience at Dusk Till Dawn. We both agreed that it is, hands down, the poker room we’ve both witnessed with the best food. The magic happens in the kitchen behind Devilfish’s bar, the saloon at Dusk Till Dawn, which is named after the late poker legend Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott. From time to time, I desperately crave the spicy chicken pasta.
I also remember a fun exchange of words with the event photographer, the brilliant Jemma Grice. The week throughout, I was rocking my black corduroy jacket. The crucial detail of this story is that corduroy in Swedish is “Manchester”. Until only a few months ago, I had never heard of the word “Corduroy”, and I was convinced that “Manchester” was also the English name for the fabric.
One day, Grice arrived at Dusk Till Dawn with a stylish black handbag that was made of said fabric. I nodded towards the bag, showed her my jacket, and said, “Hey, look, same fabric.” Grice replied, “Yes, I like it, but it was somewhat expensive.” Being somewhat of a jokester, I humorously said, “Well, you know what they say; Manchester is Manchester,” implying that it’s indeed a bit on the pricier side of things, but it’s well worth it. She laughed nervously and looked at me like I was a fool. Since I’ve learned the word “Corduroy”, I now understand her confusion about my “joke”.
Number Three: Getting Fined in Manchester
The whole team at poker.pro is beyond grateful to be the official media partner for the 2025 PartyPoker Tour. The most recent stop in Birmingham concluded just a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been blessed to be on-site for all four events in the UK this year (with the fifth and final one still to be played).
The second stop of the 2025 PartyPoker Tour was Manchester. The Manchester235 Casino may be the smallest casino I’ve visited, but it is also the most cozy and intimate one. Traveling all across Europe for different events, I of course meet many new players and staff, which is one of the things I value most about my job. That being said, sometimes it’s very nice to meet familiar faces and greet friends with a hug or two. That became the case in Manchester, as I had already met the PartyPoker team in London a few weeks earlier. Those who’ve attended the tour this year can vouch for them all being super friendly and true professionals, and even though I see them so rarely, they feel like my family on the road. I felt at home in Manchester, and a big part of this was thanks to the amazing PartyPoker crew. It’s no wonder the tour has been a smashing success.
One of the players I met at the event was Ion Oprea, a recreational player who was a very humble, down-to-earth family man. Little did I know, the first time we shook hands, what he would accomplish that week. Not only did he manage to win the £150 Mini Main Event that scored 418 entries for £8,885, but two days later, he also finished third in the £500 Main Event for £10,200, navigating his way through a field that consisted of 257 entries. This achievement blew my mind, and I was convinced I would never see anything like it. I would be wrong on that, however, as Tai Hoang won the Main Event during the Birmingham stop and finished second in the Mini Main Event. Being an amateur poker player myself, displaying this kind of consistency in poker is the thing that impresses me the most.
Another thing happened during my Manchester trip that I didn’t find entertaining at all while I was there, but now, with some distance, I can have a good chuckle over it. Before my shift, I went out for a 10-kilometer run on the streets of Manchester when I suddenly got something in my throat. I was at the crowded Piccadilly Square and reviewed the alternatives in my head; how would I resolve this crucial situation?
Fairly quickly, I reached the conclusion that I had to spit it out on the street. It didn’t feel too fresh, but the situation was critical, and it seemed like the best option at the time. I snuck into a nearby alley and projected the concoction on the ground. “Situation diverted,” I thought as I was getting ready to continue my morning jog. “Hold it right there, pal!” I heard someone shout from a few meters away. I turned around, and I saw a uniformed representative approaching me. He turned out to work for the Manchester City Council, patrolling Piccadilly Square on the hunt for rascals and buffoons. As it turned out, I was guilty of littering, and he fined me £180. Being docile, I paid it that same day, which gave me a £30 discount. I now have a ticket on my refrigerator that reads, “You were observed spitting in a public space,” reminding me that manners maketh man.
Number Two: Meeting Padraig Parkinson
Undeniably, the Irish Poker Open stands out amongst the live events I’ve been working so far in my young career. It is such a massive event, and being the oldest running poker tournament in Europe, it’s embossed with a mighty history that nowadays echoes through the Royal Dublin Society. The event is growing bigger and better every year; the 2025 edition shattered all records, as the €1,150 Main Event attracted 2,483 entries. No wonder the Irish Poker Open won the GPI Award for “Best Stand-Alone Series/Festival in the World”.
When I worked at the 2025 Irish Poker Open, Media Coordinator Jen Mason asked all live reporters to write an evergreen piece for the event. I immediately knew what I wanted to write about: Colette Doherty, the woman who won the first-ever Irish Poker Open in 1980, and then won it a second time in 1991. Everyone knew she was an Irish poker legend who paved the way for women in poker. Yet, there was hardly anything written about her. Doherty had passed away just a few months prior to the 2025 Irish Poker Open, and in my mind, there was no question about it; she deserved an homage, and I wanted to do her as much justice as a Swedish 30-year-old blonde could.
I approached the legendary photographer and good friend of mine, Mickey May, and asked if she knew someone who would have known Doherty and could tell me everything that I needed to know. “Padraig Parkinson,” she replied without the slightest hesitation. I had never heard of this name before, but I trusted May completely. She set up a meeting for me with Parkinson, and I started to do my research on the man. I quickly realized that I was going to meet a legend. Parkinson has been around the game of poker since before I was born, and perhaps, his third-place finish in the 1999 WSOP $10,000 Main Event is the crown jewel on his imposing resume.
A few days later, it was time for me to meet with the Irish Godfather of Poker, and May guided me through the RDS to introduce me to the man. I’ve interviewed my fair share of people throughout the years, both in a poker context but also outside the world of cards, but I can’t recall being this nervous ever before.
After just exchanging a few words with Parkinson, all my nerves disappeared. Nothing pleases me as much as meeting successful people who are still down to earth, and Parkinson embodies that. We found the quietest place in the building (which was very loud), and I don’t think I even asked my first question before he started telling me about all his fantastic stories about Colette.
Besides being an excellent poker player who’s stayed relevant in the game for years, Parkinson is also a sublime storyteller. It didn’t take more than five minutes before I threw away my notepad with my 10 pre-written questions and asked Parkinson, “Do you want a beer?” We ordered one pint each, then two more, then two more, then two more. What was supposed to be a 30-minute chat turned into a Guinness marathon session where he told me about the old Eccentric Club in Dublin, where “They had a secretary who couldn’t type, and the guy in charge of the money couldn’t look after his own.”
A few days later, when my hangover was cured, I transcribed the two-hour recording of my “interview”, and the week after the event’s conclusion, I finished my piece. It was published on the Irish Poker Open’s website on June 28, and the next day, I received a text message from Parkinson on WhatsApp. “You did great, Colette would be very proud. If you ever need anything, just ask.” I would be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear at this moment. I wrote him back, “In that case, I need a €5/€10 PLO4/5/6 game at the Sporting Emporium, April 2026.” Parkinson has agreed to set up said game, and let me tell you, I’m as excited for it as a kid is for Christmas.
Honorable Mention: The Montmartre Experience
Before I get to number one, I need to mention another poker memory this year; in fact, it’s my only one that wasn’t work-related in 2025. My friend and I have gone to Paris for the Roland Garros tennis tournament for the last couple of years. That was also the case this year, and after enjoying Paris’ decadent nightlife, I felt a strong urge to play some cards. I asked the bartender if he knew about any cardrooms in the city of love, and he mentioned the Club Montmartre. I searched the place, and it turned out that it was roughly a 20-minute walk from our hotel. My friend and I went back to the hotel, he went to sleep, and I changed my pike shirt for a hoodie and started wandering the streets of Paris at two a.m. towards Montmartre.
Working in the poker industry and having visited many different casinos and cardrooms, I can confirm that the old, stereotypical view of the game – being played in mysterious environments, the venue scenting of bourbon, smoke flowing across the room – is an incorrect one. At least from my experiences, it’s always a regulated, secure, and enjoyable environment. That being said, the Montmartre Casino was as close to the underground club in “Rounders” as I’ve ever gotten. Don’t get me wrong; I still felt safe, but there was a unique, exciting moment being in there that I haven’t experienced anywhere else. The entrance was only accessible after walking down a small flight of stairs, and while the host checked my ID, I could hear heavy Drum & Bass music echoing from the inside, and flashing lights in all the colors of the rainbow were noticeable through the opaque windows.
I entered the club, and I can say with absolute certainty that I was the only blonde Swede in there; the locals had never seen anything like it. I walked through what I remember as an almost pitch-black hallway until I got to the poker room. The lowest stake was €10/€10; somewhat higher than I’m comfortable playing, but I was there, and I decided to go. I exchanged my pre-determined budget of €400 for chips and was immediately given a seat at the table.
Sitting at the table was an absolute thrill; I felt like a true James Bond villain. While the dealer was fluent in English, I can only assume the locals were discussing the optimal size of baguettes and where one can find the best Escargot. Even though I’ve never been so card dead in my life before and I barely exchanged a word with the other players, this is my most enjoyable live poker experience by miles.
The only hand I remember from the sitting is when I was down to perhaps €360. The button opened to perhaps €30, and I looked down at 5♠2♥ from the Small Blind. Not ideal, but I was hoping my tight image would allow me to make a move. I raised to €80, and, much to my displeasure, both the Big Blind and the Button called.
I decided to lead out for €60 on the A♣3♥9♥ flop, hopeful of turning the gutshot straight. The Big Blind got out of the way before the Button threw in a €1,000 chip to force me all in. “Bad timing,” I shuckled, as I folded, revealing my holdings. “Yes,” my opponent responded and turned over his at A♥A♠ holdings. I decided not to do any more creative moves, and not long thereafter, my two-hour session came to an end when I lost my last chips in a flip with pocket eights against ace-jack. I can’t wait to return to the Montmartre Club one day to take back what’s mine.
Number One: Westerlund, Zhen, and Sakinala
My favorite moment of this year, by far, is a combination of three features. Women in poker have been a hot topic for years. One can’t deny that the diversification is going in the right direction; there are many more female players on the poker scene now than a couple of years ago, and it’s at least my perception that the dedicated ladies-only tournaments also have seen an increase in entries.
Of course, there are still many more male players on the poker scene compared to the opposite sex. Because of this, a female winning a big event tends to create a positive buzz in the community. It’s somewhat rare for this to happen, considering the common percentage of women in a large live tournament field. With these presumptions in mind, the three achievements I witnessed from prominent poker queens in the span of one month were crazy.
It all started in the Estonian capital during the 2025 WSOP Circuit Tallinn. The event keeps breaking records every year, and tournament director Teresa Nousainen and her crew deserve a round of applause for what they’ve managed to create. The event truly is the annual pinnacle of poker in Northern Europe, and this year was no different, with the €1,500 Main Event holding a €1,000,000 guarantee.
Many Swedes were participating in the WSOP Circuit Tallinn this year; in other words, I saw many familiar faces. Several of them were amongst the 888 entries in the Main Event, and it was a good tournament for the Scandinavians. No fewer than eight players waving the Scandinavian flag had all made it to Day 3, which is an impressive feat in itself. There was only one who survived the marathon day, though, and secured her spot on the final table. That was Jenny Westerlund.
Finding a human with such a big heart as Westerlund is not an easy task. She’s always kind and friendly to everyone, and her love for the game of poker always shines through when you see her at the tables. She entered the final table with the second-biggest stack, and amongst the final nine, she was the one who dared pull the trigger and take the aggressive path. Eventually, she emerged victorious in the most dramatic fashion possible, as she knocked out Igor Pihela Sr and Krzysztof Chmielowski in the very same hand to claim the biggest title of her career. Her reaction couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than pure joy, and with the €200,200 addition to her bankroll, she decided to fly straight to Bratislava for the 2025 Swedish Poker Championship. There, she finished second in the €550 Main Event for another €17,700. Needless to say, she had a good couple of weeks this summer.
I was absolutely thrilled seeing Westerlund claiming the title in Tallinn, and I understood it might take a while since I saw another female succeed the majority of men in a big tournament. Two weeks after Tallinn, I went to Scotland for the 2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester. Even though the €500 Main Event wasn’t as big as the one Westerlund won, a lot of skill would be required to conquer the field that consisted of 256 entries.
When the tournament was down to the final table, Zhen Zhen was the only female player remaining. The exchange student entered the final stage of the tournament as sixth in chips, and with players such as Jaime Staples, David Lappin, and Dean Lyall at the table, she had her work cut out for her. “Surely I won’t see two female Main Event winners back to back,” I was thinking to myself, and as Zhen quickly lost a big pot against Lyall and was left with only 13 Big Blinds, my thought was enhanced.
I absolutely loved being proven wrong. Displaying great patience and sublime poker skills, Zhen managed to stay alive while her opponents hit the rail one by one. Eventually, Kyle Scott eliminated Lappin in third place, meaning he and Zhen were now heads-up. After roughly 30 minutes, Scott was declared the runner-up, as Zhen claimed the trophy and the €22,500 first-place payout. I couldn’t believe what was happening; two female Main Event winners back-to-back during the most recent two events I had covered.
The next week, it was off to London for the September edition of the 2025 Beer Poker Tour. While being somewhat smaller, the Beer Poker Tour is a one-of-a-kind event that emphasizes the fun side of poker. Founder Merivan Hassan goes to great lengths to make the event unique, treating players to free food and drinks, exchanging tokens for merchandise, and much more. The £185 Main Event attracted 730 entries, and the final table concluded around five a.m. on Monday, September 8. Even though Hugh Fowler, who very much is a man, won the event, the runner-up finish from Nikhila Sakinala deserves a shoutout in this homage to one month of women’s success in poker during the three live events I covered. It was Sakinala’s first-ever live poker tournament, and, on top of that, it was also her birthday. To finish second for £13,00 (albeit after a five-way deal) in her debut was amazing to watch.
So, two female Main Event winners and one runner-up finish in the span of one month take the first place on my list of my top five memorable moments as a poker reporter this year. The hot streak by Westerlund, Zhen, and Sakinala is yet another proof that women in poker are growing, something that is amazing to see.
Last but not least, I want to extend my gratitude to poker.pro for giving me the opportunity to travel all across the world and experience moments like these. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and gaining even more unforgettable memories for the next year. The poker community is absolutely amazing, and I can’t wait to see what 2026 will bring to the table.
