WSOPC Tallinn weekend recap: records, ring winners and what comes next

The 2025 WSOP Circuit Tallinn might go down as one of the most memorable stops on the global WSOPC calendar. Staged at the Olympic Park Casino and Hilton Tallinn Park, the festival smashed attendance records, crowned first‑time ring winners and concluded with a barrier‑breaking Main Event champion.

Wednesday’s action produced a Scandinavian clean sweep as Nordic players seized all three WSOPC rings on offer. Former Kings of Tallinn champion Mathias Siljander topped a 185‑entry PLO4/5 event worth €41,000, pushing his lifetime earnings over the US$1 million mark. In the €5,000 NLH 6‑Max, Norway’s David Vinaya outlasted a cosmopolitan final table to claim his second career circuit ring and €94,280. Finland’s Toni Niinivaara then closed the day by conquering a record 744‑player €555 NLH field for €62,100. 

Schedule‑wise, Thursday’s lineup featured two additional Main Event flights, the €1,100 8‑Game final, and a variety of satellites and side events.

The festival’s mixed‑game aficionados had their moment on Thursday as Poland’s Krzysztof Budka captured the €1,100 8‑Game title for €22,390. The two‑day event attracted 79 entries and saw Finland’s Pasi Laihinen finish runner‑up, while notable names like Nicklas Dehli and Aki Pyysing also cashed. Estonia’s Risto Pärnat headlined the side events, winning the €750 NLH Progressive & Mystery Bounty, while Karev Tralla and Nico Frenn took down lower‑buy‑in trophies. 

Meanwhile, the €1 500 Main Event concluded its five starting flights with 764 entries; late registration remained open for the first two levels of Day 2 and Estonia’s Markku Koplimaa topped the chip counts with 435,500. Friday’s schedule included Day 2 of the Main Event, the Sviten Special debut and the Mystery Bounty opener.

Saturday delivered a triple dose of gold. Jarkko Suokas became the first ever Sviten Special WSOPC champion after defeating Sweden’s Nicklas Nordblom heads‑up to win €14,035. In the €1,100 Mystery Bounty, German pro Fabian Bartuschk scooped €61,050, including mystery bounty prizes, by overcoming Estonia’s Risto Pärnat. Latvia’s Eriks Krumins added an online ring to his tally when he triumphed in the €350 Online Ring Event; the OlyBet‑hosted tournament drew 168 entries, smashing its guarantee and awarding Krumins €11,162. 

Five additional side events produced trophy winners: Norway’s Stein Narland (Deep Stack), Switzerland’s Celine Zimmermann (NLH Queens), Norway’s Sondre Lunde (PLO4/5 Progressive Bounty), Lithuania’s Andrius Mazurkevicius (NLH) and Norway’s Lasse Hansen (NLH Turbo). But the spotlight was on the Main Event, where Day 3 reduced 78 players to a nine‑handed final table. Czech Republic’s Martin Surovec vaulted into the chip lead after his pocket kings held to eliminate Gunnar Wedde and Andrew King, while Sweden’s Jenny Westerlund secured the last seat by sending Vidar Assersen to the rail. The final table line‑up consisted of Surovec, David Vinaya, Westerlund, Karolis Kutkauskas, Krzysztof Chmielowski, Stephen Groom, Jari‑Pekka Juhola, Igor Pihela Sr. and Elias Vääräniemi. Final table prizes ranged from €14,200 to a €200,200 first prize.

On Sunday, Jenny Westerlund scripted a landmark victory, becoming the first female player to win a WSOPC Main Event in Tallinn. The Swedish pro toppled a record 888‑entry field that generated a €1,138,860 prize pool. In the decisive hand, Westerlund’s A♥J♦ cracked Krzysztof Chmielowski’s queens and eliminated Igor Pihela Sr.’s ace‑six, awarding her both opponents’ chips. She claimed the ring and €200,200, while Chmielowski and Pihela settled for €128,500 and €90,200 respectively. 

Elsewhere, Spain’s Enrique Martinez secured the €3,000 NLH title for €80,500, defeating Finland’s Tommi Lankinen. The festival’s final day also crowned winners in a €350 Progressive Bounty and a €200 NLH Turbo. With twelve ring events complete, the Tallinn stop proved its depth: fields ranged from 74 to 954 entries, and prize pools consistently exceeded guarantees.

With all twelve rings awarded, the curtains are closing on the WSOP Circuit Tallinn festival, but the city’s poker scene remains vibrant. OlyBet and PokerPro World will continue broadcasting cash‑game streams and special satellites over the coming days. Rakerace.com readers seeking rakeback deals can leverage the increased traffic on European poker sites—especially as players flock online following the live festival. Expect fresh promotions tied to WSOPC success stories and ongoing updates from future Circuit stops.

From Scandinavian dominance to a historic female victory, the 2025 WSOPC Tallinn showcased Europe’s growing poker prowess. Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage and rakeback opportunities on Rakerace.com.