The Festival Weekend Tallinn 2026 ended as it began – in grand style. Over five days, Olympic Park Casino hosted poker regulars, mixed games specialists, local high rollers, online qualifiers, and familiar faces from The Festival series. Besides classic Hold'em, players engaged in Sviten Special, TORSES, 10-Game Mix, Open Face Chinese, Dealers' Choice, blackjack, roulette, and several formats rarely found in regular tournament schedules.
Keränen Secures Title and Golden Egg
The €555 Mystery Bounty Main Event attracted a strong international field during the starting flights, ultimately surpassing the original guarantee. In Tallinn, players recorded a total of 178 entries, distributing €88,110 in both the classic prize pool and Mystery Bounty rewards.
The final day of the €555 Mystery Bounty Main Event began with nine players. Jarrod Coughtrie held the top position, closely followed by Markus Vesala and Ville-Matti Keränen. However, before the first hand was dealt, Keränen snagged a huge bonus. The Mystery Bounty format brought traditional golden eggs to the stage, and Keränen immediately picked the most valuable available reward of €10,000. Little did he know that this was just the start of his big day.
The final table kicked off with rapid eliminations. David Santalla was the first to bust, followed by Estonian Open Face Chinese specialist Mati Pirn. Markus Vesala subsequently lost a 3-way all-in, and soon Marijus Dirgela followed him to the exit. Timo Ruuska went out in three hands, paving the way for Keränen to face Coughtrie heads-up.
Although the Australian had enjoyed a fantastic weekend, the final duel was a brief affair. In the decisive hand, Keränen held 6s6c, while Coughtrie had AsKc. The flop AcQcTc elevated the Australian, but the turn 6h completed a set for Keränen, flipping the hand around. The river 3d sealed the tournament, confirming Keränen's fourth The Festival title and his first Hold'em victory in the series. His total reward reached €26,160, while Coughtrie took home €11,550 for second place.
Results of the final table of €555 Mystery Bounty Main Event
| Rank | Player Name | Country | Prize Including Bounty |
| 1. | Ville-Matti Keränen | Finland | €26,160 |
| 2. | Jarrod Coughtrie | Australia | €11,550 |
| 3. | Timo Ruuska | Finland | €11,400 |
| 4. | Marijus Dirgela | Lithuania | €5,150 |
| 5. | Martin Willborg | Sweden | €7,490 |
| 6. | Hampus Grönström | Sweden | €11,410 |
| 7. | Markus Vesala | Finland | €4,330 |
| 8. | Mati Pirn | Estonia | €1,750 |
| 9. | David Santalla | Spain | €5,660 |
Alexander Freund Dominates TORSES
The Festival wouldn't be The Festival without mixed games. One of the highlights of the Tallinn schedule was the €555 TORSES Main Event, which attracted 55 entries and featured a strong international field. Austrian mixed games specialist Alexander Freund ultimately triumphed. In the decisive Stud Hi-Lo hand, he bested Finnish player Timo Lämsä.
Results of the final table of €555 TORSES Main Event
| Rank | Player Name | Country | Prize |
| 1. | Alexander Freund | Austria | €9,135 |
| 2. | Timo Lämsä | Finland | €5,880 |
| 3. | Pasi Trollhjärta | Finland | €3,920 |
| 4. | Morten Antonsen | Norway | €2,610 |
| 5. | Raimonds Svans | Latvia | €1,960 |
| 6. | Riku Koivurinne | Finland | €1,440 |
| 7. | Henrik Puija | Finland | €1,180 |
Two Spontaneous High-Stakes Sit & Go Show a Different Tallinn
Tallinn wasn’t just about the official schedule. One of the strongest moments of the entire weekend was a spontaneously organized €5,000 Sit & Go, where the biggest local names gathered at the feature table.
Notable players included Vladimir “Gambledore” Korzinin, Markkos Ladev, Ranno Sootla, Ossi “Monarch” Ketola, Ardo Hanschmidt, Aleksander Lattikas, Steven Tool, and The Festival founder Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk. The first edition saw 16 entries, with a significant portion coming from Korzinin, who fired six bullets during the evening. Ketola eventually defeated Hanschmidt in the heads-up, pocketing €55,000, while Hanschmidt took €22,400.
The second evening Sit & Go offered even greater numbers. The prize pool reached a level where the winner was set to receive €69,000, and the runner-up €37,500. Such unplanned games demonstrate the diverse audience The Festival Weekend attracts – from recreational players and mixed games communities to high-stakes businessmen and notable figures on the Estonian scene.
Narozhny Defeats Franke in the Final OFC High Roller
The weekend's closing high roller belonged to the €1,100 Open Face Chinese. Fourteen players entered the tournament, with the finale featuring two prominent festival figures – Siarhei Narozhny and Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk.
Narozhny began the heads-up with a significant lead, but Franke fought back and at one point closed the gap to just four points. The Belarusian specialist, however, managed another comeback, confirming his nickname “The Machine” and securing his fifth The Festival title.
Results of the €1,100 Open Face Chinese High Roller
| Rank | Player Name | Country | Prize |
| 1. | Siarhei Narozhny | Belarus | €6,650 |
| 2. | Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk | Sweden | €4,000 |
| 3. | Kasperi Kauppinen | Finland | €2,650 |
Narozhny was also a standout name in other mixed games tournaments. Early in the weekend, he went deep in Sviten Special and was also present in the battle for the Dealers’ Choice title in recent days.
Sunday Brunch Was Not Just a Tournament. The Winner Got a Trip to Malta
A very original ending to the weekend's program was prepared by the €200 NLH Sunday Brunch. Organizers delayed the start of the event by an hour, allowing players to meet at a food truck outside the casino before the first level. Burgers, beverages, summer weather, and a shared atmosphere created the kind of experience that The Festival is known for.
Seventy-five players entered the tournament, and aside from the standard prize pool, a complete package worth €1,600 to The Festival Malta was added to the game. The winner, Kenneth Marthinsen, not only claimed €3,633 but also a buy-in, accommodation contribution, and hospitality package for the September stop in Malta.
Results of the €200 NLH Sunday Brunch
| Rank | Player Name | Country | Prize |
| 1. | Kenneth Marthinsen | Norway | €3,633 + €1,600 package |
| 2. | Valerij Popadko | Lithuania | €2,420 |
| 3. | Per Löfgren | Sweden | €1,700 |
| 4. | Artur Külanurk | Estonia | €1,240 |
| 5. | Arsen Petrunin | Russia | €900 |
| 6. | Kalev Amberg | Estonia | €740 |
| 7. | Raivo Grislis | Latvia | €610 |
| 8. | Ulf Bradling | Sweden | €480 |
| 9. | William Mawer | United Kingdom | €390 |
Tallinn Proves The Festival Weekend Has Great Potential
The Festival Weekend Tallinn delivered everything that makes the series unique over its five-day span. A strong Main Event, Mystery Bounty drama, mixed games tournaments, poker disciplines outside of classic Hold'em, spontaneous high-stakes games, casino activities, and communal moments that can't be created by just a good tournament schedule.
The series now heads to Malta, where The Festival will run from September 14 to 20. That’s where Sunday Brunch winner Kenneth Marthinsen will be heading, a trip secured amidst burgers, cards, and the poker atmosphere of the Estonian weekend. Tallinn may have closed one chapter, but it has already opened another path to what The Festival offers this fall.
Finally, we have prepared a photo gallery from this event, captured by loyal festival photographer Maire "EstonianWeirdo" Toom
