The Festival Weekend Vilnius runs from May 28 to 31 at the Olympic Casino Lietuva, located within the Radisson Blu Hotel. Throughout this extended weekend, players can choose from classic Hold'em, mixed games, PLO variants, a blackjack tournament, and complementary hospitality events. This is precisely the type of stop that has earned The Festival its reputation over the years. Not just a tournament schedule, but a comprehensive experience where regulars, recreational players, travelers, mixed game enthusiasts, and newcomers who just want to enjoy a weekend in good company come together at the same table.
Main Event Debuts as PKO and a Weekend Full of Unique Formats
The main attraction in Lithuania is the 555€ Main Event, this time featuring a Progressive Knockout format. From each buy-in, 200€ goes into the bounty prize pool, naturally altering the game's dynamics from the first levels. In these types of tournaments, survival alone isn't enough—every short stack becomes an enticing opportunity, and every all-in decision carries financial weight.
The program doesn't solely rely on the Main Event. The opening day offered the 350€ Sviten Special, 200€ NLH Crazy Pineapple, 150€ Blackjack Tournament, and 150€ PLO4 Madness with a bombpot element. In the following days, players can also look forward to Big O, NLH Freezeout, 5-Card PLO Madness, TORSES Mixed Games Main Event, Big Bounty KO, and Baby TORSES Supreme. This diverse mix is The Festival's signature.
This stop also includes hospitality events for online qualifiers. Welcome drinks, communal dinners, pool with darts, and a walk through Vilnius' historic center show that The Festival aims to be more than just another entry in the tournament calendar. It's a series that truly understands that live poker also involves travel, forging new connections, and creating stories beyond the table.
The First Day Produced Four Champions and a Strong Start to the Main Event
The opening day in Vilnius perfectly captured the series' philosophy. The schedule featured Hold'em, mixed games, blackjack, and PLO action, with the first trophies awarded by nightfall. Main Event Day 1A attracted 64 entries, with 8 players advancing to the second day. Home player Kęstutis Jungevičius topped the initial flight with a massive stack of 1,040,000 in chips.
Chipcount of Day 1A Advancers:
| # | Player | Chip Count |
| 1 | Kęstutis Jungevičius | 1,040,000 |
| 2 | Liutauras Armanavičius | 474,000 |
| 3 | Gerardas Lukšėnas | 469,000 |
| 4 | Adomas Juozapavičius | 391,000 |
| 5 | Keimo Suominen | 335,000 |
| 6 | Ran Eingorn | 273,000 |
| 7 | Andrius Mažeika | 162,000 |
| 8 | Jurgis Beinoras | 54,000 |
One highlight of the first day was the 350€ Sviten Special. This discipline is gaining traction at The Festival events, and Vilnius showed why. The game combines elements of PLO and 5-Card Draw, creating numerous unconventional situations, huge pots, and a constantly changing dynamic. The tournament ended with an all-Italian heads-up clash. Simone Fumagalli won a lengthy battle against Giorgio Savignone, claiming the title and a 4,293€ prize.
The Festival is renowned for venturing beyond traditional poker boundaries. This was evident in the 150€ Blackjack Tournament, where 12 players competed. The final four had a fascinating narrative, with three Festival team members making it: founder Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk, photographer Mairo Toom, and videographer Nikita Valts. They faced blackjack specialist Marko “Naxer” Keskel. In a dramatic finish, Keskel outplayed the Festival crew to become the weekend's first champion, earning 1,000€.
The late-night action also included the 150€ PLO4 Bombpot Feature, attracting 62 entries. Bombpot tournaments have become a staple in recent Festival stops, bringing exactly what players expect from such formats: chaos, large multiway pots, and pressure-packed decisions. In this case, the trophy went to Andreas “Wiseguy” Hoglund, a familiar face in The Festival community. He defeated Robertas Jasnauskas in the final, taking home 2,617€ for the win. Jasnauskas earned 1,670€ for second place, while Granit Haziraj secured 1,110€ for third.
The first day also wrapped up with the 200€ NLH Crazy Pineapple, a fun and swingy variant of Hold'em where players receive three cards and must discard one after the flop. The tournament saw 14 entries, and Lars Ridell emerged victorious, defeating Markus Kaerpijoki in heads-up play.
Vilnius Demonstrates Why The Festival Works
The Festival Weekend Vilnius has only just begun, yet it already delivers exactly what players expect from this series. A strong Main Event, unique formats, a mixed game ambiance, community moments, and stories that might not emerge at a conventional poker festival.
For SpadePoker, The Festival has been a long-standing partner because it views poker more broadly than just guarantees and prizepools. Vilnius once again proves that live poker can be a competition, a journey, a social weekend, and an adventure all in one. With more Main Event flights ahead and the weekend program just gaining momentum, the Lithuanian stop is poised to deliver even more intriguing stories.
