button in SafariPocket Aces Propel Poker Player to Main Event Title in Northern Europe
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OlyBet Poker continues to strengthen its footprint across Northern Europe in 2026, with another successful festival now in the books.
The operator, widely regarded as the live poker hub of the Baltics, has wrapped up its inaugural OlyBet Showdown Tallinn, which featured a 43-event schedule that included 29 live tournaments alongside online events and satellites. Nearly 2,000 entries were recorded at Olympic Park Casino in Tallinn, Estonia, with €596,867 paid out across the festival, including €146,920 in first-place prizes (excluding progressive bounty totals).
The biggest slice of that prize pool went to Andreas Backlund, who captured the €1,100 NLH Tallinn Showdown Main Event title for €37,148 following a heads-up deal. It wasn't Backlund's only victory of the series, either, as the Finnish poker player also topped the €350 NLH Progressive Bounty for €1,667 (excluding bounties) to finish among the festival’s standout performers.
Backlund wasn’t alone in filling the trophy cabinet. Several players enjoyed multiple victories across the series, with Krzysztof Budka leading the way with three titles, while Alger Pissarev, Vidar Assersen, and Marcis Zeltmatis each secured two wins during the festival.
OlyBet Showdown Tallinn Full Results
Aces Help Backlund Pull Off Heads-Up Comeback
Backlund wasn’t the name most people expected to see lifting the trophy at the €1,100 Tallinn Showdown Main Event, but that’s exactly how this one ended.
Coming into the festival, the Finnish player had just $14,791 in total live earnings, with a previous best score of $5,477 from a Pot-Limit Omaha win at the 2025 Kings of Tallinn, but nothing that hinted at a Main Event title worth €37,148.
The €1,100 Main Event drew 210 entries, building a €199,500 prize pool, and by the time the final day rolled around, Backlund had already worked himself into contention. According to reporting from poker.pro, he began the day near the top of the counts, sitting third behind Finland’s Kyösti Isberg, who led the final 17 players into Day 3.
Short stacks started falling as the day wore on. Albert Ostrovskij had been hanging on for much of the session before finally running out of chips in 10th place to set up the final table.
The middle stages saw Helge Bjorlow, Egidijus Matonis, and Janis Apinis were next to be sent to the payout desk. The pace of play took a downturn but Kristoffer Winterstein eventually bowed out in fifth. Mateusz Dabkowski followed in fourth, and Henrik Jeppsson hit the rail in third, leaving Isberg and Backlund alone to decide the title.
Isberg held the lead going into heads-up play, but Backland managed to stay in contention with the duo coming to an agreement. The final two agreed to a deal that guaranteed €34,148 each, leaving €3,000 and the trophy still up for grabs.
Backlund picked up pocket aces, and unlike what we’ve seen so often lately, the premium hand actually held when it mattered most.
Big pairs haven’t had much luck in recent headline events. At the WSOP Europe Main Event not long ago, Marius Kudzmanas cracked kings on the final hand to win the title. But in Tallinn, Backlund’s aces held out against ace-ten on a J-T-4 flop, giving him a double for the lead.
With Isberg left short, the final blow came soon after as Backlund's ten-nine bested ace-nine to close things out and secure the biggest win of his career.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andreas Backlund | Finland | €37,148 |
| 2 | Kyösti Isberg | Finland | €34,148 |
| 3 | Henrik Jeppsson | Sweden | €20,365 |
| 4 | Mateusz Dabkowski | Poland | €15,525 |
| 5 | Kristoffer Winterstein | Sweden | €11,845 |
| 6 | Helge Bjorlow | Norway | €9,040 |
| 7 | Egidijus Matonis | Lithuania | €7,275 |
| 8 | Janis Apinis | Latvia | €6,025 |
| 9 | Jukka Juvonen | Finland | €4,945 |
