2024 WSOPC Tallinn: Aurimas Stanevicius Wins Main Event; Finland Dominates with Most Rings

After an impressive debut in 2023, the World Series of Poker Circuit returned to Olympic Park Casino and Hilton Tallinn Park, Estonia. This 10-day festival featured 53 exciting events with 12 WSOP Circuit Ring events. The festival kicked off on July 19 and wrapped up successfully on July 28, with Lithuania’s Aurimas Stanevicius taking home the coveted €1,500 Main Event title for a massive €167,900 in top prize.

 2024 WSOPC Tallinn Main Event Quick Recap

The Main Event was the festival’s biggest highlight and this time it featured a huge €1,000,000 ($1,093,000) guarantee. The tournament ran from July 23-28 and set a new benchmark in Tallinn with 812 entries (across six starting flights) smashing the €1 million guarantee to create a record-breaking €1,052,352 prize pool with the top 103 players guaranteed at least a min-cash of €3,000.

The Money bubble burst on Day 2 (July 26) after Estonian poker hero Igor Pihela Jr. delivered a bad beat with ace-jack vs. ace-king on an ace-high board to bust Finland’s Nemo Israel empty handed. Eliminations were quick on Day 2 of the event with the day ending with just 68 survivors, led by Estonia’s Paul Koppe and Greece’s Enea Subashi holding 1,660,000 and 1,655,000 in chips, respectively.

India’s rising star Ritwik Khann also took part in this main event and made it to Day 2 but could not survive the day’s onslaught, eventually exiting in 92nd place and earning €3,250 for his deep run in the event.

The action on Day 3 was hot and heavy with the field quickly whittling down from 68 Day 3 players to just a final table of nine hopefuls looking to make history. Canada’s Jeffrey Cormier ended Day 3 in a thundering fashion, with his tens getting there against kings to take the chip lead. He also eliminated the final table bubble boy Enea Subashi, who lost his stack with king-queen to finish tenth for €13,800.

2024 WSOPC Tallinn Main Event Final Table Action

Lithuania’s Mindaugas Kriauciunas was the first casualty from the final table, falling in ninth place for €17,350 after his big slick could not win a flip against Estonia’s Sergei Aleksejev.

Stanevicius then gained some momentum after doubling through eventual runner-up Sandvik when his tens held strong against nines.

Sweden’s Roberto Olsen, who was in the middle of the pack at the start of the final table, was the next player to fall. He hit the rail in eighth place for €22,250  after his ace-king lost to the ace-queen (clubs) of Aurimas Stanevicius. The latter fortunately hit a flush to end Olsen’s main event journey.

Latvia’s Kriss Riekstins then doubled through Evgeny Vyal, leaving his opponent with just one chip.  Vyal, who took the Day 1B chip lead and rode it all the way to the final table, lost that chip the following hand to exit in seventh place for €28,650.

Stanevicius could have been out next elimination as for the second time at the final table but his nines got there against Aleksejev’s aces to secure the chip lead. The action was slow from there on and it took many hands before the next elimination in Kriss Riekstins ,who lost with king-jack against ace-jack of Jeffrey Cormier to finish in sixth place for €38,000. Cormier took the massive chip lead after the hand.

Sandvik then won a big hand against Cormier to take the chip lead, which he maintained until the heads-up action began. Sandvik further extended his lead after eliminating the formidable Ukrainian Yurii Zabrodotskyi in fifth place for €50,700 when his ace-jack held against king-seven suited.

The next two players were also eliminated by Sandvik. Aleksejev headed to the cashier in fourth place for €66,950 after his king-trey didn’t get ahead of ace-trey. Cormier then made a move with eight-six  and was picked off by Sandvik who won it with the top pair. He exited in third place for €88,750.

Sandvik began heads-up with a 3:1 chip advantage against Stanevicius. The duo agreed to take a break to discuss a deal to even out the payouts. Sandvik locked up €152,900, while Stanevicius was guaranteed at least €135,600 with the two playing for the ring, the invite to the $1 million WSOP Tournament of Champions bracelet-event freeroll, and an additional €32,000.

Stanevicius quickly turned the tables and secured a significant chip lead before picking off Sandvik’s bluff with two pairs to win the ring and a hefty payout of €167,900. In the final hand, Sandvik jammed the river on the As 4c 5d 10d 2c with 9d 4d and was called by  Stanevicius with Ah 10c. The latter made two pairs to win the coveted 2024 WSOP Circuit Tallinn Main Event title.

2024 WSOPC Event #6: €1,500 Main Event Final Table Payouts

There were 12 ring events on the schedule along with 40 side events. Finland dominated the charts, winning a majority of the ring events. Roope Tarmi walked away as the biggest ring event winner from Finland as he overcame a field of 100 entries and defeated Sweden’sErik Lindqvist in the heads-up to take down Event #9: €3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max for a second year in row. Last September Roope Tarmi won the same event and got his first ring and the prize of €78,200. This year, he won it once again for €64,000.

2024 WSOPC Event #9: €3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max Final Table Payouts

Among other big ring event winners was Germany’s Phil Gross, who outlasted a field of 617 entries to win Event #3: €555 No-Limit Holdem for € 55210 and his first ring. He eventually defeated Ukraine’s Oleksii Natoptanyi in heads-up on the third and final day of the event, with the latter claiming €36,900 for his efforts.

Norway’s Linda Nguyen also won a ring with her victory in Event #5: €250 NLH Queens where she defeated a competitive field of 90 entries and took home €5,570 from the €19,008 total prize pool. She eventually defeated Finland’s Linda Lahpendaa who banked €3,630 for her runner-up finish.

2024 WSOPC Tallinn Ring Event Results :

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Image Credit: OlyBetTV & WSOP