The 2024 Kings Of Tallinn was the tenth iteration of the ever-popular live poker festival. Its €1,100 buy-in Main Event will be remembered for being the biggest on record and for ending a long-running hoodoo over Lithuanian players.
Some 914 players bought into the 2024 Kings of Tallinn Main Event, obliterating the previous best attendance by 198 entrants. The record-breaking crowd fought it out for the largest slice of he €859,160 prize pool at the Olympic Park Casino in the heart of the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
No Lithuanian had ever triumphed in the Kings of Tallinn Main Event in the nine previous editions. In fact, according to the OlyBet live updates, nobody calling Lithuania home had ever finished in the top two of a Kings of Tallinn Main Event.
That is no longer the case because Lithuania now has a Kings of Tallinn Main Event champion after Edgaras Kausinis defeated Mantas Tamulevicius, ironically also of Lithuania, heads-up to capture the title, trophy, and €120,910 in prize money.
Kings of Tallinn Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edgaras Kausinis | Lithuania | €120,910* |
| 2 | Mantas Tamulevicius | Lithuania | €105,000* |
| 3 | Aleksi Naski | Finland | €105,000* |
| 4 | Benjamin Gros | France | €54,800 |
| 5 | Even Rislov | Norway | €39,600 |
| 6 | Greger Aktell | Sweden | €30,350 |
| 7 | Wissam Polus | Sweden | €23,100 |
| 8 | Paul Newey | United Kingdom | €17,800 |
*reflects a three-handed deal
Eleven players returned for the final day’s action but they were soon cut down to ten when Danish star Frederik Brink bowed out in 11th. Herli Olop of Estonia fell in tenth, with Mindaugas Jonaitis crashing out at the same time as Olop, sending the eight remaining players to the final table.
The final table lost its first player during the 29th level of the tournament. Aleksi Naski min-raised to 200,000 from middle position before calling the 675,000 three-bet shove from the United Kingdom’s Paul Newey. Naski showed king-ten, which trailed Newey’s ace-ten, but only until a king landed on the flop. Newey failed to improve, and he finished in eighth place or €17,800.
Seven-handed play spanned across two entire blind levels, ending with the elimination of Wissam Polus. Again, Naski did the damage, first min-raising to 400,000 in the cutoff, and calling the 2,200,000 shove from Polus in the big blind. Polus had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, turning over four-three; Naski held ace-king. Pouls paired his four on the flop, but Naski improved to a pair of aces on the turn. A brick on the river sent Polus to the cashier’s desk to collect €23,100.
Greger Aktell of Sweden busted soon after, his 14 big blind shove with ace-king of spades unfortunately ran into the pocket aces in Mantas Tamulevicius’ hand. Aketll flopped an ace and turned a flush draw but a red nine on the river missed him, and he had to make do with the €30,500 sixth-place prize.
The players gained a little more elbow room during the 33rd level when Kausinis cut down Even Rislov. With blinds of 125,000/250,000/250,000a, Tamulevicius opened to 525,000 in the cutoff, Rislov hammed for 5,200,000 on the button only for Kausinis to call the shove. Tamulevicius ducked out of the way, and Rislov’s ace-queen of hearts went to battle against Kausinis’ dominating ace-king. Neither player’s hand improved by the river, and Kausinis’ king-kicker played. Rislov’s fifth-place exit came with €39,600.
Frenchman Benjamin Gros lost a coinflip with Kausinis to bust in fourth, a finish worth €54,800. Gros initially limped in from the small blind with a pair of black nines. Kausinis took the bait and jammed from the big blind with ace-ten, covering the 3,900,000 that Gros had behind. Gros called and remained ahead until an ace appeared on the turn. No nine on the river, and the 2024 Kings of Tallinn Main Event was down to only three hopefuls.
The final three players discussed then struck a deal shortly after three-handed play began. The deal guaranteed each of the trio a €105,000 score, leaving €15,910 and the trophy to play for.
The deal worked best for Naski because he was eliminated in third. Naski had lost a substantial pot against Kausinis, which left him on life support. Naski’s last six big blinds were into the middle with pocket threes after Kausinis had open-jammed on the button. Kausinis turned over ace-eight, which got there on the river with the ace of clubs, ending Naski’s dreams.
Kausinis held a two-to-one chip lead over his fellow countryman, but Tamulevicius doubled through him and claimed the lead. Tamulevicius’ time at the top was limited because Kausinis fought right back, and soon ended the contest.
The final hand took place during the 200,000/400,000/400,000a level, and saw Kausinis limp in on the button, Tamulevicius raise to 1,400,000, and Kausinis call. Tamulevicius continued with a 1,400,000 bet on the eight-jack-seven board, and Kausinis called. The turn was the king of hearts, putting two clubs and two hearts on the board. Tamulevicius moved all-in for 5,000,000, and Kausinis instantly called.
Kausinis flipped over ten-nine for a flopped straight, leaving his opponent’s king-five drawing dead. The inconsequential ace of hearts completed the board, confirmed Tamulevicius’ exit, and Kausinis as the 2024 Kings of Tallinn Main Event champion.
Full 2024 Kings of Tallinn Results
Aside from the Main Event finalists, three other players walked away with scores in excess of €47,000.
Finland’s Mikko Ylamaki banked €57,860 after outlasting 699 opponents in the €555 Kings of Tallinn Championship, while Cypriot Georgios Tsouloftas claimed the €52,430 top prize in the €3,000 High Roller. Markkos Ladev is €47,290 richer after coming out on top in the €5,000 High Roller event.
A special mention must go to Ronny Albrigtsen of Norway, who won two titles. Albrigtsen won the €250 NLHE Progressive Bounties event and then won the €150 NLHE fast version of the Main Event.
*excludes bounty payments