Back in February 2021, we published an article covering the debut of a new live event concept in the poker world, called The Festival Series. The idea was to combine the popularity of poker tournaments with all sorts of other fun-filled gambling and non-gambling activities. Since its debut in Tallinn in June 2021, The Festival events have been held nearly two dozen times across multiple locations including: Bratislava, Malta, Riga, Rozvadov, Vilnius, and more.
Over the past 5.5 years, I’ve watched from afar as The Festival has grown from strength to strength. And I’ve had enough! I NEED to attend and experience The Festival Series in person… so I’ll be heading to the 2026 “Grand Finale” in Tallinn, Estonia.
After years of watching from the sidelines, I’ve decided it’s time to finally pay a visit to @TheFestivalOG. 😀
So, I’m very excited to be headed to Tallinn! 🛫 🇪🇪
Will be on site from Nov 22-24.
You only live once; gotta carpe those diems! https://t.co/BGIpmER3ui
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 12, 2026
The Festival Tallinn 2026 will be comprised of 70+ poker tournaments over the course of 10 days, from November 20-29, at the Olympic Park Casino in the Estonian capital. My schedule precludes me from being able to attend for the entire series, but during my 3-day travel window, there are a number of things that I’m looking forward to in particular.
Playing in Two Mixed Game Tournaments
Among the most unique aspects of The Festival is that mixed games are given just as much of a platform and love as No Limit Hold’em. Well over half of the 70+ events on the schedule are mixed game events! In fact, in addition to the €555 NLHE Main Event, there’s also a €555 Mixed Games Main Event (TORSES)!
For my part, I plan on hopping into the €200 Triple Draw Mix and €200 7-Card Stud Mix, and hope to add an Estonian flag to my HendonMob page.
Not that I plan on busting in either tournament, but in the event that happens, perhaps I might be able to round up some folks for a fun low-stakes dealer’s choice cash game? Time will tell, I suppose.
Meeting Franke
When it comes to the European poker scene, Martin von Zweigbergk (a.k.a., “Franke”) is one of the most widely known and well-respected people in the business. I had the pleasure of interviewing him a couple years back about his poker journey and passion for the game.
His love for putting on grandiose live events and stellar execution thereof has enabled him and his team to build a robust, fun-loving community that travels throughout the continent to show up in support. I have so much respect for poker’s “builders” and I know Franke and I will have tons to chat about when we finally get to meet in person for the first time.
Ticking a New Country/City Off My Bucket List
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved traveling. Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to travel to 30 countries, and it’s always a special thrill to “tick a new one off the list”.
With the mixed game tournaments set to kick off in the evenings, that leaves plenty of time during the day to do some sightseeing and exploring. It’ll be cold out, to be sure, but I can’t resist a good walking tour to take in and learn about a new city.
Experiencing “Hospitality Events”
Aside from the poker tournaments, The Festival Series is well known for its “Hospitality Events” away from the tables. Whether its padel, karaoke, a brewery expedition, a player party, or something else the organizers have up their sleeves, the photos and videos of these events always look so awesome.
What can I say? Seeing all those pictures and videos from The Festival Series events over the years worked. Everyone always seems to be having the time of their lives, and who wouldn’t want to be part of that?!
A Few Hours in Helsinki?
Plainly speaking, I’d be perfectly happy to just “accomplish” the first four items on this list. When researching Tallinn, however, I couldn’t help but notice that it’s just a short 2-hour ferry ride from Helsinki, the Finnish capital. Pretty much every Tallinn tourist-oriented site mentions it, after all.
For those players attending The Festival Tallinn for longer than a couple days, I’d say that taking a day to explore neighboring Helsinki is a no-brainer. Mine is a short trip, but if I play my cards right (pun very much intended), I MIGHT be able to squeeze in a few hours there.
On the one hand, the “sensible” part of me says that I should take it easy; that there’s plenty enough poker-wise and otherwise to keep me occupied in Tallinn. On the other hand, the more “adventurous” part of me is saying “Robbie, when are you ever going to be this close to Finland again? You only live once; push yourself!”
I suppose time will tell. If I end up playing poker deep into the night and needing to pose for a winner’s photo at 2am, it’ll be pretty tough to wake up early in the morning to catch a ferry… May this be my biggest dilemma to face during my upcoming trip to The Festival Tallinn. 🙂
