The Kings of Tallinn Main Event is under way in Estonia's capital. The €1,100 No-Limit Hold'em tournament, carrying a €500,000 guarantee, began on Wednesday, October 14, with Flights 1a and 1b, according to PokerNews. Flights 1c and 1d play Thursday, Day 2 is Friday, and the final day is Sunday, October 18. The festival also drew a famous visitor: Scotty Nguyen, the 1998 WSOP Main Event champion and one of poker's best-known personalities, who played the €200 Celebrity Special.
We previewed the series in our Kings of Tallinn Autumn preview. Now the action is live, so here is what is known so far and what the structure means for players.
The Main Event structure
The Main Event uses a four-flight format. Flights 1a and 1b ran on Wednesday, with 1c and 1d on Thursday. Players who survive their starting flight combine on Day 2 on Friday, and the tournament plays down to a winner on Sunday. PokerNews did not publish an entry count, chip leaders or chip counts in its latest report, only that there have been "plenty of entries," including online satellites and qualifiers held at Olympic Casino.
That means we cannot yet say whether the €500,000 guarantee will be reached. We can, however, do the basic arithmetic. A €500,000 guarantee divided by a €1,100 buy-in implies around 455 entries to break even before fees, and more once fees are taken out. This is our own calculation, not a published target. With four starting flights and re-entry, that figure is realistic for a major European stop, but the final number will not be known until late registration closes.
Why multi-flight events work
Multi-flight formats have become the standard for big live Main Events. They spread the field across several days, reduce the chance of a single bad table or bad beat ending a player's chances in one go, and let organizers handle larger fields. For players, they offer flexibility.
Here are the practical trade-offs:
- Early flights usually play with a smaller field and slightly more patient opponents, but you may be asked to survive longer before the field combines.
- Later flights let you watch how earlier flights have gone, and you can often judge the size of the field and the average stack before committing.
- Re-entry gives you a second chance if you bust, at the cost of a second buy-in. Whether it is worth doing depends on your bankroll and your view of the field.
Our tournaments hub tracks upcoming festivals so you can compare structures before you travel.
Scotty Nguyen and the Celebrity Special
The most colorful detail from the festival is Scotty Nguyen's appearance. PokerNews describes the 1998 WSOP Main Event champion as the "Prince of Poker." He played the €200 NLH DeepStack Celebrity Special but exited early.
The Celebrity Special was won by Romet Mildov of Estonia, who collected €7,659 from a 227-entry field. A local winner in a field of 227 is a good story for the home crowd, and it demonstrates how side events at big festivals can be worthwhile on their own.
Celebrity appearances matter more than they might seem. They bring attention, drive satellite sign-ups and make the festival feel like an event. For recreational players, getting to sit at a table with a legend is part of the appeal. For the organizers, it is a marketing tool. For a deeper look at how poker personalities shape events, see our coverage of poker on TV.
What the €200 deepstack tells us
A 227-entry field at €200 produced a first prize of €7,659. That is a useful data point for how Tallinn's side events are priced. The Celebrity Special is a low-risk way to enjoy the festival without committing to the Main Event, and it can double as a warm-up.
If you are traveling for a festival, consider a strategy that mixes both: a lower buy-in event early in the stay to get a feel for the room, then a Main Event entry when you are comfortable. This reduces the pressure of a single high-stakes bet.
Strategy notes for Day 1 of a €1,100 Main Event
Because PokerNews has not published hand-level reports from the Main Event, the following is general strategic guidance rather than a description of what happened.
Play to survive early, then accumulate. In a deep-stacked Day 1, there is little to gain from marginal all-ins. Position and patience are more valuable than hero calls. Our poker strategy guide explains how to adjust to different stack depths.
Know the field. Festivals attract a mix of recreational players, local regulars and traveling pros. Observing how opponents bet, and paying attention to tells, can help you categorize them quickly.
Respect the structure. Blind levels, antes and breaks affect how fast stacks shrink. Make sure you know the clock before you sit down.
Use position and pot odds. Calling a bet with a drawing hand requires the right price; our pot odds explainer and odds calculator can help you check the math.
The Estonian poker scene
Tallinn has become an increasingly important stop on the European calendar. The Olympic Casino hosts a growing number of festivals, and the Kings of Tallinn brand is part of a broader local scene. We have covered several of these events, including the PLO Grand Slam and the Diamond Poker Series final results. A €500,000 guarantee at a €1,100 buy-in signals confidence that the region can draw fields.
For visiting players, Tallinn offers a compact, walkable city, a well-run casino and a tournament slate with something at every price point. For local players, the festival brings international competition to the doorstep.
What to watch this weekend
With Day 2 on Friday and the final day on Sunday, October 18, the key storylines are straightforward. Will the Main Event beat its guarantee? Who emerges from the four flights as chip leader? And will a local player, following the example of Romet Mildov, make a deep run?
Check back for the final result. In the meantime, if you are thinking about attending a European festival of your own, the format on display here is a good model for what to look for: multiple flights, satellites at several price points and side events that let you build up to the Main Event.
Bottom line
Kings of Tallinn has everything a festival needs: a headline guarantee, a celebrity guest and a local winner already in the books. The Main Event is still unfolding, and the final answers will arrive on Sunday. Whatever the outcome, the structure offers lessons for players planning their own trips: use satellites, choose the right flight, and enter with a plan.