The €1,100 Kings of Tallinn Main Event is down to the wire. After battling through a record-breaking field of 1,181 players, the final nine have returned to the Olympic Park Casino, all with one goal in mind—taking home the title, €182,000 and the glory that comes with it.
Calling this final table “stacked” doesn’t quite do it justice. Priit Parmasto, the 2023 champion, is back and proving his rapid rise through the poker ranks is no fluke. Just a few seats away, Anton “WhatIfGod” Bergström, one of the greatest online players to ever grace the virtual felt, is on the hunt for his first live triumph. Then there’s Chris Da Silva, a battle-tested tournament crusher with a reputation for going deep when it matters most.
But they’re not alone—this table is packed with some of Northern Europe’s sharpest poker minds, all hungry for the title. And the best part? You won’t miss a second of the action, thanks to the live stream coverage from OlyBet.
Meet the Final Nine
The Main Event bubble burst late on Day 2 in unusual fashion, with three players eliminated in the same hand. The trio split the 151st €2,100 min-cash, earning a small rebate on their buy-in before heading to the rail. By the time play wrapped up, only 113 players remained, all returning the next day with one goal in mind—making the final table.
Finnish poker royalty, including former Kings of Tallinn champion Juha Helppi (2018) and the legendary Ilari ‘Ziigmund’ Sahamies, were among those who fought their way to the penultimate stage. But as the field continued to shrink, their runs came to an end. The final elimination of Day 3 came at the hands of Mounir Tajiou, who won a flip to send Robertas Smolskis to the rail—securing the nine players who would battle for the title.
Kaspars Butans, the player who scooped up my chip stack just before the bubble burst, ended Day 3 as the chip leader with a commanding 6,435,000. This deep run has already secured him the biggest tournament cash of his career.
Right behind him is Benyamin Canatan, the €555 Kings of Tallinn Championship winner, who bagged 5,230,000. Canatan has been a dominant presence all week, and with his strong performance, it feels like only a matter of time before he’s making waves on poker’s biggest stages.
Mounir Tajiou sits third in chips with 4,330,000. His standout career moment so far was a €100,400 payday for finishing runner-up in a €10K at the 2023 EPT Prague, but he’s still chasing that elusive first live win.
One of the most feared players at the final table is Anton “WhatIfGod” Bergström (4,330,000). The Swedish online phenom kept his real identity hidden for over a decade, remaining out of the limelight. The poker world was only just able to put a face to the alias after he made the final table of the 2024 EPT Prague Main Event, finishing fifth for €300,000. Bergström has won two online EPT Main Events and has racked up numerous WCOOP and SCOOP titles. Just ahead of the showdown, Bergström spoke to PokerNews, and some shocking revelations were made, so watch out for that interview.
Meanwhile, Igor Pihela Jr (4,035,000) is carrying the hometown hopes, representing one half of Estonia’s father-son poker duo. His father, Pihela Sr, won’t be on the rail—he’s still in contention for the €3,000 NLH event running alongside the Main. Pihela Sr currently sits ninth on Estonia’s All-Time Money List, while Pihela Jr holds the 16th spot. A win today won’t be enough to leapfrog his dad, but it would close the gap—and give him some serious bragging rights.
Eldars Sadih-Zade (3,410,000), an unknown quantity, has just €7,000 in cashes but could be the surprise pick for the win with the other finalists unfamiliar with his game.
Pritt Parmasto (2,840,000) can make history by becoming the first-ever two-time winner of the Kings of Tallinn Main Event. The second Estonian at the final table took down the title in 2023. He followed that up with a ninth-place finish at the inaugural EPT Cyprus Main Event, though he was eliminated on the very first hand of that final table. Parmasto told PokerNews that moment still haunts him, calling it the biggest mistake of his poker career. He jammed 19 big blinds over an open with ace-jack, only to run into queens, and the deck failed to save him.
One big blind behind is Pasi Laihinen (2,735,000), a Finnish up-and-comer with less than €100,000 in live earnings.
Chris Da Silva (1,525,000) is propping up the pack and has the most work ahead of him. With years of tournament experience worldwide, Da Silva is a master at navigating large-field events. He’s earned two top-100 finishes in the WSOP Main Event and recently claimed victory in the 888LIVE Coventry Main Event, walking away with €160,000. The devout Christian has accumulated $1.2 million in live earnings and boasts the most impressive live poker resume of the final nine.
Each finalist has locked up €16,800, but of course, all eyes are on the €182,000 winner’s prize. Be sure to tune in for this one, as this has the potential to be one of the best final tables of the year.
Kings of Tallinn Main Event Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Da Silva | United Kingdom | 1,525,000 | 19 |
| 2 | Eldars Sadih-Zade | Latvia | 3,410,000 | 43 |
| 3 | Kaspars Butans | Latvia | 6,435,000 | 80 |
| 4 | Igor Pihela Jr | Estonia | 4,035,000 | 50 |
| 5 | Mounir Tajiou | Sweden | 4,890,000 | 61 |
| 6 | Priit Parmasto | Estonia | 2,840,000 | 35 |
| 7 | Anton “WhatIfGod” Bergström | Sweden | 4,330,000 | 54 |
| 8 | Pasi Laihinen | Finland | 2,735,000 | 34 |
| 9 | Benyamin Canatan | Denmark | 5,230,000 | 65 |
Kings of Tallinn Main Event Final Table Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | €182,000 |
| 2nd | €115,000 |
| 3rd | €80,000 |
| 4th | €61,000 |
| 5th | €47,000 |
| 6th | €36,500 |
| 7th | €28,000 |
| 8th | €21,800 |
| 9th | €16,800 |
Watch the Kings of Tallinn Main Event
Images courtesy of Elena Kask
Senior Editor & Live Events Executive