Aurimas Stanevicius Wins 2024 WSOPC Tallinn Main Event (�167,900)
The 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) International Circuit Tallinn festival concluded over the weekend with the crowning of the �1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event champion. Lithuania's Aurimas Stanevicius is that champion and the recipient of a coveted gold WSOPC ring and a career-best �167,900 prize.
A field of 812 entrants ensured the �1,000,000 guarantee was met and then surpassed, with �1,052,352 awarded to those lucky and skillful enough to navigate their way into the money places. Each of the nine finalists locked in �17,350, but �167,900 was up top for the eventual champion.
WSOPC Tallinn Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aurimas Stanevicius | Lithuania | �167,900* |
| 2 | Espen Sandvik | Norway | �152,900* |
| 3 | Jeffrey Cormier | Canada | �88,750 |
| 4 | Sergei Aleksejev | Estonia | �66,950 |
| 5 | Yurii Zabrodotskyi | Ukraine | �50,700 |
| 6 | Kriss Rietstins | Latvia | �38,000 |
| 7 | Evgeny Vyal | Estonia | �28,650 |
| 8 | Roberto Olsen | Sweden | �22,250 |
| 9 | Mindaugas Kriauciunas | Lithuania | �17,350 |
*reflects a heads-up deal
Mindaugas Kriauciunas busted in ninth shortly into the final day's action. Kriauciunas three-bet all-in for 16 big blinds with ace-king after Sergei Aleksejev had opened the betting. Aleksejev called with pocket tens, which held on a nine-high board.
Sweden's Roberto Olsen bowed out during the next level. Stanevicius min-raised with ace-queen of clubs before calling the 14.5 big blind shove from Olsen, which the Swede made with the dominating ace-king. Olsen stayed ahead on the flop, but the turn gave Stanevicius a flush draw, which came in on the river.
Local player Evgeny Vyal joined the list of busted players. Vyal lost all but 25,000 chips in a clash with Kriss Riekstins, and he busted during the next hand.
The final six grinders traded chips for a couple of levels before another elimination occurred. Riekstins open-shoved a shade over six big blinds with king-jack of diamonds, and Jeffrey Cormier called with the dominating ace-jack. Neither player improved their holding, and Cormier's ace-high was good enough to reduce the player count by one.
During the same level of Reikstins' demise, Yurii Zabrodotskyi crashed out. WSOP bracelet winner Espen Sandvik min-raised on the button and called the 12 big blind jam from Zabrodotskyi in the big blind. Zabrodotskyi turned over king-seven and needed some help to beat his opponent's ace-jack. Zabrodotskyi improved to two pair on the river, but the river put four diamonds on the board and Sandvik held the jack of diamonds.
The final four became three when Sandvik sent Aleksejev to the cashier's desk. Sandvik raised with ace-three from under the gun, and Aleksejev called all-in for less than 1.5 big blinds from the big blind. Aleksejev revealed king-three and couldn't find a king in the community cards.
Heads-up was set soon after with a battle of the blinds ending Cormier's deep run. Sandvik limped in from the small blind with nine-five, and Cormier checked with eight-six. The flop fell four-nine-eight, Sandvik bet 500,000, Cromier raised all-in for 6,500,000, and Sandvik called. A jack on the turn and a queen on the river eliminated Cormier in third place for �88,750, the second largest score of his live career.
The heads-up duo struck a deal that guaranteed Sandvik �152,900 and Stanevicius �135,600, leaving the ring and an additional �32,000 to play for. Sandvik extended his lead during the early confrontations, but Stanevicius refused to roll over.
Stanevicius led as the Main Event went into what would be its final break. During the 37th level of the tournament, Stanevicius limped in and Sandvik checked. Sandvik check-raised a 600,000 bet to 1,500,000 on the ace-four-five flop. Sandvik led for 1,600,000 when a ten landed on the turn, which Stanevicius called. The deuce of clubs landed on the river, and Sandvik over-bet shoved for 13,000,000 into the 8,000,000 pot. Stanevicius called with ace-ten for two pair while Sandvik could only muster nine-four.
WSOPC Tallinn Ring Events Results
All 12 ring-awarding events have awarded their poker jewelry. Special mentions must go to Martin von Zweigbergk, founder of The Festival, who won the �350 8-Game event for his first WSOPC ring.
Also, to Roope Tarmi the winner of the �3,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller 6-Max for �67,000. That result is impressive in its own right, but more so when you consider Tarmi won the same tournament in 2023. Will Tarmi complete a hat-trick in 2025?
| Event | Entrants | Prize Pool | Champion | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 - �250 NLHE | 788 | �166,426 | Eriks Krumins | Latvia | �31,620 |
| #2 - �350 8-Game | 90 | �27,216 | Martin von Zweigbergk | Sweden | �8,020 |
| #3 - �555 NLHE | 617 | �296,160 | Phil Gross | Germany | �55,210 |
| #4 - �350 PLO 4&5 PKO | 178 | �53,827 | Aki Pyysing | Finland | �6,300* |
| #5 - �250 Queens (Ladies Event) | 90 | �19,008 | Linda Nguyen | Norway | �5,570 |
| #6 - �1,500 Main Event | 812 | �1,052,352 | Aurimas Stanevicius | Lithuania | �167,900 |
| #7 - �1,100 PLO 4&5 | 198 | �190,800 | Riku Koicurinne | Finland | �41,200 |
| #8 - �1,100 NLHE Mystery Bounty | 218 | �209,280 | Rasmus Lundstrom | Finland | �21,430* |
| #9 - �3,000 NLHE 6-Max | 100 | �271,600 | Roope Tarmi | Finland | �64,000 |
| #10 - �350 NLHE Online | 271 | �85,365 | Andres Loiv | Estonia | �10,364 |
| #11 - �350 NLHE Deep Stack | 423 | �127,915 | Mykhailo Mikhalov | Ukraine | �25,115 |
| #12 - �555 NLHE Bounties | xxx | xxx | Harijs Erglis | Latvia | �10,670* |
*does not include bounty payments
The OlyBet Blog did not publish the attendance or prize pool figures for Event #12
Images courtesy of OlyBet and Elena Kask
