Christer Larsson is a busy man. As Group Poker Director of OlyBet, the Swedish Poker Hall of Famer and his team know what it takes to put on some of the biggest poker events in the world. This week’s WSOP Circuit Tallinn, now in its third year, is no exception.
If you’re a poker player from Northern Europe, or increasingly from even further afield, chances are you’ve played an OlyBet event. From this ten-day WSOPC stop, the only one in the region, to the fast-growing Kings & Queens series, it's impossible not to feel that poker in the Baltics is building serious momentum.
Despite a packed schedule in Tallinn, Larsson made time to speak with PokerNewsabout what players can expect from OlyBet events in the months ahead, why the Queens of Tallinn is such a standout on the calendar, and how a strong sense of community is the secret formula behind creating a great poker festival.
With this year’s WSOP Circuit stop in Tallinn once again drawing massive numbers — including the largest ever €555 event held in Estonia — it’s clear the appetite for poker in the Baltics is stronger than ever.
“We see ourselves as a premium provider of poker festivals,” says Larsson, reflecting on the huge turnout inside Olympic Park Casino this week.
“We welcome everyone, and we're always ready to host big tournaments in the region. Players are showing up, and players are behaving well here. So it's a good place to come to play poker for sure.”
We welcome everyone, and we're always ready to host big tournaments in the region.
A packed calendar now rotates between Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius, with each stop attracting a healthy mix of locals and international regulars. A large Scandinavian presence is especially noticeable, helped by the closure of Sweden’s last remaining poker room and legal restrictions around hosting tournaments in Norway.
“We are running lots of different poker festivals in the Baltics,” Larsson explains. “It's great to see players coming into Vilnius and Riga from the Nordics and the rest of Europe as well.”
Looking ahead, Larsson is particularly excited about the return of Queens of Tallinn, which runs from August 21 to 24 in the heart of the Estonian capital.
Now in its third year, the event was the first all-female poker festival in Europe and continues to be a showpiece event for the masses of talented female players in the region.
“We're looking at hundreds and hundreds of ladies coming to the event. For OlyBet, this is a flagship event and we're expecting it to be really enjoyable and fun,” says Larsson.
The community element remains central to everything OlyBet does, he explains. “We are community-focused. There are a lot of recreational players coming in from all over, and we have the capacity to cater to them all.”
"It's a pleasure for us to see players coming in from different countries. They are hanging out together three, four, five times a year and having a good time. It's not only about gambling."
This week’s WSOP Circuit festival has already featured everything from a female players meet and greet to a giant inflatable Eric Cartman roaming the halls (yes, really), and, of course, this Sunday’s Players’ Party at the OlyBet Bar & Grill in Tallinn’s beautiful Old Town.
Larsson smiles when asked about the welcoming atmosphere the festival is known for, saying, “It’s also about hanging out together having a snack... or a lemonade,” laughing as we discuss the drink options lined up for Sunday’s party.
| Event | Venue | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Queens of Tallinn 2025 | Olympic Park Casino, Tallinn | August 21–24 |
| Showdown Riga Autumn Edition 2025 | Olympic Voodoo Casino, Riga | September 20–28 |
| Kings of Vilnius 2025 | Olympic Casino Lietuva, Vilnius | November 14–23 |
Photos courtesy of Lena Olofsson & Elena Kask
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