Julian Selinger Wins Record WSOPC Tallinn Main Event After Three-Big-Blind Comeback

By Samantha Doyle

03 Aug 2026

Samantha Doyle 03 Aug 2026

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Julian Selinger wins WSOPC Tallinn Main Event after coming back from 3 big blinds.
Event set a new record with 977 entries and a €1.25M prize pool.
Aki Pyysing and Jelco Burger also secured notable victories in side events.

Julian Selinger came back from three big blinds during a four-hour heads-up match to win the largest WSOP Circuit Tallinn Main Event held to date.

The German defeated Roy van der Reijnst to collect €210,000, a WSOP Circuit ring and a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package. The €1,500 event attracted 977 entries, breaking the previous Tallinn record and creating a €1,253,002 prize pool.

Elsewhere during the closing stages of the festival, Aki Pyysing won the €1,100 8-Game event, while Jelco Burger took down the €555 Sviten Special.

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Selinger Recovers From Three Big Blinds

Selinger began the nine-handed final table in the middle of the chip counts and scored the day’s first elimination by sending Feras Abid to the rail. His progress was far from straightforward, however, and he fell to the bottom of the counts with six players remaining.

WSOPC Tallinn Final Table — WSOPC Tallinn Main Event Final Table

Van der Reijnst took control as the table shortened. He won a major confrontation against start-of-day leader Egidijus Matonis and later eliminated David Marfil, at one point holding almost 80% of the chips in play with three players remaining.

Van der Reijnst at the WSOPC Tallinn Main Event — WSOPC Tallinn Main Event: Van der Reijnst

Selinger first doubled through the Dutchman and then eliminated Kai Lehto in third place to set up heads-up play. The pair started the duel with almost even stacks, but the lead changed hands repeatedly over the next four hours.

The match appeared to be over when Van der Reijnst’s pocket nines held against Selinger’s jack-ten, leaving the German with just over three big blinds. Selinger responded by winning three consecutive all-ins to move back ahead.

WSOPC Tallin Main Event — WSOPC Tallinn Main Event: Julian Selinger

The final hand saw Selinger river a straight with eight-six against Van der Reijnst’s flopped two pair. Van der Reijnst called Selinger’s river shove and finished runner-up for €140,500.

WSOPC Tallinn Main Event Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Julian Selinger	Germany	€210,000
2	Roy van der Reijnst	Netherlands	€140,500
3	Kai Lehto	Finland	€96,950
4	David Marfil	Spain	€68,575
5	Egidijus Matonis	Lithuania	€49,300
6	Fehim Hajdari	Denmark	€36,050
7	Valentin Imperatore	France	€26,810
8	Mateusz Dabkowski	Poland	€20,300
9	Feras Abid	Finland	€15,657

Pyysing Wins the €1,100 8-Game

Finland’s Aki Pyysing secured the €1,100 8-Game title after a lengthy heads-up contest against Norway’s Marius Toverud.

The mixed-game event drew 63 entries and created a €59,850 prize pool. Pyysing earned €18,380, while Toverud received €12,220 as runner-up. Michael Schmitz completed the top three for €7,840.

Event	Entries	Winner	Prize
€1,100 8-Game	63	Aki Pyysing	€18,380

Burger Takes the Sviten Special Ring

Jelco Burger became the €555 Sviten Special champion after topping a 130-entry field.

The tournament generated €61,750 in prize money, with Burger collecting €15,510 and his first recorded WSOP Circuit ring. The victory also represented Burger’s first cash listed in the WSOP database.