Alexander Aaneland Defends His 6-Game High Roller Title
Norway’s Alexander Aaneland won Event #11, the 6-Game High Roller, at Olympic Park Casino in Tallinn for €10,886. He won the same event at EMPC 2025 in Dublin and defended it by beating fellow Norwegian Gunnar Wedde heads-up.
“Well, I won the 6-Game High Roller. Again,” Aaneland said.
The field had 21 entries, and four places were paid. Aaneland knocked out two players in one hand on the bubble, which took the field from five players straight to three. T.O.E. Turbo champion Sampo Ryynänen went out in that hand and took fourth for €3,810. England’s Antony Kelly finished third for €4,900, and Aaneland closed it out against Wedde in Badugi.
Aaneland celebrates his second 6-Game High Roller title.
His Dublin win, worth €7,343, was his first live tournament victory and his first international title. He has cashed at every EMPC since 2023, with third in the 2023 Hi-Lo Mix and sixth in the 2025 Dealer’s Choice. Online, he won the 2022 WCOOP $1,050 World Championship of Razz as “Alxbanana” for $20,243.
He can’t explain why this mix suits him. “I actually have no idea. I’m not used to all the games, but maybe eight games is too much for me. I don’t know. Six games, perfect.”
Aaneland had a quiet series before the High Roller, and he fits poker trips around a day job. “Yeah, it’s great. This was the highlight,” he said. “I came here to defend and I actually did.”
He sees the festival getting bigger. “Oh, the EMPC has been so much bigger, better than last year. And I love it. This is just gonna grow. There’s no reason to not come anymore.”
The 6-Game High Roller final three, with Alexander Aaneland in the middle.
6-Game High Roller results
| # | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Aaneland | Norway | €10,886 |
| 2 | Gunnar Wedde | Norway | €7,620 |
| 3 | Antony Kelly | England | €4,900 |
| 4 | Sampo Ryynänen | Finland | €3,810 |
Photos: Lemon Poker
