Christophe Stammet wins the first EMPC 2026 title
Luxembourg’s Christophe Stammet won the €200 Welcomer Big Bet Mix at Olympic Park in Tallinn for €3 417 and became the first European Mixed Poker Championship winner of 2026.
Stammet reached the final table with a mountain of chips and almost lost the lot. He and England’s Ben Sweetman agreed a deal once they got heads-up, and Stammet picked up where he had left off, dominating the match to claim the title. Sweetman took €3 141 for second and Germany’s Nicolas Bokowski finished third for €2 050.
Christophe Stammet with the trophy and his final hand: K♠ Q♠ Q♣ 8♦ in Pot Limit Omaha.
Norway had four players in the top ten. Jan Roger Holte led them in fourth for €1 620. Tobias Leknes, last year’s Welcomer Big Bet Mix champion, finished sixth, one place ahead of Anders Auset. EMPC co-founder Frode Fagerli finished eighth for €650.
The win came on Stammet’s first trip to EMPC. “I just won the first Welcomer Big Bet event,” he said. “Mixed games are great. First time I’m here at this event and I’m already loving it.”
He plans to add more before the week is out. “I will be winning some more this week.”
The Welcomer Big Bet Mix final table, with Christophe Stammet front right.
| # | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christophe Stammet | Luxembourg | €3 417 |
| 2 | Ben Sweetman | England | €3 141 |
| 3 | Nicolas Bokowski | Germany | €2 050 |
| 4 | Jan Roger Holte | Norway | €1 620 |
| 5 | Tomasz Gluszko | Poland | €1 260 |
| 6 | Tobias Leknes | Norway | € 970 |
| 7 | Anders Auset | Norway | € 780 |
| 8 | Frode Fagerli | Norway | € 650 |
| 9 | Robin Panholzer | Austria | € 650 |
| 10 | Ilkka Heikkilä | Finland | € 550 |
Photos: Lemon Poker
