Simon Solberg won the opening event on Monday evening after defeating United Kingdom’s Christopher Cooper (second – €2,780) heads-up in Event #1: €100 Big Bet Mix Turbo for €4,330. Solberg had the lead when the money bubble broke and cruised along to victory with a lively Norwegian rail on his side.

Norway’s Arild Høglund (third €1,855), Ukraine’s Maksym Ronshyn (fourth – €1,390), and British poker dealer Russell Bowman (fifth – €1,080) all collected four-figure prizes.

Mixed game crushers in Norwegian Poker Association President Tobias Leknes, 2023 WSOP Europe 8-Game bracelet winner Dainius Antanaitis, WSOP Circuit ring winner Jon Kyte, Mason Pye, Georgina James, and popular Coolbet streamer Ylva Thorsrud were among the players to come up empty while watching other beasts such as Anders Auset, Sander “The Weasel” van Wesemael, Lars Jonsson, and Jens Vortmann walk away with payout slips.

The event which boasted a rotation of five big bet games including no-limit Omaha high-low 8 or better, no-limit 5 card draw, pot-limit Omaha, no-limit 2-7 single draw, and no-limit hold’em, shattered the record established last year in this event with 177 entries including 82 unique entries creating a €15,930 prize pool to shatter the €10,000 guarantee by nearly 60 percent. Although last year’s buy-in was slightly larger at €120, the results were nearly double when compared to the 92 entries and the €8,073 prize pool generated in 2023 won by Aleksandrs Golubevs for €2,438.

“It’s insane,” said Leknes about the opening day turnout. “Already crushing last year’s numbers with 82 unique entries in the first event.”

The EMPC is all about having fun while celebrating the rediscovered treasure of mixed games. The competition is fierce but players are visibly enjoying themselves with and without drinks throughout the opening day.

Ylva Thorsrud was streaming her action from the beginning until the end like she will do for two straight weeks in Bratislava for both the EMPC and the overlapping Poker North Masters at Card Casino until March 24. Even though Thorsrud busted before the money, she stuck around with her community rooting on Solberg to the win.

Thorsrud has assisted the community in feeling they are part of the event regardless of whether they made the mixed game adventure to Bratislava or not. Friendly wagers are taking place on both Twitch and Discord about whether Norway will beat the rest of the world in trophies during the event. So far, it is 1-0 for Norway but there are still eight events to go.

Six of the 13 players that cashed in Event #1: €100 Big Bet Mix Turbo were from Norway. Norwegians collected more than half or 51.2 percent to be exact of the €15,452 prize pool after collectively earning €7,917 from the opening event’s prize pool.

See the 2024 EMPC Schedule here.