Tapani Pulkkinen Wins the EMPC 2026 Main Event
Finland’s Tapani Pulkkinen won the EMPC 2026 Main Event, the €800 8-Game, at Olympic Park Casino in Tallinn. He beat Denmark’s Christian Elgstrøm heads-up and took €22 250.
Players made 146 entries across two starting flights for a prize pool of €97.090. Elgstrøm collected €15.070 for second. Pulkkinen reached the final table second in chips, behind chip leader Wantao Tang, who finished fourth.
Pulkkinen and Elgstrøm before heads-up play.
“It’s great. It’s crazy,” Pulkkinen said. He kept his plan simple. “I was just trying to do what I think seems smart, and run good.”
Before the final table, he named Pot Limit Omaha as his favourite game. “Most experience,” he said. “That’s where I plan to make the chips.” The final hand came in PLO.
The 8-Game Main Event trophy.
England’s Seun Oluwole finished third for €10 930, his third final table of the week after the S.O.R.B.E.T. and Senkel’s Paradise Pick’em. He also knocked out defending champion Blaž Žerjav in 22nd place, three spots from the money.
Pulkkinen sees a future for mixed games. “Yeah, for sure. I had a ton of fun,” he said. “It’s a great atmosphere here, so definitely I could see a lot of people enjoying this.”
The S.O.R.B.E.T. High Roller final table, with Patrick Stacey back row, left.
Main Event results
| # | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tapani Pulkkinen | Finland | €22 250 |
| 2 | Christian Elgstrøm | Denmark | €15 070 |
| 3 | Seun Oluwole | England | €10 930 |
| 4 | Wantao Tang | China / United Kingdom | €8 590 |
| 5 | Erik Sønsteby | Norway | €6 730 |
| 6 | Jerry Ödeen | Sweden | €5 260 |
| 7 | Ilkka Heikkilä | Finland | €3 840 |
Photos: Lemon Poker
