Dmitri Dudakov Makes The Hendon Mob Championship History in Malta
Estonia’s Dmitri Dudakov has become the first player in history to win The Hendon Mob Championship twice, completing an extraordinary double at The Festival in Malta.
The Festival in Malta has come to a close at Portomaso Casino, bringing another memorable week of poker, mixed games and plenty of The Festival Series history with it. But for The Hendon Mob Championship (THMC), the standout story was already written before the festival reached its final weekend.
Dmitri Dudakov has made history.
After winning the THMC at The Festival in Rozvadov earlier this year, Dudakov returned to the winner’s circle in Malta and became the first-ever two-time Hendon Mob Championship winner.
Dudakov Does It Again
The €250 Hendon Mob Championship attracted 456 entries across three starting flights, creating a prize pool of €95,304. After Day 1, 57 players returned for the final day with the THMC trophy in sight.
Dudakov had perhaps the biggest incentive of them all. Already a THMC champion after his victory in Rozvadov, the Estonian began Day 2 as the chip leader with the opportunity to accomplish something no player had done before.
Dudakov eventually found himself heads-up against Germany’s Spielomeister. The final battle swung back and forth, but Dudakov gradually rebuilt his advantage before the decisive hand arrived. The victory earned Dudakov €15,470, another THMC trophy and, most importantly, a place in Hendon Mob Championship history.
He is now the first player to have won the title twice.
The Hendon Mob Championship Final Table
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dmitri Dudakov | Estonia | €15,470 |
| 2 | Spielomeister | Germany | €11,400 |
| 3 | Christian Clemens | Denmark | €8,530 |
| 4 | Lars Jensen | Denmark | €6,540 |
| 5 | Joel Fritz | Sweden | €5,020 |
| 6 | Henrik Kosonen | Finland | €4,010 |
| 7 | Lin Chen | China | €3,100 |
| 8 | Joakim Olin | Sweden | €2,309 |
| 9 | Dzianis Dubina | Poland | €1,900 |
Terje Bengtsen Wins Record Malta Main Event
The €550 Main Event closed The Festival in Malta, attracting 804 entries and generating a €381,900 prize pool. That represents a significant increase on the 666-entry field recorded at the 2025 Malta festival, making the 2026 edition the largest Main Event in the history of The Festival in Malta, along with a record field for the THMC event at The Festival Series stops in Malta.
Norway’s Terje Bengtsen ultimately claimed the title and the festival’s top prize, taking home €65,001. Bengtsen entered the final day with plenty of work to do, sitting 12th among the final 16 players, while Sweden’s Mehdi Yazdanpanah held a commanding chip lead.
Yazdanpanah continued to dominate deep into the final table and eventually entered heads-up play holding the vast majority of the chips. Bengtsen secured his first The Festival Series title and a €65,001 payday, while Yazdanpanah settled for €40,100.
Main Event Final Table
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terje Bengtsen | Norway | €65,001 |
| 2 | Mehdi Yazdanpanah | Sweden | €40,100 |
| 3 | Sebastian Mortensen | Denmark | €28,900 |
| 4 | Bas De Laat | Netherlands | €21,915 |
| 5 | Davide Biondo | Italy | €17,429 |
| 6 | Sami Pulliainen | Finland | €13,375 |
| 7 | Pel Nieuwenhuis | Netherlands | €10,150 |
| 8 | Jozsef Hegyi | Hungary | €8,110 |
| 9 | Serhii Ivanenko | Ukraine | €6,810 |
Watch the THMC Final Table
The Hendon Mob Championship final table from The Festival in Malta was streamed live from Portomaso Casino.
With Dudakov now sitting alone at the top of the THMC history books, the next chapter of the championship awaits.
