The Hendon Mob Championship Set to Kick Off a Triumphant Return to Tallinn with The Festival

With The Festival Series returning to Tallinn from November 20–29, The Hendon Mob Championship will kick off ten days of poker action, featuring an extensive No-Limit Hold’em schedule, innovative tournament formats and plenty of opportunities for players of all levels.

The countdown is officially on! In just over a week, The Festival Series will return to Tallinn, Estonia, bringing ten days of poker, casino competitions and entertainment to Olympic Park Casino Tallinn.

Running from November 20–29, The Festival in Tallinn promises a massively diverse schedule, with more than 70 tournaments offering something for every type of poker player. While The Festival Series has become synonymous with its celebration of mixed games, it still offers plenty for those who prefer to stick with the world’s most popular poker variant.

Leading the way is The Hendon Mob Championship (THMC), returning to Tallinn for the first time in six years and continuing a tradition of opening The Festival with a THMC.

The Hendon Mob Championship Returns to Tallinn

The €350 THMC kicks off on Friday, November 20, with three starting flights and a structure designed to welcome recreational players and experienced tournament regulars alike.

Players will receive 30,000 starting chips, with 30-minute levels across the first two starting flights. Day 1C offers a turbo alternative, while unlimited re-entries are available during the opening 14 levels.

A freebuy satellite will also let players secure a seat without paying an initial entry fee, with re-entries and an add-on available.

As an added incentive, all 2026 THMC Main Event winners are eligible for an approximately €2,500 package to the THMC SA Millions, taking place in 2027.

Hold’em Takes Centre Stage.

One of the biggest misconceptions about The Festival Series is that it is exclusively a mixed-game affair. While the series certainly deserves credit for championing alternative poker variants, No-Limit Hold’em remains a major part of its identity.

In Tallinn, the organizers are taking that commitment a step further, offering a wide selection of Hold’em tournaments that goes well beyond the traditional Main Event and supporting side events.

The €555 Festival NLH Main Event headlines the schedule, alongside a €1,100 NLH High Roller and a variety of tournaments featuring different formats and buy-ins.

Among the highlights are:

• Mystery Bounty (€350): Adding an extra layer of excitement with mystery prizes up for grabs.
• NLH PKO Madness (€125): A progressive knockout format for players looking to add some bounty-hunting action.
• NLH Total Knock Out (€200): A tournament where every elimination brings another opportunity to collect.
• NLH 7-2 Special (€170): A creative twist that rewards players for getting involved with the infamous 7-2.
• NLH Crazy Pineapple (€200): A different take on Hold’em that adds an extra strategic dimension.
• NLH Wild Rebuy Madness (€50): An accessible, action-packed option for players looking for something a little different.

Traditional freezeouts, re-entry tournaments and other familiar formats also feature throughout the schedule.

The idea is to give Hold’em players more ways to compete, more opportunities to collect trophies and more reasons to stay involved throughout the ten-day festival.

Gamifying Hold’em: More Ways to Play.

The Festival Series has increasingly embraced gamifying Hold’em, introducing creative formats that put a fresh spin on the game without requiring players to learn an entirely new poker variant.

Whether it is the strategic considerations of the 7-2 Special, the added action of a Live Straddle event, or the unpredictability of Wild Rebuys, these tournaments offer something beyond the standard Hold’em experience.

This approach recognizes the enormous popularity of No-Limit Hold’em while giving players opportunities to enjoy the game in different ways.

Several satellite opportunities are also available throughout the Tallinn schedule, including freebuy satellites and dedicated qualifiers for the Mystery Bounty, Main Event and High Roller.

Much More Than a Hold’em Festival

Of course, the diversity that has become a defining characteristic of The Festival Series is still very much alive in Tallinn.

The schedule features an extensive selection of mixed games, including TORSES, 8-Game, 10-Game, Dealers Choice, OFC Pineapple, Big O, Sviten Special and several Pot-Limit Omaha variations.

There are also specialist events, including the Chicago European Championship and another attempt at the Sviten Special World Record, currently standing at 131 entries.

Away from the poker tables, players can also compete in the Slots Championship, Blackjack Championship and Sportsbook Championship, alongside the ever-popular Cash Game Challenge and other Festival favourites.

This combination is what makes The Festival different. Whether players are passionate about traditional Hold’em, curious about mixed games or simply looking for a full week of poker-related entertainment, Tallinn has plenty to offer.

The Countdown Is On

With the full schedule featuring more than 70 events across ten days, The Festival’s return to Tallinn is shaping up to be a fitting finale to its 2026 calendar.

For The Hendon Mob Championship, the occasion carries extra significance. Returning to a city that has been part of its history since 2020, THMC will once again have the honour of opening the festivities.

The cards go in the air on November 20, and with a packed Hold’em schedule, innovative formats, and plenty of mixed-game action, there is no shortage of reasons to make the trip.