It’s never over until it’s over. The saying exists for a reason, and today at the Hilton Tallinn Park Hotel & Olympic Park Casino, German native Julian Selinger found out exactly why.
On the final table of the 2026 WSOP Circuit Tallinn €1,500 Main Event, Selinger found himself last in chips numerous times, not the least of which was when his heads-up opponent, Dutchman Roy van der Reijnst, had knocked him down to just three big blinds.
However, Selinger refused to give up, and after a four-hour battle with Van der Reijnst, he emerged victorious, winning the top prize of €210,000, a $5,000 package to WSOP Paradise, and the coveted WSOP Circuit Main Event ring.
“I’m beyond exhausted,” the newly crowned champion shared with PokerNews moments after the arduous heads-up saw him top the record-breaking field of 977 entries and claim the lion’s share of the €1,253,002 prize pool. “For hours, I’ve been tired. Obviously, I’m really happy and insanely grateful to be here.”
WSOP Circuit Tallinn Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julian Selinger | Germany | €210,000 |
| 2 | Roy van der Reijnst | Netherlands | €140,500 |
| 3 | Kai Lehto | Finland | €96,950 |
| 4 | David Marfil | Spain | €68,575 |
| 5 | Egidijus Matonis | Lithuania | €49,300 |
| 6 | Fehim Hajdari | Denmark | €36,050 |
| 7 | Valentin Imperatore | France | €26,810 |
| 8 | Mateusz Dabkowski | Poland | €20,300 |
| 9 | Feras Abid | Finland | €15,657 |
An Emotional Conclusion
The tournament’s conclusion was especially emotional for runner-up Van der Reijnst. Having lost his son Joris at birth back in May, Van der Reijnst could not hold back his tears after the final hand had been played out. On Day 2 of the tournament, he found, by chance or fate, an electronic candle in his coat pocket. From that moment, it never left his side. In remembrance of his son, he used it as a card protector all the way until the last card had been dealt.
Aware of Van der Reijnst’s story, Selinger shared a long hug with his former rival after all was said and done. “At the final two tables, we started to talk, and I think we just had a lot of sympathy for each other. I mean, we both understand that it could have been the other person as well, winning or losing,” the gracious winner shared.
Comeback Kid Selinger Secures Victory
Selinger started the final table in the middle of the pack, but appeared to climb towards the top of the counts when he provided the first elimination of the day by knocking out Feras Abid. However, the tide soon changed, and, after doubling up two of his opponents in quick succession, Selinger found himself shortest with six players remaining.
With the average stack being relatively short throughout the final table, every pot became vital. Selinger chipped back up, sitting in third place when Van der Reijnst won a monster flip against start-of-day leader Egidijus Matonis.
Van der Reijnst emerged victorious in the chiplead pot, and Matonis was knocked out shortly after. Van der Reijnst went on an absolute tear after the flip, eliminating David Marfil as well, and at one point having nearly 80 percent of the chips in play three-handed.
Already having proven he is not one to give up easily, though, Selinger commenced another comeback by first doubling against Van der Reijnst before busting out third-place finisher Kai Lehto.
What ensued next was a heads-up for the ages. Starting with even stacks, Van der Reijnst was the first to take a significant lead. However, after firing several successful bluffs and calling a bluff by Van der Reijnst himself, Selinger was back out in front with a big advantage. For a while, Van der Reijnst held on, and he even became the chipleader again.
Then, the big clash happened. With the blinds catching up to them, a massive flip was decided in Van der Reijnst’s favor, leaving Selinger with just three big blinds.
However, as he had done throughout the final table, Selinger came back. He won three consecutive all-ins to reclaim the chip lead, and was crowned champion not much later when Van der Reijnst called off two pair against Selinger’s rivered straight.
That concludes the PokerNews coverage for the 2026 WSOP Circuit Tallinn. However, if you’re craving more poker action, do not fret, as our live reporting hub provides near-constant coverage from events around the world.
