The Lithuanian capital city, Vilnius, is hosting the first major live poker festival in the Baltics in 2024, the OlyBet Showdown Vilnius Ace Breaker. Held at the Olympic Casino Lietuva in the heart of vibrant Vilnius, the OlyBet Showdown Vilnius Ace Breaker has a schedule of over 25 tournaments and satellites between January 27 and February 4.
OlyBet-run events went from strength to strength in 2023, so everything points to the OlyBet Showdown Vilnius Ace breaker being nothing short of huge. The crown jewel on the bustling nine-day schedule is, without doubt, the €555 buy-in Main Event, which comes with an estimated prize pool of €250,000 and approximately €50,000 for the eventual champion.
Day 1A takes place from 4:00 p.m. CET on January 30, with Day 1B commencing at 12:00 p.m. CET on January 31. On the same day, at 8:00 p.m. CET, a turbo-structured Day 1C gives players a third and final bite at the cherry.
Surviving players return to the Olympic Casino Lietuva on February 1, where the clock extends to 60 minutes, with the champion crowned on Day 3 on February 2.
OlyBet ran a similar tournament in November 2023. It attracted 359 entrants, who created a €172,320 prize pool. Lithuanian Vitoldas Rogoza came out on top in that event, turning his €555 investment into €34,410.
A few months early, in late June 2023, Aurimas Stanevicius outlasted 359 opponents on his way to clinching the €34,975 top prize.
With several live satellites and online qualifiers at OlyBet, the Vilnius Showdown Ace Breaker Main Event’s attendance should eclipse both those previous tournaments.
OlyBet Showdown Vilnius – Ace Breaker Full Schedule
Although the €555 buy-in Main Event is the showpiece of the festival, over two dozen side events complement it and are worth checking out. Buy-ins start at an affordable €120 and increase to €1,100, that last amount reserved for the High Roller event.
In November 2023, a player wishing to remain under the shroud of anonymity topped a 62-player field in the €1,100 High Roller and walked away with €18,860 for their efforts. The June 2023 edition saw a similarly-sized field of 59 entrants battle it out in the Lithuanian capital. Linas Jautakis defeated Casey Kastle heads-up to bank the €18,880 top prize.
In addition to more tournaments than you can shake a stick at, cash games with various limits will run around the clock, guaranteeing non-stop poker action throughout the festival.
Vilnius is a beautiful city, steeped in history and with a vibrant nightlife, making it the perfect location to kick off your 2024 poker endeavors. Wander around the UNESCO-listed Old Town, feast your eyes on the panoramic views available atop the Gediminas Tower, or have your fill of Kepta Duona in front of a roaring fire; definitely do that last one and thank PokerNews later!