Let’s go girls.

There is something different about walking into Olympic Park Casino during Queens of Tallinn.

Of course, the familiar sounds are there. Chips clicking, cards being dealt, players leaning forward in their chairs as pots get bigger. It’s still poker, after all. But there is also a different kind of energy in the room. It’s louder, warmer and somehow more relaxed.

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I have been fortunate enough to experience Queens of Tallinn from several different perspectives. The first two years, I was there as a photographer and live reporter. Last year, I finally got to experience it as a player myself.

And what has stayed with me isn’t just the poker.

It’s the atmosphere around it. The conversations between hands, the friendships that seem to form almost immediately, the familiar faces returning year after year, and the newcomers who are made to feel like they have been part of the community all along.

That is what makes Queens of Tallinn difficult to describe as simply another poker festival.

Because where else can you see someone who has just been knocked out of a tournament standing on the rail, cheering on the very person who eliminated her?

I’ve seen that happen over and over again at Queens.

And somehow, it doesn’t feel strange at all.

For me, returning to Queens of Tallinn is about more than having another tournament on the schedule.

There is something about the combination of poker and Tallinn that works particularly well. Olympic Park Casino sits right next to the Hilton Tallinn Park Hotel, meaning the poker room quickly becomes the centre of the weekend. You can play a tournament, grab a coffee, run into someone you know, sit down for a cash game and then find yourself talking poker – or life – with someone you met only an hour earlier.

And that sense of community is arguably the festival’s biggest strength.

It is also something I noticed from the very beginning, long before I took my own seat at the table.

As a photographer and reporter, I got to see Queens from a slightly different angle. I wasn’t only watching the action on the tables; I was watching what happened between the hands. The celebrations, the sweat, the laughter, the disappointments and, perhaps most importantly, the way players supported each other.

Then last year, I became part of it.

And that changes your perspective.

Suddenly, you’re not just looking for the perfect picture or the next story. You’re sitting down, putting your own chips in the middle and hoping that you’ll still be there when the final table comes around.

Queens of Tallinn was created by OlyBet and Teresa Nousiainen to put women in poker centre stage. But it has never felt as if the emphasis is solely on who wins the trophy — or, in this case, one of those beautiful Queens necklaces.

The festival has built its identity around creating a place where women can compete seriously while also enjoying the social side of live poker.

And having experienced it both behind the camera and at the table, I can say that it really is a festival worth travelling to as a female player.

Not just because you might get the chance to take home one of those amazing necklaces.

It’s the atmosphere. The friendships. The people you meet. The stories you bring home with you.

And maybe, if you run deep enough, a little bit of glory too.

The growth of Queens of Tallinn has been noticeable from one edition to the next.

The inaugural festival in 2023 featured seven events. By 2024, the schedule had grown to 11 tournaments, and the festival has continued to develop since then.

Last year, the €350 Main Event attracted a record 96 entries, creating a €27,677 prize pool and making it the biggest women-only poker event in the Baltic region at the time. Giedre Valgemäe eventually claimed the title after a four-way deal, taking home €5,690 and the Queens’ necklace.

• Read more: Giedre Valgemäe Claims Historic Victory in Queens of Tallinn Main Event

Now, the fourth edition is ready to take another step forward.

The 2026 festival runs from August 27–30 at Olympic Park Casino and Hilton Tallinn Park Hotel. The €555 Main Event is the obvious centrepiece, with Day 1 starting on Friday and the final day scheduled for Sunday. Around it, players can choose from more than ten side events, including the €200 PokerNews Queens Crown, PLO4/PLO5 and a Progressive Bounty event. There is also a three-player Team Challenge, adding another layer of competition to the weekend.

And, of course, the cash games will keep running around the clock – particularly useful for all the men who might find themselves in Tallinn without being able to play the women-only tournaments.

That, more than anything, is why I keep coming back.

Queens of Tallinn is competitive. There are necklaces to win, money to play for and plenty of serious poker being played.

But it is also one of those rare poker festivals where what happens away from the table can be almost as memorable as what happens on it.

For me, that is what Queens of Tallinn has become.

A place where I first arrived with a camera.

Then returned with a notebook.

And eventually sat down with my own stack of chips.

And next week, Tallinn gets ready to crown a new Queen.

2026 Queens of Tallinn Tournament Schedule

The stage is set for the 2026 Queens of Tallinn to be bigger than ever before, and all aspiring queens would be very wise to circle August 27-30 in their calendars.

• Article originally produced by Lina Olofsson at poker.pro.
• Photos courtesy of Elena Kask.