Why Poker Stars Choose the PLO Grand Slam in Tallinn

From September 15 to 22, 2026, the PLO Grand Slam will take place in Tallinn with a €2.5 million guarantee and top tournaments for Pot-Limit Omaha enthusiasts.

From September 15 to 22, 2026, the prestigious Pot-Limit Omaha series — PLO Grand Slam — will once again take place in Tallinn, bringing together the world’s best players at the Bombay Club. As part of the Diamond Poker Series festival, participants can look forward to eight days of intense action with a total guaranteed prize pool of €2.5 million. The main highlights will be two tournaments with €1 million guarantees each: the €5,200 5k Million (September 17–20) and the €10,400 PLO Championship (September 20–22). Format and Features of PLO Grand Slam 2026 PLO Grand Slam is a series of live Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) tournaments, one of the most dynamic and popular poker formats. Unlike classic Texas Hold’em, in PLO each player is dealt four cards, and to make a hand, you must use exactly two of your own cards and three community cards from the board. This format increases the number of possible combinations and makes the game more aggressive and action-packed. This year, the Diamond Poker Series returns to Tallinn at the Bombay Club. Over eight days, several major tournaments will take place: €5,200 5k Million — September 17 to 20, €1,000,000 guarantee €10,400 PLO Championship — September 20 to 22, €1,000,000 guarantee €15,300 High Roller €15,300 Quatro Bounty Omaha tournaments with four, five, and six cards For players who want to enter the main events for less, there are Stage Tournaments . In these, players who finish in the top 20% advance to the next stage and carry over their accumulated stack, allowing them to save on the buy-in and maintain their progress in the tournament. Main Stars: Tom-Aksel Bedell, Imad Derwiche, and Hossein Ensan One of the hallmarks of the PLO Grand Slam is the ongoing rivalry among top professionals. This year, three well-known players are once again preparing to participate: Tom-Aksel Bedell , Imad Derwiche , and Hossein Ensan . Tom-Aksel Bedell: Champion from Tirana Norwegian Tom-Aksel Bedell is the holder of the PLO Grand Slam title, which he won in January 2025 in Tirana. Bedell, who entered the €10,000 Championship through a freeroll, outlasted 191 players and won €438,000, defeating Lautaro Guerra heads-up. Bedell calls Tirana his favorite stop of the series and says that the trophy he won there was the defining moment of his career on this tour. Imad Derwiche: Triumph in Tallinn Frenchman Imad Derwiche has especially fond memories of Tallinn, where in April 2025 he won the €10,300 PLO Championship, overcoming a field of 148 players. According to him, the key to success was a combination of discipline and luck, and when those two factors come together, it becomes extremely difficult to beat such a player. Derwiche emphasizes that the atmosphere at PLO tables is different from other disciplines: there’s more fun, more hands, and more interaction between players. Hossein Ensan: In Search of His First Trophy 2019 WSOP Main Event champion, German Hossein Ensan, has come close to winning at the PLO Grand Slam several times, but has yet to claim the trophy. His record includes a runner-up finish in a €5,000 event and two final tables in the €10,000 Championship, including fifth place in Malta in October last year. In 2026, Ensan finished 13th in the WSOP Main Event and is now aiming for a long-awaited victory in Tallinn. Why Top Players Choose the PLO Grand Slam Each of the three professionals found their way to Pot-Limit Omaha in their own way. Ensan first tried the format at the Dortmund casino and immediately appreciated the game’s dynamics. Bedell was drawn in by private games and the large sums played for in PLO. For Derwiche, the main difference in PLO was the unique atmosphere and level of interaction among players. All three regularly return to the PLO Grand Slam, and there are several reasons for this: High guarantees and prize pools. Bedell notes that the large guarantees and high level of service make the series especially attractive for professionals. Organization and atmosphere. Derwiche highlights the boldness of the organizers, who were not afraid to put PLO in the spotlight among many other poker series, such as the EPT and WPT. Strong player field. Ensan believes that regularly competing with the best PLO specialists helps develop your own game and improve your skills. Derwiche also points out that winning a High Roller title is much harder and more satisfying than winning a big pot in a cash game, as you have to overcome the resistance of hundreds of strong opponents. Statistics and Results from Past Tournaments In recent years, the PLO Grand Slam has been the stage for impressive victories and deep runs by well-known players. Here are the key achievements of the participants mentioned: Tom-Aksel Bedell : Winner of the €10,000 Championship in Tirana (January 2025), 191 entries, €438,000 prize, heads-up win over Lautaro Guerra. Imad Derwiche : Winner of the €10,300 PLO Championship in Tallinn (April 2025), 148 entries. Hossein Ensan : Runner-up in a €5,000 event, two final tables in the €10,000 Championship (including 5th place in Malta, October 2025), 13th place in the WSOP Main Event 2026. In 2026, the Tallinn festival guarantees a prize pool of €2,500,000, confirming the high status of the series. In addition to the two main tournaments, players can look forward to events with €15,300 buy-ins and various Omaha formats (4, 5, and 6 cards). Rising Competition and the Growth of PLO Each year, the level of players at the PLO Grand Slam increases. According to Bedell, more and more participants are studying strategy together and using online training content, making the field tougher. Ensan notes that constantly playing against the PLO elite helps him progress as well: “When you regularly compete with top players, your level inevitably rises.” Derwiche adds that the difficulty of the field and the need to battle many strong opponents make tournament victories especially valuable. He believes that winning a High Roller title is much harder than taking down a big pot in cash, as you have to overcome the resistance of hundreds of professionals on your way to the trophy. Schedule and Structure of the Tallinn Festival The eight-day Diamond Poker Series program in Tallinn includes: Two main tournaments with €1,000,000 guarantees each: €5,200 5k Million and €10,400 PLO Championship. High Roller and Quatro Bounty with €15,300 buy-ins. Omaha tournaments with four, five, and six cards. Stage Tournaments — satellites where the top 20% advance to the main events and carry over their stack. This approach allows players with different bankrolls to try their hand at major tournaments, while maintaining a high level of competition and a variety of formats. Prize Table and Results The original article provides key results from past tournaments, illustrating the level of competition and prize sizes: Tirana, January 2025: €10,000 Championship, 191 entries, 1st place — Tom-Aksel Bedell, €438,000 prize, 2nd place — Lautaro Guerra. Tallinn, April 2025: €10,300 PLO Championship, 148 entries, 1st place — Imad Derwiche. Malta, October 2025: €10,000 Championship, final table — Hossein Ensan (5th place). WSOP 2026: Main Event, 13th place — Hossein Ensan. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, news about the PLO Grand Slam is not only an interesting example of top-level live poker, but also a source of practical ideas for their own game. First, you can pay attention to how top professionals prepare for tough-field tournaments: regular study, hand analysis, and working together with other players — all of this is available in PPPoker online clubs. Second, the Stage Tournaments format, where players can enter major events through satellites and carry over their stack, is a great idea for club series. This approach helps expand the audience and gives a chance to those who aren’t ready to pay a high buy-in right away. Finally, the experience of Bedell, Derwiche, and Ensan shows that regularly playing tournaments against strong opponents helps you grow quickly as a player. In PPPoker clubs, you can always find PLO tables with varying levels of difficulty, which means you can adopt best practices and prepare for more serious live events.