Poker Finnland

• Poker Finland
• Online Poker Finland
• Poker Finland

Finland Poker News The Official Poker Gift Guide of 2020, The Worst Year Ever. The Phil Galfond Challenge Gets Put Through The Ringer 'BillySlater' Takes 888poker Top Earner Title For November. Brunno Botteon Leads 2020 GGPoker WSOP Main Event Final Table. The specialty of the national policy regulates that poker clubs in Finland are under the state control and they deduct the income to maintain healthcare facilities. Information at our resource is regularly updated and that allows to stay on course of the events and always find a place to play poker in Finland. Jani Sointula was born in Helsinki in the year 1975. He has played severally in the World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour. He has broken the world record a couple of times.

A study in 2015 revealed that more than 80% of Finland’s adult population engages in some form of gambling on a regular basis. Given this percentage, it is safe to assume that poker has more than a few adherents among the general populace.

In this article, we take a look at the poker scene in Finland and examine the possibility of more open legislation in the future.

The present Finnish government monopoly on gambling has actually been in place since the country was a part of Sweden. This monopoly was in place even as the country became a part of the Russian Empire in the years prior to World War II.

Consequently, there really isn’t a Finnish poker scene to speak of since the Internet explosion that took place in the country in the early 2000s.

Recommended Finnish Online Poker Rooms

My list of the best poker sites which I consider to be the best rooms to play in 2020:

100% Legal & Licensed Verified Bonus Mobile FriendlyAdvertiser Disclosure. Must be +18 to participate.

Contents

• Recommended Finnish Online Poker Rooms
• Laws And Regulations In Finland
• Banking Options for Finnish Poker Players
• Finnish Poker Players FAQs

The online poker scene underwent a drastic change since then, with Finnish players signing up to poker sites in droves. Quickly garnering a collective reputation as some of the most aggressive and fearless players in the international arena, Finnish players were especially lauded for their capability in No Limit Holdem.

In 2007, the Åland Islands gambling regulatory agency PAF began offering a full range of casino games from its own website. The first gambling operator in Finland, PAF is still responsible for all online gambling that takes place in the Åland Islands.

PAF didn’t always have it so easy. The sole regulatory body for gambling in the mainland, RAY, took objection to what it perceived to be PAF’s infringement on its monopoly. RAY subsequently established its own casino website in 2010 after conceding to PAF’s right to regulate online gambling in the province. Soon after, two other state bodies Fintoto and Veikkaus also began offering online gambling services via their own websites.

Is poker legal in Finland?

Playing poker is legal in Finland, provided you stick to the establishments licensed by RAY on the mainland and by PAF on the Åland Islands.

That being said, options for playing live poker in the country are somewhat limited, with only the two top casinos – Grand Casino Helsinki and Arkipalego – being licensed to host poker matches and tournaments.

Online poker is also legal, again provided the establishment in question is licensed by RAY and PAF as appropriate. Such establishments are the only ones wherein you can play poker online with absolutely no risk of legal consequences. There are many offshore establishments that accept players from Finland of course, but playing in them always involves some degree of risk.

RAY itself has an online poker site catering to the Finnish market. Although fairly small in scope, it is nevertheless suitable for most poker players. The site has been extensively promoted by Finnish poker pro Juha Helppi.

Laws And Regulations In Finland

The primary law dealing with the gambling industry in Finland is the Lottery Act 491/65. Implemented in January 1966, the act is still the touchstone for the regulation of practically all forms of gambling in the country.

The granting of gambling-related privileges in Finland is a license-based system of exclusivity.

Under the law, slot machines, bingo, and casinos offering cash prizes and other items of value fall under the category of lotteries.

Finland’s Governing Body For Poker

As in Sweden and Norway, the gambling industry in Finland is subject to a total government monopoly. Practically all forms of gambling are subject to regulation and control by government-owned companies.

This monopoly is intended to reduce the negative social and health consequences of gambling.

In addition to reducing the risk of uncontrolled gambling, preventing crime and fraudulent activities, the monopoly also aims to encourage honesty of gambling operators and to protect the rights of consumers.

There are three entities responsible for controlling different areas of the gambling industry in Finland. RAY or the Finnish Slot Machine Association is responsible for casino and table games, including poker.

Legal Age To Gamble In Finland

Since 2011, Finland has implemented a gambling age restriction of 18 years old and above.

Popular Poker tournaments Hosted In Finland

Casino Helsinki, which is the largest casino complex in Finland, regularly hosts poker tournaments throughout the year.

Like the Pokerin SM (Finnish national championship), many of these are sponsored by Veikkaus.

In addition to top-ranked local players, the tournaments also attract a sizeable number of foreign nationals.

Finnish Poker Players To Watch Out For

Patrik Antonius

Patrik Antonius first achieved fame in the poker world with two finishes toward the finals table of the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the World Poker Tour (WPT).

He finished at the 12th spot of the EPT PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, subsequently making it to the 15th place at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars event in 2005.

A former tennis player and coach and a model, Antonius also came in at 9th place in the World Series of Poker $50,000 HORSE event, winning more than $200,000 in his biggest cash payout in 2006. In November 2009, he won more than $1.5 million, which is the biggest pot in online poker history.

Sami Kelopuro

Known by the name “LarsLuzak”, Kelopuro is a Poker Icons-sponsored player that has been turning heads since 2007.

Quickly moving up the ranks at Full Tilt Poker, he is a Texas hold ’em and Omaha hold ’em specialist who favours the high roller events.

Poker Finland

He has been known to win as much as a million dollars per event, and is famous for his aggressive paying style.

Ilari Sahamies

Known among poker fans as “Ziigmund”, Sahamies is an Omaha expert who has achieved notoriety for his penchant for trash talking on the table.

In 2009, his total live tournament earnings stood at nearly $1.6 million, placing him in Finland’s all-time money list in the number four spot.

His total winnings on Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars amounted to more than $3.7 million in 2012.

Banking Options for Finnish Poker Players

Players that opt to gamble in one of the online poker rooms that cater to the Finnish market have a pretty board range of banking options for making deposits and withdrawals. These include:

• Credit cards and debit cards
• E-wallet services
• Prepaid cash vouchers
• Bank transfers
• Bitcoins

Currencies Used In Finnish Poker Rooms

The Euro is the official currency of Finland. Some online casinos and card rooms catering to the Finnish market will also accept Bitcoins, which are legal and VAT exempt in Finland.

Conclusion

The writing is on the wall: the increasing pressure by the EU for the government of Finland to end its monopoly and to open up the local gambling market to foreign companies means that changes may soon be afoot.

If the country follows in the footsteps of Denmark–which has already succumbed to pressure from the EU and has subsequently allowed the influx of foreign gambling interests–the poker scene in Finland may be a lot more open in the near future

Finnish Poker Players FAQs

There are actually only a handful of venues in Finland wherein you could play live poker. The rake can be pretty high in these places, which is why most players opt to play poker online.

If you are in Helsinki, the places to be in are Casino Ray and Grand Casino. In Aland, you can check out Casino Paf. Casino Ray is by far the most popular venue for live poker, and it is where most of the high profile internationally-sponsored tournaments take place.

Finnish law does not implement a definitive ban on gambling in offshore online casinos and poker sites, although doing so is discouraged. The only places wherein you can gamble online legally are in sites that are licensed by RAY on the mainland and PAF on the Åland Islands.

That being said, many people do play in offshore online sites that aren’t duly-licensed by these two agencies. Local law enforcement officials rarely–if ever–go after online gamblers for playing on these sites, so you could theoretically play in them as well. If you do decide to play at an online casino that is not approved by the government, you do so at your own discretion.

Because online poker is practically an unregulated industry in Finland, players will have to take certain precautions when playing at poker sites. In general, it would be best to stick to sites with a well-established reputation in the online community, or with sites licensed by a reputable agency such as Aldernay, the Malta Gaming Commission, or the KGC. Recommended sites for playing poker online include PokerStars and Party Poker.

Any money you win from poker in Finland is not taxed. Instead, taxes are levied on casino operators at the rate of 8.25% on net profits.

Table Of Contents

Online Poker Finland

The latest GGPoker Super MILLION$ has reached its nine-handed final table and what a final table it is. Nine of the world’s best players have navigated their way to the latter stages of this massive event and are now only eight eliminations away from a huge $628,892 payout.

This first-place prize is so large that winning it catapults the champion into 17th in the Super MILLION$ all-time money listings! Kyle Menard is the man in pole position for this gargantuan sum, but all eyes are on another Canadian, one making his first Super MILLION$ final table appearance, a certain Timothy Adams.

Be sure to watch the final table live on Twitch!

Super MILLIONS Final Table (Nov. 10, 2020)

Adams has played in 19 Super MILLION$ to date and has managed to reach the money places on two occasions. The first, in August, ended in a 32nd place finish worth $21,521. He improved on that best finish in October when he crashed out in 14th for $22,999.

The super high roller specialist returns to the action with a 3,435,784 stack, enough for fourth-place at the restart. Adams tends to take tournaments down when he reaches this stage, it would take a brave, or perhaps stupid, person to bet against Adams becoming the latest Super MILLION$ champion today.

Kyle Menard is one star Adams’ needs to outlast if he is to become this tournament’s champion. Menard is the chip leader when play resumes and it’s safe to say he’s running hot. This is his first Super MILLION$ appearance, his first cash and his first final table. Will it be his first victory, too?

Menard finished third in the $5,250 High Roller Championship event while playing Day 1 of this event. That netted him $235,088. Finishing fourth or better tonight will beat that impressive prize.

This is also the first Super MILLION$ final table appearance for “iStayOn5”. It’s taken 11 attempts for the Canadian to reach this stage, but what a time to do it with the prize pool bolstered to $3 million. IiStayOn5 has cashed for $62,558 in the Super MILLION$, he’s guaranteed to at least double that sum regardless of his finishing position.

Brazil’s “fab5” is the player in third position when the first cards are pitched at the final table. This is his second Super MILLION$ cash and first final table. The South American is guaranteed to beat their previous largest GGPoker cash, which weighs in at $35,953.

D'Auteuil Sells 50% of His Super MILLION$ Action

Philippe D’Auteuil finished fifth in this tournament on October 18 and banked $114,982. He’s now made his second final table and sits back down, ironically, in fifth place. D’Auteuil is guaranteed at least one railbird while he’s playing because he used the GGPoker staking feature to sell 50% of his action at 1.13 mark-up. Ami Barer bought all 50% so is set for a $300,000+ payday should D’Auteuil go all the way here.

Down in sixth place you find the Finnish superstar Eelis Parssinen who has registered his third cash and now his first Super MILLION$ final table. Parssinen is better-known for being an elite PLO player but he’s swapped four hole cards for two and is now has the opportunity to more than double his GGPoker career winnings of $378,547.

“goldfish55” may not be an alias you’re familiar with but you could be by the end of this tournament. They’ve won $40,449 from GGPoker tournaments so far, a total they’re going to more than double even if they finish ninth. They’ve played three Super MILLION$ events to date, but this is the first occasion they’ve cashed. Their 2,656,124 chips place them seventh at the restart.

Estonia’s “PidrPan” is the player currently occupying eighth place. PidrPan will break through $1 million in GGPoker winnings regardless of their finishing position today. Their only other cash in a Super MILLION$ event came on October 20 and saw the Estonian finish 15th for $17,891.

Poker Finland

Stephen Chidwick is the man bringing up the rear when play resumes. His 1,233,294 chips are worth a shade over 10 big blinds, so he has plenty of work to do and will need to ride his luck. Victory in this event still eludes Chidwick despite reaching three final tables before this one. An early double could see Chidwick back in contention to get the proverbial monkey off his back.

Super MILLON$ Final table Payouts

Watch The Super MILLION$ Action Unfold on Twitch

You can watch the final table action from the Super MILLION$ final table over on the official GGPoker Twitch channel. All the action is streamed with cards-up coverage so you can see how nine of the world’s best poker talent play poker.

Boost Your Bankroll With These GGPoker Welcome Bonuses

Don’t have an account? Download GGPoker via PokerNews and get set receive plenty of rewards when you deposit at least $20.

You’ll get $40 in free tickets over the first six days following your eligible deposit, no strings attached! All free tickets awarded as part of this promotion will expire after 30 days

But to grab up to $60 in additional rewards, simply play All-In or Fold on each of a six days. Hit the daily hand targets to claim up to $45 in cash. Complete all 6 AoF Challenges and get a $15 GGMasters Satellite Ticket on Day 6!

• Related Room

  GGPoker