Flip Away To The Festival Series Bratislava!
We are two months after our great event at the beautiful Portomaso Casino in Malta, and what better time than to look back on Franke’s Flip ‘N Go’s, than now? Rolf Arne Bechstrøm, born and raised in Norway, made it happen to win the exclusive ranking tournament of the flips and thus secured himself a Full Package worth €1600, for our next event on November 27th in Bratislava where Banco Casino once again hosts our Festival Series event. Rolf is a well-known poker player, back home in Norway, and loves to go to play poker in Malta. We have contacted him after his great win and asked him everything in our power to see if he would let something loose about his exceptional flip skills.
Hi Rolf! What a great pleasure to speak to you. In Malta, we met at the tables and I am very curious about how you experienced the whole event and what you think about the concept overall?
Rolf: Thanks Melvin. When it comes to the whole experience I must say that first of all, I was very happy that it was being held at the Portomaso Casino. I often travel to Malta to play poker and I always liked it there.
The fact that Franke is a good friend of the Norwegian poker environment also helps a lot. He normally goes to the Norwegian Championships, so he knows most of us. I like the fact that The Festival has so many additional tournaments that you normally do not find many other places, such as Sviten Special. In Norway, it is spreading like wildfire because I am guessing we like the aspect of a lot of things happening in a poker game. Hence Hold'em is a dying card game in Norway, at least at the club level.
Melvin TF: We know poker is booming in Norway and it results in a big Norwegian community during our event. Personally, I love the crowd due to their endless enthusiasm. So Norway is going towards Mixed Games, which kind of games to be exact?
Rolf: Nowadays people in Norway like to play 4, 5 and even 6-card Omaha, PLO8, Sviten and of course, 8-game, because it's more exciting. 8-game really has a growing crowd in Norway, and when you know that in Norway we can gather over 2500 unique players for our National Championships, we are starting to become an authority in the poker world. From what I understand, in Norway, we are currently holding the world's biggest national tournament and we have tons of players putting their stamp on the international poker arenas, so for Franke to keep the Norwegian crowd close is a recipe for success in the long run I think.
Melvin TF: What about the Swedes? They are mostly known for splashing pots aggressively and play mixed games. What’s up with them nowadays?
Rolf: Sadly, his Swedish crowd struggled to gather a fraction of the number of players for their national championships, but the invention of Sviten Special certainly made Sweden relevant. So, I hope the huge blossoming of poker in Norway, despite the fact that we still have no casinos here, and it's not legal to gather more than 20 people for a private poker game, the Swedes will also grow bigger and stronger and give us hard competition in the future.
Melvin TF: The Festival Series is a concept to make the poker environment a lovely place to stay. Does not matter if you are an expert, a beginner, or just a fanatic. What makes poker great for you as a person?
Rolf: Personally, I am too much of a recreational player, I love the social aspect a lot more than the competitive side of poker. I love talking trash across the table and playing awkward and unplayable hands more than the sure thing, so I will most likely never become a player worth watching for my skills.
But, place me on a table with anyone and I will make sure that table is always the fun table to be at, and the atmosphere will always be great. In terms of skill, I have a long way to go, so I am guessing that's why the flip tournament was a better fit for me because the phrase "I'd rather be lucky than good" applies better than in regular tournaments. Besides, it's also a matter of endurance, staying there for hours and hustling people to come to play the flips.
Winners Gallery Franke's Flip Flips:
| Name | Country | Event |
| Jens Henrik Riis |  | The Festival Series Tallinn '22 |
| Ian Vertefouille |  | The Festival Series Bratislava '22 |
| Alexandru Talica |  | The Festival Series Nottingham '23 |
| Rolf Arne Bechstrom |  | The Festival Series Malta '23 |
Do you want to win a package like Rolf Arne Bechstrøm? At The Festival Series we like to spice it up for all our poker players, to make it even more worthwhile! During our previous event, you could win a package worth €1600 in many ways! Who knows, Franke will put again something out his sleeve in Bratislava!
- Franke’s Flip ‘N Goes Ranking
- Cash Game Challenge
- Player of the Series Ranking
- Photo Competition (Still ongoing!!)
