Meet Andre Sõrm – The Festival Series Qualifier from Estonia
The Festival Series Rozvadov offers plenty of opportunities to qualify for Rozvadov through more than 20 online operator rooms at a discounted rate. One of the players who consistently participates in these qualifiers is Estonian Andre Sõrm. We caught up with Andre and had a chat with him.
The Festival Series: Hello Andre! Please introduce yourself to our readers!
Andre: "I have spent my entire life in Saaremaa. It's a small island off the coast of Estonia, in the Baltic Sea. We are primarily known for the world's largest meteorite crater and the Vikings who lived here in the 10th and 11th centuries, allegedly embarking on conquests in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway."
The Festival Series: Speaking of traveling you visited The Festival Series twice last year and achieved 5 cashes, right? How much do you generally travel for poker-related purposes?
Andre: ''Yes, things went well in Malta, and I also managed to reach the final table a couple of times in Bratislava. I participated in the Sviten Special tournament for the first time and despite having little experience in the game, I managed to finish on money. But overall, last year's visits to The Festival Series and one trip to Bratislava in September for the Coolbet Open are my only foreign travels so far.''
Andre Sõrm cashes during The Festival Series :
| Event Name | Tournament Name | Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Festival Bratislava 2023 | €250 Sviten Special | 8th | € 620 |
| The Festival Malta 2023 | €125 No Limit Hold´em/ Pot Limi Omaha Mix | 5th | € 560 |
| The Festival Malta 2023 | €125 No Limi Texas - Turbo Midnight Madness | 5th | € 530 |
| The Festival Bratislava 2023 | €125 Crazy Pineapple | 4th | € 525 |
| The Festival Bratislava 2023 | €250 Texas KO Progressive | 10th | € 375 |
The Festival: We've noticed your frequent participation in our online satellites. Did you secure a package at Coolbet last Sunday? How actively do you typically engage in online satellite tournaments and pursue packages?
Andre: ''Yes indeed, I started with just 20 euros on Sunday, and from there, I managed to secure a ticket to the 130 euro final event, where I succeeded in winning a package that I plan to use in Rozvadov. Generally, I try to participate in satellite games 2-3-4 times a week. I also participate in the SpokersBowl Freeroll campaign satellites, which are popular in Estonia. Last year, I also travelled with a package won online to Malta, and in September, I obtained a package for Bratislava during the live satellites at Coolbet Open.''
The Festival: About Rozvadov, as we understand you haven't been there. What are your expectations about this?
Andre: ''As I've heard, it's a paradise for poker players. The Festival's tournament schedule offers plenty of action, so boredom definitely won't be an issue. I intend to be present for the entire festival and recently bought Tallinn to Prague flight tickets, from where I'll continue with a rental car. I know it's possible to arrange transfers through the casino, but having a rental car gives me the freedom to explore the surroundings of Rozvadov on my own on some days.''
The Festival: What do you like most about The Festival? Why do you keep coming back?
Andre: ''Firstly, it's the organizing team. It's very liberating to interact with people who treat you as an equal. Secondly, of course, it's the other players. I saw quite a few of them again in Bratislava and hope to meet them again in Rozvadov. It's like one big family. And, of course, the well-organized hospitality events offer a nice break from poker. I'm not sure if padel will be played this time in Rozvadov, but racket sports could definitely be included (Andre has been playing tennis at an amateur level for over 20 years and has even won some amateur-level cups in Estonia). Additionally, I plan to participate in the Franke Flip Flops event and show support to my good friend Keito, who is the best flipper from Saaremaa (Keito Kaljulaid, who is from the same island as Andre, won The Festival Bratislava 2023 Flip tournaments).''
The Festival: In your opinion, who is the greatest tennis player of all time? Federer/Djokovic or are you a fan of Nadal?
Andre: ''Tricky question, but actually I don't follow international tennis that much to be a real fan. But of course, the greatest player of all time is Andre Agassi.''
The Festival: How would you like to describe yourself as a poker player?
Andre: ''The most exciting thing about poker is that when playing at a live table, there are many different types of players. I consider myself a player who enjoys chatting with fellow players at the table. Trash talk is one way I try to lure opponents into folding or calling sometimes. Which one exactly I need at the moment, well, that's something each opponent has to figure out for themselves.''
The Festival: What do you typically do on a daily basis? Does playing poker benefit you professionally, or vice versa, has your job somehow contributed to your poker playing?
Andre: ''I work daily in the financial sector, where I deal with numbers a lot. Excel sheets and various accounting tasks aren't exactly places to bluff, but it does work both ways. In business, you often have to sit at the table with partners whom you need to read in order to negotiate better terms for yourself.''
The Festival: Finally, we have a personal question as well. "Sõrm" - what does that mean in Estonian?
Andre: ''Hahaha, "Sõrm" means "finger" in Estonian, and that's why I always have my finger raised.''
Thank you Andre for your time and we wish Andre and other Saaremaa residents good luck in Rozvadov, and if you also like to find more information about online satellites, visit our qualify section, where all final satellites are detailed. Additionally, if you're simply looking for hotel accommodation, it's worth checking out our hotel deals, where the discounted price is valid until April 15th.
