The Festival Club Tour by Pokahnights Antwerp: A First Edition To Remember
When the first talks were happening with Pokahnights Antwerp about having a mixed games week in a poker club, we always imagined something that would feel more personal as it's a local community who is simply hungry to play mixed games. Pokahnights this week has been a place where players not only compete, but also meet, share stories, discover new games, and celebrate everything that makes mixed games special.
The Festival Club Tour was born because Pokahnights showed initiative before, during, and after, the event. It's been an absolute blast to meet so many enthusiasts that have mixed games in the top of their favourite games to play.
Both Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk, owner of The Festival Series, and myself were present throughout the week. Franke, as always, was there for the poker, the people, and the atmosphere. And I tagged along to do the same thing this time. Together, we joined the tables, met amazing players, and experienced first-hand what made this event so special at Pokahnights.
And yes, Franke did what many expected him to do: he won a tournament. But more importantly, we both walked away with something much bigger, the feeling that this community has something truly unique.
A flying start with Franke taking the first trophy
Let's start with this first, so we have it ticked off.. The very first winner of The Festival Club Tour was not just any winner.
Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk decided to take on one of his favourite games, Open Face Chinese Pineapple, and immediately showed why he loves these formats so much. After battling through a field of 50 entries, he claimed the first-ever Festival Club Tour trophy, while having a big chip disadvantage while being heads-up.
This victory meant a lot of things in different ways. One of them was that he now has 5 victories, in 5 different countries. He is now on equal foot with Fabian Bartusck, a regular at The Festival events, and the nemesis of Franke in Open Face Chinese.
Franke's win gave him €500 for his victory, and he took down the first-ever tournament of The Festival Club Tour in style. The podium was completed by Pokahnights regulars Zarko Kovacevic (€350) and Kris Thys (€265), two players who perfectly represent the kind of mixed game community we hoped to bring together.
After the tournament, I spoke to Franke, and he mentioned that the overall level in terms of strength of the field was actually one of the best he has faced so far, which says a lot!
A Week Full Of Mixed Game Passion
The beauty of this event was not only found in the winners, but in the diversity of players who joined us. Some players were experienced mixed game specialists. Others sat down for games they had never played before, simply because they wanted to learn something new. That is exactly the spirit we love at The Festival Series.
Throughout the week, we've seen many familiar faces, including Sandeep Nene, Guido Couck, Kris Thys, Koen Roos, Egi Adriaans, and many more. At the same time, we met a lot of new poker fanatics who immediately became part of the mixed games community.
That is what made these events so enjoyable. The poker is important, of course, but the conversations away from the tables are just as valuable. Sharing strategy, laughing about bad beats, discussing strange poker variants, and simply enjoying the company of people who share the same passion.
Champions Everywhere You Looked
The tournament schedule delivered some fantastic stories, and games that we haven't even seen at The Festival itself. The Courchevel event attracted 58 entries, and in the end it was Pokahnights regular Sam Matthys who captured the title and €650.
The 2-7 Triple Draw tournament produced another great story. Local mixed game legend Loewie Servranckx entered a game he had never played before, and somehow managed to win it. He took down the title, €600, and a valuable boost in the Player of the Series standings, which actually made him chase it down until the very last tournament of the week.
Then came one of the biggest highlights of the week: the Dealers Choice Main Event. With 62 entries, it was the biggest tournament of the series, and after more than 12 hours of play, it was Sandeep Nene who lifted the trophy. Sandeep is exactly the kind of player this series was made for. A true mixed game lover who travels the world to play different formats, he immediately understood what The Festival Club Tour was about.
His reward? €803, a €550 ticket for The Festival Series Malta, and of course a well-deserved trophy. Behind him finished another standout performer of the week, Xander Michielsen, who continued an incredible run with another top-three finish. After his win, Sandeep told us that he was very happy with his first-ever Festival trophy, which came to our surprise as well, as he often runs deep in tournaments.
The Sviten Special tournament continued deep into the night and eventually saw Xander claim victory from a field of 61 entries, earning €625 and a huge number of Player of the Series points. I personally have a little extra reason to remember this tournament. I managed to defeat Franke at the table and eventually finished sixth, making it a very enjoyable battle. And it also marks my first-ever Sviten cash!
Event Winners Overview
| Date | Event | Entries | Buy-in | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07.14.2026 | €40 Open Face Chinese Pineapple | 50 | €40 | Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk |
| 07.15.2026 | €40 Courchevel | 58 | €40 | Sam Matthys |
| 07.16.2026 | €40 2-7 Triple Draw | 47 | €40 | Loewie Servranckx |
| 07.18.2026 | €40 Sviten Special | 61 | €40 | Xander Michielsen |
| 07.18.2026 | €50 Dealers Choice Main Event | 62 | €50 | Sandeep Nene |
| 07.18.2026 | €40 Big O | 45 | €40 | Guido Couck |
| 07.19.2026 | €40 Super Hold’em | 36 | €40 | Jeffrey Molero |
| 07.19.2026 | €50 Torses | 42 | €50 | Jannes De Beer |
The Player Of The Series Battle
When Pokahnights told us they want to implement a Player of the Series ranking as well, we were immediately hyped about it and added a package for The Festival Malta for the first-place finisher. And as you are used to at The Festival as well, with for example Jens Vörtmann taking down the Player of the Series Rozvadov by 0,25 points, it was no different in Belgium, although it might look like it wasn't even close in the end.
Winning one tournament is great, but cashing in different tournaments is key for this ranking. Lowie Sevranckx went allin for this ranking after he had won the 2-7 triple draw tournament. He 'calculated' his way to a victory, but was a few points short on the final day of the series. When Loewie signed up for one of the final tournaments, the TORSES tournament, there was no Xander to be found in the club. People heard he might would not be able to come to defend his first place ranking at that point, but he showed up in the end after all, to Loewie's disliking as he thought it would be an easy trophy to reel in.
Loewie busted early in the tournament, and Xander made it to the final three tables. But then he had yours sincerely at the table, and found his Waterloo outside the points. It sounds nicer than it is, but yours sincerely went then on to end the tournament in fashion, as one of the bubble boys.
At the end of the series, Loewie Servranckx claimed the top spot after an incredible run of results. Including a cash in a Hold'em tournament that he went on to play after he had busted from the TORSES tournament, and also including his final table appearance in the very last tournamnt of the week: Super Hold'em.
| Rank | Player | Points | Tournaments Played | Tournaments Cashed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Loewie Servranckx | 237.75 | 8 | 4 |
| 2 | Xander Michielsen | 202.75 | 6 | 3 |
| 3 | Zarko Kovacevic | 182.50 | 11 | 4 |
| 4 | Wouter Schuurbiers | 161.75 | 9 | 2 |
| 5 | Stefaan Karel | 154.00 | 9 | 2 |
| 6 | Kris Thys | 144.50 | 7 | 3 |
| 7 | Jim Moons | 138.00 | 11 | 3 |
| 8 | Thomas Schuddinck | 126.50 | 8 | 3 |
| 9 | Ferit Armagan | 122.00 | 9 | 3 |
| 10 | Daan Turnbull | 113.75 | 8 | 2 |
Pokahnights: A Club To Be Proud Of
Pokahnights Antwerp is a club with a rich history in terms of club poker in Belgium. Ever since I went over there for the first time when I was living in Belgium, it immediately caught me. Not because I managed to win the very first tournament I played there, resulting in a Main Event ticket for the Unibet Open, but because the people are genuine, and an absolute blast to play with. Let alone the staff, who is determined to make sure to give players a full poker experience, including great service at the bar.
The organisation is something many companies in the poker world could be jealous of. They combine professionalism with personality. They are organised, direct, knowledgeable, and always ready to help. It doesn't matter if you come to the club for the first time ever, they will make you feel at home from the get-go.
Beyond the practical side of things, there is something else that stands out: the overall atmosphere. Players become friends with each other, again, doesn't matter if you are the new kid on the block.
The Pokahnights crew knows how to create a place where people want to come back. They have a great sense of humour, they work incredibly hard, and they understand that poker is about people.
And then there is the food. A poker club with a proper menu is something every player appreciates, and Pokahnights delivers. Add all the Belgian 'sodas' you could possibly imagine, and you have the perfect environment for long tournament days and late-night poker discussions.
A special thank you also goes to Wouter Schuurbiers. Wouter has been a great connection between The Festival Series and Pokahnights. He visits many of our events himself and was one of the first important building blocks of this project. His enthusiasm is contagious, and his belief in bringing players together has helped make this event possible.
A First edition, But Definitely Not The Last
For me personally, this first-ever The Festival Club Tour was everything we hoped it would be.
We came to Antwerp to play poker, but we left with much more. We met new friends, strengthened existing relationships, discovered new players, and experienced a community full of passion. The fact that Franke won a trophy and I managed to get some deep runs was a nice bonus. The real victory was seeing people sit down, try new games, laugh together, and enjoy what mixed poker is all about.
A massive THANK YOU to everyone who joined us, played with us, supported the event, and helped create this atmosphere.
The Festival Club Tour by Pokahnights has been a great success all the way, and we can surely imagine a second, third, and fourth event at one of the most brewing cities of Belgium! That's another thing we might have forgot to mention due to the enthusiasm about this event: But Antwerp is absolutely one of the nicest cities in Europe! If you haven't been there for a city trip, you really would want to pop by when the next edition will take place so you can combine it with some fine mixed games at Pokahnights!
Would you like to be attending our next upcoming The Festival event? Make sure to check out The Festival Weekend Riga page, as well as The Festival Malta page!
