The Festival Club Tour gets off to a flying start in Antwerp
The Festival Club Tour has officially begun, and if the opening days are anything to go by, we're in for a fantastic week in Antwerp. Martin 'Franke' von Zweigbergk is already present in one of the finest cities of Belgium, and Melvin is on the way to join Franke at the very moment of writing this article. Let's see what the Belgians have to offer!
This summer, The Festival and Pokahnights joined forces to bring something new to the club scene. Hosted at Pokahroom Antwerp, the first-ever Festival Club Tour combines everything we love about The Festival: a relaxed atmosphere, a strong community, and of course, plenty of Mix Games.
The partnership is a natural fit. Pokahnights has always had a soft spot for Mix Games. Ever since the club was founded in 2009, games like 8-Game, Omaha and other mixed formats have been part of the schedule. Over the years, that passion has only grown. Jumping Jacks has become a daily favourite, Omaha Sit &Go's run regularly, Open Face Chinese has found its place in the lineup, and the popular Funky Fours are back as well.
Now, that Mix Games spirit is getting an even bigger stage with the Festival Club Tour.
Franke flies in and flies away with the first trophy
If there was one player determined to make history, it was Martin "Franke" von Zweigbergk. The in Estonia living Swede, and owner of our humble brand, travelled all the way to Antwerp and apparently didn't come just for the Belgian fries.
Franke entered the opening Open Face Chinese event, one of his favourite games, and promptly won the whole thing. Imagine, there is only one re-entry allowed by Belgian law, we as a team are still figuring out how this has happened!
He came out on top of a 50-player field to claim the first-ever Festival Club Tour title and €500 in prize money. Pokahnights regulars Zarko Kovacevic (€350) and Kris Thys (€265) joined him on the podium, while Franke also jumped straight to the top of the early Player of the Series standings.
Not a bad way to start the week.
Day two belongs to Sam Matthys
The action continued with the Courchevel event, which attracted 58 entries and another lively crowd in Antwerp. Franke, perhaps feeling generous after his opening victory, decided to leave this trophy for someone else. One player who certainly wasn't giving anything away was Pokahnights regular Sam Matthys. Sam battled through the field to claim the title and €650, with Ferit Armagan finishing second and Xander Michielsen taking third place.
The event also welcomed players from all over Europe. Matteo Crapanzano, who is not only a superb character, but also a Festival regular, even made the 11-hour drive from Italy to join the action. While he didn't reach the money this time, we are sure Matteo is enjoying himself at the tables as he feels as a fish in the water when mixed games are on the menu.
The Player of the Series race is already taking shape, but with plenty of tournaments still to come, there's everything left to play for. The overall winner will earn a package to The Festival Series Malta, adding even more incentive to chase every point throughout the week.
Pokahnights is thrilled with the start of the series when we asked them for feedback about the event so far. Speaking about the opening days, the Pokahnights team said:
"We are delighted to see that our first Festival Club Tour is attracting players from all sides of the country (and even abroad) that want to learn mixed games or show their mixed game skills.
We are the only organiser who has put effort in organising mixed games in the Benelux and are happy that the community is also supporting our effort.
We are definitely looking forward seeing how the rest of the week develops."
With a packed schedule still ahead, plenty of trophies up for grabs and more players arriving in Antwerp every day, the Festival Club Tour is only just getting started. If the first two days are any indication, there's a lot more great poker still to come, including Sviten Special!
| Date | Day | Event(s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 16 | Thursday | 2-7 Single Draw |
| July 17 | Friday | Sviten Special |
| July 18 | Saturday | Dealer's Choice Big O |
| July 19 | Sunday | Super Hold'em TORSES Main Event |
