The Wizard Who Came Back: The Tale of Gambledore
Sometimes the best stories are the ones where the hero shows up without making a fuss. That's what happened right here at The Festival Weekend in Tallinn. A 200-euro No-Limit Hold'em freezeout tournament, the kind regular people play for fun, brought out a very special guest.
His name is Vladimir Korzinin, but most people know him as Gambledore, who stunned the world in 2014 when he became second in a Triton Poker event for $3,470,000. followed up by a victory for even more money!
>> Gambledore in action at the 200 euro Freezeout at The Festival Weekend Tallinn <<
How an Unknown Grandfather Stunned the Poker World
The world of poker has many stories bening created every single day. A couple years ago. nobody knew who Vladimir Korzinin was. The 69-year-old Estonian with the long beard and flowing hair had only discovered poker a few months earlier. Then he showed up at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Monte Carlo, where the best players in the world, such as Phil Ivey, Alex Foxen, Fedor Holz, compete for millions.
What happened next was like something from a movie.
In the $200,000 Invitational tournament, Gambledore went head-to-head with Patrik Antonius, a Poker Hall of Famer and one of the greatest to ever play the game . During the live stream, the chat exploded. People noticed his resemblance to the wizard Dumbledore from Harry Potter. But it wasn't just his looks. It was his wild, fearless style of play. They started calling him "Gambledore", a mix of "gamble" and "Dumbledore".
Gambledore almost won that tournament. He took home $3,470,000 for second place. And when the media asked him about his incredible run? He just laughed and said: "I don't know how to play poker".
The Big Win
But he wasn't done yet. Just a few days later, Gambledore entered another Triton event, the $150,000 buy-in tournament. This time, he didn't just come close. He won the whole thing by defeating Ossi Ketola. The victory was worth $4,350,000.
On the final table, he knocked out some of the biggest names in poker: Sam Greenwood, Bryn Kenney, and Fedor Holz . The fans watching online couldn't believe it. A complete newcomer, an amateur who said he didn't even know how to play, was beating the world's best.
In just one week, Gambledore had won almost $8 million. He became the most successful Estonian poker player in history overnight. At the Estonian poker awards, he was named Best Newcomer and People's Choice. Epic!
*Fun side note: Ossi Keskola was also playing here at The Festival Weekend, just one day earlier as 'Gambledore', where he had played the Mystery Bounty Main Event and just came short of reaching Day 2.
The Mystery Man
Here's the thing about Gambledore: he's a private person. After his big wins, he refused to give interviews. When he received his trophy for winning the tournament, he handed it to the runner-up and said he didn't have space for it at home. He wasn't in it for the fame or the glory. He just seemed to love playing.
People called him "carefree" and said he had a "beautiful spirit" at the tables . He was having fun, and everyone watching could feel it. And it's this exact same thing here at The Festival Weekend in Tallinn. He seems to have good fun at the tables, and is showing the joy for the game.
Back to the Beginning
Which brings us back to Tallinn, to that 200-euro freezeout tournament at The Festival Weekend.
Here was a man who had won millions against the toughest competition in the world, casually sitting down at a small tournament that regular people play. It shows you what kind of person Gambledore really is. He's not just a winner. He's a player. Someone who genuinely loves the game, no matter the stakes.
Gambledore's story reminds us why poker is so special. You never know who's sitting at the table. It could be an unknown 69-year-old Estonian with a wizard's beard who doesn't even think he knows how to play. And he just might beat the world's best.
He came out of nowhere, stunned the poker world, won millions, and then… shows up years later to play a casual low stakes poker tournament. That's the kind of legend that makes poker fans smile.
Gambledore may not want to be famous. But his story is one that people will tell for a long time. The wizard who appeared, cast his spell, and then quietly returned to the game he loves.
>> What a Hand by Gambledore!!! <<
The Festival Weekend Tallinn
Will we see Gambledoor at other tournaments during this week? Who knows! We surely hope so as he is a good spirit and makes other players, poker fans, super enthusiastic as everyone wants to go on a picture with him. Or mention to him: ''We absolutely loved to see you playing at the Triton events, beating all the pros, and having fun!''
The tournaments continue today with the Mystery Bounty Main Event Day 1C, as well as. the NLH PKO (with live straddle). But if you would ask us which tournament is left that would suit Gambledore the best? That must be the NLH 7-2 Estonian Special (Incl. INES rules)!
