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Table Of Contents
- Chasing a Promise From Vegas to Tallinn
- Building the Baltic Vegas
"I wasn’t supposed to be in Vegas, but when Viktor Blom overtook me in the Swedish rankings, I told my family, ‘Okay, kids, I’m going to Vegas,’ and flew the next day."
There were a thousand stories to emerge from this year’s history-making WSOP Main Event, but if you followed the coverage closely, there’s a good chance you enjoyed watching 58th-place finisher Mounir Tajiou's run.
From showing world champion Michael Mizrachi some sick bluffs to entertaining table talk without resorting to the darker arts, the Swedish player, investor, and former court judge is back in action just days after the curtain fell on this year's WSOP, firing in the €555 No-Limit Hold’em ring event here at WSOPC Tallinn.
Why Tallinn? Tajiou says it’s a great place to play poker, but really, it comes down to a promise he made to his daughters to become Sweden’s GPI Player of the Year in 2025. And while there is no doubt Blom is a tough opponent, you only need about five seconds in Tajiou's company to know he’s not the type to give up without a fight.
While on break at the Olympic Casino, Tajiou spoke with PokerNewsto reflect on a whirlwind 2025, including chasing that promise at the WSOP, launching his unapologetically different No Filter Poker Series alongside OlyBet, and how he plans to build the new Las Vegas right here in the Estonian capital.
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Chasing a Promise From Vegas to Tallinn
“I told my teenage girls back in December: next year, your dad is going to win Player of the Year in Sweden,” Tajiou says as we discuss his deep run in this year’s WSOP Main Event.
Up until June, the father of three was on track to keep that promise, leading the race after a string of impressive results in 2025, most notably a second-place finish at February’s record-breaking €1 million guaranteed Kings of Tallinn, earning €115,000.
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But despite the payday, a career-best score at the time, Tajiou admits, “It hurt to come second. No one remembers second and I had told my kids I’d be number one.”
It hurt to come second. No one remembers second and I had told my kids I’d be number one.
“Officially, I posted on Instagram that I was going to chase Viktor Blom and prove I’m number one, even though it’s clear he’s been better than me for 20 years,” Tajiou explains.
Then came a surprise. “I saw Viktor had crushed the WSOP. He surprised me. I told my wife, ‘You see what this means?’ She said yes. I asked, ‘Is it okay?’ She said yes. Then I flew out the next day or the day after,” he laughs.
“I said, ‘I’m going to chase Blom, be better than him in the Main Event, and show that I’m number one.”
True to his word, Tajiou outperformed Blom at the Main Event, finishing 58th for $165,000 compared to Blom’s 260th place and $52,500. However, the man also known as ‘Isildur1’ had an exceptional summer, making four high roller final tables and pulling ahead in Sweden’s GPI Player of the Year rankings.
While Tajiou admits he was disappointed not to reclaim the lead with a deeper Main Event run, he humbly says, “If I didn’t win, I wanted him to. It’s better for Swedish poker.”
Building the Baltic Vegas
Not content with the small matter of being crowned Sweden’s best player this year, Tajiou's passion shines through as he talks about his latest project, the No Filter Poker Series, which he co-founded.
Alongside partners Olybet, he explains he wants to fill the void left by the closure of Sweden’s last legal poker room, create a player-first poker experience, and sees Tallinn as the perfect destination for his vision.
“Together [with Olybet] we can build the Scandinavian Baltic Vegas,” he says as we discuss No Filter Poker’s upcoming Nordic and Baltic Championship Open in October. “Tallinn has great restaurants, amazing nightlife... It’s just a 45-minute flight from Stockholm, and it’s eight minutes from the airport to the casino.”
We can build the Scandinavian Baltic Vegas...Tallinn has great restaurants, amazing nightlife.
Having spent plenty of time in card rooms, Tajiou is determined to offer a more well-rounded experience for players.
“We don’t just care about what happens at the table, we care about everything around it,” he says. On dinner breaks, which players know can run very short once the dreaded queue is factored in, he explains, “Food is ready when your break starts. Less stress, better vibes, more time to enjoy.”
“Our main event always finishes on Saturday night. If you want the trophy, you come to the players’ party.” He adds, “We had our last winner receive his trophy on a nightclub DJ table, with Rocky music playing and DJ headphones on.”
He sums it up by saying, “What will you remember before you die? Not the €6K min-cash but that moment on the DJ stage.”
No Filter is about having fun, but with clear rules against abuse. Tajiou says, “No player or staff abuse. After that, it’s no filter — joke if someone has a big stack, don’t if they look crushed,” promising a good atmosphere at the table but strict penalties if the line is crossed.
Finally, on Olybet, he says, “You see the events they put on — it’s amazing. They’re not just a partner, they throw great events and really get what we’re trying to do.”
Images courtesy of Elena Kask
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