Varun Goenka

Du Karaliai Crowned Victors in the Thrilling 2nd Match Day of the Lithuanian National Match Poker League

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The Lithuanian National Match Poker League continued its exhilarating journey on Saturday, 27th April, with the highly anticipated second match day taking place in Alytus. Eight teams from different cities came together to compete in an intense battle of wits and strategy. The event showcased the talents of both seasoned players and promising newcomers, making for a captivating day of Match Poker action.

The first match day had set the stage for an exciting competition, with Team Po Kerais from Vilnius emerging as the victors. Now, as the second match day unfolded, the stakes were higher and the anticipation palpable.

With another 300 hands of Match Poker to be played, the league welcomed a group of new players ready to make their mark. Arūnas Mankevičius, Lukas Gordejevas, Dominykas Chrypa, Kristijomas Radvila, Emilis Marcinkevičius, and Edgaras Grazevičius joined the league, adding fresh energy and talent to the mix.

The day kicked off with Session 1, and it was Poker Garden from Kaunas who took an early lead with an impressive 544.6 points. The competition was fierce, and every decision carried weight as the players vied for dominance.

In Session 2, the battle for the top spot intensified as Po Kerais and Du Karaliai, both Vilnius-based teams, fought for supremacy. Ultimately, it was Po Kerais who finished on top with 565.1 points, showcasing their consistent performance.

The excitement continued to build in Session 3 as the two Vilnius-based teams faced off once again. This time, Du Karaliai took the lead with 495.6 points, demonstrating their resilience and determination.

However, it was not just the individual session results that determined the overall winner. Du Karaliai’s exceptional performance throughout all three sessions, particularly in accumulating chips, propelled them to a final score of 1499.4 points, securing them the victory for the second match day. SPRO from Alytus claimed the second position with 1492.7 points, while Po Kerais from Vilnius finished third with 1482.2 points.

A special recognition was awarded to Arūnas Mankevičius, a debutant for Du Karaliai, who was hailed as the Best Player of the day. His outstanding performance contributed significantly to his team’s success and showcased his skill and strategic prowess.

The Lithuanian National Match Poker League is shaping up to be an enthralling competition, highlighting the passion and talent within the country’s growing Match Poker community. As the league progresses, fans eagerly anticipate more thrilling match days and unforgettable moments of strategic brilliance.

The next match day promises to bring more intense showdowns and exciting battles as the teams continue their quest for victory in this rapidly growing sport.

List of participants:

PO KERAIS (VILNIUS) – Elvinas Vitkevičius ©, Karolis Šlekaitis, Gabrielė Šalčiūtė, Mykolas Pratusevičius, Rapolas Bielskis, Dominykas Matijošaitis

DU KARALIAI (VILNIUS) – Skirmantas Tomkevičius ©, Andrius Pelenokas, Marius Balachovičius, Saulius Podvaiskas, Geraldas Pukelis, Diana Dvelienė, Mindaugas Dvelys, Mantas Urbonas, Arūnas Mankevičius

KOZIRIAI (KAUNAS) – Eglė Geniene ©, Giedrius Genys, Viktorija Grigaitė, Šarūnas Jurelė, Darius Misevicius, Karolina Miseviciene, Marius Vaičiulis, Deimantas Urnikas

POKER GARDEN (KAUNAS) – Lukas Kviecinskas ©, Viktorija Ignatavičienė, Rimantas Ignatavičius, Martynas Gasparaitis, Laurynas Visockis, Erikas Žukas, Jonas Krivickas, Liudvika Sejonaitė, Ignas Akelis, Lukas Gordejevas

VILNIUS JACK HIGH (VILNIUS) – Tadas Šerepėka ©, Žydrūnas Eisinas, Marius Girnis, Tomas Puodžiukaitis, Maksim Jakšanov, Evelina Matelytė, Ervinas Nemero, Dominykas Chrypa, Kristijomas Radvila

SPRO (ALYTUS) – Mantas Remeika ©, Andrius Kiauličius, Povilas Maziukas, Viktorija Balynaitė, Marius Zalieckas, Rimantas Kuzulis, Karolis Plauskas, Vaidas Valiūnas

TILT FOREVER (VILNIUS) – Evaldas Saulis, Artūras Žilanus, Valdas Ulkė, Simas Balėnas, Mantas Marozas, Dainius Ulkė ©, Edita Ulkienė, Šarūnas Stirbis

PPL (ALYTUS) – Linas Jautakis, Raimondas Gurskas, Edvinas Lynge, Deividas Mencevicius, Mindaugas Kazlauskas, Rytis Zilinskas, Tomas Ivanauskas, Algirdas Navickas, Jaunius Mockevicius, Emilis Marcinkevičius, Edgaras Grazevičius

Varun Goenka

Lithuania’s National Match Poker League Kicks Off Its 2nd Season

On Sunday, March 17th, the Lithuanian National Match Poker League commenced its highly anticipated second season. The league, featuring nine talented teams from across the country, showcased the skill and strategy of Lithuania’s finest poker players. After three intense sessions comprising a total of 300 hands, Team Po Kerais from Vilnius emerged as the triumphant champions. Let’s delve into the exciting details of this thrilling Match Poker competition.

 

 

The Teams and Players:
The second season of the Lithuanian National Match Poker League brought together nine competitive teams, each consisting of skilled players ready to showcase their poker prowess. Here is a glimpse of the teams and their players who battled it out for the coveted title:

1. SPK RAKETOS (KAUNAS):
– Arnoldas Kolesnikovas
– Nerijus Palubinskas
– Gintaras Janušauskas
– Eugenijus Liesis
– Mindaugas Pakalniškis
– Kevinas Adžgauskas
– Giedrius Šulskis
– Sigitas Vaikšnys (Captain)

2. PO KERAIS (VILNIUS):
– Elvinas Vitkevičius (Captain)
– Karolis Šlekaitis
– Gabrielė Šalčiūtė
– Mykolas Pratusevičius
– Rapolas Bielskis
– Dominykas Matijošaitis

3. DU KARALIAI (VILNIUS):
– Skirmantas Tomkevičius (Captain)
– Andrius Pelenokas
– Marius Balachovičius
– Saulius Podvaiskas
– Geraldas Pukelis
– Diana Dvelienė
– Mindaugas Dvelys
– Mantas Urbonas

4. KOZIRIAI (KAUNAS):
– Eglė Geniene (Captain)
– Giedrius Genys
– Viktorija Grigaitė
– Šarūnas Jurelė
– Darius Misevicius
– Karolina Miseviciene
– Marius Vaičiulis
– Deimantas Urnikas

5. POKER GARDEN (KAUNAS):
– Lukas Kviecinskas (Captain)
– Viktorija Ignatavičienė
– Rimantas Ignatavičius
– Martynas Gasparaitis
– Laurynas Visockis
– Erikas Žukas
– Jonas Krivickas
– Liudvika Sejonaitė
– Ignas Akelis

6. VILNIUS JACK HIGH (VILNIUS):
– Tadas Šerepėka (Captain)
– Žydrūnas Eisinas
– Marius Girnis
– Tomas Puodžiukaitis
– Maksim Jakšanov
– Evelina Matelytė
– Ervinas Nemero

7. SPRO (ALYTUS):
– Mantas Remeika (Captain)
– Andrius Kiauličius
– Povilas Maziukas
– Viktorija Balynaitė
– Marius Zalieckas
– Rimantas Kuzulis
– Karolis Plauskas
– Vaidas Valiūnas

8. TILT FOREVER (VILNIUS):
– Evaldas Saulis
– Artūras Žilanus
– Valdas Ulkė
– Simas Balėnas
– Mantas Marozas
– Dainius Ulkė (Captain)
– Edita Ulkienė
– Šarūnas Stirbis

9. PPL (ALYTUS):
– Linas Jautakis
– Raimondas Gurskas
– Edvinas Lynge
– Deividas Mencevicius
– Mindaugas Kazlauskas
– Rytis Zilinskas
– Tomas Ivanauskas
– Algirdas Navickas
– Jaunius Mockevicius

Mindaugas Pakalniškis with his trophy for Best Individual Player

The Competition:
The second season of the Lithuanian National Match Poker League featured three gripping sessions, each comprising 100 hands. The teams battled fiercely, employing their strategic skills, analyzing opponents, and making calculated decisionsto gain an advantage in each hand. As the hands progressed, the tension and excitement grew among the players and spectators alike.

After 300 intense hands of Match Poker, Team Po Kerais from Vilnius emerged as the deserving champions. Led by their captain, Elvinas Vitkevičius, the team displayed exceptional teamwork, strategic acumen, and a keen understanding of the game. Their collective efforts and skillful play propelled them to victory, securing the prestigious title for their team and city.

The league showcased the depth of talent in Lithuanian poker, with each team demonstrating their dedication, knowledge, and passion for the game. The players exhibited a remarkable level of skill, making calculated moves, and adapting to the ever-changing dynamics of the competition.

A total of 6 match days will be held at different locations across the country, culminating in the creation of a new Lithuanian National Team! The next match is on the 27th of April in Alytus.

 

The Impact:
The Lithuanian National Match Poker League serves as a platform to foster the growth and development of Match Poker within the country. By organizing such leagues, the Lithuanian National Federation aims to promote the sport, provide opportunities for players to showcase their abilities, and create a sense of camaraderie among the poker community.

Furthermore, the league serves as an inspiration for aspiring poker players, offering them a glimpse into the competitive world of professional poker and motivating them to hone their skills and strive for excellence.

 

Top 6 performers

Conclusion:
The kick-off of the second season of the Lithuanian National Match Poker League marked a significant milestone in the country’s poker scene. With nine teams competing fiercely, the competition showcased the talent and determination of Lithuania’s finest poker players.

Congratulations to Team Po Kerais from Vilnius for their impressive victory and commendable performance throughout the league. As the Lithuanian National Federation continues to organize such events, it is evident that poker in Lithuania is thriving, and the future holds great promise for the growth of the sport.

The success of the league not only celebrates the triumph of individual teams but also highlights the collective passion and enthusiasm for Match Poker within Lithuania. It reinforces the belief that poker is more than just a card game—it is a strategic sport that demands skill, resilience, and a love for the game.

As the Lithuanian National Match Poker League looks forward to future seasons, the anticipation and excitement among players and fans will undoubtedly continue to grow, further elevating the status of poker in the country.

Varun Goenka

Can the Experienced Lithuanian Team Secure a Podium Finish in Gevgelija?

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When Lithuania were announced as the winners of the ‘Plate’ at the 2019 European Nations Cup in Kyiv, an elated NF president Skirmantas Tomkevicius proudly said with a big smile ‘Lithuanian will always find the toughest path to achieve our goal, but we will get there in the end. It’s the Lithuanian way!’

It looks like he was right as Lithuania qualified as the final team in the line up for the 2021 World Championships in Gevgelija! A squad that has participated in multiple Match Poker events together, with their best performance coming in the 2020 Virtual Nations Cup where they finished in 3rd place overall behind Ukraine and Australia. Dainius Ulke was awarded with ‘Player of the Tournament’ in Kyiv and he will be looking to replicate his performance and help his national team finish on the podium.

The Lithuanian National Team for the 2021 World Cup is as follows:

Name: Lukas Kviecinskas

Profession: CEO of poker room “Poker Garden” in Lithuania

Age: 27

Bio: I played my first poker game just after my 18th birthday. And since then, day after day, tournament after tournament it became a big part of my life. I am so humbled and proud to be a champion of Lithuania in 2020 and the winner of multiple other tournaments.

Name: Dainius Ulkè

Age: 46

Profession: IT specialist

Bio: I started playing poker in 2007. Now that’s my hobby. I like the live game, I like the reaction of the players in different situations, I like to interact at the table. Proud to be representing the national team again.

Name: Arūnas Blauzdžiūnas

Age: 46

Profession: Reserve Officer

Bio: I started playing poker 12 years ago. It has become a daily hobby for me to relax after work. Playing live is the funnest interaction, and I love the sporting tension in a poker game.

Name: Erikas Zukas

Age: 30

Bio: He is the youngest member of our national team, eager to learn and understand other players – once Erikas has won tournament without even looking at his own cards!

Name: Mantas Urbonas

Age: 34

Bio: Poker professional from Panevėžys, now resides in Vilnius. Mantas is also a football team ‘Top Kicker’s’ owner and manager. He started to play poker 10 years ago, and his best achievement is 4th place of Battle of Malta winning 120000 EUR. Ranks 31st in Lithuania by live earnings.

Name: Diana Dvelienė

Age: 45

Bio: She lives in Kaunas and together with her husband, who is also a poker player in the federation, they run their own plants growing business. Does not play often in any live tournaments, but if she does, finishes ITM.

Name: Skirmantas Tomkevičius

Age: 45

Bio: The president of the recognised national federation for poker in Lithuania, Lietuvos Sportinio Pokerio Federacija (LSPF). I will be playing just in case its needed. He is the team manager and is working closely with the Polish national federation on their combined national Match Poker leagues!

 

Varun Goenka

2021 Review – A Year of Challenges and Progress

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2021 saw IFMP make considerable progress after a rather quiet pandemic hit 2020. With the constantly changing situation caused by Covid, we didn’t want to be dependent on live events for Match Poker activity this year. We therefore decided to run virtual qualifiers for the 2021 Nations Cup Finals for our member nations in Asia and Europe. Being the world’s only recognised digital sport, Match Poker has the unique advantage of digital gameplay as compared to other conventional sports which are more physical in nature. We used this to our advantage and re-created the live Match Poker environment linking a video conference platform in with Match Poker gameplay, thus enabling the athletes to see and talk with each other just like they would at a live event, while playing Match Poker for their nation.
We ran a total of 10 qualifiers, which produced 5 Asian and 6 European qualifiers who will attempt to stop Ukraine from wining their 3rd World Championship in a row! 200 unique hands of Match Poker were played in each qualifier, giving us 2000 hands played by 25 participating nations. Over 200 athletes competed for their nations, testing themselves in this skill-based format with the aim of securing a spot at the finals. The qualified nations are India, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Singapore from Asia, with Austria, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Macedonia and Switzerland from Europe. The virtual qualifiers allowed many nations, who have previously not been able to participate in live events, to play, compete and experience Match Poker. It has been fantastic to see our sport grow and reach so many new countries this year.
One prime example of this effect is the birth of the Mongolian National Match Poker League! 12 teams participated in the first season of the league, which took place on 11th and 12th December in Ulaanbaatar and saw 500 hands played across the 2 match days. Every team had atleast one male and one female member in their squad, across various age groups once again reinforcing that Match Poker is a fully inclusive sport. Team Pokerfriends were crowned Champions with 749.5 points, Team Shrup came 2nd with 723 points and Team Megamind was 3rd with 710 points. Trophies, medals and prize money was awarded to the top 3 finishing teams and top 3 individual players. The Mongolian NF will use this event and the content captured to approach their National Olympic Committee (NOC) and National Sports Authority (NSA) for the formal recognition of Match Poker as a sport in Mongolia and for their national federation as a national governing body of sport, linked to IFMP as the global representative.
IFMP’s observer membership of GAISF was extended for another 2 years as we continue our fight for full recognition. One of the main aims of encouraging local Match Poker activity by way of national leagues was to be able to evidence to the NOC and NSA of your nation that we are a sport, recognised globally, played digitally, and are not anything like conventional gaming or gambling. Once the authorities see it in action, being played in teams, without the presence of physical cards or chips, they will better understand what we have been trying to explain to them for so long. We are hopeful that this all will work to our advantage and we can provide the GAISF membership council with plenty of new national recognition certificates in the coming year.
We are working hard towards a packed events calendar for 2022, with a Champions League style finale event for our many national league champions, a Global University Challenge involving student Match Poker teams from universities and colleges across the globe, and of course our Continental Championships (Asia, Europe, America’s) all culminating in a Nations Cup Final at the end of the year. There have been a few nations that have expressed their desire to host an event and we are evaluating our options, and would encourage other nations who are interested to let us know at the earliest.
Finally can we take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful holiday period. Stay safe, take care of yourself and your loved ones and let’s make 2022 the year where Match Poker really takes off! Happy Holidays and wish you a fantastic New Year!
Varun Goenka

The Lithuanians want to improve on their Bronze medal finish in 2020!

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Team Lithuania have had a bit of a roller coaster ride in IFMP events so far!

2019 European Nations Cup in Kyiv saw them miss out on the top 6 (which would have secured their Nations Cup spot) but they managed to do it the hard way by winning their place after a tough battle with the bottom 7 teams to win the Nations Plate and a spot in the finals.

2020 Nations Cup Finals, which had to be held virtually, was contested by 12 qualified nations from Asia and Europe. Lithuania battled hard and made sure they weren’t completely out of it at any point of the event. Finally they had an incredible session and managed to finish in 3rd place overall, winning bronze medals and certificates for their efforts!

They have stuck to the same team, with one addition in Paulius Vaitiekunas.

Paulius Vaitiekūnas

Paulius Vaitiekūnas – Professional poker player, 27 years old. Started playing at the age of 14 with friends and fell in love with the psychological aspect of the game, grinds High Stakes spin & go tournaments while studying in the UK. Sunday Million winner, WSOPC winner, 100s Spin & Go Jackpot Winner. Currently playing mid/high stakes MTTs and oversees Spin stable.

Skirmantas

Skirmantas Tomkevičius – the president of National federation of Poker of Lithuania. I will be playing just in case its needed.

Erikas

Erikas Zukas – He is the youngest member of our national team, eager to learn and understand other players – once Erikas has won tournament without even looking at his own cards!

Arunas

Arūnas Valentavičius – he was born on 1975/09/25. Retired solder of Lithuanian army. Plays only in federation tournaments.

Dainius

Dainius Ulkė – he was born in Biržai, but since early days lives in Vilnius, works in IT sector since 1994. One of the most stable players in federation.

Mantas

Mantas Urbonas – poker professional from Panevėžys, now resides in Vilnius. Mantas also a football’s team Top Kicker’s owner and manager. He started to play poker 10 years ago, and his best achievement is 4th place of Battle of Malta winning 120000 EUR. Ranks 31st in Lithuania by live earnings. Mantas was born on 1987/06/22.

Laimis

Laimutis Kalvelis – He was born on 1970/06/26. He is pretty successful in federation tournaments, has won two of them since 2012. Works as a CEO in company taking care of houses in the city. Was born and lives in Vilnius.

Diana

Diana Dvelienė – she was born on 1976/11/09 in Kaunas. She lives there and together with her husband, who is also a poker player in the federation, they run their own plants growing business. Does not play often in any live tournaments, but if she does, finishes ITM.

 

Edvinas Šulskis – non playing team member, he will be an analyst for the Lithuanian team.