This week, while the PokerGO Cup plays out in Las Vegas and numerous players plan trips to Jeju for the latest super high-stakes Triton Poker Series trip, one player will be between those two great continents in a country with a population smaller than New Hampshire. Lithuanian tournament crusher Vladas Tamasauskas is heading to the Bombay Club in Tallinn, Estonia, as he chases a unique victory.
As the EPT, Eureka and Poker Masters champion tells us, you can be a part of his success too.
Preparing for the Bombay Club
“To collect a trophy in a place I haven’t done before is even more special.”
While you might expect the Bombay Club to be a part of India’s rising poker scene, the glitzy and glamorous location is in fact located in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, a city famed for its Christmas markets, being the birthplace of Skype and home of the NATO Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. Having visited the city before, Vladas can’t wait to return to the City that translates as ‘Danish Castle’ by name.
“I played in Estonia a couple times before, and enjoyed Tallinn,” he tells us. “When I heard that there will be new venue with high stakes tournaments, I was very happy to check it out and fight for brand new trophies. I like winning in any part of the world, but to collect a trophy in a place I haven’t done before is even more special.”
The Bombay Club isn’t just famed for high stakes. Players who arrive to play poker in the city can often look like extras from the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale. Tuxedos and ties are suitable apparel compared to the bright outfits Vladas often wears at the felt.
“I’m actually going to buy some new clothes in the morning, some classical stuff!” he smiles. “I need to renew my wardrobe and it’s a great occasion to do it. The Bombay Club looks absolutely stunning from pictures, and my friend who was there for New Years told me that it looks even better in person. So I’m going to be looking more solid than usual, old school gentlemen style.”
Mastering the Main Events
“Being unafraid to go with my reads in such setting is a big advantage.”
As he has proven so many times already in his poker career, Vladas crushes big-field multi-table tournaments. He believes them to be special because every table can be very different.
“You can get a couple of familiar faces with half a table of complete strangers that you haven’t seen before. That makes it very interesting, how everyone adjusts to different styles of play, personalities, and the atmosphere at the table. It opens the door for a lot of creative plays. I think being unafraid to go 100% with my reads in such setting is a big advantage. I love that first place is very juicy in these Main Events, also the trophies are usually quite big!”
Vladas has had success both in big-field events and high rollers, although he is insistent that he has a lot to learn in the high roller scene and that keep pushing him forward as a professional in the game.
“Playing with the best players in the world at the highest stakes is just so much fun – I love this kind of competition. My inner gambler and competitor can become one, and I just have the best time. Being completely present at the table and figuring out all the puzzles that come up your way is one of the most satisfying feelings.”
For Vladas, travelling to Tallinn is easy, and from his home in Lithuania he will only be in the air an hour. He’s heading to Tallinn rather than playing in the PokerGO Cup because he’s curious about the new venue of the Bombay Club.
“The PokerGO studio is one of my favourite places to play cards, but I want to try out the Bombay Club – it has great conditions and they seem like amazing staff – so unfortunately I won’t be able to do both.”
Dueling with Deeb for Gold
“I ended up folding… and he was bluffing. It hurt a lot.”
Back on 2022, Vladas played at the biggest final table of his career to date, the €10,350-entry WSOP Europe Main Event. At the final table, he missed out on glory, coming fourth for over $450,000, which remains the biggest live score so far from over $3.3 million in winnings.
“That was the biggest final table at that time by far for me, and it was really special because the winner would get a WSOP bracelet, the reason I started playing poker a long time ago,” he says. “My strongest memory from that final table was a hand against Shaun Deeb where he put me all in for my tournament life on the river when we were four-handed. I had top pair on a dangerous board and if I called and was right I would become chip leader. If I was wrong I’d be out of the tournament.”
As he faced a huge decision that could potentially change his life, Vladas went through all the permutations.
“A lot of things went into consideration for that decision, but I ended up folding… and he was bluffing. It hurt a lot, especially because my first instinct was to call, but it was probably the best lesson ever to trust my instincts completely, because it’s the most powerful tool I have.”
So many players have moment like this in their poker careers, but rather than look back on this decision with regret, Vladas has used it to improve his game and become a better player.
“This tool [of instinct] combines all the theory I’ve learned, all my experiences at the tables and in life. It is the most advanced tool I have, so why not use it to the max? It was a great experience, and it gave me even more hunger to get better and be ready to execute stronger when the opportunities arise.”
Here’s how that infamous WSOP final table played out:
Anyone Can Buy Action
“I’ve had a great experience with PokerStake – it’s like a mutual win for me and for the investor.”
Now selling to events such as his trip to Tallin and the Bombay Club, Vladas is a passionate advocate of PokerStake and has had enormous success as you can see from his official PokerStake staking page. He doesn’t only sell on the site, buying action in others too.
“My favourite aspect of the site is that anyone can buy the action of their preferred players,” he says. “I buy there myself and it’s really fun to sweat the players that you have action of. I’ve had a great experience with PokerStake in the past, so when I sell, I want to sell at least some on PokerStake – it’s like a mutual win for me and for the investor.”
While Vladas sees selling his action as a good way of lowering his buy-in level a little for trips such as these, he also identifies the massive value to anyone looking to stake him.
“It’s a great spot to have a profitable investment. I’ve [added] a very small markup because it’s first time they organize such a series, so I can’t say 100% what will be the level of play. I’m expecting great value, but since I haven’t been there before, I’m making the best conditions for potential investors.”
Vladas Tamasauskas is selling at a markup of between just 1.01 and 1.05 in Tallinn, playing the €10,000 Bombay Invitational, the €10,500 Turbo Bounty and of course the €25,000 Main Event. Given his ability to cash anywhere in the world and his passion for that next flag, he could hardly be a better investment. Head to the Bombay Club’s high stakes staking page on PokerStake now and don’t miss out on one of poker’s hottest professionals.
