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World Champion Espen Jørstad Finds Glory on Home Soil (In Slovakia)
- Espen Uhlen Jørstad won the 2026 NM Main Event in Bratislava.
- He secured a €102,000 prize after a challenging heads-up battle.
- With this win, Jørstad completes his championship portfolio.
In the poker world, some titles carry weight beyond the prize money. For Espen Uhlen Jørstad, a man who conquered the world in 2022 by winning the WSOP Main Event and two gold bracelets, the one thing missing was a domestic crown. That gap was officially filled this week as Jørstad outlasted a field of 786 entries to win the 2026 Norges-Mesterskapet (NM) Main Event at Banco Casino Bratislava, taking home the trophy and a €102,000 payday.
The 25th anniversary of the Norwegian festival saw the community return to the Slovak capital for the third year running. The €800 buy-in event generated a total prize pool of €543,284, proving that the appetite for Norwegian poker remains as high as ever, even when played nearly 1,000 miles away from Oslo.
A Grueling Heads-Up Comeback
The final table was a regional affair, with five of the eight finalists hailing from the Trondheim area. However, the spotlight remained firmly on the "World Champ." Jørstad entered the heads-up battle as a massive underdog, facing a daunting chip deficit against Bjørge Storflor, a carpenter and farmer who began the duel with 61 million chips to Jørstad’s 18 million.
True to his reputation as one of the game's most patient and technical players, Jørstad chipped away at Storflor’s lead over a lengthy and methodical heads-up session. The experience gap eventually told as Jørstad leveled the playing field before finding the final blow.
The Final Hand: Sevens Hold for the Win
The tournament reached its climax when both players committed their stacks pre-flop. Storflor looked to hisA♣7♥ to reclaim the lead, while Jørstad put his tournament life on the line with7♣7♦.The board ran out 10♠2♥3♦6♠9♥, safely avoiding an Ace and securing the pot for Jørstad.
After years of attempts, the relief was palpable. "It feels amazing after many attempts," Jørstad noted following the win, emphasizing the personal significance of finally winning the "NM" title.
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