Ville Wahlbeck, Patrik Antonius Win Nordic Poker Awards

Ville Wahlbeck missed one big award last year but got his due last night.

If there’s one thing Scandinavians enjoy as much as playing poker, it’s getting together for a party – and that’s just what happened last night when the northern European poker community descended on Copenhagen, Denmark, last night for the Nordic Poker Awards.

Walking away with the most recognition for the evening was 2009 WSOP sensation Ville Wahlbeck of Finland. Wahlbeck earned two awards after a vote by the editors of a number of Nordic poker magazines: Best Live Tournament Player of the Year and Best Performance of the Year. Both honored him for winning the WSOP $10,000 Mixed Game World Championship and making two more World Championship final tables in seven card Stud and no-limit deuce-to-seven. To top it off he also made the final of the $50,000 HORSE tournament. That performance was almost enough to win the 2009 WSOP Player of the Year award, but Jeffrey Lisandro edged Wahlbeck out by winning three bracelets.

Patrik Antonius claimed the award for Best Online Player of the Year on the strength of his $9 million earnings playing online with anyone and everyone. From the Durrrr Challenge to his matches with Isildur1 to the biggest pot in online poker history, it was definitely a notable year for Patrik’s laptop. Rounding out the list of winners was Sweden’s Kristoffer “Sumpas” Thorsson, who won for Rookie of the Year. Thorsson won the Master Classics of Poker Main Event in November of last year for nearly $1 million and also took down a major online poker tournament for another $611,000.

Once the night’s hangovers are gone – or, in some cases, long before they’re gone – Day 1 of the EPT Copenhagen main event will get underway.