Behind the Lens at The Festival Series: An Interview with the Poker Photographer
The aim with The Festival Series is to give players not only a great environment to play poker in various trending cities in Europe, but the accent is even more set on everything outside the poker tables. Beyond the tables and activities, there's a team that captures every epic moment- including our photographer, a passionate poker enthusiast and talented artist behind the lens. Let's meet the man, the myth, the legend!
Mairo Toom, also known as 'EstonianWeirdo', joined the crew of The Festival Series ever since our stop in Tallinn in 2022. What many of us in the crew have in common with each other is that we all met Franke before the time we started working with him. So it was the case for Mairo, who had a totally different haircut back then than nowadays. Let's dive into the world of photography, and into the world of Mairo, born on April 6, 1994! Yes, it's his birthday today!
Hi Mairo! Tell us a bit about your background. How did you end up working in the environment you are part of now, and what made you choose to make a career in this?
I'm a simple guy from Estonia who found poker when I was way underage. I suppose I have to thank one of my older relatives who used to play poker back then and with whom I hung out most of the summers. I was never good at it, but I enjoyed the game and the company when I started playing it myself. I'm into numbers and statistics, so having fun with poker came quite naturally. So yeah, I've been playing more or less since I turned 18. Around that time is when I bought my first camera and fell in love with photography quite quickly. I had never really shot poker until I got a call from Franke saying, "I know you like poker, I have your webpage open, I have your Instagram open, I see you can do photography. Are you interested in trying out shooting poker?" Although it felt scary for a moment, the answer "let's give it a shot" came pretty easy. So yeah, I've been part of The Festival team since the second stop, which was held in Tallinn. By now, I consider myself a very good poker photographer, alongside photographing music.
>> Check out the Official Page of Mairo Toom Photography
The Festival Series has had nine stops so far. The official 10th edition will be Rozvadov this year (June 6-16). Can you tell us about last year's experience? What do you think about the venue?
If I need to be very honest, then—RRROOOOZVADDOOOOOOOVV!!! From a working perspective, I have to say that Rozvadov Casino staff is the easiest to work with. But at the same time, what I see and hear is that the fields are the best, and I would love to be a player there rather than working. Surely a casino and location I will visit sooner or later as a player as well. Although Rozvadov is a small place—some would say "in the middle of nowhere"—as a poker destination, it is a must-visit. And if you rent a car for a week like we did last time, it gives you the freedom to visit all kinds of nearby places during the week.
In the past nine events, which one has been your favourite and why? Are there any memorable moments you remember?
The Tallinn stop, of course, is a special one as it was my first stop—all the learning and doing something I had never done before. I have improved so much over the years. As another most memorable Festival, I would point out Malta 2023—the first day was a quiet one, like all first days, so at the end of the day, I decided to jump into a game myself. The only trophy event that got finished on day one—NLHE Knockout. I ended up getting second place in that one at 5 in the morning, which meant no proper sleep for me. All in all, this stop had many of my friends and friends of The Festival winning titles, with Øystein shipping the Main Event.
For anyone who hasn't visited The Festival yet, what would be your message to them?
Eventually, poker is poker, and this can be played everywhere, but why I love The Festival Series is the community and regulars with whom you can always have a chat or go out for a cup of tea after a day of poker. And maybe the best thing about The Festival, which I haven't mentioned so far, is the hospitality events—be it a lunch, bowling, some brewery tour, or any of the things the masterminds behind the schedule can come up with. Winning a package that includes hospitality is a must-have, as it is totally worth it.
>> Qualify Online for The Festival Series
Time to Freestyle!
If there is anything to add, then it would be that you all visiting The Festival during any of our stops must be happy that 99% of the time, I have no time to play poker and must take cool pictures of you all. You are photographed by the first Streamers Challenge second-place finisher and, since the beginning of this year, the Streamers Challenge Champion. Other than that, I have a title in our popular Sportsbook Tournament, part of almost every stop, so yeah, your visit is being documented by a Champion and other legends part of the team.
Final Thoughts
Mairo Toom is a person who has Estonia written all over it, especially the way he talks about his hometown called Pärnu. Not only does he shoot stunning pictures, but his work ethic is outstanding. Not to miss out on, he is a great person to have around, sharing the same 'degen-like' behaviour as many of us have in our team. Get ready for a great stop in Rozvadov, folks. The team is ready to welcome you all with a warm welcome, and with a camera!
