Interview: 2022 Bratislava Champion Michel Molenaar on His Record Win, Career Rise, and Life on the Circuit
In 2022, Michel Molenaar captured the Main Event title at The Festival Bratislava, earning €126,650, a record that still stands as the biggest win in the Festival’s history. Since then, Molenaar has become a familiar force on the international circuit, collecting trophies across Europe and beyond.
We sat down with the Dutch pro to revisit his breakthrough victory, his rise through the ranks, and what’s next as he continues to travel the world in pursuit of the game he loves. A couple years back, we also sat down with him to 'Relive the moment'.
Bratislava 2022 Win: Your win in Bratislava for €126,650 is still the biggest in Festival Series history. What do you remember most about that moment, and how did it impact you?
I like to think I don’t remember much of deep runs, but its pretty vivid thinking back about it now. I recall bubbling the highroller on the day off after I had already bagged into the main day2 , and saying something to the tune of “guess I will have to win the Main instead” in chat. I remember winning more than 5 80/20s and a few 60/40s in a row on day 2 near and in the money. I think going to the end of the day I felt pretty confident this was going to be my tournament. The pure thrill of playing for that many buyins is something I’ll always cherish and return to chase in every next tournament I register.
Career After the Win: How did winning Bratislava shape your poker journey? Did it change your mindset or open new opportunities?
I was already starting to play a little more before the win in Bratislava at EPTs and local tours, but the Bratislava win really kicked some great things into gear. It gave me a major boost to my bankroll, which would be well-needed with FTX shutting down less than a month after. After the win I ended up collecting a couple more trophies in the following year which turned out to be an insane collection of runs which ended with the Dublin MILLIONS win.
Breaking Your Own Record: You topped your Bratislava win with €210K in Dublin. How did that compare emotionally and professionally?
It was amazing. That tournament was a very dreamy run and everything just worked out just as I hoped. Emotionally they kind of fit in the same category of these major events getting to enjoy the full tournament feeling. As I said, the Bratislava win was the kickstart of my career, and the Dublin win following it up was the establishing win. Unfortunately I haven’t really come to follow that one up just yet, I have come close with a few deep runs this past year where there was more to win but falling just short of the top prize, I am sure it will come again when the time’s right.
Early Days: You had live results as early as 2018. What first drew you to poker, and how did your early experiences shape your game?
I have always been interested In strategy games. I think I first experienced seeing poker was late night TV in the Netherlands when I was barely a teenager, and then seeing my neighbours playing on their back porch got me interested, seeing as my family is massively into cardgames like Hearts or “klaverjassen” , seeing that competitive spirit got me hooked. Grinding online for a few years from 17... uhm 18 years old got me started learning the ropes, the thrill of beating people at the game and seeing the work get rewarded has been satisfying me to this day.
Life on the Road: You’ve played all over – from Slovakia to Vegas. What’s it like living on the road as a poker pro?
It is very fun being able to travel all over the world to play cards for occasional very large sums. It’s a massive privilege to be able to be doing what I have been for the past half decade and I don’t think I’d trade it with many other things.
Photo Credits: Irish Poker Open & Austin Currington (WSOP)
Playing All Stakes: You play everything from €500 events to €10Ks. How do you adjust your mindset across different buy-ins?
I just really enjoy playing cards and the competition that comes with it. The main difference is obviously that you don’t get given as many opportunities and lifelines in higher buyin tournaments that occur in a lower buyin. Playing for lots of money can be very draining on energy from the start where the lower end of the range can feel a bit more chilled until you get actually deep in the tournament. Still have to play to the best of your ability in the moment given the circumstances though.
Studying the Game: You're known for studying with tools like DTO and talking hands with top players. What’s your approach to improvement?
Pretty much that really. You have to keep improving or you will fall behind and get rusty.
Festival Series Vibe: What stands out to you about the Festival Series, with its mix of Hold’em, mixed games, and casino events?
The fun atmosphere while at the same time playing for a decent amount of money. Not often do you get a tournament organizer as fun as Franke.
Hold’em vs. Mixed Games: Do you ever jump into the Festival’s non-Hold’em events like Sviten or PLO? How do you feel about variety formats?
I enjoy playing different games quite a bit, I’m not too big of a purist when it comes to poker. I think playing more than one game improves how you play in other games too since youre given more ideas to work with or think about. I have actually played some Sviten cash with I believe the person who’s invented the game in Banco Bratislava, I am quite bad at it but had a very fun time learning on the spot. Other mixgames have been fun to play on occasion and I am looking forward to playing some during the WSOP summer.
Looking Ahead: You returned to Bratislava in 2023. Will you be back again? And what goals are you chasing next in your poker career?
I came back the year after I won it yeah. I teased a back to back win for a good while as I think I even made day3 of the Main. I may show up for one in the future if the time works out right, however for now there’s of course a lot of alternatives where theres more at stake for me. I’m answering this as im in Taiwan right now for the APT Championship, I look to play more in these parts of the world as there are plenty of independent series putting up good schedules like The Festival has done with all their different games and formats. Other than that I will just keep competing until I feel it is time to bow out of the battle at the tables.
As one of the most successful champions in Festival Series history, Michel Molenaar continues to chase the thrill of deep runs, big moments, and the joy of competing at the highest level. From Bratislava, to Vegas, to Dublin and now across Asia, his journey is far from finished. Us, as The Festival Series, will always keep following Michel. Not only as he is our record holding winner, but mainly as he is just such a great guy to have around. We wish him the best of luck on his upcoming tournaments, and of course, we hope he will return at some point to one of our upcoming events of 2026!
