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Henrik Tollefsen is a professional poker player from Trondheim, Norway who is the youngest to win his country’s National Poker Championship. Tollefsen was also once a competitive cyclist participating in the 2005 international race, Course de la Paix Juniors (The Peace Race Junior) in the Czech Republic. He was 18 and was also beginning to take an interest in poker. He eventually dropped cycling for the card sport. It’s a decision that led him to over a million dollars in live poker earnings from tournaments played all over the world. Tollefsen though has chosen to play much of the last few seasons in the Asian region.
Henrik Tollefsen Early Years in Poker
Henrik Tollefsen began like many players, grinding at online events to earn enough money to play in live tournaments. High stakes poker was illegal then in Norway so when Tollefsen won his first ever tournament in 2009 at the Norwegian Championships, it was held in Nottingham, England. Henrik became the youngest player at 19, beating 468 compatriots to win the tournament and ship his first six-figure cash at $ 119,070.
In 2010, Henrik Tollefsen made his first tournament appearance at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) 40th Edition in Las Vegas. The Norwegian made a deep run, finishing 5th at the $1000 No Limit Hold’em to bag $ 138,107. The Norwegian would juggle his university studies and the poker tour, playing sparingly in the next two years joining WSOP events, the European Poker Tour and the Norwegian Championships. Tollefsen’s goal then was to rise in the Norway player rankings.
Tollefsen in Asia
2013 changed his outlook as he discovered the other side of the world, winning another first championship at the Asian Poker Tour Macau Main Event, banking another six-figure cash of $ 126,538. The following year, Tollefsen earned his biggest career cash of $. 189,000 by winning the High roller Event of the 2014 Macau Poker Cup. He would then repeat his win at the 2015 Asian Poker Tour Manila becoming the first-ever two-time APT Main Event champion. While Tollefsen would still compete at a few European Poker Tour tournaments and the Norwegian Championships (now held in Norway after the government finally allowed restricted play in 2015), he would find his comfort zone in Macau and Manila competing full-time.
Henrik Tollefsen would find more success though in Manila, bagging several wins at side events at the Asian Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour and Manila Megastack. In February 2024 Tollefsen would get another career first by winning the Main Event of the Manila Megastack 18 for another big pay off at $ 101,020.
Tollefsen currently is ranked Number 15 in the Global Poker Index (GPI) National Rankings (Norway) and 14th in the Norway All Time Money List.
Interview with Henrik Tollefsen: Gunning for Norway’s #1 spot
*Profile by Mike Alcazaren
