For Martin ‘Franke’ von Zweigbergk, poker has never been confined to one format, one region, or one way of playing the game.

From underground clubs in Scandinavia to some of Europe’s most established poker rooms, the Swedish promoter, organiser, and founder of The Festival Series has spent decades shaping how poker is experienced beyond the felt. Now, at APT Taipei 2026, he finds himself at another key moment, not just in his own journey, but in the evolution of a game he has long championed.

That game is Sviten Special.

A Scandinavian Game Reaches Asia

At APT Taipei 2026, Sviten Special will be played in Asia for the very first time. Scheduled as Event #49: Turbo – PL Drawmaha Sviten, it is the latest chapter in a journey that began in Sweden, where the game was originally created before gradually spreading across Scandinavia and into the wider European circuit. Franke has been central to that expansion.

Through initiatives like the Cash Game Festival and later The Festival Series, he helped introduce Sviten Special to new player pools, building momentum stop by stop. What began as a niche variant has since evolved into a recognised format within the mixed-game community.

“I’m here because of the Sviten Special,” Franke said. “We’re trying to push it out into the world.”

The Sviten Special mini-lion trophy

What is Sviten Special?

For players encountering the format for the first time, Sviten Special offers a unique blend of familiar structures with a creative twist.

In simple terms, it combines elements of 5-Card Draw and Omaha High into a split-pot format:

• Each player is dealt five cards
• A community board is dealt, as in Omaha
• After the flop, there is a single draw round, where players can discard and replace cards
• At showdown, the pot is split between:
• The best 5-card draw hand (using all five cards)
• The best Omaha hand (using 2 hole cards + 3 from the board)

The result is a game that is fast-paced, highly interactive, and full of action, making it especially appealing for mixed-game enthusiasts.

Click here for full rules and gameplay breakdown.

From School Games to Global Festivals

Franke’s path into poker began long before large-scale festivals and international collaborations. As a teenager, he played casual games with friends, even keeping a handwritten ledger of debts, until it was discovered by his school principal.

Years later, while working in Finland during the poker boom, he immersed himself in live games, often finding himself outmatched at tables filled with elite players.

“I thought they liked me,” he said with a smile. “I didn’t understand I was the fish.”

Rather than stepping away, Franke leaned in. He began organising events, parties, and live poker experiences, eventually helping online operators connect with players through real-world engagement.

His most notable creation, the Cash Game Festival, broke away from traditional structures by focusing entirely on cash games. Later, during the COVID period, he launched The Festival Series, a broader concept that blends poker with other competitive formats, from blackjack and roulette to sports betting and slots.

Martin ‘Franke’ von Zweigbergk takes down his first APT trophy to go along with another cash

Why Mixed Games Matter

Despite the continued dominance of No-Limit Hold’em, Franke has long advocated for mixed games as a more social and engaging alternative.

“Hold’em is still the Rolls-Royce,” he said. “But me personally, I love mixed games.”

For him, the appeal lies in the atmosphere.

“The vibe at a mixed-game table is more loose,” he explained. “People talk with each other. It’s not so much headphones and hoodies.”

With more visible cards and varied formats, mixed games often encourage interaction and create a more inclusive experience, qualities that Sviten Special embodies.

Franke enjoys the vibe at the mixed game tables

APT Taipei: A Natural Stage for Growth

Franke’s arrival in Taipei coincides with one of the most ambitious festivals on the APT calendar. With 170 events and over USD 6.5 million in guarantees, APT Taipei 2026 offers one of the most diverse schedules in live poker today.

“What you create here at APT is insane,” Franke said. “In Europe, we might run one or two mixed games a day. Here, you have several in a single day. It’s a dream.”

He also highlighted the operational strength of the festival, particularly the ability to run complex mixed-game formats smoothly.

“The level of the dealers is insanely good,” he noted. “You’re not just running standard games, you have variants and variants plus-plus.”

Franke’s presence also reflects a growing connection between Europe’s mixed-game scene and Asia’s rapidly expanding poker landscape.

“Asia has much more potential,” he said. “For all my friends in Europe, I’m already telling them, let’s book at least one APT a year.”

A Moment Worth Marking

From its origins in Sweden to its expansion across Europe, Sviten Special has steadily built a following among players seeking something different. Its arrival at APT Taipei represents the next step in that journey, one that could see the game reach an entirely new audience.

For Franke, who has travelled to Taipei alongside a group of 12 fellow players from Europe, it is a proud moment to see the game reach one of Asia’s biggest stages. What started as a local innovation has now found its way onto one of the largest stages in Asian poker, adding yet another dimension to an already dynamic festival.

“Whatever you do,” Franke said, “play Sviten Special.”

Sviten Special makes its APT Taipei debut on April 25 at the Asia Poker Arena (APA), kicking off at 7:45pm, with registration open until 9:45pm.