Jeremi Nowak Claims Victory at the Dynamic Billard Best of the East 2026 in Romania

The 2026 season of the Dynamic Billard Best of the East series officially launched with an eventful weekend in Oradea, Romania. The inaugural stop featured an international field of players competing in a highly contested 9-ball tournament, which culminated in an exhilarating final won by Poland’s Jeremi Nowak, representing Strefa Diamond Gdańsk.

A Record Turnout for the Oradea Tournament

The event drew a massive field of 107 players representing seven countries: Romania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Hungary, and France. Hosted at the Black&White and Shot Arcade clubs, the initial group stages were intensely competitive. The tournament saw a total of 168 matches played across 23 groups of four and 3 groups of five, resulting in over 1,250 racks contested in a “Race to 5” format.

While Romanian hosts constituted nearly 43% of the participants, the Polish delegation of 27 players ultimately dominated the medal placements.

The Path to the Championship

The quarter-finals were highlighted by several high-stakes matches between Polish and Romanian competitors. Jeremi Nowak and Sambor Stachowiak advanced by defeating local favorites Alexandru Pitea and Gabor Olah. In matches featuring compatriots, Romania’s Cristian Surdea eliminated Ciprian Gandac, while Poland’s Mariusz Skoneczny defeated Tomasz Bąk. These outcomes established an elite final four that guaranteed three podium placements for Poland.

During the semi-finals, Surdea secured a 7:3 victory over Skoneczny, and Nowak defeated Stachowiak with a score of 7:5.

The championship match pitted Romania’s Cristian Surdea against Poland’s Jeremi Nowak. The final was highly competitive, pushing the match to a deciding rack, where Nowak emerged victorious with a final score of 7:6. For his win, Nowak received the €1,300 top prize alongside a professional Cuetec pool cue, marking his first major career success.

“I took this competition very seriously. Although I’m in a bit of a shock right now, I know I worked hard for this result. It’s the result of training and my collaboration with a sports psychologist,” the champion emphasized.

Tournament Highlights and Jackpot

The competitive atmosphere in Romania affected many of the participants. In the euphoria of his victory, Nowak reportedly forgot to collect his prize money and had to be reminded by the Series Director after leaving the venue. Nowak later noted with a smile that his emotions had simply taken over.

Another notable achievement came from Slovakia’s Köles Balazs, who broke a two-year “Jackpot curse” by executing a perfect break-and-run on the 9-ball rack to win a professional Cuetec cue case.

What You Need to Know

The Best of the East series, organized by the East European Billiard Council and Mak Marketing since 1998, continues to showcase international pool talent. The event provided free live streaming on TVsports.pl. Following this successful kickoff in Romania, the 2026 tour will proceed to subsequent stops in Slovakia, Poland, and Georgia.

• Jeremi Nowak (Poland) won the inaugural 2026 Dynamic Billard Best of the East tournament in Oradea, Romania.
• Nowak defeated Cristian Surdea (Romania) 7:6 in the final match.
• The tournament featured 107 players from 7 different countries.
• Jeremi Nowak earned a €1,300 top prize and a professional Cuetec cue.
• The 2026 tour will feature upcoming events in Slovakia, Poland, and Georgia.

Tournament Results