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How long could you stay away from the poker tables? A month? A year? For Norwegian poker legend Johnny Lodden, the answer was 944 days.

After more than two and a half years away from the game, Lodden made an unexpected return at the Merit Poker Carmen Series in Cyprus.

But this wasn’t a carefully orchestrated comeback - he was simply on vacation. One spur-of-the-moment decision later, he found himself battling through a record-breaking High Roller field, ultimately finishing runner-up to Dawid Smolka for a $182,700 payday.

PokerNews caught up with Lodden to discuss his surprise return, his life away from the felt, and whether poker fans can expect to see more of him in the future.

A New Path: Life Beyond Poker

Lodden’s last recorded poker cash came in 2022 at EPT Barcelona, and the European Poker Tour has been the stage for some of his biggest career moments. His largest single cash came in 2013 when he finished third in the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event for €467,000, and he nearly matched that feat in 2015 with a fourth-place finish in the same event for €379,000.

Though his time at the tables took a backseat, Lodden hasn’t been idle. For the past four years, he has dedicated himself to an entirely different passion—working as an environment therapist with youth.

“I’ve been doing this for four years now, and I love it,” Lodden told PokerNews.

Though poker had been a defining part of his life, Lodden hadn’t planned on making a return. In fact, he wasn’t even in Cyprus for the poker!

“I hadn’t played a single hand of poker since my last cash at EPT Barcelona in 2022,” Lodden revealed. “I was just looking for a vacation somewhere warm. Spain was my initial plan, but it was cold there, so I started searching for other destinations.

“Then I saw Cyprus was 25 degrees, and I also noticed fellow Norwegian Aylar Lie was there, so I reached out to her. She helped me with a hotel at Merit, and I thought, ‘Why not play a tournament while I’m here?’”

That impromptu decision led to an impressive run in the $5,300 High Roller event, where Lodden battled through a record-breaking field of 270 players before falling just short of the title as Poland’s Dawid Smolka came out on top in a hard-fought heads-up match.

“Dawid played great the whole tournament; we were at the same table all of Day 3,” Lodden said. “I honestly think I played great heads-up and was a bit unfortunate not to win. I was hoping for me, Dawid, and Kiril Shcherbakov to be three-handed, as I saw them as the best players.”

Will Lodden Return to Poker?

While Lodden’s deep run in Cyprus might suggest a return to the poker circuit, he remains uncertain about future appearances.

“Not for much, but it might happen,” Lodden admitted. " I love the Merit hotel. The hotel is good, the service is even better, and the food is incredible! Spa, tennis, squash, gym, pool—they have it all!

“If I do play poker again, it’ll most likely be to come back here.”

With an unexpected deep run and a reminder of his poker prowess, could Lodden be tempted to play more? Only time will tell, but let’s hope it’s not another 944 days before we see him back at the tables

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.

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