2016 Cash Game Festival Bulgaria
Day 2 Completed
2016 Cash Game Festival Bulgaria
2016 Cash Game Festival Bulgaria
Day: 2
Building Upon Success in Day 2
Day 2 of the 2016 Cash Game Festival Bulgaria at the Platinum Casino has picked up where Day 1 has left off.
The day began with players heading their way off the surf and sun of the outdoors to head off to the mini-golf course for some fun competition. From there, many players headed off to a group dinner at the Terra Fish & Steak restaurant.
Among those in today's action included third-time live poker player Stas Zhelkovskii, who found out about the festival yesterday while enjoying some beach volleyball with SlotsMillion.com player Maret Komarova.
Another new player was in the house in Guts.com player Michelle Svendsen. So far she has been plenty involved in the activities away from the felts, and plans to play what could be her first time playing live casino poker on the televised feature table tomorrow.
The action is still going hot and strong with eight tables in play and some players have shared they plan to play through the night.
Players with the hospitality package are scheduled to head back to the casino tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. before heading off for a luxurious yacht cruise a half-hour later.
Many other players will likely enjoying many outdoor activities as the weather has been perfect before heading to the casino for some ring game action. As tomorrow is the beginning of the weekend, organizers do not expect an empty seat in the house. Live streaming for the feature table for tomorrow is once again scheduled at lower stakes at 5:30 p.m. and higher stakes at 8:30 p.m. on a 20 minute delay.
Stay tuned at PokerNews for the next four days as we report some of the hottest action at the Cash Game Festival.
Huge Pot for Yuliyan Kolev
Yuliyan Kolev just took down one of the bigger pots of the day over on the feature table. On a king-high rainbow board, Kolev was facing a river-bet of €280 from Ivoiylo Sivinov. Kolev snagged a €1,100 pot after he called with 
for a pair of kings against Sivinov who held a pair of pocket-queens in the hole and failed to improve.
A Dirty Dozen
We are now at 12 tables and action is going strong. The feature table would normally be cutting off in five minutes, but it appears you can check out the action on the televised stream for a bit longer which you can view here on PokerNews as well as on the Cash Game Festival website and on the Cash Game Festival Twitch channel.
Michelle Svendsen Is Hanging Out and Having Fun
Among the players here for their first Cash Game Festival is Guts.com player Michelle Svendsen. Not only that, she has only played poker before online, and never before in a casino.
Svendsen's mother is from Norway while her father is from Sweden. She spent most of her life in Norway before moving to Sweden a few years ago.
"I am originally from Norway and lived there for my whole life before I moved to Sweden in 2008 where I have since lived," Svendsen explained. "I moved to Sweden since I didn't have the best contact with my father to get to know him. But it didn't work out."
When Svendsen isn't working hard on her blog and her @MiichelleSvendsen Instagram account, she enjoys playing Counter-Strike. She also found playing poker enjoyable even though she has yet to play a live hand in a casino.
"Poker so far has been more for fun, but I have been playing for two years," Svendsen said. "My work is my blog and also love playing Counter-Strike for fun."
Svendsen is full of energy and she has been enjoying her time in the casino. "I get so restless, so I usually like to do everything at once," explained Svensen. "I love gaming and gambling and everything you can do in a casino."
Svendsen has been having fun at the Cash Game Festival, but we learned that she is a bit nervous about tomorrow's feature table. However, first she can likely calm her nerves by relaxing on a yacht trip that many Cash Game Festival attendees will be enjoying earlier in the day.
"The Cash Game Festival is fun, but I am kind of nervous about being on the televised feature table tomorrow," Svendsen admitted. "We are first going out on a yacht trip."
Her nerves come from never playing live poker before and maybe can be calmed with a poker session today.
"The Cash Game Festival is the only festival I have been too, otherwise it has been through a computer," Svendsen commented. "I actually have only played online and have never, ever sat at a live table. That's why I am nervous. This festival will be the first time I am playing live. Usually I just have to click buttons and now I have to think about a poker face and observe others."
"I am going to practice playing in a few hours and hopefully I will learn something about sitting on the tables," Svendsen added. "I am just going to try be me. I have so much energy because of my ADD, so I can never stay all quiet and still. So I am going to be myself and don't have a strategy. I am just going to be nice and see if people will talk since I can talk. This is my first time, so I am just going to approach it as a fun thing to do."
Svendsen shared that she travels all the time for her blog, but hasn't been to Sunny Beach since she was a young child. So far she is not only loving the festival, but everything else about the town that lives up to its name.
"I love Sunny Beach and love to travel," Svendsen explained. "I haven't been here for many years, but I love the sun and the beach and it has it all."
Speaking of the beach, Svendsen came straight off the sand to hop right into the mini-golf competition which she enjoyed despite being the only one wearing a bikini.
"We played mini-golf and I was terrible at it at first and then I got into it," said Svendsen. "We lost the balls and I had to get under the water with the waterfall. I played mini-golf in a bikini and it was awkward since everyone else was wearing clothes. But it was fun. I like to meet new people, hang out, and try new things that you wouldn't normally do yourself."
The Cash Game Festival is not what many people think it is. It is not just about poker as many don't find out until they attend one to see for themselves. Svendsen is also pleasantly surprised by all the fun off the felts she is having.
"The Cash Game Festival isn't only poker in the casino as you get to know people," said Svendsen. "You can hang out, it is fun. It is not at all what I expected."
Up next for Svendsen is trip is a long trip to Los Angeles on her birthday with a pit-stop in Prague.
"I get to travel a lot for my blog and I am leaving for Los Angeles on my birthday, September 6," Svendsen commented. "I am going to Prague first and staying there for a day before heading straight for LA where I will be for a few months."
It will be a mix or work and pleasure for Svendsen in Los Angeles. Not surprisingly, a side-trip to Sin City is likely in the mix for Svendsen.
"I will be going mostly for my blog, but I also want to visit Las Vegas to see the casinos that are there and want to play some there," Svendsen shared. I have to check it out while I am there. I will use the skills I learn from here and head straight for LA.
We wish Michelle a happy birthday in advance and hope her nerves are calm before her big day on the televised feature table tomorrow.
Cash Game Festival Mini-Golf Photos
Photos from the mini-golf competition compliments of Natalie Pastakeda / Vita Pictura Productions.
Photos From Day 2
Photos from Day 2 compliments of Natalie Pastakeda / Vita Pictura Productions.
Ten Tables and Counting
Room is filling up with 10 tables in action and other players drinking and socializing off the tables. Among the many tables is a €2/€5 five-card pot-limit Omaha game along with the €2/€5 no-limit hold'em feature table.
Second Feature Table Bios
The second feature table just kicked off with stakes at €2/€5 no-limit hold'em.
In the first two seats are a pair of Bulgarian players in Yuliyan Kolev and Viliyan Petteshkov. Both players have enjoyed experience on televised feature tables in the past and are not nervous. Petteshkov shared that he is "not nervous at all and has no strategy at all." He added that, "I will just try to play good."
Swedens Daniel Nasman is over in seat three followed by the infamous e-sports star Pani, who is used to the spotlight as one of the members of Lemondogs.
Last night's hero, Brandon Krabill is in seat 5. The Cash Game Festival veteran won about €4,000 including winning a flip for €500 and €1,500 on the roulette wheel.
Finland's Jarkko Selander is over on seat 6 with fellow country mate "Jokke" in seat 7. Both players shared that they are not nervous about competing under the spotlight.
To round things off is 23-year old poker player Ivoiylo Sivinov who bought into the action for 100 big blinds or €500.
Omar Eljach Shares That "It Was Fun" to Guest Commentate
Sweden's Omar Eljach joined Brandon Allen in the commentary booth for the latter part of the first televised table on Day 2 of the Cash Game Festival Bulgaria.
The 26-year old is originally from Stockholm, Sweden, but spent about half of his life in Berlin, Germany, which he also considers to be home.
"I was born and raised in Stockholm, and I also spent about 12 years in Berlin," explained Eljach. "I moved there for school when I was 11 years old. Now I moved back to Sweden and have once again been living in Stockholm for three years."
While he enjoyed living in Berlin, Eljach's heart was in Sweden where he headed back three years ago to further pursue his studies.
"I came back home to Stockholm primarily to start studying again, but I also just missed being there," shared Eljach. "It feels good to once again spend some time back in Sweden. I also feel very at home in Berlin, so I can't tell which one actually feels more at home."
Eljach was more of a casual poker player while living in Berlin explaining that, "In Berlin, I was mostly just playing recreationally along with some online tournaments. Occasionally I took some shots at the casino, but that's about it."
However, it has been a different story for the Eljach as he now plays poker professionally, spending most of his time playing cash games in the local Swedish poker clubs.
"I have been playing poker full-time for almost three years mostly live at the clubs in Sweden," Eljach said. "I play mostly cash, but sometimes dabble at tournaments as well. I also sometimes play at the casino, but prefer the clubs."
It was at the poker clubs where Eljach originally learned about the Cash Game Festival. There were some special events where he won a package to Malta in June where he got his first taste as to what the Cash Game Festival is all about.
"I originally heard about the Cash Game Festival from a local poker club in Stockholm," shared Eljach. "They hosted some tournaments where you could win some packages to Malta and that was the first time I heard about it. This time I bought a package, but for Malta I won one."
Eljach is here for Omaha, but is happy also playing hold'em depending on the action.
"Basically I will play any hold'em or pot-limit Omaha game that is running anywhere from €1/€2 to €5/€10," said Eljach. "I prefer Omaha, but don't mind playing hold'em at all."
This will be a change of pace from his experience in Malta where he spent most of his time off the felts. After all, the Cash Game Festival is not just about 120+ hours of nonstop poker, but also about enjoying a great experience away from the tables.
Eljach, who just arrived yesterday, basically hopped into the action right off the airplane. Today he enjoyed some fun in the friendly - yet competitive - mini-golf competition.
"I played a short session yesterday just after arriving and then went to play mini-golf with a the Cash Game Festival group earlier today," said Eljach.
"In Malta, I was more on vacation than playing since I went there with my girlfriend," shared Eljach. "I liked everything around Malta as it is a nice location with nice weather and nice food. I mostly just spent some quality time away from the felts. This time in Bulgaria, I came to play more."
In Malta, Eljach was on the televised feature table, an experience he plans to repeat here at Platinum Casino. However, he quickly hopped in the commentary booth during the first televised feature table to chat with Brandon Allen, which is also a new first for him.
"This was my first time behind the booth, and it was fun!" Eljach proclaimed. I played on the TV table once in Malta, but that was my only experience both in the booth and on the feature table with no other TV poker experience.