The first feature table is in the books and despite the table being fairly loose and fast, [Removed:111] walked away the biggest winner with €252 in profit or 126 big blinds.
While this adds some spare change to his pockets, it will not put him in contention for the Cash Game Festival trophy unless he plans to appear at more feature tables during the festival.
Kevin Malone was introduced to the Cash Game Festival when it visited the Village Green Card Club, his local poker club, in Dublin in October. Malone won the feature table trophy and came to Tallinn with his friend Tom to see if he could win some money and another trophy.
Although he has just arrived, he is so far impressed by Olympic Park Casino and shared his room is very nice at the Hilton connected to the casino.
One thing he shared was that he felt it was dangerous that the casino was so close to his hotel room. We reminded him that last festival he played a 40-hour session and took only a quick break to pop home so this isn't much different.
Stakes do not need to be high for players to enjoy the action at the Cash Game Festival. Among the tables just opened is a €1/€1 no-limit hold'em table. Right now there are five tables in motion as things pick up.
Shortly after the feature table began, two side €2/€2 no-limit hold'em tables opened up. Along with the Sviten Special table that began before the feature table, there are now four full tables in action.
There are many other players socializing and the action should continue to heat up as the night progresses.
The first stream of the Cash Game Festival Tallinn has just kicked off with stakes at €2/€2 no-limit hold'em. You can check out the action at the Cash Game Festival Twitch channel or by clicking on the Live Stream tab in our coverage.
Scotland's Andrew "Picasso" Hedley will be commentating what is bound to be an entertaining table headlined by Rauno “Estonian Jesus” Tahvonen, in Seat 4.
Tahvonen made a name for himself in the past year playing live poker tournaments and is looking to show his fans he knows what he is doing playing cash games as well.
Here is a look at the rest of the table:
In Seat 1 is Estonia's Ott-Kaarli Toome. He is not nervous and has played at a televised feature table in the past. He shared that, "my friends think that I work in a warehouse" when asked about his profession.
Greg, in Seat 2, came directly from the south of France to appear at the feature table and attend his first Cash Game Festival. This is his first feature table and shared his favorite hand is pocket queens.
Mairo "EstonianWeirdo" Toom, in Seat 3, is a regular viewer of the Cash Game Festival Twitch stream and now gets to see how he does in front of the lights in camera to some of the other stream fans.
Next seat over is Coolbet player from Estonia A Puusepp in seat 5 who is a radio DJ by trade. One seat over in Seat 6 is Estonia's Aleksei Gonstar.
Estonian writer Ragnar Raag, in Seat 7, has a appeared at two previous Cash Game Festivals in Tallinn and appeared at the feature table each time. He shared that something to keep in mind is to play the players more than playing your cards.
Rounding off the action is Estonia's Ilja in Seat 8 who shared his biggest poker achievement was winning a live freeroll tournament in Tartu.
Sviten Special, otherwise known as drawmaha, is always played at Cash Game Festivals. However, for the first time, it was the first table opened with a €2/€2 game with players that were in the mood to hop right in as the welcome drinks ceremony was winding down.
Among the players at the table are Cash Game Festival Cofounder Martin "Franke" von Zweigbergk, Nordic Bet Head of Poker Jostein Grødum and Cash Game Festival regulars Peter La Terra and Jens "Dansken" Riis.
Franke and crew are laughing away and there is a crowd of more than a dozen players watching and trying to learn the game which involves knowledge of both pot-limit Omaha and five-card draw.
Here is a video tutorial on the game made by Peter La Terra.
Welcome drinks have just kicked off. Ryan "Metalface" Davey, Jeffrey "boosbroodje" Lanser and Mario "EstonianWeirdo" Toom, all of whom are avid fans of the Cash Game Festival Twitch stream are among the players enjoying a drink or two before battling it out at the tables.
Meanwhile, the first €2/€2 no-limit hold'em feature table is being set-up. We will have the line-up and some information about the players right before the broadcast begins.
Following eight successful stops this year, the Cash Game Festival is about to kick off its ninth and last stop of 2017 at Olympic Park Casino in Tallinn, Estonia for five days of nonstop cash game poker on Nov. 15-19.
Tallinn holds a special place in Cash Game Festival history as it is where the festival planted its roots with its first three Cash Game Festivals in history taking place in the Estonian capital in 2014 and 2015 before transforming into an international tour at the beginning of 2016.
The festival expects a full house with players confirmed from at least 19 different countries and the casino has set-up more poker tables than normal to satiate the huge demand.
Scotland's Andrew "Picasso" Hedley, who made his debut around this time last year when the Cash Game Festival was also in Scotland is back for the second time as both a player and the lead commentator. Picasso has had a tremendous year both in cash games and tournaments and will provide unique strategic insight into the two televised feature tables taking place every day during the festival at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. EET. at the Cash Game Festival Twitch channel. PokerNews will also embed the stream in our coverage.
For the third consecutive time, the Cash Game Festival will be hosting a feature table contest where the player that wins the most big blinds will be awarded a commemorative trophy along with a hospitality package for two to the next Cash Game Festival valued at €400. To add to the intrigue, the last two winners in Norway's Jon Kite and Ireland's Kevin Malone will be in attendance to see if they can be the first two-time winner of the trophy.
Additionally, many of the festival's regulars are either in town or on their way since this is the last festival of the year including Peter La Terra, Ryan "Metalface" Davey and Jens "Dansken" Riis.
As is always the case, the Cash Game Festival organizers are planning a range of activities including welcome drinks, a sporting activity, a guided tour, a world-class dinner and a VIP party.
Our coverage will begin once the Cash Game Festival Tallinn officially kicks off at 5 p.m. EET with welcome drinks inside the poker room.
Stay tuned as the PokerNews Live Reporting team will be covering the festival with player interviews and recaps each day during the festival.