2018 Cash Game Festival Bulgaria Day 1 | 2018 Cash Game Festival Bulgaria

The first of five days of the 2018 Cash Game Festival Bulgaria was a huge success at Platinum Casino, located steps away from the sand and waves in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria.

As of 2 a.m. there were a dozen tables running in a variety of games including no-limit hold'em, pot-limit Omaha, and Sviten Special.

The festival began with welcome drinks at 6 p.m. EEST. Some players couldn't wait and were in action at the table before the day and night heated up.

As will be the case throughout the festival, today featured two televised feature tables on the Cash Game Festival Twitch channel and embedded in our coverage. PokerNews Editor Jason Glatzer and Cash Game Festival Head of Media Henry Kilbane commentated on all the action with two-time Cash Game Festival trophy winner and 32Red qualifier Jon Kyte bringing in his expert analysis for the late pot-limit Omaha action.

Youness Barakat was the biggest winner at the first table of the night after booking a profit of €996 or 332 big blinds at a €1/€3 no-limit hold'em table. This was also good enough for the most overall profit moneywise out of any player at either feature table.

While Barakat booked the most profit money-wise at both of the feature tables, Nikolay Bibov won more big blinds at the later €2/€2 pot-limit Omaha feature table after winning €865 or 432.5 big blinds.

Today also featured several online freerolls hosted by Cash Game Festival partner 32Red Poker. They will continue to run freerolls throughout the festival with the password released on the streams as will the Cash Game Festival's other partner Unibet Poker.

Tomorrow the action is expected to be even bigger both on an away from the tables. There are two activities planned for those that won packages either online or at previous festivals including a sporting activity at 2 p.m. EEST and the first of two parties at 9 p.m. EEST.

Stay tuned at PokerNews as we reported the action with four more exciting days still yet to come.

The Cash Game Festival has returned to Platinum Casino, located steps away from the sand and surf of the Black Sea in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, for five days of non-stop poker action from Aug. 8-12.

The festival will feature tons of amazing poker action at stakes high and low. Most of the games will be in no-limit Texas hold'em, but any game players can think of will be made available including pot-limit Omaha, Sviten Special, and super dealer's choice.

Every day of the festival features two televised feature table at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. EEST at the Cash Game Festival Twitch channel. We will also include the streams in our coverage and a few of them will be also broadcasted on the PokerNews Facebook channel.

PokerNews' Jason Glatzer and Cash Game Festival's Henry Kilbane along with plenty of entertaining guest hosts throughout the week. Many Cash Game Festival regulars, local regulars, and qualifiers from 32Red Poker, Unibet Poker and from other festivals are scheduled to compete in what promises to be exciting poker action.

Today's early feature table will be a €1/€3 no-limit affair. Among the players at the table will be 32Red qualifier Yohannes McAllister, Unibet Poker qualifier David Eriksson, and Unibet Poker Ambassador Rauno "Estonian Jesus" Tahvonen.

Tahvonen came into town last night and couldn't wait to play. He joined Cash Game Festival regular Peter La Terra and Cash Game Festival Marketing Manager Bjorne Lindberg, and Cash Game Festival CEO James Simms in a fun game of Sviten Special.

If you aren't familiar with Sviten Special, it combining both pot-limit Omaha and five card draw in the same game with players receiving five hole cards. Last night was Tahvonen's first time playing it and he plans to play more throughout the festival.

Tahvonen is typically a tournament player but has done well in cash game as well. He joked with us about appearing at the first feature table of the festival.

"I am so used to playing with a minimum of five cards now, but I will do my best to win in hold'em," said Tahvonen.

The game changes to €2/€2 pot-limit Omaha for the later feature table. Tahvonen will be back as will 32Red Poker qualifier Edgars Armans, who has amazingly won nine Cash Game Festival packages in freeroll tournaments at the online poker room.

Tahvonen believes he will do better at pot-limit Omaha even though he typically only plays hold'em in tournaments.

"I fancy my chances better at the four-card game, even though I usually never play it," said Tavhvonen.

The festival begins today at 6 p.m. EEST with welcome drinks at the casino.

Stay tuned at PokerNews as we cover the highlights of the 2018 Cash Game Festival Bulgaria.

Tags: 32Red Bjorne Lindberg Cash Game Festival David Eriksson Edgars Armans Henry Kilbane James Simms Jason Glatzer Rauno Tahvonen Unibet Yohannes McAllister