button in SafariJohn Blomberg Flips to Massive Chip Lead as Coolbet Open Breaks All Records on Day 2
Records have been broken at the Olympic Park Casino in Hilton Tallinn Park today. When late registration closed for the 2026 Coolbet Open €550 Main Event, 753 entries had been made, shattering the previous record of 686 from 2019. In fact, the turnout was so great that Day 2 had to be extended by a couple of levels, ending the night with 54 players.
The survivors are all guaranteed a part of the €357,675 prize pool, as the bubble burst when 95 players remained, courtesy of Daniel Rantanen being eliminated in 96th place. After a couple more levels, John Blomberg ended the night as chipleader, securing a whopping 1,570,000 to take to Day 3, worth over 100 big blinds tomorrow.
For the majority of the day, Blomberg shared a table with Mounir Tajiou. A dynamic involving plenty of beverages and table talk culminated in the duo getting their top-ten stacks in during the final minutes of the night, and Blomberg won the subsequent flip, putting him in pole position in the race for the €65,415 top prize.
To paint a picture of how big Blomberg's lead is, Oystein Stai was the only other player to cross the seven-figure mark, barely doing so with a stack of 1,090,000. American player Xavier Lyu, who resides in Tallinn, finished third with 765,000, while Ranel Kasi became the best-performing hometown hero with a stack of 725,000.
End of Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Blomberg | Finland | 1,570,000 | 105 |
| 2 | Oystein Stai | Norway | 1,090,000 | 73 |
| 3 | Xavier Lyu | United States | 765,000 | 51 |
| 4 | Joonas Helin | Finland | 735,000 | 49 |
| 5 | Ranel Kasi | Estonia | 725,000 | 48 |
| 6 | Atso Lindell | Finland | 715,000 | 48 |
| 7 | Yevhen Pavlenko | Ukraine | 700,000 | 47 |
| 8 | Jarmo Salonen | Finland | 685,000 | 46 |
| 9 | Payam Seyedzadeh | Norway | 640,000 | 43 |
| 10 | Sergi Kapanadze | Georgia | 620,000 | 41 |
Defending champion Guillermo Gordo remains in contention for his title defence, although with 180,000 to his name, he will return as one of the shortest stacks. Bracelet winner Ranno Sootla bagged 316,000 on his hunt for the Coolbet Open title, while William Corvalan, the last representative of a sizable Chilean contingent, has made Day 3 with 325,000. Two ladies made their way to the final day, with Julia Kuusijarvi and Helena Ling both bagging above-average stacks, doing so with 525,000 and 475,000, respectively.
Princes, Gamblers, and Champions Bite the Dust
As for those who didn't make it, the name that stands out the most belongs to Scotty Nguyen. The 1998 World Champion and Poker Hall of Famer made a short appearance at the Coolbet Open, but lost a flip shortly after registering at the start of Day 2. Nguyen briefly shared a table with Vladimir Korzinin, but the Estonian high roller's trademark strategy of going all-in blind did not work out for him, as he dusted a few bullets during the reentry phase.
Others who fell before the money include Swedish Hall of Famers Christer Larsson and Martin "Franke" Von Zweigbergk, Estonian regulars Tarmo Tammel and Igor Pihela, and Day 1b chipleader Jawad Habib.
Once in the money, 2024 champion Anders Bjorkheim finished 87th, taking home the minimum cash of €1,120. Day 1c chipleader Gunnar Jacobsen and Day 1a chipleader Baldvin Borgarsson made the pay jump to €1,230 for their 71st and 65th place, respectively, the same amount Johan Storakers received for finishing 69th.
The 54 remaining players will return on September 5 at noon local time for the final day of the 2026 Coolbet Open Main Event. The blinds will resume at Level 22: 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 big blind ante, and all levels will remain 40 minutes long. A break is scheduled after every three levels, and Day 3 will conclude only when a winner has been crowned. The action will also be streamed by Coolbet, cards-up and on a 30-minute delay.
The contenders have all secured a payout of €1,350 by making it to the final day. Small pay jumps will take place until the final table of nine, at which point the prizes will have increased to €6,080. Five-figure sums will be awarded to the top seven, while the champion will walk away with €65,415 and the coveted Coolbet trophy.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €65,415 | 10-11 | €4,820 | |
| 2 | €43,060 | 12-13 | €4,020 | |
| 3 | €30,750 | 14-15 | €3,410 | |
| 4 | €23,080 | 16-17 | €2,970 | |
| 5 | €17,670 | 18-20 | €2,560 | |
| 6 | €13,580 | 21-23 | €2,250 | |
| 7 | €10,620 | 24-27 | €1,960 | |
| 8 | €7,990 | 28-31 | €1,680 | |
| 9 | €6,080 | 32-39 | €1,480 | |
| 40-54 | €1,350 |
PokerNews will be back for the final day of the 2026 Coolbet Open Main Event, bringing you the thrilling conclusion live as it happens.