2011 PokerStars.com EPT Tallinn

The final chip counts from Day 1a

Day 1a of the European Poker Tour Tallinn Main Event is now in the books after seven levels of play here in the luxurious Swissotel in the heart of Estonia.

A total of 92 players exchanged €4,250 for 30,000 chips and an hour long clock and by the time play drew to a close 68 of them still had chips in front of them. Leading the way is Maksim Kolosov of Russia who bagged up 102,725 chips, almost 20,000 more than his nearest rival and EPT Prague winner Roberto Romanello on 83,175

Amongst the 92 starters were five former EPT Champions, Arnaud Mattern, David Vamplew, Kent Lundmark, Rupert Elder and the aforementioned Romanello. Joining them was Joe Ebanks who won his first World Series of Poker bracelet this summer in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Six-handed Championship event. All six of these fantastic players are safely through to Day 2 on Thursday.

Other notable players who managed to navigate their way through the stormy waters of Day 1a include Team PokerStars Pros Richard Toth (37,325) and Marcin Horecki (21,925), Mathew Frankland (70,475), Martin Jacobson (74,000) and Praz Bansi (73,975).

Day 1b will start on Wednesday at 1200 noon local time and we are expecting a bumper crowd, possibly more than 200 runners! Amongst them will be Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri, Ville Wahlbeck, Luca Pagano, Sebastian Ruthenberg and JP Kelly, whilst John Eames, EPT Grand Final winner Ivan Freitez and Annette Obrestad are all listed to play.

Join us again from 1200 noon for all the action, as it happens, from EPT Tallinn Day 1b.

Rafael Gomes has secured a late and needed double-up via PokerStars qualifier Lasse Sorensen.

The man from Portugal moved all-in for 6,850 from under-the-gun and was called by Sorensen two seats along. Pierre Neuville tank-folded (ace-king he later said) from the button.

Gomes:
Sorensen:

The board ran to make him a set.

Day 1a has almost come to an end. We have been informed that the players will play seven more hands before bagging up their chips.

Roberto Romanello is right up amongst the chipleaders after he won a massive pot that resulted in Lasse Sorensen being eliminated.

It looks like the money went in preflop with Romanello holding and Sorensen . The board ran out and Romanello's set of jacks is enough to send Sorensen home and to catapult the Welshman past 83,000 chips.

Ville Salmi just won a decent sized pot over on Table 3 in a hand that promised fireworks but ended without the explosions we expected.

Anders Bisgaard opened the betting from under the gun with a raise to 1,250. Next to act was Salmi and he raised to 2,600. This was enough to fold out everyone up to Albert Mikhailyta on the button and WSOP bracelet holder Joe Ebanks, in the big blind. Bisgaard also called and it was four handed to the flop.

Ebanks checked, as did Bisgaard but Salmi spoiled the party by betting 5,025. This was too much for any of his opponents to call and he raked in the pot.

EPT Online Qualifier of the Year Martin Jacobson went through last season effortlessly (or so it seemed) gathering chips on Day 1s. Four times he converted them into cashes, three of which were final tables no-less.

Nothing new for Season 8 then as he has a 70,000 stack (good for top three right now) as we approach the day's end. He just three-bet and barreled flop and turn on a board to force an opponent off a hand.

Phidias Georgiou has been nursing a short stack for the past couple of levels and has been waiting for a spot to get his money in so that he could possibly double up. That opportunity just arose but it ended rather disappointingly for the Greek.

He opened the betting to 1,100 and was called by Albert Mikhailyta. Joe Ebanks, on the button, made it 3,800 to play only to see Georgiou move all in for around 8,000 chips. Mikhailyta folded and the cards were revealed.

Ebanks:
Georgiou:

The ended any hopes of a miracle four-flush for either player and when the turn and river were the and respectively the pot was chopped up.

Roberto Romanello started Day 1a of the EPT Tallinn Main Event slowly but he seems to be in the zone right now and is hovering around the 60,000 chip mark.

In a hand that has just gone down over on Table 1 everyone folded to EPT Barcelona champion Kent Lundmark in the hijack seat and he made it 1,000 to play. The only person to call the Swede's bet was Romanello in the big blind. The flop came down and Romanello check-called Lundmark's continuation bet of 1,200. The turn was the and both players checked, which is exactly what they did when the arrived on the river.

Lundmark:
Romanello: - and the best hand.