€1,100 Main Event
Day 1 Completed
2018 OlyBet Kings of Tallinn
€1,100 Main Event
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 OlyBet Kings of Tallinn
Buy-in
€1,100
Prize Pool
€254,600
Entries
268
Level
28
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Finland's Feras Abid Leads the Way After Day 1 of the 2018 Kings of Tallinn
Level 7
: 300/600, 75 ante
The fourth edition of the Kings of Tallinn Main Event hosted by Olympic Park Casino and Hilton Tallinn Park was a huge success with 241 entrants ponying up the €1,100 buy-in.
This represents just six players less than that of the record 247 entrants to play in last year's event. However, a new record at this point is a mere formality with many players stating their intentions to enter for the first-time or re-enter before the late registration period ends at the start of tomorrow.
Players began the today's deep-stacked action with 30,000 in chips and battled it out for seven blinds levels of 60 minutes each.
About half of today's field survived today's action with Finland's Feras Abid leading the way with 137,700 in chips. Also finishing the day in good shape was Estonia's Tonis Viik in second place with 119,000 in chips. Viik admitted he got lucky in a big hand where he the river delivered one of the cards he needed to complete a flush draw or a gut-shot straight draw on the river to haul in a big pot.
Henri Vaisanen ended the day in third place with 118,300 in chips, giving Finnish players two of the top three spots to enter Day 2.
Another Finn in Juha Helppi looked like he had a good chance to advance to the second day with the chip lead after once having more than 140,000 in chips. He is one of Europe's most successful poker players with more than $7.1 million in cashes and was easily the most accomplished poker player in today's Day 1 field. While Helppi did give some chips away during the final blind level of the day, he will enter Day 2 near the top of the pack with a healthy stack of 112,200.
Also in today's field were three Team OlyBet pros in Raigo Aasmaa, Carmen-Elena Vist and Dmitrijs Meless. All three players were busy accumulating chips throughout the day and will be in the mix on Day 2.
Day 2 of the Main Event will kick off at 12 p.m. local time tomorrow with blinds at 400/800 and an ante of 100. We will have updated chip counts for all of the players as well as starting seat assignments before the action resumes.
As was the case today, the PokerNews live reporting team will be back on the floor to provide complete coverage tomorrow and beyond until a winner is declared.
More Photos From the Opening Day
Players Bagging Chips
Level 7
: 300/600, 75 ante
Players are currently bagging chips. Right now the big board is showing 236 entrants on Day 1, however, it is likely this isn't the final figure for the day. Either way, the field will grow with players still able to late register and re-enter the tournament up until Day 2 begins.
Estonian Jesus Does Not Survive the Day
Level 7
: 300/600, 75 ante
Rauno Tahvonen, otherwise known as "Estonian Jesus" has just been eliminated from the Day 1 field. It doesn't appear he will re-enter today with 20 minutes left on the blind level but might opt to do so tomorrow before Day 2 begins.
With about 16,000 in chips to start the hand, Tahvonen opened with a min-raise of 1,200 from late position and got a call from Team OlyBet pros Carmen-Elina Vist and Dmitrijs Meless.
Vist bet 1,600 on the 
rainbow flop. Meless folded before Tahvonen raised to 4,700 and Vist called.
Vist check-called an all-in bet from Tahvonen of around 10,000 when the 
appeared on the turn. Tahvonen turned over 
and needed help against Vist who held 
for top pair.
A blank spiked the river and Tahvonen packed up his personal belongings for the day. Meless shared after the hand he folded 
and would have had the straight on the turn if the action didn't chase him out of the pot before then.
River Does Not Help Helppi
Level 7
: 300/600, 75 ante
Finland's Juha Helppi has been silently crushing throughout Day 1. Just after eliminating a player that held a very small stack he was facing off in a much bigger pot against fellow countryman Jussi Karpanen.
The action began with Helppi opening up for 1,500 before Karpanen three-bet from the big blind to 4,000. Helppi called and the flop came 
.
Karpanen fired out a continuation bet of 3,500 and got a quick call from Helppi. Helppi led out for 9,000 after the 
appeared on the turn and the action was checked to him. Karpanen thought for a minute before he called.
The 
spiked the river. Karpanen represented this was a good card for him and fired out for 20,000. Helppi looked uncomfortable and went into the tank for about five minutes. During this time, Karpanen had his hoodie pulled tight. Helppi, who is among the players to head into Day 2 competing for the chip lead sighed before he folded.
Helppi's stack was still healthy after the hand with about 140,000 in chips while Karpanen now has around 90,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
140,000 | 25,000 |
|
90,000 |
Field Grows to 236 Entrants
Level 7
: 300/600, 75 ante
The field is now at 236 entrants and is a slam dunk to eclipse last year's record field of 247 entrants.
Players Ready to Gamble
Level 7
: 300/600, 75 ante
We bumped into Finland's Arttu Markus Iisakka and Estonia's Janar Kokk at the break. Both players had around half their starting stack.
While if they remain steady they will be able to head into tomorrow with a stack of about 20 big blinds, both players seemed dissatisfied with that prospect and stated they were going to try to gamble during the final blind level of the day to get some chips.
Neither player was sure if they would re-enter into the tournament if their gamble up a stack strategy failed to work. Players can re-enter an unlimited amount of times during the late-registration period which is open until the start of Day 2.
Level: 7
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 75
Final Break
Level 6
: 200/400, 50 ante
Players are now on their final 15-minute break of the day.
When they return they will play one more level before bagging and tagging their chips.