€1,100 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2020 Kings of Tallinn
€1,100 Main Event
Day: 1a
Renato Messina Bags Day 1a Chip Lead
Level 8
: 400/800, 800 ante
Day 1a of the sixth edition of the OlyBet Kings of Tallinn €1,100 Main Event hosted by Olympic Park Casino and Hilton Tallinn Park was a huge success with 522 entrants ponying up the €1,100 buy-in.
This not already means that the €500,000 guarantee is already met but that also last year's record field of 375 entrants was smashed already by 147 entrants. The record will be further extended with many players planning to enter for the first time or re-enter on Day 1a and/or before the late registration period ends at the conclusion of the first blind level of Day 2 tomorrow.
Players began today's deep-stacked action with 30,000 in chips and battled it out for eight hour-long blinds levels.
More than half of today's field survived today's action with Italy's Renato Messina leading the way among the 264 survivors with 224,200 in chips.
Others bagging big stacks into Day 2 were Finland's Sargon Esfendiyari (195,100), Estonia's Urmo Velvelt (173,300), Robert Kallikorm (172,000), Lithuania's Daniel Belov (166,600), and United Kingdom's Carl Shaw (155,300).
Velvelt was picking up chips throughout the day but got off to an early start after he successfully picked off a bluff made by Audrius Navickas.
Meanwhile, Shaw won a huge pot against Swedish pro Jerry Odeen. Shaw jammed with a full house and got a call from Odeen with two pair to send his opponent to the rail.
Day 2 of the Main Event will kick off at 12 p.m. local time tomorrow with blinds at 500/1,000 and a big blind ante of 1,000. We will post 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.
*Images courtesy of Ardo Kaljuvee / Kings of Tallinn.
Final Chip Counts of Day 1a (full)
Level 8
: 400/800, 800 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
224,200 | |
|
195,900 | 800 |
|
173,300 | |
|
|
172,000 | 172,000 |
|
166,600 | 46,600 |
|
155,300 | |
|
149,700 | |
|
|
149,100 | 100 |
|
131,500 | 56,500 |
|
127,800 | 300 |
|
117,300 | 117,300 |
|
116,800 | |
|
116,000 | 116,000 |
|
116,000 | 73,000 |
|
114,900 | 14,900 |
|
111,200 | |
|
110,200 | |
|
|
109,500 | 109,500 |
|
108,600 | 108,600 |
|
104,000 | 104,000 |
|
103,000 | 1,000 |
|
|
102,800 | 102,800 |
|
|
102,500 | 102,500 |
|
|
102,400 | |
|
102,000 | 102,000 |
Messina Unofficially Bags the Chip Lead
Level 8
: 400/800, 800 ante
Here is a look at many of the chip counts of those bagging some of the biggest chip stacks on Day 1a.
It will likely be at least another hour before full chip counts are officially released but it appears that Renato Messina unofficially bagged the Day 1a chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
224,200 | |
|
|
195,100 | 170,100 |
|
|
173,300 | 98,300 |
|
|
155,300 | 25,300 |
|
|
149,700 | |
|
|
149,000 | |
|
|
127,500 | |
|
|
116,800 | |
|
|
116,000 | |
|
|
111,200 | |
|
|
110,200 | |
|
|
102,400 | -2,600 |
|
|
102,000 | 69,000 |
|
100,600 |
Players Bagging Chips
Level 8
: 400/800, 800 ante
Players are now bagging chips for Day 1a. The flight attracted a huge field of 522 entrants with 266 players surviving.
It will be at least an hour for full chip counts with so many players remaining and Day 1b about to begin.
Final Five Hands
Level 8
: 400/800, 800 ante
The tournament director has paused the clock and announced to dealers to deal five more hands. After these five hands, Day 1a will be in the books.
It is unlikely that Day 1b will start on time at 9 p.m. EET as it will take a little time for players to bag chips and clear out room for the second and final opening flight of the Main Event.
Big Slick for Karkkainen
Level 8
: 400/800, 800 ante
A player limped from early position before David Modans jammed for 13,000. Antti Karkkainen four-bet his big stack and the opening limper folded.
Davis Modans: 
Antti Karkkainen: 
Modans flopped an open-ended straight draw after the 
came on the flop.
His draw didn't complete with the 
appearing on the turn followed by the 
on the river and Karkkainen was awarded all of his chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
110,000 | 110,000 |
|
Busted |
Belov Ousts Dewerdt
Level 8
: 400/800, 800 ante
Daniel Belov checked after the 
came on the flop. Jimmy Dewerdt bet, Belov raised, and Dewerdt three-bet jammed for more thn 40,000.
Belov called and Dewerdt appeared visibly frustrated when he saw his opponent's cards.
Jimmy Dewerdt: 
Daniel Belov: 
Dewerdt got out of his seat and eventually headed to the rail after neither the on the turn nor the 
on the river were able to save him.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
120,000 | |
|
Busted |
Final Blind Level of Day 1a
Level 8
: 400/800, 800 ante
Day 1a is on its final blind level of the day. After the blind level, surviving players will bag chips while other hopefuls will battle it out in the turbo Day 1b starting at 9 pm.
Shaw Leaves Odeen Drawing Dead
Level 8
: 400/800, 800 ante
Jerry Odeen bet 8,500 into a pot of around 20,000 with the 
on the board before Carl Shaw jammed more than enough to cover the around 40,000 Odeen had in his stack.
Odeen paused for close to a minute before he called.
Carl Shaw: 
Jerry Odeen: 
Odeen sighed as he saw he was drawing dead to his opponent's full house. A blank hit the river and Odeen hit the rail. Meanwhile, Shaw has one of the bigger stacks in the room sitting on about 130,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
130,000 | |
|
Busted |