There was 25,000 in front of Juha Helppi in the small blind, and 7,500 in front of Jukka Ylitalo in the big blind.
Ylitalo announced a raise to 50,000, and Helppi said "It might be the first rebuy already', as he jammed for 93,400, with Ylitalo making the quick call with the covering stack.
Juha Helppi: J♦J♥
Jukka Ylitalo: A♣K♣
It was a fair fight, and Helppi remained ahead after the 9♥2♥2♣ flop.
The 10♣ turn gave Ylitalo a flush draw to go with his overcards, and although he hit it on the J♣ river, it also improved Helppi to a full house, giving him an early double-up.
A pot of around 6,000 had developed by the river on a board of 10♣8♦7♦2♣K♣, in a hand between Quoc Ly under the gun and Ridvan Kilincaslan in the big blind.
Kilincaslan quickly check-called a bet of 5,000 from Ly, and was shown the bad news when Ly tabled A♥A♣, besting Kilincaslan's K♠9♦ for a pair of kings.
Action folded to Roope Tarmi in the small blind, who raised to 2,800, and Marcus Wuttke defended the big blind.
On the J♦10♠4♠ flop, Tarmi continued with a bet of 2,200, which failed to shake off Wuttke.
The Q♠ turn was checked to the 4♥ river, where Tarmi fired out a bet of 2,700. Wuttke quickly called, but mucked when Tarmi tabled A♦J♣ for second pair jacks.
After an opening ceremony welcoming legends Juha Helppi, Scotty Nguyen and Michael Mizrachi among others, play is now underway in the Legends of the Game event.
Life Outside Poker is a podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.
In the 35th episode, Connor talks with No Filter Poker Series founder Mounir Tajiou about growing up in Sweden, working as a high court judge, playing professional soccer, making a deep run in the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, and the new No Filter Poker Series, which values fun at the table over poker strategy.
We also hear from 1998 Main Event champion Scotty Nguyen, reigning WSOP champ Michael Mizrachi and Finnish poker legend Juha Helppi about their involvement with the No Filter Poker tour.
After a hugely successful debut in June, the No Filter Poker Series returns to the Olympic Park Casino in Tallinn, Estonia this week for the inaugural 2025 No Filter Poker Series Nordic & Baltic Championship Open.
The festival, the brainchild of Swedish players Mounir Tajiou and Michel Karim, features a packed schedule of events, bringing together players from across Northern and Eastern Europe for a six-day celebration of skill, competition and community.
Olympic Park Casino, Hilton Tallinn Park
The highlights of proceedings are the €3,500 No Limit Hold'em No Filter Legends of the Game event and the €1,100 No Limit Hold'Em No Filter Main Event, with PokerNews scheduled to be on the floor providing live coverage of both tournaments throughout the week.
The Legends of the Game event is a €3,500 buy-in two-day affair, and is set to kick off at 1:00 p.m local time today, October 18. The field is capped to 80 participants, and is expected to entice some of the best players in the world.
Stellar names who have already confirmed their attendance include reigning WSOP Main Event and Poker Players Championship champion Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, 1998 Main Event champion Scotty "You call, it's gonna be all over baby" Nguyen, and Scandinavian greats Juha Helppi and Johnny Lodden.
Juha Helppi
Players will sit down to a 100,000 starting stack, with blinds commencing at 400/800, with a 800 big blind ante, and the clock set to 30-minute levels. Players are permitted unlimited reentries, with late registration open until the start of Level 13, at approximately 8:40 p.m.
Play will continue in Day 1 until the money is reached, and the qualifiers will return at noon on October 19 for the final day, with play continuing until a winner is crowned.
The Main Event is a three-day tournament, featuring five starting flights running from October 18 - October 20, and guarantees €100,000 to the winner, with PokerNews' coverage commencing on Day 2.
Players in the Main Event will begin with a 50,000 starting stack, and will have to navigate ten 40-minute levels, with the exception of turbo flight Day 1e, to progress to Day 2, scheduled for noon on October 21. Blinds will commence at 100/100, with a 100 big blind ante.
Players are permitted unlimited reentries, with late registration open until the start of Level 14 in Day 2, where play will continue until the final table is set. The final combatants will then return at noon on October 22 to play down to a winner.
Legends of the Game and Main Event Schedule - Nordic & Baltic Championship Open
Date
Time
Event
Buy-In
Blinds
18-Oct
13:00
€3,500 NLH No Filter Legends of the Game Day 1
€3,300 + €200
30 mins
18-Oct
19:00
€1,100 NLH No Filter Main Event Flight 1A
€1,000 + €100
40 mins
19-Oct
12:00
€1,100 NLH No Filter Main Event Flight 1B
€1,000 + €100
40 mins
19-Oct
13:00
€3,500 NLH No Filter Legends of the Game Final Day
€3,300 + €200
30 mins
19-Oct
19:00
€1,100 NLH No Filter Main Event Flight 1C
€1,000 + €100
40 mins
20-Oct
12:00
€1,100 NLH No Filter Main Event Flight 1D
€1,000 + €100
40 mins
20-Oct
19:30
€1,100 NLH No Filter Main Event Flight 1E
€1,000 + €100
25 mins
21-Oct
12:00
€1,100 NLH No Filter Main Event Day 2
€1,000 + €100
40 mins
22-Oct
12:00
€1,100 NLH No Filter Main Event Final Day
€1,000 + €100
40 mins
There are plenty of additional events for players to get their teeth into in a packed schedule, with PLO, progressive bounty and high roller tournaments also on the agenda. A link to the full schedule is available here.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all your coverage of the Nordic & Baltic Championship Open, as we see who can further cement their legacy as a legend of the game.
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