Main Event Day 1b
Level 8: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 143/286

GGPoker Ambassador Anatoly Filatov has been residing nearby the casino and opted to join us for the €500,000 guaranteed Main Event. So far, it looks like a good choice for Filatov as he is among the chip leaders with 175,000 in chips.

Filatov was kind enough to recall a hand that got him a good part of this stack. He opened with a suited big slick and got two players to call. Filatov fired out for 7,000 on the rainbow flop and got one player to call to see the on the turn.

Filatov bet 10,000 and got a call. A brick that Filatov couldn't recall came on the river. Filatov fired out for 30,000. His opponent jammed for a little more and Filatov called. His opponent had and lost his stack to Filatov.

In other news, Day 1b is near a close with the tournament staff announcing that four more hands will be dealt before players start to bag their stacks.

Stay tuned for the final chip counts of the day.

Day 1c will begin as soon as players clear out for Day 1b. We will provide light coverage of this final opening flight.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 8: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 150/286

Mairo Tori bet 8,000 into a pot north of 20,000 after the came on the flop. Roni Berg jammed over the top for about 62,000.

Tori went into the tank for several minutes before ultimately deciding to call.

Mairo Tori:
Roni Berg:

Berg's play showed a lot of heart even if it didn't work this time around. Berg was drawing dead after the turn and Tori doubled up with a full house after the river completed the board.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 8: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 158/286

Max Rotko opened from the middle position and was called by Bjorne Lindberg from the hijack and Juhana Konttinen from the button.

Rotko and Lindberg both checked the flop. Konttinen fired out for 2,000. Rotko called before Lindberg raised to 10,000. Konttinen called before Rotko got out of the way.

Lindberg jammed the turn for 45,000 and Konttinen, who had Lindberg covered, found a call.

Bjorne Lindberg:
Juhana Konttinen:

Both players had trips. However, Konttinen's queen kicker put him ahead. The river didn't change that fact and Konttinen ousted Lindberg on a cooler.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 8: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 158/286

The Day 1b field is approaching a whopping 300 entries with the action moving to the final blind level of the day.

It likely won't get there as many players that have hit the rail recently have already said they will hop into Day 1c starting at 9 p.m. instead but we will likely see a few more before the end of the day.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 7: 300/600 (600)
Entries: 160/285

Jani Tuovinen squeezed over a raiser and two callers for about 45,000 before Roni Berg called off his stack of around 25,000.

Roni Berg:
Jani Touvinen:

The runout let Berg win the flip with a pair of jacks.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 7: 300/600 (600)
Entries: 173/282

Igor Pihela Sr. (pictured below) checked with the  on the board after the turn before Juris Hlibovs bet 6,000 into a pot of 10,000. Pihela min-clicked it back to 12,000 after pausing for a minute.

Hlibovs jammed for more than the 31,400 Pihela had behind and Pihela wasted no time in finding a call.

Igor Pihela Sr.:
Juris Hlibovs:

As most poker players might feel on the inside, Hlibovs seemed less than thrilled that he was behind. Hlibovs didn't improve on the river and Pihela doubled his stack with two pair.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 7: 300/600 (600)
Entries: 172/277

The TV table has been changed for the final two hours of the Main Event to Table 11.

You can check out everyone at the table listed below and you can watch the stream by heading to Live Stream at the Kings of Tallinn website or also at Main Event Travel.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 7: 300/600 (600)
Entries: 173/277

Janis Vasiljevs got the last of his short stack in with and was up against Rauno Arras who was also short with .

Vasiljevs was on the rail after the ran out on the board. Arras is still below a starting stack, but earned some breathing room.

Late registration will be open through all of the opening flights. This is not all as it will also remain open for the first two blind levels of tomorrow's Day 2.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 6: 200/500 (500)
Entries: 175/274

The Main Event has reached over 500 entries! 

Players went on a 20-minute break shortly after this milestone was reached.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 6: 200/500 (500)
Entries: 180/271

Gatis Reigass opened for 1,100 from early position and was called by Dainius Antanaitis from middle position. Reigass continued for 800 on the flop. Antanaitis jacked it up to 3,200 and Reigass called.

Reigass check-called a bet of 6,000 by Antanaitis on the turn before checking one last time after the river. Antanaitis effectively jammed more than the pot and Reigass called off his stack of 27,000. Antanaitis won the hand with a full house with , while Reigass showed the before hitting the showers.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 6: 200/500 (500)
Entries: 185/269

Hendrik Uibo checked the flop before Juris Hlibovs bet 1,300 into about 4,000. Uibo raised to 3,800. Hlibovs clicked it back to 8,000 before Uibo jammed for about 24,000. Hlibovs called and the cards were turned over.

Henrik Uibo:
Juris Hlibovs:

Hlibovs was ahead with his two pair and won the hand after Uibo was unable to improve from his top pair with the turn and river completing the board on the river.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 6: 200/500 (500)
Entries: 189/265

Aigars Petrovs checked with not a ton in the pot and the on the board. Kim Holmberg bet 3,200. Petrovs raised to 11,000 and Holmberg went into the tank for at least a minute before he called.

For some reason, neither player was immediately turning over their cards to the dismay of some at the table.

Petrovs eventually turned over the for trip sixes and claimed the pot after Holmberg mucked.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 5: 200/400 (400)
Entries: 197/245

Carmen-Elina Vist was likely the first player with a six-figure stack but now she is on the rail. It appears that some of her chips went to tablemates Mairo Toom and Miko Miettinen, who now each hold six-figure stacks, but Toom informed us that Vist spread them around just before Vist's final table took place.

Oleg Lakota opened for 1,600 from the button. Vist jammed for 5,900. Lakota asked for a count and Vist almost accidentally turned over her cards. She caught herself before it was too late.

 "I am calling anyway," Lakota said midway through the deal counting up Vist's stack and soon after tossed a chip in to call.

Carmen-Elina Vist:
Oleg Lakota:

The board improved both players to a flush. Lakota's flush was better and Vist went from hero to zero in about an hour.

Another side event just kicked off in the €250 PLO Progressive Bounty. The tournament features a round of each between four-card PLO and five-card PLO.

Adam Tomasson, Dainius Balynas, Daragh Davey, and Sebastian Simovic were some of the early players in the field.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 5: 200/400 (400)
Entries: 199/243

Greger Aktell fired out for 12,500 into a pot of a bit more with the on the board. 

Rudolfs Vegners called a few moments later only to muck his hand after seeing Aktell turned a flush with .

Main Event Day 1b
Level 5: 200/400 (400)
Entries: 197/240

One player that isn't yet back in his seat is Bjorne Lindberg. During the break, Lindberg went for a smoke and won 150 free spins at the same time at the Invaders from the Planet Moolah slot machine. We very often call this the "Moo Machine" as it features futuristic cows and other fun characters.

Very often, players will win more spins in the free spin mode, so we will likely not see Lindberg for the next 10 minutes.

Players are on their second break of Day 1b. We will update some of the bigger chip counts from around the room during the break.

Some of the players will take part in the €150 GGPoker Flip & Go Mystery Bounty. They just take a few minutes with a single hand being dealt. Best of luck to all of the flippers.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 4: 100/300 (300)
Entries: 196/229

Carmen-Elina Vist bet 12,600 into a pot of around 24,000 with the on the board.

"I never bluff," shared Vist to her opponent Myro Lyytinen.

Lyytinen tanked for a few minutes while Vist was chatting it up. Eventually, Lyytinen opted to call. Vist turned over and got paid with Lyytinen turning over a small pair with .

Main Event Day 1b
Level 4: 100/300 (300)
Entries: 197/229

The Day 1b field is now officially already bigger than the Day 1a field with 229 entries with Day 1a attracting 227 entries. The €500,000 guarantee is also already met with 456 entries in total for a €430,520 prize pool and counting.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 4: 100/300 (300)
Entries: 201/222

Mart Kalju and Peeter Talviste both had more than double their stacks at Table 3 before getting tangled up in a hand.

Kalju fired out for 6,000 into a pot of around double that with the on the board. Talviste quickly called and mucked his hand after Kalju turned over for trip fours.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 4: 100/300 (300)
Entries: 199/214

Ronny Albrigtsen, who chipped up since the break, and Jari-Pekka Juhola checked the flop before Jari Porkka fired out for 2,100 into a pot of around 10,000. Albrigtsen raised to 10,100. Juhola quickly folded and Porkka went into the tank for close to a minute before he jammed over the top for 22,900.

"What do you have?" Albrigtsen asked while Porkka remained stoically quiet. "Do you have jacks or tens?"

Albrigtsen tanked a bit longer before he talked himself into a call.

"If you have kings or aces, its a bit of a cooler," Albrigtsen said. "OK, I can rebuy."

Jari Porkka:
Ronny Albrigtsen:

Albrigtsen got out of his seat as the turn and river completed the board. However, he sat back down as the dealer and one of the other players at the table pointed out that he had Porkka covered.

Meanwhile, we noticed Ronny Albrigtsen lost his small stack and Stefan Bittger was also recently sent to the rail.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 3: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 197/209

Niall Farrell isn't the only GGPoker Ambassador to come to the Kings of Tallinn this year as we just had a quick chat with Anatoly Filatov who is now seated at Table 1.

This was a pleasant surprise as we haven't seen Filatov in Tallinn, at least in recent years, for any of the big events.

While is he often smiling, don't let that deceive you about his poker prowess as he is one of the most successful poker players in the field with nearly $5.3 million in live tournament cashes as tracked by The Hendon Mob.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 3: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 195/206

Andrius Simonovicius opened for 500 from under the gun. Uri Gilboa called from the cutoff before Eldars Sadih-Zade three-bet to 2,500 from the button. Both Simonovicius and Gilboa called to see the  flop.

Simonovicius and Gilboa checked before Sadih-Zade went into the tank for about a minute. Sadih-Zade then opted to bet 3,000. Simonovicius tanked for a minute before he called and Gilboa quickly folded.

Simonovicius checked again on the  turn. Sadih-Zade jammed for 23,700 and Simonovicius quickly called off his stack of 22,300.

Andrius Simonovicius: 
Eldars Sadih-Zade: 

Simonovicius turned a set of tens but still had a sweat with Sadih-Zade having some outs to a flush. His flush draw didn't complete on the  river for Simonovicius to win the hand and leave his opponent with crumbs.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 3: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 191/200

The Day 1b field has already reached 200 entries. It seems likely that it will pass the 227 entries that Day 1a attracted.

The Kings of Tallinn will be hosting a live stream of the Main Event the rest of the way. Kristjan Laas will be the host.

We embedded the stream below but you can also check it out on a variety of sources by heading including heading to the Live Stream tabs on both the Kings of Tallinn and the Main Event Travel websites.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 3: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 190/198

The Kings of Tallinn has exceeded its already high expectations. Absolutely nothing to complain about so we had to find something.

We just caught up with Anne Bezdek who is about to take her seat in the Main Event.

"Your name is now too long," we said referring to the fact before she got married a few years ago her name was just eight letters long as Anne Meri.

The chatter continued with Finnish poker reporter Juhani Tyriseva also part of the conversation when we found out she will be seated at Table 39, Seat 6.

"Are you taking your seat now?" Tyriseva asked.

"Yeah, in the bathroom," Bezdek replied as a joke. "I will look for Seat 6 there."

Bezdek is in Tallinn for just about every major international event and has had some deep runs over the years. We wish her the best of luck in the Main Event.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 3: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 188/195

Pavels Pecevics fired out for 5,000 into a pot of a bit more with the on the board. Aki Pyysing found the call only to muck his hand after Pecevics turned over the nuts with for the straight.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 3: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 183/189

We caught up with the Norwegian poker couple Ronny Albrigtsen and Evy Albrigtsen during the break. Evy is up to 40,000 but Ronny is down to about 10,000. Ronny shared that he ran into a few bad beats and hopes to double or triple up before the next break. Although that would be nice, that isn't really necessary with the amazing structure at the Kings of Tallinn Main Event.

Meanwhile, Mikael Gronvik is also off to a slow start. In a recent hand just after the break he bet 2,000 into a pot of a bit more with the on the board. Mairo Tori quickly called. Gronvik was trying to represent a better hand than he had and showed the . 

"Nice hand," Gronvik said as Tori turned over to win the pot.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 2: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 169/174

Carmen-Elina Vist chipped up just before the break. She already amassed a decent stack before this hand.

Vist, who opened preflop, continued with a bet of 2,700 on the flop and was called by Tomas Zarankus and Risto Parnat.

Parnat and Vist both checked the turn. Zarankus bet 5,100. Parnat folded and Vist called. Both players checked the river. Vist turned over the which won the hand as Zarankus mucked his hand. Before mucking, Zarankus showed the to the table.

Players are now on a quick 20-minute break. The stream will start shortly after the break, which you will able to check out by clicking on the Live Stream tab at the Kings of Tallinn website, over at the Main Event Travel blog, or many other ways. We will also embed the stream here in a post once it begins.

Meanwhile, players will be flipping during the break with some tables opening for the €150 GGPoker Flip & Go Mystery Bounty.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 2: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 163/166

Last night, Tony Westby won the €250 Sviten Special Event for €4,100 after navigating through a field of 55 entries.

Westby was hanging around with some other Norwegian players and shared with us that he plans to get into the Day 1b action of the Main Event after the break.

The Norwegian has had some success here at the Kings of Tallinn in the past as well with a much bigger score than he notched last night. Westby took fourth place in the Kings of Tallinn €3,000 High Roller back in 2020 for his biggest career live tournament cash for €30,800.

Best of luck to Westby and everyone that came in from Norway!

Main Event Day 1b
Level 2: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 151/153

Tomi Arponen fired out for 2,100 into a pot of around 4,000 with the on the board after the turn. Jari-Pekka Juhola quickly called before both players checked down the river.

Arponen turned over which wasn't enough as Juhola connected with the board with to take down the pot.

Meanwhile, Arnas Lydeka became the second player to hit the rail in the Day 1b field at around the same time at a different table.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 2: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 141/142

Stefan Bittger opened for 300 from middle position. Jans Nikitins three-bet to 1,200 before Bittger jammed for 14,800. Nikitins tanked for a minute before he called.

Stefan Bittger:
Jans Nikitins:

The saying goes that everyone loves a chop and likely Bittger felt that way after the following runout.

The flop provided both players backdoors to a flush. Nikitins had a true flush draw on the turn. However, the pot ended in a chop after the river completed the board.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 1: 100/100
Entries: 129/130

Gints Ozols and Fuad Gotovusa got their stacks locked up on the river with the on the board. According to the table, Gotovusa had which proved to be no match to the held by Ozols to win the hand with a flush. 

Main Event Day 1b
Level 1: 100/100
Entries: 103/103

Players continue to file into the Day 1b field with now over 100 entries in the mix.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 1: 100/100
Entries: 67/67

Here is a look at some of the early entries in the Day 1b field.

Main Event Day 1b
Level 1: 100/100
Entries: 64/64

Day 1b has kicked off with 64 entries already in their seats. It is anticipated that the Day 1b flight will be the biggest of the three opening flights. Best of luck to all of the players!

Welcome back to the 2023 Kings of Tallinn at Olympic Park Casino and the Hilton Tallinn Park.

Today we will be focusing on reporting the final two opening flights of the €500,000 guaranteed Kings of Tallinn €1,100 Main Event starting with Day 1b at 12 p.m with Day 1c beginning after Day 1b players bag their stacks at 9 p.m.

The event boasts one-hour blind levels throughout the four-day affair with the only exception being Day 1c, which is not quite turbo but still will play out quicker with 30-minute blind levels.

Players start with a healthy stack of 30,000 in chips, which will be good for 300 big blinds for the first two blind levels. They will have a chance to build a healthy stack with not only unlimited re-entries permitted throughout all of the opening flights but also during the first two blind levels of Day 2.

Bags will be passed around to the surviving players after eight blind levels of play. 

As a side note, players that buy into the Main Event via Luxon Pay will be offered bubble insurance for free! A Luxon Pay representative is nearby if you have any questions.

Day 1a attracted a banner field of 227 entries with 117 players finding a bag. Day 1a chip leader Julius Tihonen was the only player to find a bag with more than 200,000 after advancing to tomorrow's Day 2 with 244,000 in chips.

After today's opening flights, the remainder of the Main Event will feature Day 2, Day 3, and the final day on March 3-5. We will be with you the entire way until a winner is crowned.