Jon Kyte Wins a Record Second Trophy at the Cash Game Festival Tallinn

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Apr 30, 2018 5 min read Last updated Apr 21, 2020

The 2018 Cash Game Festival Tallinn at Olympic Park Casino is now in the books after five days of amazing action both on and away from the felt.

Norway's Jon Kyte broke yet another Cash Game Festival record by winning the Cash Game Festival trophy awarded to the player that won the most big blinds during any of the ten televised feature tables, for the second time. He accomplished this by booking a profit of €2,698 (1,349 big blinds) at an action-packed €2/€2 pot-limit Omaha hi-low feature table.

Kyte also widened the gap on another record he already had, by winning the most money for the seventh time at a feature table. The Norwegian is also in the Cash Game Festival record books for winning the first-ever festival trophy in September at Aspers Casino in London.

For a while, it appeared that the trophy would land with someone new. First, on Day 2, local Estonian player Rikard Relander won €1,508 (754 big blinds) on a €2/€2 no-limit hold'em feature table. However, Relander's dreams of winning the trophy went up in smoke after Cash Game Festival Veteran Peter La Terra won €1,996 (998 big blinds) in a €2/€2 pot-limit Omaha feature table on Day 3.

La Terra appeared to be in firm command to win the trophy until the last minutes of the final feature table of the festival.

Cash Game Festival Co-Founder Martin "Franke" von Zweigbergk and Kyte got involved in a huge hand with the duo getting it all-in on the flop for a pot worth more than €3,000.

Unless the hand ended in a chopped pot, whoever won this hand would easily have amassed enough profit to override La Terra for the trophy and make Cash Game Festival history with Franke also winning a trophy during the last festival at Banco Casino in Bratislava earlier this month.

Franke was looking good for the high hand when all the chips were in the middle with two-pair, while Kyte had a nut-low draw and four outs to a potential wheel to win the hand outright.

The turn bricked for Kyte, but one of Kyte's four outs came on the river to give him the scoop and the trophy. Along with the trophy, Kyte won a Cash Game Festival package to Platinum Casino in Sunny Beach on Aug. 8-12 valued at €1,500 complements of 32Red Poker.

Franke, who is a friend of Kyte, was in great spirits after the hand despite back-to-back trophies being within his reach if the cards ran out better on the deciding hand. However, this didn't stop the Cash Game Festival co-founder from needling his friend.

"He got so lucky to win there and ship the trophy," Franke said to PokerNews.

Kyte: "It's amazing, I had a rough week until this table. I didn't think it would be possible to win the trophy in PLO8."

Kyte, who is also friendly with La Terra, jokingly added: "La Terra didn't deserve to win the trophy after he got lucky against me at the feature table earlier this festival."

Also of note is that two Unibet Ambassadors and roommates Espen Uhlen Jørstad (Day 1 - €2/€5 NLHE - €1,072 profit) and Rauno "Estonian Jesus" Tahvonen (Day 4 - €2/€5 NLHE - €511 profit) won the most during sessions at feature tables during the festival.

Meanwhile, while no extra prizes are awarded to the player that won the most money under the lights and cameras, Steven Tool did win a feature table festival high €4,892 on Day 2 on a €5/€10 pot-limit Omaha table.

Cash Game Festival Tallinn Feature Table Winners

In addition to Franke and Kyte, there have been three other trophy winners including Kevin Malone (Ireland - October), Heiti Riisberg (November - Tallinn), and Gang Wang (January - London). Wang was the only prior trophy winner not present this festival to try to go for a second one.

Cash Game Festival Trophy Winners

The feature table is just part of reason cash game players fall in love with the festival. As is always the case, there were games available for everyone with players enjoying no-limit hold'em, pot-limit Omaha, pot-limit Omaha high/low, Sviten Special, super dealer's choice, and more at stakes low and high.

Another major draw of the festival is what happens away from the tables. Every festival also features amazing activities away from the tables where players with similar interests can bond. Old friends met and bonded, and new friends were made on and away from the tables.

Players that won packages to Tallinn and those that purchased the hospitality package were invited to enjoy themselves in organized activities with other poker players including welcome drinks, an indoor beach volleyball competition, a VIP dinner, a players' party, and a guided tour of the Slovakian capital.

Don't Miss Bulgaria

If you were unable to make it out to Estonian capital of Tallinn, rest assured you will not have to wait too long to enjoy the next festival.

On Aug. 8-12, the Cash Game Festival will return for the third time to Platinum Casino in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria for another five days of nonstop cash game action. The location is truly special with it being steps away from the beach. The previous two stops featured some wild prop bets, both involving Franke.

OlyBet Poker Ambassador Carmen-Elina Vist, Aigars Dambrans, and Timmo Lilium are three of the players expected to attend as they each won Cash Game Festival packages, each valued at €1,500, to the event after winning a raffle in Tallinn.

As usual, the PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to report on all the events both on and away from the tables.

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