Ilija Savevski Captures Chip Lead as MPNPT Tallinn Smashes €200,000 Guarantee
The €550 MPN Poker Tour Tallinn Main Event has thus far been a huge success with the tournament smashing its €200,000 guarantee halfway through Day 1b.
A big field of 380 entries poured in over the course of 12 45-minute levels, adding to the 151 entrants on Day 1a. So far that makes 531 in total with 184 surviving the opening flights, but just how far the prize pool will exceed the guarantee will only be known after registration closes at 2 p.m. EET on Saturday.
Day 2 kicks off Saturday at 1 p.m. EET with blind levels increasing to one hour, giving players with short stacks more wiggle room as the chip leaders try to press their advantage. Leading overall heading into Day 2 is Redstar Poker qualifier Ilija Savevski who finished Day 1b in possession of 336,500 chips. This was miles ahead of Day 1a frontrunner Roland Luik who bagged 219,700.
Five other Day 1b players also managed to better Luik’s Day 1a-leading count, pushing him down into seventh place overall for the start of Day 2. Other players of note who have secured a seat for Day 2 included John Scanlon (107,000), 32Red qualifier and MPNPT Malta finalist Edgaras Bucinskas (116,300), Daragh Davey (138,300) and MPNPT Bratislava runner-up Jussi Mattila (117,100). Full chip counts are available on the MPNPT Blog.
During breaks in the action, the crowd-pleasing Fish Party combined turbo sit-and-go tournaments and slot spins to entertain the masses and reward players. With free tickets given to everyone entering an MPNPT side event in Tallinn, the prizes on the reels include merchandise, €110 UCOP Main Event online tickets, and a €1,500 MPNPT Prague package. Should the package not be won here, it will still be given out, in an online freeroll across all MPNPT participating operators on February 3.
Today, Saturday, two more events kick off: the €1,300 High Roller at 3 p.m. EET and the first €220 Hendon Mob Championship to be held in Tallinn at 7 p.m. EET. Both are two-day events, with their finals running alongside that of the Main Event on Sunday.
Live streaming continues on Facebook and Twitch from 3:35 p.m. EET as the Main Event plays down to the money and beyond. The total prize pool and payouts will be announced after registration closes at 2 p.m. EET. Visit Instagram (@mpnpt) or the MPN Poker Tour Facebook page and follow @MPNPokerTour on Twitter for more from the tour stop.
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