EPT Tallinn Draws 420 Poker Players

Swissotel Tallinn is hosting its first major international poker tournament.

The second day of the European Poker Tour main event in Tallinn, Estonia, is nearly complete, and EPT Tournament Director Thomas Kremser has announced the final numbers for the tournament.

The first major international poker tournament held in Estonia, EPT Tallinn drew a solid field. The second starting flight drew an even bigger field than the first; some 238 players turned up for Day 1B to boost the total field to 420. At €4,250 apiece, that total built a prize pool of €1,596,000. Just 56 players will walk away with cash, with the bottom tier receiving €6,350 and the winner taking home €400,000.

Leading the way at the end of Day 1A was Ali Tekintamgac of Germany, who finished with 203,200 in chips. Tekintamgac is the reigning champion of the World Poker Tour’s Spanish Championship, which was his first major live poker tournament breakthrough after a string of minor tournament cashes throughout 2009 at the Kings Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. He also finished fifth in the Italian Poker Tour main event in Venice last month, suggesting that he’s on a bit of a roll right now.

Tekintamgac and the other 88 survivors from Day 1A will join today’s remaining players when Day 2 of EPT Tallinn begins at Swissotel in the Estonian capital tomorrow at noon local time.