Thursday, 28th March 2024 16:27
Home / Uncategorized / EPT Tallinn: Maksim Kolosov wins first sprint of new season
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“Winning” the first day of a poker tournament doesn’t really amount to much. You’re not guaranteed any money, you’re not getting a trophy and poker hasn’t yet decided to kit tournament leaders in yellow jerseys – although it might be something to think about going forward.

For all that, there’s not a player in Tallinn tonight who wouldn’t want to swap places with Maksim Kolosov, who sat on table one today in the bright green of a sprint racer, and motored to the chip lead tonight.

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Maksim Kolosov, day 1A chip leader at EPT Tallinn

Over seven levels today, Kolosov, a 24-year-old from Russia, increased a 30,000 starting stack to 102,725 and is the first day 1A leader of the eighth season of the European Poker Tour.

“I started slow then I hit a cooler,” Kolosov said, for whom it soon became a coast. “I flopped a set, and then I added to my stack without a showdown. I won only one all-in, that’s all.”

Kolosov, who came second at WPT Vienna in March, emerged with the most from a starting field of 92 today – small by EPT standards, but only an appetiser for the forthcoming season.

The field also included the likes of Arnaud Mattern, Marcin Horecki and Richard Toth from Team PokerStars Pro, and reigning EPT champions Kent Lundmark, Rupert Elder, David Vamplew and Roberto Romanello.

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Arnaud Mattern meets the video bloggers

Last season’s EPT Player of the Year Fernando Brito also took to the felt, alongside Martin Jacobsen, who made three final tables last season, and Joe Ebanks, who won a bracelet at the World Series in June.

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Martin Jacobson

Remarkably all of those survived into day two. Indeed, the rate of eliminations today was incredibly sluggish, with only 24 players busting. That means 68 will return on Thursday for day two – a triumph for the new EPT structure.

Head over to the chip-counts page for how they all stand.

Tomorrow is day 1B, where the high-rolling migrants from a pot limit Omaha tournament will take their place in the main event, alongside the traditional influx of latecomers. Play begins at noon, local time.

Before that, take a look back at today’s coverage in our level-by-level reports.

Levels 1&2 live updates
Levels 3&4 live updates
Levels 5-7 live updates

And head to PokerStars.tv for video blogs from the day.

All photos on PokerStars Blog from Tallinn are ©Neil Stoddart/PokerStars.

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