<div id="header"><img src="https://coolbet-cms.imgix.net/blog/Coolbear3_1651738992382.jpg" alt="CATCHING UP WITH… COOLBEAR" width="100%"><h1>CATCHING UP WITH… COOLBEAR</h1></div><br><p>Time has flown by since the last Coolbet Open in November 2019. Covid 19 came and forced us to have a break but we look forward to seeing you all again on 8-14 November.</p><p>To help you back into the right spirit for the upcoming event, we caught up with some of the faces you have probably seen during the last Coolbet Open.</p><p>First up is none other than our favourite mascot Coolbear!</p><p><strong>Name:</strong> Coolbear<br><strong>Nationality:</strong> Arctic<br><strong>Occupation:</strong> Mascot<br><strong>Favourite poker hand:</strong> 8-8, also known as Snowmen!</p><p><strong>Coolbet Open: How has the time since the previous Coolbet Open in 2019 been for you?</strong></p><p>Oh, it has been very tough! As a mascot, it is very difficult to work from home. We tried out with Zoom meetings but the lack of internet connection here in the Arctic makes it difficult. And I really miss the personal contact.</p><p><strong>Coolbet Open: What are your expectations for Coolbet Open in November?</strong></p><p>I think it will be huge! I heard from my Norwegian cousin Svein Olav that half of Norway are coming to Tallinn, is that true? Wau, will be amazing to see so many poker players gathered again.</p><p><strong>Coolbet Open: If you could only play one event at Coolbet Open, which one would it be?</strong></p><p>The Coolbet Open Bounty Hunter. Us polar bears are pretty good at hunting.</p><p><strong>Coolbet Open: Which player are you looking most forward to seeing at Coolbet Open in November?</strong></p><p>I am just looking forward to seeing you all again! Come and get a big bear hug if you see me!</p>

Time has flown by since the last Coolbet Open in November 2019. Covid 19 came and forced us to have a break but we look forward to seeing you all again on 8-14 November.

To help you back into the right spirit for the upcoming event, we caught up with some of the faces you have probably seen during the last Coolbet Open.

First up is none other than our favourite mascot Coolbear!

Name: Coolbear
Nationality: Arctic
Occupation: Mascot
Favourite poker hand: 8-8, also known as Snowmen!

Coolbet Open: How has the time since the previous Coolbet Open in 2019 been for you?

Oh, it has been very tough! As a mascot, it is very difficult to work from home. We tried out with Zoom meetings but the lack of internet connection here in the Arctic makes it difficult. And I really miss the personal contact.

Coolbet Open: What are your expectations for Coolbet Open in November?

I think it will be huge! I heard from my Norwegian cousin Svein Olav that half of Norway are coming to Tallinn, is that true? Wau, will be amazing to see so many poker players gathered again.

Coolbet Open: If you could only play one event at Coolbet Open, which one would it be?

The Coolbet Open Bounty Hunter. Us polar bears are pretty good at hunting.

Coolbet Open: Which player are you looking most forward to seeing at Coolbet Open in November?

I am just looking forward to seeing you all again! Come and get a big bear hug if you see me!

CATCHING UP WITH… COOLBEAR

<div id="header"><img src="https://coolbet-cms.imgix.net/blog/coolbet-open-bratislava-2023-coolbet-main-event-final-day-ville-tapani-hakala-8516_1694428194524.jpg" alt="Ville Hakala Wins CBO Bratislava Main Event" width="100%"><h1>Ville Hakala Wins CBO Bratislava Main Event</h1></div><p>Finland’s Ville Hakala etched his name into the Coolbet Open history books on Sunday evening after he defeated Egypt’s Maged Aziz heads-up in the €300,000 guaranteed Coolbet Open Bratislava €550 Main Event to win the €60,000 top prize at Banco Casino Bratislava.</p><p>Hakala not only became the first player to hoist the trophy at a Coolbet Open Main Event held in Slovakia but also the sixth overall Coolbet Open Main Event champion. Half of the Coolbet Open Main Event champions are now from Finland with Hakala joining the likes of Sebastian Wahl (May 2018 - €50,100) and Mathias Siljander (May 2019 - €60,100) in that exclusive club. Hakala put on a final table clinic eliminating player after player en route to a dominating victory.</p><p>The Main Event trophy isn’t the only one Hakala will bring home to Finland as he also proved he is more than a one-trick pony by also winning the €165 8-Game for €3,055 earlier in the week.</p><p>Meanwhile, Coolbet ambassador and Twitch streamer Ylva “Jevakim” Thorsrud also had an event to remember as she notched her single biggest live tournament cash of €25,190 thanks to a remarkable third-place podium finish. She wasn’t the only female at the final table as Austria’s Jasmine Schuster had an incredible eighth-place performance for €5,090.</p><h2>2023 Coolbet Open Bratislava Main Event Final Table Results</h2><div style="padding:0.5rem 2rem"><table style="width:100%;border:1px #000 solid;border-collapse:collapse"><thead style="text-align:left;background-color:#f5f5f5"><tr><th>Place</th><th>Player</th><th>Country</th><th>Prize</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Ville Hakala</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Finland</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€60,000</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">2</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Maged Aziz</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Egypt</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€38,690</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">3</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Ylva Thorsrud</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Norway</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€25,190</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">4</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Yehuda Yosef</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Israel</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€18,440</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">5</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Rafael Ben</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Israel</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€13,940</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">6</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Jaakko Hokkanen</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Finland</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€10,340</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">7</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Florian Fuchs</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Austria</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€7,260</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">8</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Jasmine Schuster</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Austria</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€5,090</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">9</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Oeystein Stai</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Norway</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€4,195</td></tr></tbody></table></div><h2>Coolbet Open Bratislava Main Event Final Day Action</h2><p>Ville Hakala was not among the favorites entering the third and final day of the 2023 Coolbet Open Main Event as he came into the action in ninth place out of the 16 players remaining in the 620 entry field. Instead, fellow Finn Jaakko Hokkanen came into the action with the chip lead with more than quadruple the stack of Hakala.</p><p>Daniel Shaker, Oskari Piira, Brandon Mifsud, Keito Kaljulaid, Jaroslav Peter, Roy Sorknes, and Coolbet streamer Jonatan Wedde all fell short of the final table with Mifsud’s exit coming as the biggest surprise as he came into the final day in third place before bad luck struck live at the live streamed feature table commentated by Stig Moen and Jason Glatzer.</p><p>Hakala was in fourth place with Israel’s Yehuda Yosef holding a commanding by the time the final table began with eventual runner-up Maged Aziz making a remarkable comeback as the short stack with just nine big blinds.</p><p>Norway’s Oeystein Stai began the final table in third place before things began to fall apart mostly due to bad luck. Stai had Hakala covered when his cowboys couldn’t get there against rockets. The Norwegian got the rest of his chips in with ace-ten and was the first player on the rail at the final table after not improving against ace-ten.</p><p>The short-stacked players kept doubling their stacks until Hakala woke up with aces again to take the chip lead with Jasmine Schuster not making magic with her big slick to hit the rail in eighth place.</p><p>Hakala cemented his chip lead after winning in a huge flip to eliminate Florian Fuchs in seventh place in what could have determined the direction of the tournament after his opponent’s big slick bricked the board against eights.</p><p>The rampage continued as Hakala eliminated Yosef, Rafael Ben, and the start of the day chip leader Hokkanen in succession before he let Aziz do the dirty work in eliminating Ylva Thorsrud.</p><p>Hakala held more than double the stack of Aziz before adopting a small-ball limping strategy during heads-up action. Aziz’s stack was deteriorating when he jammed ace-four unsuccessfully into Hakala’s tens to fall one player shy of the title. Despite missing out on the trophy and the glory, the only Egyptian in the field also had a day to be proud and will go home with a healthy €38,690.</p><p>Congrats to Hakala for winning the inaugural Coolbet Open Bratislava Main Event title!</p><br>

Finland’s Ville Hakala etched his name into the Coolbet Open history books on Sunday evening after he defeated Egypt’s Maged Aziz heads-up in the €300,000 guaranteed Coolbet Open Bratislava €550 Main Event to win the €60,000 top prize at Banco Casino Bratislava.

Hakala not only became the first player to hoist the trophy at a Coolbet Open Main Event held in Slovakia but also the sixth overall Coolbet Open Main Event champion. Half of the Coolbet Open Main Event champions are now from Finland with Hakala joining the likes of Sebastian Wahl (May 2018 - €50,100) and Mathias Siljander (May 2019 - €60,100) in that exclusive club. Hakala put on a final table clinic eliminating player after player en route to a dominating victory.

The Main Event trophy isn’t the only one Hakala will bring home to Finland as he also proved he is more than a one-trick pony by also winning the €165 8-Game for €3,055 earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, Coolbet ambassador and Twitch streamer Ylva “Jevakim” Thorsrud also had an event to remember as she notched her single biggest live tournament cash of €25,190 thanks to a remarkable third-place podium finish. She wasn’t the only female at the final table as Austria’s Jasmine Schuster had an incredible eighth-place performance for €5,090.

2023 Coolbet Open Bratislava Main Event Final Table Results

Coolbet Open Bratislava Main Event Final Day Action

Ville Hakala was not among the favorites entering the third and final day of the 2023 Coolbet Open Main Event as he came into the action in ninth place out of the 16 players remaining in the 620 entry field. Instead, fellow Finn Jaakko Hokkanen came into the action with the chip lead with more than quadruple the stack of Hakala.

Daniel Shaker, Oskari Piira, Brandon Mifsud, Keito Kaljulaid, Jaroslav Peter, Roy Sorknes, and Coolbet streamer Jonatan Wedde all fell short of the final table with Mifsud’s exit coming as the biggest surprise as he came into the final day in third place before bad luck struck live at the live streamed feature table commentated by Stig Moen and Jason Glatzer.

Hakala was in fourth place with Israel’s Yehuda Yosef holding a commanding by the time the final table began with eventual runner-up Maged Aziz making a remarkable comeback as the short stack with just nine big blinds.

Norway’s Oeystein Stai began the final table in third place before things began to fall apart mostly due to bad luck. Stai had Hakala covered when his cowboys couldn’t get there against rockets. The Norwegian got the rest of his chips in with ace-ten and was the first player on the rail at the final table after not improving against ace-ten.

The short-stacked players kept doubling their stacks until Hakala woke up with aces again to take the chip lead with Jasmine Schuster not making magic with her big slick to hit the rail in eighth place.

Hakala cemented his chip lead after winning in a huge flip to eliminate Florian Fuchs in seventh place in what could have determined the direction of the tournament after his opponent’s big slick bricked the board against eights.

The rampage continued as Hakala eliminated Yosef, Rafael Ben, and the start of the day chip leader Hokkanen in succession before he let Aziz do the dirty work in eliminating Ylva Thorsrud.

Hakala held more than double the stack of Aziz before adopting a small-ball limping strategy during heads-up action. Aziz’s stack was deteriorating when he jammed ace-four unsuccessfully into Hakala’s tens to fall one player shy of the title. Despite missing out on the trophy and the glory, the only Egyptian in the field also had a day to be proud and will go home with a healthy €38,690.

Congrats to Hakala for winning the inaugural Coolbet Open Bratislava Main Event title!

Ville Hakala Wins CBO Bratislava Main Event

<div id="header"><img src="https://coolbet-cms.imgix.net/blog/coolbet-open-bratislava-2023-coolbet-pokr-nations-cup-final-jakko-mikael-hokkanen-7250-1_1694337568565.jpg" alt="Hokkanen Leads Final 16 in CBO Main Event" width="100%"><h1>Hokkanen Leads Final 16 in CBO Main Event</h1></div><p>Sunday will be a huge day in Coolbet Open history as not only will one player be crowned the sixth Coolbet Open Main Event champion but become the first such champion on Slovakian soil at Banco Casino Bratislava. Finland’s Jaakko Hokkanen will be in the driver’s seat for the whopping €60,000 top prize with a chip-leading stack of 2,760,000 with just 16 players when the final day commences on Sunday, Sept. 10 at noon.</p><p>The €300,000 guaranteed Main Event attracted 620 entries with 110 players returning for battle for Saturday’s Day 2. The bubble broke before the first break with the final 78 players banking at least a €1,005 min-cash for nearly double the €550 buy-in.</p><p>The live stream began shortly after the first break. Players hit the rail at a fast and furious pace most of the rest of the way until the Main Events final Icelandic player Kjartan Saevarsson was eliminated in 17th place for €2,605.</p><p>Three players already passed 2 million in chips with Austria’s Florian Fuchs (2,350,000) and Malta’s Brandon Mifsud (2,220,000) joining Hokkanen in this exclusive club. Local Slovakian Martin Ilavsky also passed 2 million midway on Saturday but things began to fall apart on the stream before eventually losing the rest of his stack on a side table to bow out in 21st first place €2,240.</p><p>Meanwhile, three other players in Israel’s Yehuda Yosef (1,900,000), Austria’s Daniel Shaker (1,720,000), and Austria’s Jasmine Schuster (1,690,000) all advanced to the final day with more than 1 million in chips.</p><p>Schuster is one of two women to battle to the final two tables with Norwegian Coolbet streamer Ylva “Jevakim” Thorsrud (605,000) also ready to make waves with her short stack. Thorsrud will be joined by fellow Norwegian Coolbet streamer Jonatan Wedde (615,000) with a similar stack at the televised feature table, which will be hosted at the <u><a href="https://coolbetopen.com/live-video">Coolbet Open website</a></u> and social media channels with Stig Moen and Jason Glatzer on a 30-minute delay starting at 12:30 p.m. until a winner is crowned.</p><h2>2023 Coolbet Open Bratislava Final Day Seat Draw</h2><div style="padding:0.5rem 2rem"><table style="width:100%;border:1px #000 solid;border-collapse:collapse"><thead style="text-align:left;background-color:#f5f5f5"><tr><th>Table</th><th>Seat</th><th>Player</th><th>Country</th><th>Chips</th><th>Big Blinds</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Jonatan Wedde</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Norway</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">615,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">21</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">2</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Keito Kaljulaid</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Estonia</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">485,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">16</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">3</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Oeystein Stai</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Norway</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">410,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">14</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">4</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Brandon Mifsud</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Malta</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">2,220,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">74</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">5</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Jaakko Hokkanen</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Finland</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">2,760,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">92</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">6</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Maged Aziz</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Egypt</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">955,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">32</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">7</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Ville Hakala</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Finland</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">675,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">23</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">8</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Ylva Thorsrud</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Norway</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">605,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">20</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid"></td><td style="border:1px #000 solid"></td><td style="border:1px #000 solid"></td><td style="border:1px #000 solid"></td><td style="border:1px #000 solid"></td><td style="border:1px #000 solid"></td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">23</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Rafael Ben</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Israel</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">820,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">27</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">23</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">2</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Florian Fuchs</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Austria</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">2,350,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">78</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">23</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">3</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Daniel Shaker</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Austria</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1,720,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">57</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">23</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">4</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Jaroslav Peter</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Czech Republic</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">260,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">9</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">23</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">5</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Jasmine Schuster</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Austria</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1,690,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">56</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">23</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">6</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Thomas Sorknes</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Norway</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">355,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">12</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">23</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">7</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Yehuda Yosef</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Israel</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1,900,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">63</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">23</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">8</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Oskari Piira</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Finland</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">655,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">22</td></tr></tbody></table></div><h2>2023 Coolbet Open Final Day Payouts</h2><p>The final 16 players each locked up a €2,605 payout with much more to come with the 2023 Coolbet Open Main Event champion scheduled to earn a huge €60,000 and, of course, the coveted trophy. Check out all of the payouts of the 2023 Coolbet Open Main Event below.</p><div style="padding:0.5rem 2rem"><table style="width:100%;border:1px #000 solid;border-collapse:collapse"><thead style="text-align:left;background-color:#f5f5f5"><tr><th>Place</th><th>Prize</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€60,000</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">2</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€38,690</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">3</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€25,190</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">4</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€18,440</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">5</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€13,940</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">6</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€10,340</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">7</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€7,260</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">8</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€5,090</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">9</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€4,195</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">10-12</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€3,590</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">13-15</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€3,050</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">16</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">€2,605</td></tr></tbody></table></div><h2>Six Trophies Awarded on Saturday</h2><p>While there was tons of buzz surrounding the Main Event, many players who failed to make it deep enjoyed a variety of side events.</p><p>Slovakia’s Milan Niznansky won the first trophy of the day and claimed the lion’s share of the €8,170 prize pool generated by 43 entries in Event #18: €225 PLO Hi/Lo 8-Max after defeating Israel’s David Mekyess to win the €3,345 top prize.</p><p>Estonia’s Mati Pirn bubbled that event but made it for it in a huge way by winning a trophy in Event #22: €225 Open Face Chinese Pineapple for €2,375 after defeating Belgium’s Lucas Armici in the final match.</p><p>The biggest prizes were awarded in Event #19: €1,100 Coolbet NLH Masterclass 6-Max with the final four players of the 46-entry field agreeing to a deal leaving some money and the trophy to be played for. Austria’s Adem Marjanovic and Israel’s Eden Elbaz both collected €9,000 for finishing in third and fourth place before Czech Republic’s Jiri Noga defeated Lithuania’s Edgaras Truskauskas (second - €10,000) to win €12,950 and the coveted trophy.</p><p>Israel’s Merav Tehila faced off against Slovakia’s Martina Svobodova in Event #20: €115 Coolbet Open Ladies Only for €950. Norway’s Bent Kirkeroed won Event #21: €330 Coolbet Open Mystery Bounty for €4,405 and bounties, while fellow Norwegian Christian Arstad won the fun Event #22: €115 Sycksbe’s NLH Hyper Turbo for €2,800.</p><h2>Final Day Schedule</h2><p>Sunday features the conclusion of the Main Event starting at 12 p.m. with one-hour blind levels starting at Level 23 with blinds at 15,000/30,000 along with a 30,000 big blind ante.</p><p>While you can check out the live stream of the Main Event from beginning to end on the final day, many players will test their poker skills one last time during the 2023 Coolbet Open with two other events in Event #24: €115 Turbo Version of the Coolbet Open Main Event kicking off at 3 p.m. and Event #25: Last Chance NLH Turbo starting at 8 p.m. Sandwiched in between these two side events is a satellite at 6 p.m. to The Festival Series Bratislava on Nov. 27 to Dec. 3 at Banco Casino with two packages valued at €1,600 each guaranteed.</p><br>

Sunday will be a huge day in Coolbet Open history as not only will one player be crowned the sixth Coolbet Open Main Event champion but become the first such champion on Slovakian soil at Banco Casino Bratislava. Finland’s Jaakko Hokkanen will be in the driver’s seat for the whopping €60,000 top prize with a chip-leading stack of 2,760,000 with just 16 players when the final day commences on Sunday, Sept. 10 at noon.

The €300,000 guaranteed Main Event attracted 620 entries with 110 players returning for battle for Saturday’s Day 2. The bubble broke before the first break with the final 78 players banking at least a €1,005 min-cash for nearly double the €550 buy-in.

The live stream began shortly after the first break. Players hit the rail at a fast and furious pace most of the rest of the way until the Main Events final Icelandic player Kjartan Saevarsson was eliminated in 17th place for €2,605.

Three players already passed 2 million in chips with Austria’s Florian Fuchs (2,350,000) and Malta’s Brandon Mifsud (2,220,000) joining Hokkanen in this exclusive club. Local Slovakian Martin Ilavsky also passed 2 million midway on Saturday but things began to fall apart on the stream before eventually losing the rest of his stack on a side table to bow out in 21st first place €2,240.

Meanwhile, three other players in Israel’s Yehuda Yosef (1,900,000), Austria’s Daniel Shaker (1,720,000), and Austria’s Jasmine Schuster (1,690,000) all advanced to the final day with more than 1 million in chips.

Schuster is one of two women to battle to the final two tables with Norwegian Coolbet streamer Ylva “Jevakim” Thorsrud (605,000) also ready to make waves with her short stack. Thorsrud will be joined by fellow Norwegian Coolbet streamer Jonatan Wedde (615,000) with a similar stack at the televised feature table, which will be hosted at the Coolbet Open website and social media channels with Stig Moen and Jason Glatzer on a 30-minute delay starting at 12:30 p.m. until a winner is crowned.

2023 Coolbet Open Bratislava Final Day Seat Draw

The final 16 players each locked up a €2,605 payout with much more to come with the 2023 Coolbet Open Main Event champion scheduled to earn a huge €60,000 and, of course, the coveted trophy. Check out all of the payouts of the 2023 Coolbet Open Main Event below.

While there was tons of buzz surrounding the Main Event, many players who failed to make it deep enjoyed a variety of side events.

Slovakia’s Milan Niznansky won the first trophy of the day and claimed the lion’s share of the €8,170 prize pool generated by 43 entries in Event #18: €225 PLO Hi/Lo 8-Max after defeating Israel’s David Mekyess to win the €3,345 top prize.

Estonia’s Mati Pirn bubbled that event but made it for it in a huge way by winning a trophy in Event #22: €225 Open Face Chinese Pineapple for €2,375 after defeating Belgium’s Lucas Armici in the final match.

The biggest prizes were awarded in Event #19: €1,100 Coolbet NLH Masterclass 6-Max with the final four players of the 46-entry field agreeing to a deal leaving some money and the trophy to be played for. Austria’s Adem Marjanovic and Israel’s Eden Elbaz both collected €9,000 for finishing in third and fourth place before Czech Republic’s Jiri Noga defeated Lithuania’s Edgaras Truskauskas (second - €10,000) to win €12,950 and the coveted trophy.

Israel’s Merav Tehila faced off against Slovakia’s Martina Svobodova in Event #20: €115 Coolbet Open Ladies Only for €950. Norway’s Bent Kirkeroed won Event #21: €330 Coolbet Open Mystery Bounty for €4,405 and bounties, while fellow Norwegian Christian Arstad won the fun Event #22: €115 Sycksbe’s NLH Hyper Turbo for €2,800.

Sunday features the conclusion of the Main Event starting at 12 p.m. with one-hour blind levels starting at Level 23 with blinds at 15,000/30,000 along with a 30,000 big blind ante.

While you can check out the live stream of the Main Event from beginning to end on the final day, many players will test their poker skills one last time during the 2023 Coolbet Open with two other events in Event #24: €115 Turbo Version of the Coolbet Open Main Event kicking off at 3 p.m. and Event #25: Last Chance NLH Turbo starting at 8 p.m. Sandwiched in between these two side events is a satellite at 6 p.m. to The Festival Series Bratislava on Nov. 27 to Dec. 3 at Banco Casino with two packages valued at €1,600 each guaranteed.

Hokkanen Leads Final 16 in CBO Main Event

<div id="header"><img src="https://coolbet-cms.imgix.net/blog/coolbet-open-bratislava-2023-coolbet-main-event-day-1-e-7673_1694254049842.jpg" alt="Nagy Stars at TV Table on CBO Main Event Day 1e" width="100%"><h1>Nagy Stars at TV Table on CBO Main Event Day 1e</h1></div><p>The €300,000 guaranteed Coolbet Open Bratislava €550 Main Event attracted 620 entries after players battled on Saturday the final two of six opening flights with 107 players advancing to Saturday’s Day 2.</p><p><u><a href="https://coolbetopen.com/blog/yosef-snags-lead-on-day-1c-of-cbo-main-event">Day 1c chip leader from Israel Yehuda Yosef</a></u> maintained the overall chip lead with 861,000. However, the rest of the top five emerged from Friday’s Day 1e field which attracted 196 entries. Hungary’s Barnabas Nagy came into the live-streamed television table with some chips before winning several big pots including eliminating two-time WSOP bracelet winner Martin Kabrhel when his cowboys held against nines before ending the day with an impressive stack of 775,000.</p><p>Local Slovakian poker beast Martin Ilavsky also shined at the feature table on Day 1e and will head to Day 2 with 510,000. Meanwhile, Roy Sorknes (489,000) and Greece Grigorios Pougaridis (481,000) also bagged big on Day 2 and managed to crack the five players on the overall leaderboard.</p><p>The final opening flight in the turbo Day 1f kicked off at 9 p.m. with 22 players advancing out of the 79 entries. Andrej Desset found the biggest bag with 237,000. However, there will likely be bigger stacks at his Day 2 table as he will start the day in 23rd place.</p><h2>Top 10 Chip Counts Entering Day 2 of 2023 Coolbet Open Main Event</h2><div style="padding:0.5rem 2rem"><table style="width:100%;border:1px #000 solid;border-collapse:collapse"><thead style="text-align:left;background-color:#f5f5f5"><tr><th>Place</th><th>Player</th><th>Country</th><th>Chips</th><th>Big Blinds</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">1</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Yehuda Yosef</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Israel</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">861,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">172</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">2</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Barnabas Nagy</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Hungary</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">775,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">155</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">3</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Martin Ilavsky</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Slovakia</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">510,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">102</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">4</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Roy Sorknes</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Norway</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">489,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">98</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">5</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Grigorios Pougaridis</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Greece</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">481,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">96</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">6</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Jacob Melloul</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Israel</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">407,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">81</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">7</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Maged Aziz</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Egypt</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">390,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">78</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">8</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Gunter Jakworth</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Austria</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">375,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">75</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">9</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Brandon Mifsud</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Malta</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">321,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">64</td></tr><tr><td style="border:1px #000 solid">10</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Itzhak Dagmi</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">Israel</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">312,000</td><td style="border:1px #000 solid">62</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>The biggest two days of the Main Event are on our doorsteps starting with Day 2 kicking off at noon on Saturday. Blinds will start at 2,000/5,000 with a 5,000 big blind ante and increase slowly at every 60-minutes. The action will conclude on Day 2 the sooner of 16 players remaining or 10 blind levels.</p><p>The feature table for the Main Event will begin after the first break at around 2:45 with Coolbet Open commentators Stig Moen and Jason Glatzer will once again announce the action. <u><a href="https://coolbetopen.com/live-video">Head to our Live Video tab on the Coobet Open website</a></u> to follow along until the sixth Coolbet Open Main Event champion is crowned in Bratislava.</p><h2>Five Players Win Side Event Trophies</h2><p>While the Main Event will continue to steal the headlines for good reasons, five other players deserve their names in the spotlight thanks to winning trophies in side events on Friday.</p><p>A total of 58 players entered Event #12: €225 NLH for a €11,020 prize pool before two Israelis in Rony Israel and Netzer Gamliely found themselves heads-up for the title. Both players agreed to an even chop awarding them €3,245 each with Israel officially winning the trophy.</p><p>Mixed games are gaining popularity in Europe and the Coolbet Open has always been a place where they have proved to be popular. Event #13: €165 8-Game blew the €5,000 guarantee out of the water with 58 entries creating a €8,265 prize pool. Finland’s Ville Hakala defeated Sweden’s Kim Hagstrom heads-up to win the €3,065 top prize to conclude the marathon mixed-game event lasting more than 13 hours.</p><p>Meanwhile, Event #14: €60 Unlimited Rebuy proved to be fun with an affordable buy-in alongside rake-free rebuys. Finland’s Ville Jakonen came out on top of a field of 35 entries to bank the first-place prize of €2,130 after defeating Sweden’s Bo Lindberg heads-up.</p><p>Event #15: €165 Coolbet Deepstack Turbo awarded the biggest prizes of the day with €14,250 shared among the top 13 players from the field of 97 entries. Estonia’s Keito Kaljulaid became the side event star on Friday by winning the single biggest tournament prize of the day in €3,850 after defeating Finland’s Joel Salmirinne heads-up.</p><p>The final event on Friday in Event #16: €115 Jevakim FridayFun Turbo lived up to its billing as it had a home game feeling. The tournament was hosted by Coolbet Twitch streamer Ylva “Jevakim” Thorsrud, who hosts a fun and friendly weekly online home game at Coolbet for her viewers. Thorsrud was hungry for the title but it was three strikes and she was out before the money. Latvia’s Sergejs Torcuks will likely remember Friday as well as anyone else as he was the last player standing among the 94 entries to win the €2,350 top prize after defeating Lars Markus Jonsson heads-up.</p><h2>Saturday (Sept. 9) Coolbet Open Schedule</h2><p>While there will be tons of buzz surrounding Day 2 of the Coolbet Open Bratislava Main Event kicking off at noon, there will be plenty of other events to keep players busy with six side events on tap.</p><p>Saturday boasts two mixed game tournaments in the €225 PLO Hi/Lo starting at 2 p.m. and the €225 Open Face Chinese Pineapple at 8 p.m. Meanwhile, four other interesting side events will crown winners on Saturday including The €1,100 Coolbet NLH Masterclass 6-Max at 3 p.m., the Coolbet Open €115 Ladies Only at 4 p.m.Coolbet Open €330 Mystery Bounty at 5 p.m., and the €115 Sycksbe’s NLH Hyper Turbo at 9 p.m.</p><p>The live stream of the Main Event will kick off at around 2:45 CEST and you can watch the action by <u><a href="https://www.coolbetopen.com/live-video">heading to ‘Live Video’ in our menu on our Coolbet Open website</a></u>.</p><p><u><a href="https://coolbetopen.com/schedule">Head to our Coolbet Open Schedule landing page</a></u> to see the full schedule of the 2023 Coolbet Open.</p><br>

The €300,000 guaranteed Coolbet Open Bratislava €550 Main Event attracted 620 entries after players battled on Saturday the final two of six opening flights with 107 players advancing to Saturday’s Day 2.

Day 1c chip leader from Israel Yehuda Yosef maintained the overall chip lead with 861,000. However, the rest of the top five emerged from Friday’s Day 1e field which attracted 196 entries. Hungary’s Barnabas Nagy came into the live-streamed television table with some chips before winning several big pots including eliminating two-time WSOP bracelet winner Martin Kabrhel when his cowboys held against nines before ending the day with an impressive stack of 775,000.

Local Slovakian poker beast Martin Ilavsky also shined at the feature table on Day 1e and will head to Day 2 with 510,000. Meanwhile, Roy Sorknes (489,000) and Greece Grigorios Pougaridis (481,000) also bagged big on Day 2 and managed to crack the five players on the overall leaderboard.

The final opening flight in the turbo Day 1f kicked off at 9 p.m. with 22 players advancing out of the 79 entries. Andrej Desset found the biggest bag with 237,000. However, there will likely be bigger stacks at his Day 2 table as he will start the day in 23rd place.

Top 10 Chip Counts Entering Day 2 of 2023 Coolbet Open Main Event

The biggest two days of the Main Event are on our doorsteps starting with Day 2 kicking off at noon on Saturday. Blinds will start at 2,000/5,000 with a 5,000 big blind ante and increase slowly at every 60-minutes. The action will conclude on Day 2 the sooner of 16 players remaining or 10 blind levels.

The feature table for the Main Event will begin after the first break at around 2:45 with Coolbet Open commentators Stig Moen and Jason Glatzer will once again announce the action. Head to our Live Video tab on the Coobet Open website to follow along until the sixth Coolbet Open Main Event champion is crowned in Bratislava.

While the Main Event will continue to steal the headlines for good reasons, five other players deserve their names in the spotlight thanks to winning trophies in side events on Friday.

A total of 58 players entered Event #12: €225 NLH for a €11,020 prize pool before two Israelis in Rony Israel and Netzer Gamliely found themselves heads-up for the title. Both players agreed to an even chop awarding them €3,245 each with Israel officially winning the trophy.

Mixed games are gaining popularity in Europe and the Coolbet Open has always been a place where they have proved to be popular. Event #13: €165 8-Game blew the €5,000 guarantee out of the water with 58 entries creating a €8,265 prize pool. Finland’s Ville Hakala defeated Sweden’s Kim Hagstrom heads-up to win the €3,065 top prize to conclude the marathon mixed-game event lasting more than 13 hours.

Meanwhile, Event #14: €60 Unlimited Rebuy proved to be fun with an affordable buy-in alongside rake-free rebuys. Finland’s Ville Jakonen came out on top of a field of 35 entries to bank the first-place prize of €2,130 after defeating Sweden’s Bo Lindberg heads-up.

Event #15: €165 Coolbet Deepstack Turbo awarded the biggest prizes of the day with €14,250 shared among the top 13 players from the field of 97 entries. Estonia’s Keito Kaljulaid became the side event star on Friday by winning the single biggest tournament prize of the day in €3,850 after defeating Finland’s Joel Salmirinne heads-up.

The final event on Friday in Event #16: €115 Jevakim FridayFun Turbo lived up to its billing as it had a home game feeling. The tournament was hosted by Coolbet Twitch streamer Ylva “Jevakim” Thorsrud, who hosts a fun and friendly weekly online home game at Coolbet for her viewers. Thorsrud was hungry for the title but it was three strikes and she was out before the money. Latvia’s Sergejs Torcuks will likely remember Friday as well as anyone else as he was the last player standing among the 94 entries to win the €2,350 top prize after defeating Lars Markus Jonsson heads-up.

While there will be tons of buzz surrounding Day 2 of the Coolbet Open Bratislava Main Event kicking off at noon, there will be plenty of other events to keep players busy with six side events on tap.

Saturday boasts two mixed game tournaments in the €225 PLO Hi/Lo starting at 2 p.m. and the €225 Open Face Chinese Pineapple at 8 p.m. Meanwhile, four other interesting side events will crown winners on Saturday including The €1,100 Coolbet NLH Masterclass 6-Max at 3 p.m., the Coolbet Open €115 Ladies Only at 4 p.m.Coolbet Open €330 Mystery Bounty at 5 p.m., and the €115 Sycksbe’s NLH Hyper Turbo at 9 p.m.

The live stream of the Main Event will kick off at around 2:45 CEST and you can watch the action by heading to ‘Live Video’ in our menu on our Coolbet Open website.

Head to our Coolbet Open Schedule landing page to see the full schedule of the 2023 Coolbet Open.

Nagy Stars at TV Table on CBO Main Event Day 1e

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