Baltic Festival: Keys unlocks secret to Baltic chip lead

It's a thankless task following British poker players at major international tournaments internationally. Sure, there were the occasional triumph, but as a rule it is a story of so near and yet thus far. No person told us - nobody even hinted - that every one we needed to do was come to the Baltics.

For it's here, by and large Event of the inaugural PokerStars Baltic Festival, that James Keys, a Briton, is the chip leader going into the overall day; Thomas Partridge, a Briton, is third in chips; and Natasha Ellis, a Briton, may be still some of the final 17 players still standing. Britannia rules the day!

James Keys

Thomas Partridge

Natasha Ellis

Day two proper began at noon in Tallinn with 121 players still within the hunt and only 32 places within the money. We were thinking we would be here all night because the loose target was to minimize just about a last table. But as is so often the case, the pace was rapid from the off. Ten, twenty, thirty players departed, and suddenly the bubble was in sight.

That's when it got cruel. It usually gets cruel, but try telling Katja Thater that. She one one of the most big stacks at that stage, and she or he had pocket kings all in pre-flop against Keys' pocket jacks. Then: bing! A jack at the flop, Thater was out, and Keys cruised right into a lead that he never relinquished.

Katja Thater

The bubble burst when Michael Fardan also cracked pocket kings. This time they were within the hand of Christian Schneider and it was a battle of the blinds at the bubble. Eeeeew. Fardan had A-Q and turned an ace, which sent Scheider back to Austria penniless and the remainder of them into the money.

Michael Fardan, background

One of the rest few was the Team PokerStars Pro and World Champion Peter Eastgate. That is the last tournament he'll play before traveling to Vegas next week at hand his world crown over to the most recent victor from the November Nine.

Peter Eastgate

Although the €2,455 Eastgate picked up for 23rd place (he bumped into the straight of Johan Nilsson to finish his participation here) will qualify because the most "min" of "min-cashes" for the nine million dollar man, this year was sensational for Eastgate. Among other successes, he won an aspect event on the PCA, finished second at EPT London, and capped the year with another deep run. A greater than worthy world champion.

Tomorrow, though, we will be able to play right down to that winner. Unlocking Keys would be the target. Can anyone go father than Fardan? Or will Partridge pick off the pear pair of them. Enough. I'LL bed.

Full chip counts are at the chip-count page. Have a look back at the day because it unfolded with our level-by-level updates, the links to which can be below. Or read all of it in Swedish, in case you are a masochist. Video blogs can be found at PokerStars.tv, and thanks again to Rene Velli's trigger finger.

Day two introductionLevels 9&10 updatesLevels 11&12 updatesLevels 13&14 updatesLevels 15&16 updates

Chip leader James Keys

Play resumes at 2pm. Make sure you join us.

Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: Baltic Poker Festival]