Estonian National Match Poker Team

The Estonian national team that will participate in the Match Poker European Nations Cup, to be held in Ukraine, will consist of the same individuals who competed in this sporting format also in 2012-2013. Back then, they won the preliminary round of the European Nations Cup and achieved fifth place at the European Championships in Cyprus. Despite their great tournament experience, all members of the Estonian teams are still amateur players!


Henri Käsper

One of Estonia’s best known poker players whose earnings from live tournaments exceed half a million dollars and who can boast with four individual Estonian champion titles. As a successful public relations manager, he has taken poker into the media, shaped its reputation, and engaged thousands of new players. At the table, Henri’s main virtues are his vast experience and the ability to read his opponents.


Laur Sibold

Wonderful player, characterised by his good sense of humour as well as bold actions even in the most difficult situations. Although Laur is mainly known as a showman and event organiser, he has also become Estonian poker champion and won tens of thousands of Euros at live tournaments. We could also let you in on the secret that he is quite the expert in heads-up and the short-handed game. Mostly, he joins the table to enjoy good vibes and nice company.


Herli Olop

One of this decade’s most valued poker persons in Estonia, active in both the OlyBet poker room and the games portal Jokker.ee. This means that he knows poker through and through as a player (he is also a two times poker champion of Estonia) and as an organiser. In poker, Herli values both good company and interesting game situations. At the table, he does not ask for too much attention but could always make it quite far!


Marko Kolk

Mathematician who has stood out not only in poker, but also in other thinking games. For several years, nothing could be heard of this colourful old-timer… Until in 2016, he won two tournaments in one night at the Estonian championships of online poker and, naturally, also won the Player of the Year title at the championships. Marko is sneaky and a bit unusual, he is not easy to read.


Kelly Limonova

Entrepreneur, living in Spain, who became one of Estonia’s brightest poker stars at the beginning of this decade. Her success and the title of the female player of the year 2011 was achieved thanks to her “unwomanly” – aggressive, fierce and daring – playing style which made Kelly an uncomfortable opponent to all of her competitors. Kelly actively plays poker also today and her tirelessness, patriotism and sociability make this woman one of the pillars of the Estonian national team.


Katti Järvsoo

Tough athlete who enjoys competing and participates in tournaments with great passion and enthusiasm. It is her great will to win that has allowed her to become a strong poker player and no matter how difficult the situation is, she will not give up! Katti has been successful on several different tournaments, she has also become the Estonian champion and won the title of the Estonian Female Player of the Year.


Marek Reinaas

President of the Estonian Tournament Poker Federation since 2010. He is a successful businessman who is known in Estonia also as a columnist, presenter, and politician. As Marek is amazing at communication and has a good intellectual sense of humour, whatever he says or writes always gets lots of attention. Tournament poker is one of Marek’s many hobbies and presumably he is strongest as a team player.


The national team’s support person is Tanel Reisi, board member of the ETPF, who has been one of the main leaders of Estonian poker in the recent years. Tanel will not be playing at the Match Poker European Nations Cup but he shall be observing everything from behind the scenes, helping our players as he can, and also shaking hands with the other competitors, as a sign of good will.

On August 24th 2019, the Barbados Federation of Poker Inc. will be launching an inaugural tournament in their beautiful home country. Having overcome a few minor setbacks, the team is now better positioned to host a competitive and fun-filled event aimed at providing an exceptional experience for all registered participants. 

The event which is scheduled to take place at Skymall Conference Centre St. Michael, has been supported by the country’s National Sports Council, the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. and the IFMP. Registration is open to both locals and international players who can sign up by visiting https://getmein.events/events/bim-poker/

Through these events, the Federation’s management team will continue to push poker as a sport, and will further set their sights on selecting a National team, who will be eager and ready to compete against the best of the best at IFMP’s America’s Nations Cup event, set to take place in Lima, Peru later this year. The President of BFP, Damien Haynes, encourages all members of the poker community to follow their social media pages in order to keep current with all relevant updates. Should persons be interested in further information you can feel free to contact the team at [email protected] or directly through their social media platforms.”

Their social media information is as follows: 

Website – https://www.barbadosfederationofpoker.com

Facebook – Barbados Federation of Poker Inc. 

Instagram – @Bimpoker 

Twitter- @Bfpoker1

Contact Number: 1(246) 841-6342

Introducing the National Match Poker Team of Denmark that will participate in the 2019 European Nations Cup in Kyiv, Ukraine next month:

Malene Frejvald

39, recreational player

Hometown: Frederiksværk, DK

Profession: Physiotheurapic masseur

Nickname: Frejbassen

Has been playing poker for 15 years. Loves to play QQ and K10 suited. Most of the time she plays in their local club in Frederiksvaerk (John Tøms Poker) – but also play larger tournaments in Denmark – Rozvadov (Czech Republic) and Las Vegas (US).


Lene Olsen

60, recreational player

Hometown: Havdrup, DK

Profession: Medical secretary

Played poker just over 15 years, plays mostly in Denmark, Rozvadov (Czech Republic) and Las Vegas (US).


Jesper Røygaard

46, recreational player

Hometown: Ringsted

Nickname: Sputnik

Call sign sputnik..

“Sometimes i play tight, Sometimes very loose” – Mostly play in Denmark and a little in Sweden – I have played for 20 years

Love to play JT, and hate to play JJ


Zoran Sajn

52, recreational player

Hometown: Frederiksværk, DK

Profession: Translator

Nickname: Bockule

Played poker just over 30 years, plays mostly in Denmark, but has also played a bit in Sweden, Germany and Serbia.

My favorite hand is: 6-3 off.


Kim Olsen

57, recreational player

Profession: Retired soldier

Hometown: Slagelse, DK

Nickname: DJKIO62

Played poker just over 20 years, plays mostly in Denmark, Rozvadov, Spain, UK and Las Vegas.


Knud Adelstorp

55, recreational player

Profession: CEO

Hometown: Copenhagen, DK

Nickname: LEGO

Played poker for 25 year, played poker in Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republik, Spain, Ireland and UK.

Favorite hand: 96 suited in spade.


Henrik Olsen

55, recreational player

Profession: Personal helper

Hometown: Slagelse, DK

Nickname: Dotplaza/Potplaza

I first started playing poker during the “poker boom” in 2005 where I managed to come in 3rd at 888 majors two weeks in a row for about £5,000 both times. Otherwise in terms of placement, it is my 17th place at the Danish National Championship the following year.


John Petersen

Profession: Retired teacher

Hometown: Frederiksværk, DK

Nickname: sakulenil/Vegas Star/John Toems

Played poker in 15 years, mostly tournaments. I have played/won poker tournaments in Denmark, Riga, Latvia, San Giljan, Malta, Rozvadov, Dublin, Ireland, Las Vegas, and Malaga and made FT on a Poker cruise DK/Norway.

“Owner” of a legal pokerclub in Frederiksværk (John Tøms Poker)


 

The Austrian Poker Sport Association held its inaugural invitational meeting and tournament last month.

More than 30 representatives of Austrian poker clubs and media attended.

President Martin Sturc commenced with a presentation of the upcoming projects of the Association which include a campaign to shift the public’s perception of poker more towards mind games.

He also introduced the new national team coaches, two of Austria’s most successful online players.

President Sturc emphasized that the Austrian Poker Sport Association and the Poker Clubs have to continue working together in order to create a positive future for the mind sport of Poker in Austria.

In the following discussion the representatives had a chance to ask questions and give feedback on the current situation and offer their wishes for the future.

Following a lunch all attending had a chance to prove their poker skills to the new national team coaches in a double shoot-out tournament which was won by Andreas Schwaiger, a former winner of the Austrian Poker Masters.

6p

These are not wrinkles, it is a sixpack from thinking!

 

The Lithuanian national team faced the Armenian national team in two day clash in Lithuania to see who would win at Match Poker.

The Armenian team comprised of: Hakob Vardanyan (president), Sargis Antonyan, Armen Petrosyan, Suren Hunanyan, Manana Melkonyan. The Lithuanian team comprised of: Vytautas Milbutas (captain), Andrius Bielskis, Paulius Venčkauskas, Rasa Šalčiuvienė, Vaidas Bielskis, Andrej Afonin. The Lithuanian team was created from national federation’s best players (Vaidas Bielskis, Rasa Šalčiuvienė, Andrej Afonin) and well known professionals such as Vytautas Milbutas, Andrius Bielskis and Paulius Venčkauskas.

Match poker was played by both for 50 hands after the completed SNG tournaments. The organizers did not have access of IFP’s bespoke Match Poker technology and had to physically deal and replicate all the 50 hands randomly, using 50 card decks for those 50 deals. Teams we seated in the following order: table 1 – three Armenians and two Lithuanians, table 2 – vice versa. Blinds were 50-100, and every player could use 100 BB for each hand. After the first session (e.g. 25 deals) Lithuanians were leading by 40BB (4000 in chips). However, after the break the Armenian team began to use very aggressive team tactics, which were very successful at SNG tournament – team format was not so favorable for this and at the end, after the calculation of the results, it became clear, that Lithuania won by 400 BB, most of which was added by Andrius Bielskis, the winner of 7th Sunday Million at Poker Stars. He increased its original chip stack by 280 BB.

After the events ended, teams agreed that such an event is very useful for the players and for the popularity and development of poker itself.