EPT 7 Takes Over Tallinn

EPT final table and cashes record holder Luca Pagano is threatening again in Tallinn.

The PokerStars European Poker Tour’s seventh season kicked off in Tallinn, Estonia, this week and is already breaking records.

With 182 players entering on EPT Tallinn's Day 1a Wednesday and another 238 on Day 1b Thursday, a total of 420 players ponied up the €4,000+€250 buy-in, smashing all records for a tournament in Estonia.

The total prize pool is a whopping €1,596,000 with €400,000 earmarked for first.

Coming off a final table at IPT Venice last month and a win in the WPT Spanish Championship right before the 2010 WSOP, German Ali Tekintamgac rushed out to the chip lead on Day 1a Wednesday.

A total of 89 Day 1a players made it through to Friday's Day 2 with Italian Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano, the record holder for EPT final tables (6) and overall cashes (14), hot on Tekintamgac's heels.

Players from a total of 41 different countries are competing in Tallinn.

The EPT is Europe's richest and most popular poker tour. Last season's total prize pool reached €56,672,284 thanks to more than 9,000 EPT main event players.

Season 7 will feature 13 stops starting in Estonia this week.

EPT Tallinn runs through Aug. 16 at the Swissôtel in the Estonian capital.