Players came from near and far to attend the first Coolbet Open in 2 1/2 years. One player that traveled more than most is Japan's Yuri Ishida, who is sitting on a healthy stack of 120,000 after the first break.
Ishida has never been to Estonia but she shared with PokerListings before Day 2 began that this was on her bucket list and found a good opportunity to visit with the Coolbet Open known for not only a good schedule but also tons of friendly players and a fun vibe.
"One of my friends told me about the Coolbet Open that lives in Estonia," Ishida explained. "I have always wanted to come to Estonia. I have had an interest since I was young and love traveling."
It is great that Ishida loves traveling considering she shared that her journey took 16 hours to come to Estonia for a fun week of poker.
Ishida does love to play poker and even does so on a recreational basis with no money involved in her local country of Japan, which at this point in time doesn't have a casino. However, she does play for real money on the road as can be evidenced not only by her confident demeanor on the tables but also by her almost $600,000 in cashes as tracked by The Hendon Mob.
Perhaps this won't be the last time we see Ishida as she is not only enjoying the poker but the friendly attitude of most of the players.
"Everyone is very friendly," Ishida said with a smile.
Best of luck to Ishida and a shout-out to all the poker players in Japan.