Toni crowned King of Paradise, 2009/10

Congratulations go to Toni Merivuori after he was crowned the inaugural ParadisePoker Tour League champion for 2009/10.

The Finn accrued the most points across the four events, with his final table appearance in London the catalyst for a fine debut season.

Players scored points for finishing in the top 100 places, with the tournament winner earning one hundred down to a single point for the 100th-place finisher, and it was Merivuori who proved the most consistent performer.

His reward was €10,000 plus free packages for all six of Season Two’s events, worth a total of €6,600, and the amateur player was understandably delighted with his biggest ever poker win.

“It feels amazing but I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” he told the PPT blog, “It’s €10,000 and six events for next season so I don’t know what to think!

“After London I looked at the satellites for the next events and decided to take a shot, so without the leaderboard London might have been my only tournament.

“Coming eighth in the London event was my biggest achievement in poker and I think this is even bigger because the prize is so nice,” admitted a smiling Merivuori, “I play poker to win money; I’m not after the fame.

“Now it’s free for me to play all six events next year but I have to go and improve my game if I want to maintain this. Maybe I’ll change something so I can go for the win now because a lot of this season I’ve been playing tight for ranking points.”

Leaderboard - Final Standings

1st Toni Merivuori 213
2nd Marek Viščak 199
3rd Johnny Jensen 192
4th Lim-wai Cheung 151
5th Georges Tohme 146

ParadisePoker Season Two Announced!

ParadisePoker have today announced the schedule for Season Two of the ParadisePoker Tour.

The new season launches with a €550 entry, €125,000 guaranteed debut event in Algarve Vilamoura in Portugal from September 9th–12th. Following on from Portugal there are events planned for London, Copenhagen, Prague, Spain and Bulgaria.

The new season will again feature the leaderboard promotion that proved so popular with the players in Season One. With points allocated to the top 50 places in each main event and €20,000 in prize money, it will once again be easy to get involved.

Qualifiers for Algarve Vilamoura commence on July 26th with satellites running from as low as €1 and prize packages guaranteed to be won everyday.

Full schedule:

ParadisePoker Tour Algarve Vilamoura
Casino de Vilamoura
September 9th – 12th 2010
ParadisePoker Tour London
November 2010
ParadisePoker Tour Copenhagen
January 2011
ParadisePoker Tour Prague
March 2011
ParadisePoker Tour Spain
May 2011
ParadisePoker Tour Bulgaria
July 2011

For more information visit ParadisePokerTour.com

Marek delighted to go one better

Marek Viscak exorcised the demons of his PPT London heads-up defeat as he lifted the title in Sunny Beach.

The Czech lost his tussle with Georges Tohme back in December, but it was a happier ending in Bulgaria as he overcame Danish cash game specialist Aske Muff to wrap up the win he coveted.

"I feel great to have won after coming second in London," said the newly crowned champion.

"The last 15 players in this tournament were a lot tougher than those in London and it was important for me to finish in the top three places and be second in the Tour League.

"This was one of the three best cashes I've had since I started playing poker, so I'm really pleased with the result."

Marek's victory; the photos:

Right on cue, Marek delivers the killer blow

Just as we felt our big hand sense tingling, the key moment duly arrived and it was Marek Viscak who continued his late surge to win the PPT Bulgaria.

It came in similar circumstances to the hand which had earned him the chip lead, as once again rival Aske Muff flopped top pair and the Czech a big draw.

This time it was 7♦8♦ on a Q♦-J♦-&4clubs; board, and even with Q10 in the hole, Aske almost sensed his own impending downfall by striking the table.

The turn delivered another set of outs for Viscak, as the 6♥ dropped, and the river 5♣ made him an unlikely straight.

The pain was evident in Muff's reaction, but he admitted his €20,000 prize - won courtesy of a pre-heads up deal - would be of considerable comfort.

"I'm disappointed because I feel like I had him twice," said the Dane, "It was only €3,000 more at stake but of course you always want to win.

"The trophy would have meant a lot but this is why I love live poker, for this kind of excitement, so I'll definitely be back for future events!"

The Aske fightback commences

Some by now familiar aggression from one-time chip leader Aske Muff has edged him back towards equality in the heads-up duel for the PPT crown.

Though his Czech opponent may have slightly more chips across the baize, the momentum appears to be with the Dane once again.

Marek Viscak had tried to tame Aske with calls on two streets on a 4♥-4♠-3♦-J♦-8♠ board, but he was forced to concede on the river as his foe refused to slow down.

With the blinds now at 10,000/20,000 and the ante 2,000, there is still more play in this contest, but you sense a defining hand could be just around the corner.

A deal is done, but Marek seizes command

Continuing his ascent, Marek Viscak stole the chip lead in the heads-up duel after making a deal for all but €2,950 of the prize pool.

Aske Muff had the edge initially and so took €20,000, while Viscak was awarded €18,000.

With the PPT trophy still up for grabs, as well as the remaining cash, the players immediately set about the score by getting it all-in on a K♥-7♠-8♥ flop.

Muff turned a top pair king holding K♦9♥, but it was his rival's flush draw (J♥2♥) that connected on the turn to swing the pendulum his way.

Czech mate for Loringen as Marek goes head-up with Muff

Marek Viscak finally claimed a Danish scalp to go heads-up, but it took a harsh beat to send Anders Loringen to the rail.

Together with Aske Muff, the duo from Denmark had looked invincible at times, even after Loringen (pictured) lost a sizeable pot to his countryman.

His final hand was another tough one to take however, as his Kings were cracked by a river Jack that handed Marek two pair after the chips had all gone in.

The Czech player had raised from the button with Q♣J♣ and called a three-bet from the man to his right.

The flop held fear for both men, as the A♠-5♥-Q♠ prompted both men to check.

The 7♦ followed on the turn and while Loringen checked again, Marek made his move with middle pair, betting 90,000 chips and putting his opponent to the test.

It seemed the Dane had passed when he moved all-in and was called by the weaker pair, but he drowned in that cruel river.

"I feel kind of disappointed but I'm very satisfied overall," he revealed in the wake of the beat, "I was especially pleased with the final table.

"I had the patience to wait for moments to make moves and set myself goals as I went along. I obviously made the final table, then the last six players, but equally one was to win it.

"That last hand was tough but I think I played it really well, because when you re-raise someone pre-flop, the last thing you want to see is an Ace. Right now I wish he had folded but i got it in with the best hand.

"It would have been great to play Aske heads-up," he added, "If I'd won that pot it would have been quite even, but now I'm backing him to go on and win it.

"He's definitely the better player of the two left in my opinion. He's good at putting his opponents under pressure, so I don't doubt that he can finish the job."

Great Danes go to war

Having dominated the final table story so far, Danish players Aske Muff and Anders Loringen finally clashed in a big hand - and once again it was the chip leader who added to his stack.

Muff had attacked his compatriot's big blind with a 28,500 raise in a blind battle, and after he was called, the flop came 8♠-9♦-3♣.

That prompted a 33,500 c-bet but Loringen looked far from flustered, calling that and further bets on the turn (A♣) and river (8♦).

The shorter stack must have felt he'd done enough to win the enormous pot as he showed 8♣6♣, but Aske was not to be denied - showing threes full to maintain his top dog status.

At the break, Aske was feeling great about his chances: "Obviously it's gone really well. I've dominated the table and I've had some really good cards too.

"It's great when you feel like you can't miss, but I'm wary that I'm up against two strong opponents here and need to see it through."

Danish domination; we're down to three

The Danish players are now in pole position to go heads-up, with three more threats removed in Philipp Roch, Romain Rouxell and Barthomiej Kakol.

The German, French and Polish competitors fell in quick succession, with Roch's exit the biggest surprise after he went to war with the aggressive duo.

His PPT season ended with a 6th-placed finish worth €4,620 after he was three-bet for the second straight hand by Anders Loringen (pictured) and came back over the top holding J♥J♠.

Loringen tanked before calling with A♥Q♦ and the bullet hit him on the turn to eliminate Philipp.

The Frenchman Rouxell was not far behind, but his executioner was Marek Viscak.

It wouldn't have been the PPT Bulgaria final without Danish involvement however, as both Aske Muff and Marek called his all-in and checked down before the Czech player rolled his full house to win the pot.

Muff would soon rectify that rare defeat however, putting an end to the fading hopes of Barthomiej Kakol with A10.

"I was delighted with my finish," said Rouxell after his exit, "This is my first PPT and I won my entry so to finish 5th is great.

"I was able to play some good poker over the course of the two days, thanks to the structure, so it was a really good experience."

Aske pulls away as he claims another life

Chip leader Aske Muff continues to dominate the table, sealing another rival's fate with 10♠10♥.

The Danish player continues to swell his already considerable stack and must be closing in on half the chips in play after knocking out Sabin Filev.

Muff's pre-flop raise may have been shown little respect, earning calls from both Philipp Roch and Filev, but Lady Luck continued to side with the talented youngster.

So when Filev shoved a 2♥-3♣-5♦, he barely flickered as he reached for the required call. His rival showed 5♣7♣ and couldn't find the help he needed.

It didn't end there for Aske, however, as the Dane continued to amass chips at the expense of several players - and even flipped quad Aces at one stage.

Can he possibly lose from here?

Seven up, one more down

Our next victim is Boian Tashev and it was a painful defeat, as the poker gods brought runner runner trouble.

Everything looked rosy when he 3-bet Romain Rouxell's pre-flop raise, as even once called he had a stranglehold on the hand.

Rolling over the K♣Q♣, he must have been delighted to see his opponent flip K♥J♠, but it would not end so happily for Boian.

The still looked far from harmless, coming 6♣-10♣-4♥, but the A♦ on the turn gave Rouxell slim hope and the river Q♦ completed his heartache.

Action hots up as we lose our first player

Martin Dobrev became the first player to make his exit from the Final Table, as having come to blows with the big stacks one too many times, the Bulgarian ran out of lives.

It was a much-seen end to his tournament life, shoving with A♦J♠ only for big stack Aske Muff to find A♣K♣.

There was some hope on the flop as Jack looked like saving him, only for a King to arrive not only on the turn but the river as well.

"It was only my second live tournament, as I mainly play online, so I'm proud to have made the final table," said Martin.

"I didn't expect to get this far and even when I arrived, I didn't have too many chips.

"I was happy with how I played the hands but it just didn't happen for me."

Dobrev's demise swiftly followed one other all-in, but Sabin Filev was more fortunate than his counterpart.

His A♦4♣ spiked an Ace on the flop to survive, also against Muff.

Philipp out to Roch the PPT

German player Philipp Roch has made a strong start to the final table, tangling with fellow big stack Aske Muff and dragging in the spoils.

He still trails his Danish rival, but has strengthened his position ahead of the rest of the table as these two look to spar for the €26,250 top prize.

On a young, aggressive table there is still some way to go, but Philipp was in positive mood ahead of the final.

"I've not had many big hands today because I'm yet to be all-in for my tournament life," he explained, "It's been quite a smooth ride to the final table, although I wouldn't say it was an easy one.

"I've been on the average stack nearly the whole way, picking my spots to take some chips.

"The field is certainly tougher, although I've played some tougher in various EPT events and tournaments back home in Germany.

"I've got a lot of experience playing live now and I love it. Maybe the last year I've been playing a bit more online, but only because it can be expensive to travel around.

"This week I've come here on holiday with a friend and now it's paid for, so I'm happy!"

Final Table time

Our final table is all set to commence here at the Crystal Crown Casino, Sunny Beach, and here are the contenders for the PPT Bulgaria crown.

Seat 1: Aske Muff - 539,600
Seat 2: Boian Toshev - 188,600
Seat 3: Philipp Roch - 304,200
Seat 4: Anders Loringen - 201,700
Seat 5: Barthomiej Kakov - 166,900
Seat 6: Marek Viscak - 260,000
Seat 7: Romain Rouxell - 166,700
Seat 8: Sabin Filev - 84,000
Seat 9: Martin Dobrev - 159,500

Good luck all!

Final table sealed with a dose of drama

It was only fitting that the final table should arrive in style, as a three-way hand saw the chips flying pre-flop.

A big stack had raised pre-flop and pondering his response from the small blind, Alexander Nedkov eventually decided to come over the top.

It proved a poor decision as his A♠6♠ collided with the big blinds J♦J♥ and the pre-flop raiser's A♥K♠.

All the money went in and though the flop looked a little scary for the big pair, coming down Q♦-10♦-9♥, a 10♠ calmed his nerves on the turn and 6♥ sealed his place on the final table.

Nedkov was the man to miss out on the final, finishing in 10th-place and winning €2,520.

Two more down, one to go

Two more players followed in quick succession ahead of dinner, leaving just one more set for final table heartache.

First out was Miguel Rato. The Portuguese had been intermittently putting all his chips on the line and when he picked up 99, it was that time again.

Unfortunately for the online qualifier, it was his time to it the rail, as he ran into QQ and found no help on the flop.

Alexander Asenov was then out with barely a moment to pause, as another short stack ran out of time.

His K♠J♠ looked in great shape versus 7♦7♥ when a Jack was next out of the deck, but the flop also brought a decisive 7 to end his tournament in 11th.

Thirteen still vying for PPT glory

With the blinds reaching 4,000/8,000 with an 800 chip ante, the players are feeling the heat ahead of the final table.

Kostadin Ivanov was our most recent departure, having been forced to try his luck with 3♦4♠ after losing a crucial race for all but 3,400 of his stack.

That hand had seen him ship with pocket sevens and when his opponent made the call with K♠9♠, it was left to a turned 9 to paralyze him. Nonetheless, Kostadin walks away with €1,995 to ease his woes.

Before him it was Daniel Todorov making an exit, the local player finding Aces blocking his path after shoving with A10.

Meanwhile our chip leader at the last interval, Aske Muff, continued to make his presence felt at the table.

Having tangled with an aggressive player to his left more than once, the Dane got into another blind battle with his foe and came out on top.

Raising from the small blind with J♥10♠, he bet top pair on the flop, checked with his opponent on the turn and induced a bet from middle pair by checking the river.

With the average stack now standing 161,538 chips high, we still await our final table line-up.

Aske and thou shalt receive!

We have a new chip leader as we reach our second break of the day, as a huge pot brewed on the last hand of the session.

Aske Muff (pictured right) was the man building his newly acquired chip tower, as he tangled with another sizeable stack - and his Aces held to win a 300,000 plus pot.

The Dane three-bet a local player with his bullets pre-flop and c-bet a Q-10-2 flop for half the pot.

Having been called by his rival, a blank turn was enough for Aske to ship the rest of his chips and though he tanked for around five minutes, the call followed and KJ exposed.

The open-ended straight draw was blunted by a King on the river, creating a new force as we edge towards the final table.

"We both started the hand with around 150,000 in chips so I'm up to 320,000 now and I guess I'm the chip leader," said Aske after winning that monster pot.

"I play to win these tournaments so I'll hope for the best.

"Yesterday I was down to 4,000 after the dinner break but I've only been all-in and called once so I've mainly been winning small pots.

"Of course I'll be using the big stack to put pressure on my opponents now, but there are one or two good players that have joined my table, so I'll also be keeping an eye on them to see how they play."

Shrinking field hits two tables

With the bubble burst, the inevitable surge of chips to the middle played out and cost nine players their shot at the final table.

Among them was Polish player and one-time big stack Lukasz Gebica, who despite sitting on over 100,000 chips at the last break, saw his luck change in dramatic fashion.

In the end he was fortunate even to make the money, as he was eliminated in the same hand as our bubble boy Plamen Stravrev, but having started the deal with more chips, he earned the first €1,260 prize.

He was in calm mood despite completing a surprising collapse when his 10-8 pre-flop shove from the button found an opponent with QQ in the sb.

"It started when I lost a race with a short stack with 5s against AKs," explained Lukasz, "Then I lost another hand after raising with QJ and getting donked into when I missed the flop.

"A few rounds of blinds and suddenly I was a short stack on around 25,000 chips! I open shoved from the button on my last hand and the small blind called with Queens.

"Even with 100,000 chips you can soon find yourself in trouble if you have a run like that, but that's tournament poker.

"I had a great run yesterday at the start of the tournament and was on 30,000 after only two levels," he added, "That really allowed me to play my A-game and be aggressive, so I'm very pleased with how I played."

And the bubble boy is...

Plamen Stravrev proved the unlucky player to hit the rail one place short of the money, and it was doubly difficult to take after suffering a classic bad beat.

Stravrev had let his chips shrink to such a size that when he shoved with KQ, it was inevitable he would get a call from somewhere.

German player Philipp Roch (pictured) would earn the affection of the room with his call, even if it looked like he would double his opponent when he turned over K7.

A lucky seven obliged on the flop however and paid our remaining 27 players their reward!

Congratulations to all of them on making the money. Here's a reminder of how the prize structure stacks up:

1st €26,250
2nd €14,700
3rd €10,500
4th €6,300
5th €4,620
6th €4,200
7th €3,990
8th €3,255
9th €2,835
10th €2,520
11th €2,205
12th-14th €1,995
15th-16th €1,680
17th-18th €1,469
19th-27th €1,260

The bubble drags on as smaller stacks survive

Twenty-eight players still remain and the bubble boy is yet to show his face, as Lady Luck toys with our competitors.

Some players have survived their day as the dog to double through when it seems certain we would have our final three tables.

Viscak Marek (pictured) had also been on the line after losing a huge slice of his stack when overplaying A6o against an opponent who found KK, but his pleas of "let's go gamble!" initially fell on deaf ears at Table 11.

When he did manage to get his stack in the centre, he found himself with A♦Q♥ vs 8♦8♠.

The board made things interesting by the turn, giving Marek overcards, straight and flush possibilities on a 5♠-6♥-J♥ flop followed by the 10♥.

Another river King kept Marek alive and he bids to make a return to the PPT final table, having finished second in London.

Viktor's day comes to an end, two short of the cash

Just one more tournament life will be lost in the battle for the cash prizes, after Viktor Szuster was knocked out in 29th-place.

The Polish player got it all-in with A♥K♥ but ran into Jacks and the board brought no help.

Earlier one player had survived a scare when his K♠Q♥ caught some help on the river after coming up against A♣Q♠.

The 4♥-6♦-J♥ flop had looked pretty grim, but after another blank 4♠ on the turn, the river cowboy K♦ arrived to rescue him.

Controversy leaves Szuster hanging on

Viktor Szuster's dreams of another final table appearance appear to be fading after he ran into some trouble just before the first break of the day.

Folded to him on the small blind, Viktor (pictured) opted to shove his short stack into dangerous territory - and his opponent flipped Q8s.

That man was Lukasz Gebica, who has moved on to over 100,000 chips since the start of the day and is among the chip leaders, and Szuster chose to show an Ace as he pondered the call.

This prompted action from the tournament director and both men were forced to serve a hand penalty.

"I asked the TD whether I could show him my cards and he replied that he 'didn't advise me' to do that," said a frustrated Viktor, "But I didn't know that meant I would receive a penalty and I just wanted him to fold.

"I didn't want a 60/40 flip with just three players to go until the money, but it's not really about that. I've got a much smaller stack than my opponent so missing hands can mean a lot.

"I don't think about the fact I've gone deep in two PPTs now, I've just got an opportunity to play here and I want to do well."

The bubble at bursting point...

We're close to the bubble bursting here in Sunny Beach, as the final 30 players await their fate with the poker gods.

With just three players left to miss out on the money, the small and medium stacks will be wondering just how their luck will hold up - while the big stacks will surely be taking full advantage.

Among the players remaining we have two players with positive PPT experience to draw upon, as Czech player Viscak Marek and and Viktor Szuster both hope to make it a second final table appearance of the season.

Marek was the second-place finisher in London, while Szuster took sixth in Madrid and will surely feel that fate will be on their side again as we close in on the cash.

Day Two, shuffle up and deal...

Day Two is here and for our remaining 45 players, the race is on to make the money before the battle for the PPT Bulgaria title can commence.

The €105,000 prize pool will be carved up 27 ways by the end of play, with the minimum win €1,260 for the lucky few. Let the bubble begin!

Chip Count
Miroslav Malchev 91,225
Srom Marek 82,600
Astalakis Dimitris 79,750
Arodounnp Arodenole 76,550
Christos Mastrokypiakos 76,450
Egyaps Avenga 75,825
Libetah Myners 75,300
Maptuh Cauieb Dospel 70,175
Viscak Marek 69,350
Aleksander Asenov 69,225
Lukasz Gebica 68,575
Jan Lhotak 63,525
Nahaun Juheb 62,825
Yordon Dimitrov 57,300
Alexander Nedkov 54,425
Anders Andersen 52,200
Bartlomiej Zkokol 50,500
Tsvetan Pavlov 48,150
Rouxel Romain 48,025
Nnameh Lmabpeb 47,375
Philipp Roch 42,785
Emre Nuhoglu 42,125
Tsakalakos Dimitrios 41,000
Diogo Figueira 39,800
Adrian Stan 39,650
Daniel Todorov 39,275
Anaeegguh Bayu 38,100
Norbert Laszlo 37,925
Ahjoh Llerpol 31,850
Radu Mihai 29,500
Manusz Niski 28,500
Aske Muff 28,025
Hapumh Zhapanugcka 27,375
Miguel Rato 26,850
Kitty Obel 26,000
Maksymiliom Wozda 25,600
Nikolav Pishmishev 25,150
Sabin Filev 22,825
Ulah Monob 21,275
Ubalino Pumzel 20,250
Viktor Szuster 17,450
Nat Jarmonthavat 16,600
Kooraguh Ubanhol 15,775
David Mille 12,075

The PPT blog sends its apologies in advance for any mispellings in the above - but handwriting can be tougher to decipher than Phil Ivey!

Closing in on Day Two

We're all set to wrap up here at the Crystal Crown Casino, with at least 45 players set to reach the midway point of the tournament.

We'll have a full chip count ahead of tomorrow's action, as well as more detailed hands and interviews to report as the field thins further.

Unfortunately Tommy Ahmedof (pictured) will not be among those coming back on Sunday, as the Swedish pro lost a flip for his tournament life.

Facing an all-in from a loose-aggressive button, Tommy made the call with 88 and saw his opponent flip A10, then hit the 10 on the flop.

"I had two coin flips today and lost them both," he told us, "Had I won either or even both, it could have been a very different day.

"But I'm happy with that play because I'm crushing a big percentage of his range in that spot and 50-50 with nearly all of the rest.

"It's frustrating to go out with the money in sight and to miss out on Day Two, but I wanted to come back with some chips, not to grind it out as a short stack."

And then there were 57 - plus one Tour League winner

The blinds are biting chunks out of our remaining players stacks now, despite the slow structure, but one man who has clung on to reach his goal is Toni Merivuori.

The Finn is now top of the Tour League and seems certain to secure the €10,000 plus entry into all of next season's PPT events. Congratulations go to him for winning the inaugural honour!

With one 'bubble' burst, we can now look ahead to the money, with 27 players set to cash out of the PPT tomorrow. Below is the payout structure in full:

1st €26,250
2nd €14,700
3rd €10,500
4th €6,300
5th €4,620
6th €4,200
7th €3,990
8th €3,255
9th €2,835
10th €2,520
11th €2,205
12th-14th €1,995
15th-16th €1,680
17th-18th €1,469
19th-27th €1,260

Update - Toni eventually finished in 47th place to earn 53 points.

Toni's bubble on the verge of bursting

If you've ever had a run-in with the bubble, spare a thought for the frayed nerves of Toni Merivuori this evening, as the Finn chases top spot in the ParadisePoker Tour League.

Needing a 66th-place finish to overtake current leader Johnny Jensen, Toni is fast becoming the biggest story on Day One in Bulgaria - and he'll grab the headlines if just seven more players hit the rail before him.

There are a few permutations that could still deny him the prestigious title, €10,000prize plus free entry into the full 2010/11 PPT calendar, but it is Jensen's 192 tally that he must beat.

"I've been folding for the last hour so it's definitely affecting my game," smiled the likeable Merivuori, "Normally I would play a few more hands but I've been lucky today; three times I've had Aces.

"It's a big prize for me - it would be the biggest I've ever won - so I just don't want to lose any chips!

"I've got around 23,000 (26,000 avg) so I'm playing tight. I might even fold if I get three-bet with AK because this is like being on the bubble on my own.vIf I make it to 60th-place or so then I'll probably loosen up."

It would be a well-earned victory if the Finn takes the top prize, having finished in the points in all four legs of the ParadisePoker Tour.

An 8th-place finish in London remains his best result to date, but that could all be about to change!

Meanwhile, friends of the PPT blog Ed Frost and Hugo Almeira missed out on the race for the money as they came unstuck.

Jensen exits stage right; Toni senses his big chance

Johnny Jensen's day is done after his big stack crashed in dramatic fashion in Sunny Beach.

The ParadisePoker pro had been dominating early on but his super aggressive style got him into trouble and saw him head to the rail.

Still aloft at the top of the Tour League for now, the Dane is in real danger of losing that honour - as well as a cheque for €10,000 - as his main rival for the season victory is still in play.

Toni Merivuori (pictured) can surpass Johnny's 2009/10 score of 192 with a 34-point addition to his current 159 tally.

After making the final table in London, the Finn needs a 66th-place finish to achieve that goal and walk away the cash prize plus free entry into all of next season's events.

Here are the standings as they were at the start of play:

1st Johnny Jensen 192
2nd Toni Merivuori 159
3rd Lim-wai Cheung 151
4th Georges Tohme 146
5th Daniel Dankelman 121

Sunny on the rise in PPT Bulgaria

Having made his mark in Madrid with a final table appearance, Sunny Khosla is back on track after a tough start today.

The Danish player mistimed a bluff early on and was crippled at one stage, dropping to as low as 3,000 chips, but it seems he has fought his way out of that particular corner in typically aggressive style.

"I'm now on the average stack after I doubled up a couple of times," Sunny told us, "I've created a bit of a loose image with some plays so I got paid off when I had pockets Aces.

"I added to that image and won a big pot a bit later on when I showed a huge bluff.

"I raised with 6-9s in position against a tight big blind but the button re-raised me by 1,000 and I decided to call.

"The flop came A-5-3 and I checked, he led out for 2,500 and I raised and got him to fold - then showed it face up.

"I think that should earn me some respect and hopefully scare them a little, then I can play a different style."

The amateur is one of only a few players who could still catch compatriot Johnny Jensen at the top of the Tour League, with a strong performance likely to seal entry into a 2010/11 event on ParadisePoker.

Things won't come easy however, as Sunny pointed to the tougher opposition down by the Black Sea.

"The level is a little bit higher here than in Madrid, but I managed to get back to the average stack and now we'll see."

Short stacks ready to attack

The players have returned to the felt following a dinner break and with 139 players remaining, and only around 30 likely to survive the day, it's a crucial time for those coveting the PPT Bulgaria crown.

The average stack stands at 15,107, a 50% increase on the starting count, but most players still have plenty of big blinds to work with as we enter the next level.

With blinds at 200-400 with a 25 ante, there's still plenty of play even for those considering some short stack tactics.

They include Swedish player Tommy Ahmedof and UK player Ed Frost, who both confessed to being card dead when they caught up with the PPT blog.

"I've had very little in the way of cards in the last two hours," revealed Ed, "Every time I've tried to make some moves without them, it's been a case of bad timing and I've been three-bet."

All change from earlier on, when Ed show his fearless style in a big pot: "I three-bet pre-flop with suited connectors and got called.

"I continuation bet when the board paired on the flop and he called again, but I fired again when an Ace hit the turn and got him to fold Queens!"

Tommy was feeling a little more cautious, despite facing a "super-tight" table, and revealed he would be upping the aggression from the restart.

"I wanted to have a stack in this tournament but it just didn't work out that way," he explained, "It's time to play short stack poker now as I only have 7,500.

"There are a few short stacks at my table though and they're ready to do the same, but that means I can call with quite a wide range of hands."

Loose, Aggressive and Laughing

There's been no shortage of entertainment at the PPT Bulgaria, especially when it comes to Johnny Jensen's table.

The Dane (pictured) has arrived determined to enjoy his seemingly inevitable ride to the ParadisePoker Tour League victory, although there are still one or two players who could spoil his fun.

When being labelled a LAG becomes an understatement, you know you've a player intent on playing a big part in the action, and Jensen has his table seemingly running scared as he gets his way time and again.

The ParadisePoker-sponsored player accumulated one of the biggest stacks in the room early on and can be heard intermittently calling out 'pay me, pay me' or 'easy money!'

The catchphrases have bought him quite the table image, but it's certainly been working for our man so far!

Finding the positives

Having finished 52nd in the WSOP Event #45 with ParadisePoker, you'd think Didier Erb would be a man on a hot streak, but the Frenchman admitted to feeling frustrated at the break.

His chip count reduced to around 7,000 after running into a set, Didier was still bemused by the hand, yet grateful he had lost the minimum.

"I had a couple of bad reads that cost me a few thousand chips," he said, "But to be honest I could easily have lost a lot more in one of them.

"Two players limp-called after I raised with KQs; I c-bet the flop and got one caller and hit my King on the turn, only for him to lead into me on the turn and river.

"He had flopped a set of threes, but he only bet small and my value bets probably would have been bigger, so calling him down cost me less!"

Another player down on his starting stack was Portuguese Hugo Almeira (pictured), but he was keeping a more positive perspective after making a big fold with 10s.

"I lost a few chips but I'm still in the tournament!" he smiled, "It was a good fold on a 622-7-x board as I read my opponents for big hands and got shown KK and A2.

"I'm just glad nobody c-bet the flop because I probably would have raised and been out right now."

His 6,500 stack still gives him over 30bbs to work with; a similar situation to the one facing compatriot Joao Costa.

Luidgi to his friends, Joao made two exceptional lay downs with big pocket pairs, spotting two pair or better in the eyes of his opponent when he had KK on a positively soaking wet Q-10-8 flop, before getting away from QQ when it ran into a set of 7s.

The party never stops with Paradise!

As we approach the first break, the PPT blog would like to strike up a tune and sing the praises of the night life lurking just beyond the Crystal Crown Casino's red carpet.

ParadisePoker laid on a lavish party at the Champagne Bar within the casino walls last night, but inevitably the revelry spilled on to the strip and lasted until the wee hours.

This particular blogger would like to confess a sore head today, and it seems I'm not the only one feeling the effects of the Sunny Beach spirit.

Our very own Johnny Jensen is certainly playing with a smile on his face (and so he should be with the Tour League top prize - €10,000 plus free entry into all our 2010/11 events - within his grasp) and there are suspicions his Saturday night may have started early!

The party potential should prove some comfort to those players unlucky enough to miss out on Day Two, with the bright lights ready and waiting around the corner.

For now the focus remains on the cards however. Playtime can wait, at least until the sun sets...

Recognise anyone?

The final head count was 202 and though we have already lost a ten players, there are a few familar faces putting their chips to work in the Crystal Crown Casino.

Clearly a trip to Vegas courtesy of ParadisePoker wasn't enough for Didier Erb (pictured) and Tommy Ahmedof, as the Frenchman and Swede have both anted up here at Sunny Beach.

After the success of the Madrid leg, a number of players have followed us across the continent, with online pro Zoltan Kapitany and countrymen Emil Hegedus, Istvan Szolosi and Tibor Boros among them.

Marko Batki has even recommended the event to family - bringing his brother Bence to the action this time around! Thumbs up for that, spread the word folks.

Inevitably Johnny Jensen is also in attendance with the ParadisePoker Tour League in mind, but can the Dane wrap up the season's overall crown? Only one place to find out eh...

Update: We've since spotted Madrid's 8th and 13th-place finishers, Sunny Khosla and Felipe Carreño.

Season finale underway...

After the inevitable dose of technical delays, your PPT blog is up and running alongside the final instalment of the ParadisePoker Tour, Season 1.

As is the custom from London, Prague and Madrid, our 200 entrants start with 10,000chips and face a 40 minute clock for the first three levels.

The slow structure, which only moves up a level every hour beyond that, kicks off with 25/50 blinds.

Best of luck to all our players - let battle commence!

PPT 4 - heading for Sunny Beach

The ParadisePoker Tour is heading for the final leg of it's inaugural trip around the continent and our poker players can expect the season to end with a bang in Bulgaria!

The usual mix of online qualifiers, ParadisePoker pros and local players will be treated to a Friday night party in the Champagne Bar at Crystal Crown Casino, Sunny Beach.

The Black Sea resort bathes in thirty degree temperatures at this time of year - and our players will be hoping to feel just as hot at the tables once we shuffle up and deal.

You can follow the race for that €100,000 guaranteed prize pool right here, as the PPT blog soaks up the atmosphere, gathers the players thoughts and sticks with the action until the winner is crowned on Sunday night.

The added twist is the ParadisePoker Tour League, which draws to its conclusion this weekend.

Danish pro Johnny Jensen is sure to be present to defend top spot but he may yet face a challenge from the likes of Toni Merivuori or Lim-wai Cheung.

Join us this weekend as the PPT plot twists and turns to another exciting climax!