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.