Big Stax VII (Big Stax 300): Final Results

Big Stax VII
July 31-August 4, 2014

Big Stax 300 - $300 + 30 No Limit Hold'em
$150,000 Guarantee

Total Entries: 1,848
Total Prize Fund: $524,162

Final Results:

Place	Player Name		Prize
1	Scott	Blackman	$108,035
2	Michael	Jelaso	$64,936
3	Frederick	Ferrell	$33,516
4	Jose	Montes	$23,042
5	Sergio	Loureiro	$17,805
6	Dan	Wach	$13,616
7	Richard	Guadagnino	$10,474
8	Dennis	Thurman	$8,012
9	Craig	Lozak	$6,284
10	Kevin	Tran	$4,608
11	William	Strong	$4,608
12	A	Nonymous	$4,608
13	Stephen	Press	$4,189
14	Juan	Valdez	$4,189
15	Joseph	Nichols	$4,189
16	Sean	Wright	$3,823
17	Jeffrey	Spence	$3,823
18	Justin	Liberto	$3,823
19	David	Kim	$3,456
20	Daniel	Chan	$3,456
21	Charles	Urrutia	$3,456
22	Robert	Sembler	$3,037
23	Adam	Sanders	$3,037
24	Michael	Azzaro	$3,307
25	Horatio	Hu	$2,618
26	Edward	Blount	$2,618
27	Trevor	Savage	$2,618
28	Richard	Lipson	$2,252
29	Alan	Kraut	$2,252
30	Joshua	Lehrman	$2,252
31	David	Heck	$2,252
32	Hermenegildo	Trillo	$2,252
33	James	Nguyen	$2,252
34	Neal	Gay	$2,252
35	Brian	Santiago	$2,252
36	Tony	Cheng	$2,252
37	Chris	Curtin	$1,938
38	Anthony	Garofalo	$1,938
39	John	Disante	$1,938
40	Jesse	Mercado	$1,938
41	Vincent	Caesar	$1,938
42	Jamie	Kerstetter	$1,938
43	Kenneth	Goodkind	$1,938
44	Robert	Paventi	$1,938
45	Armine	Mandjian	$1,938
46	Bartholomew	Golik	$1,676
47	Michael	Marder	$1,676
48	Andrew	Lydon	$1,676
49	Alek	Givotovsky	$1,676
50	Sean	Wallace	$1,676
51	Dominick	Giovanniello	$1,676
52	Timothy	Cook	$1,676
53	Andrew	Mullens	$1,676
54	Patrick	Chan	$1,676
55	Joseph	Mancini	$1,676
56	Anthony	Arnieri	$1,414
57	Jeremy	Hendricks	$1,414
58	Byung	Yoo	$1,414
59	Tam	Le	$1,414
60	Dennis	Lisovskiy	$1,414
61	Anthony	DeNicco	$1,414
62	Jeremy	Brown	$1,414
63	Matteo	Menna	$1,414
64	Joshua	Albright	$1,152
65	Terrence	Marchio	$1,152
66	Ferdinand	Chong	$1,152
67	Matthew	Giametta	$1,152
68	Jamar	Ross	$1,152
69	Joe	Reddick	$1,152
70	Sing	Cen	$1,152
71	John	Broetz	$1,152
72	Hal	Neeman	$1,152
73	Trevor	Deeter	$995
74	Alex	Queen	$995
75	Joseph	Mosca	$995
76	David	Reilly	$995
77	Shane	Clements	$995
78	Brent	Baumeister	$995
79	Tim	Bryan	$995
80	Ken	Silberstein	$995
81	Joe	McKeehen	$995
82	Jonathan	Borenstein	$943
83	Anna	Khait	$943
84	Richard	Rodrigo	$943
85	Richard	Devivo	$943
86	Kent	Wuethrich	$943
87	Paul	Antzoulis	$943
88	John	Banh	$943
89	Duane	McCrory	$943
90	Deding	Xu	$943
91	Gretchen	Sonne	$843
92	Chris	Csik	$843
93	Adam	Lagreca	$843
94	Eugene	Gorelik	$843
95	Mike	Linster	$843
96	Rocco	Luciano	$843
97	Robert	Murphy	$843
98	Jay	Frey	$843
99	Kevin	Johnson	$843
100	Tim	Little	$843
101	Stephen	Ricchini	$843
102	Christopher	Horter	$843
103	David	Pollack	$843
104	Jason	Rivkin	$843
105	Christopher	Palmieri	$843
106	Joe	Wertz	$843
107	Milton	Jaffee	$843
108	Adir	Davidov	$843
109	Ray	Ross	$790
110	Milos	Scekic	$790
111	Anthony	Tonzelli	$790
112	Frank	Ingardia	$790
113	Segui	Cecoltan	$790
114	Jesse	Willgruber	$790
115	Glenn	Macartney	$790
116	Ragavan	Thiagarajah	$790
117	Joe	Palma	$790
118	Tuan	Vuong	$790
119	Gianni	Arcuri	$790
120	Derek	Staib	$790
121	Bryant	Dewayne	$790
122	Glenn	Brechemin	$790
123	Ahmad	Azmi	$790
124	Joseph	Agron	$790
125	Colbert	Silva	$790
126	Christopher	Larrea	$790
127	James	Ingram	$790
128	Scott	Blumstein	$790
129	Bo	Toft	$790
130	Anirban	Roy	$790
131	Joakim	Brochard	$790
132	David	Wheeler	$790
133	Vincent	Napolitano	$790
134	Scott	Blumenfeld	$790
135	Mike	Cannon	$790
136	Nikola	Curanovic	$790
137	Bharatkhu	Ramanna	$790
138	Philip	Glass	$790
139	Justin	Dodds	$790
140	Rocardo	Franco	$790
141	Criag	Mason	$790
142	Daniel	Dizenzo	$790
143	Kyle	Norton	$790
144	Jaosn	Oury	$790
145	Steven	Krasner	$685
146	Michael	Reno	$685
147	Russell	Bisker	$685
148	Qi	Ha	$685
149	Ariel	Albillia	$685
150	Venkata	Potluri	$685
151	James	Reilly	$685
152	Robert	O'Rourke	$685
153	Anthony	Velocci	$685
154	Todor	Blazevski	$685
155	Anthony	Anatasi	$685
156	Andrew	Zhu	$685
157	Bryant	Garrett	$685
158	Brittany	Paige	$685
159	Gene	Raman	$685
160	Pearson	Potter	$685
161	John	Robinson	$685
162	Adam	Hueber	$685
163	Vito	Sparacio	$685
164	Scott	Fitz-Gerald	$685
165	Tim	Ward	$685
166	Deeneash	Krishnanand	$685
167	Antonio	Schiro	$685
168	Kirkor	Tekneci	$685
169	Patrick	Halter	$685
170	Alex	Rocha	$685
171	Philip	Marino	$685
172	Brian	Nuegeboren	$685
173	Lewis	Saxon	$685
174	Cary	Poulos	$685
175	Bill	Sanford	$685
176	Maurice	Lightner	$685
177	DeeAngelo	Seng	$685
178	Jeff	Wicker	$685
179	Nicholas	Marino	$685
180	Steven	Juricek	$685
181	Jake	Perry	$685
182	Matthew	Silberzweig	$685
183	Anthony	Potis	$685
184	Dominic	Lopresti	$685
185	Eric	Orstein	$685
186	Sarah	Mihalik	$685
187	Jacob	Neff	$685
188	Mohammed	Farah	$685
189	Luis	Rodriguez	$685
190	Dan	Sewnig	$685
191	Steven	Efferin	$685
192	Yuriy	Kalantarov	$685
193	Joshua	Gilkerson	$685
194	Hee Jong	Im	$685
195	William	Pastorick	$685
196	Jon	Peterson	$685
197	Joseph	Montervino	$685

Big Stax VII ($340 Limit Omaha 8B): Final Results

Big Stax VII
August 4, 2014

$340 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 8B

Total Entries: 99
Total Prize Fund: $28,809

Final Results:

Place	Player Name	Hometown	Prize
1	Nicholas Kost	Chicago, IL	$9,219
2	Jason Rivkin	Bensalem, PA	$6,050
3	Mike Matheny	Mason, MI	$3,601
4	Erving Edelman	Bloomfield, NJ	$2,593
5	Joel Frank	Rocky Hill, NJ	$2,161
6	Donald Jacoby	Philadelphia, PA	$1,729
7	Blake Kantor	Fort Lee, NJ	$1,440
8	Daniel Hofer	Ossining, NY	$1,152
9	Michael Drabot	Riverside, NJ	$864

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 1st Place - Blackman ($108,035)

Level 36 (Blinds 300,000/600,000/100,000)
Players Remaining: 1
Chip Average: 55,000,000

Scott Blackman (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ)

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 2nd Place - Jelaso ($64,936)

Level 36 (Blinds 300,000/600,000/100,000)
Players Remaining: 1
Chip Average: 55,000,000

Mike Jelaso (Long Beach, NY)

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 3rd Place - Ferrell ($33,516)

Level 35 (Blinds 250,000/500,000/50,000)
Players Remaining: 2
Chip Average: 27,500,000

Frederick Ferrell (South Philadelphia, PA)

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 4th Place - Montes ($23,042)

Level 34 (Blinds 200,000/400,0000/50,000)
Players Remaing: 3
Chip Average: 1,848

Jose Montes (Bronx, NY)

Just busted 4th my aj vs ak sb vs bb thanks for the sweats!
— Jose Montes (@suganills) August 5, 2014

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time/Updated Chip Counts

Level 33 (Blinds 150,000/300,000/50,000)
Players Remaining: 4
Chip Average: 13,900,000

Players are headed on a (10) minute break and will return to blinds of 150,000/300,000/50,000 in Level 33.  Here are the up to the moment chip counts:

1. Scott Blackman - 14,000,000
2. Frederick Ferrell - 13,600,000
3. Jose Montes - 9,200,000
4. Michael Jelaso - 16,700,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Ferrell Joins The Fun

Level 32 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 4
Chip Average: 13,900,000

After Scott Blackman opened the button, Frederick Ferrell three-bet out of the small blind to 950,000.  Blackman made the call and the two would see a flop of 2♦ 5♠ K♥.  Ferrell led out for 675,000 and was called by Scott after a few moments of thought.  Frederick then checked-called a 1,300,000 bet after the 8♦ hit the turn.  With the pot close to 5,000,000, the dealer would place the Q♥ on the river.  The action would go check-check, and Ferrell would immediately show regret in checking, as he tabled K♠ K♣.  Ferrell would chip up to 16,300,000 with the pot, while Blackman dropped down to 5,400,000.

It was only two hands later though that Blackman would double through Michael Jelaso, once again evening the playing field a little more.  After Jelaso bricked a flush draw and had to ship the double to Blackman, the counts for the two would be as such:

Michale Jelaso - 11,700,000
Scott Blackman - 10,100,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 5th Place - Loureiro ($17,805)

Level 32 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 4
Chip Average: 13,900,000

Sergio Loureiro (Wayne, NJ)

Sergio Loureiro's (Wayne, NJ) bust out hand wasn't his true undoing, it was the hand prior.  On a board of Q♣ Q♥ 8♦ 9♣, Loureiro would get it in with Jose Montes, who was just reeling from the pot lost to Jelaso moments before:

Montes: J♦ 10♠ (turned straight)
Loureiro: K♠ Q♠ (flopped trips)

River: 6♠

Sergio would be left with just over 600,000 after losing said pot, and he'd be eliminated the next hand by Frederick Ferrell (K♥ 9♥ < A♠ Q♠).

Montes would chip back up to 11,000,000 with the referenced pot, recouping all the chips lost to Jelaso.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Montes Losing Ground

Level 32 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 5
Chip Average: 11,000,000

The momentum is beginning to shift towards the side of Michael Jelaso.  He's been the chip leader the past to updates, and he is only increasing his lead.  The action between Jelaso and Jose Montes was caught on the river of a board reading K 6 7 Q 6.  Jelaso had already checked to Montes (pot over 3,000,000), and Jose would announce a bet of 2,800,000.  Michael tossed some chips in signifying a call, and Montes told him, "you got it."  Jelaso turned over K 10, with Montes looking back at his cards once more before mucking.

Michael Jelaso - 21,000,000
Jose Montes - 6,200,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Updated Chip Counts

Level 32 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 5
Chip Average: 11,000,000

Here are updated chip counts one-third of the way through Level 32:

1. Scott Blackman - 11,500,000
2. Frederick Ferrell - 10,200,000
3. Sergio Loureiro - 5,800,000
4. Jose Montes - 10,800,000
5. Michael Jelaso - 16,00,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time/Updated Chip Counts

Level 32 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 5
Chip Average: 11,000,000

Players are currently going on a (10) minute break and will return to blinds of 100,000/200,000/25,000 (Level 32).  Here are the up to the minute chip counts from break:

1. Scott Blackman - 6,400,000
2. Frederick Ferrell - 9,100,000
3. Sergio Loureiro - 7,300,000
4. Jose Montes - 14,200,000
5. Michael Jelaso - 17,900,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 6th Place - Wach ($13,616)

Level 31 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 5
Chip Average: 11,000,000

Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ)

Dan Wach watched as the two players in front of him folded, and he then proceeded to shove his remaining 2,050,000.  Michael Jelaso called from the button, and the blinds folded behind:

Wach: A♦ 2♦
Jelaso: A♠ J♥

Flop: 5♦ 8♥ 3♠
Turn: K♦
River: Q♠

Wach would flop a wheel draw and then turn a diamond draw, giving him a lot of outs going to the river, but the black queen was not one of them.  He falls short of his best Big Stax finish (5th in the Big Stax V 1500), but adds $13,616 to his lifetime earnings of $631,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): All the Kings

Level 31 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 6
Chip Average: 9,200,000

Jose Montes and Frederick Ferrell would just play a pretty sizable pot, with the action beginning on the flop of K♠ 10♠ 7♥.  Montes led for 775,000 (this was a raised pot pre), with Ferrell making the call.  Jose led once again after the K♣ on the turn, this time for 925,000, with Frederick making the call once again.  Montes fired a third time after the 6♥ on the river, picking things up to 2,300,000.  Ferrell was talking to himself while making his decision, eventually verbalizing a call.  "All the kings," Jose said as he tabled K♥ K♦, winning the pot and chipping up to 17,700,000.  Ferrell would drop down to 3,500,000, but in an up to the minute update, Frederick doubled right back through Jose the next hand (Qx Qx > Ax Jx).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Wach Getting Very Short

Level 31 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 6
Chip Average: 9,000,000

After losing a sizable pot moments ago to Jose Montes, Dan Wach is now the shortest stack at the table, sitting below the (20) big blind mark.  Wach would open the pot to 400,000, with Montes the only player to call, defending his big blind.  The flop would come out 7♠ Q♣ 8♦, and the action would go check-check.  After the 9♣ on the turn, Montes would lead for 650,000, and Dan pushed across a call.  The dealer would place the J♠ on the river, and Jose would check to Wach, who put out a bet of 1,400,000.  Jose looked at his cards, capped them once again, and verbalized a call.  Dan would ask Montes if he had a ten, which he showed (Q♥ 10♦), and Wach tossed his 7♦ 7♣ (bottom set) into the muck. Dan was left with 2,500,000 after losing the hand, just over (16) big blinds.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time/Updated Chip Counts

Level 31 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 6
Chip Average: 9,200,000

Players are headed on a (10) minute break, while the tournament floor colors off the grey (5,000 denomination) chips.  When players return to Level 31, the blinds to be posted will be 75,000/150,000/25,000.  Here are the up to the minute chip counts:

1. Scott Blackman - 6,300,000
2. Frederick Ferrell - 6,400,000
3. Sergio Loureiro - 12,400,000
4. Jose Montes - 11,800,000
5. Dan Wach - 5,100,000
6. Michael Jelaso - 8,800,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Could Be In For A Long Night

Level 30 (Blinds 60,000/120,000/15,000)
Players Remaining: 6
Chip Average: 9,200,000

Calculations done at this moment show that the chip average is (76) big blinds.  With the blind levels at (90) minutes and the quality of players remaining, this could continue on for a long time.  Not even  a whisper of chop has been brought up, which would make one assume this one is going to get played down to a winner.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 7th Place - Guadagnino ($10,474)

Level 30 (Blinds 60,000/120,000/15,000)
Players Remaining: 6
Chip Average: 9,200,000

Richard Guadagnino (Beachwood, NJ)

After Dan Wach opened the pot for a raise, Richard Guadagnino made the call next to act.  The action would fold around, and the two players saw a flop of A♦ 3♦ 4♦.  Wach would lead the flop and Richard would come along.  After the K♣ on the turn, Wach would check, and Richard would shove.  Dan made the call and the cards were tabled:

Wach: A♠ A♣
Guadagnino: Q♦ J♥

River: 7♠

Wach would once again get a little cagey with pocket aces, this time snapping off Richard's semi-bluff.  Guadagnino's combo draw would fall short on the river, and he would be eliminated in 7th place ($10,474).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 8th Place - Thurman ($8,012)

Level 30 (Blinds 60,000/120,000/15,000)
Players Remaining: 7
Chip Average: 7,900,000

Dennis Thurman (Fisk, MO)

The action between Dennis Thurman and Sergio Loureiro would be caught on the turn of a board reading 2♦ A♣ K♦ 8♣.  Thurman was first to act, and he put out a bet of 1,000,000.  After a few moments, Sergio answered with a raise to 2,340,000.  Dennis counted out the chips for the call and pushed them across the line. The dealer would place the 6♣ on the river, and Thurman took little time before shoving his remaining 2,400,000 across the line.  Sergio took enough time that another player at the table called clock, and just as the tournament supervisor was about to count off, Loureiro made the call.

Thurman shook his head and tabled A♥ 4♦, and after Sergio assessed the board and Dennis's hand, he tabled K♥ 8♦.  Sergio's two pair would be good for the pot, and Dennis would be eliminated in eight place ($8,012).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time/Updated Chip Counts

Level 20 (Blinds 60,000/120,000/15,000)
Players Remaining: 8
Chip Average: 6,900,000

Players are taking another (10) minute break, and when play resumes, the blinds will have gone up to 60,000/120,000/15,000.  Here are the updated chip counts from break:

1. Scott Blackman - 7,300,000
2. Frederick Ferrell - 4,700,000
3. Sergio Loureiro - 6,900,000
4. Jose Montes - 14,600,000
5. Dennis Thurman - 4,900,000
6. Dan Wach - 3,600,000
7. Richard Guadagnino - 2,500,000
8. Michael Jelaso - 9,800,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 9th Place - Lozak ($6,284)

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 8
Chip Average: 6,900,000

Craig Lozak (North Wales, PA)

Scott Blackman opened the pot to 225,000 in late position, with a call from Craig Lozak (hijack) and Sergio Loureiro (small blind). Action was on Jose Montes in the big blind, and after a few moments, Montes three-bet to 700,000.  Blackman would come along for that amount, with Lozak then four-bet shoving next to act (2,600,000).  Sergio would fold and Montes would iso-shove for over 10,000,000.  Blackman would fold and the hands would be tabled:

Montes: A♦ A♣
Lozak: K♦ K♣

Runout: 6♦ 7♠ 9♣ 3♠ 3♣

Craig would run into one of the most unfortunate spots in poker, as Jose once again wins a monster pot with aces.  Montes once again assumes the chip lead with over 13,000,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 10th Place - Tran ($4,608)

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 9
Chip Average: 6,200,000

Kevin Tran (Center Valley, PA)

After the double by Guadagnino, Kevin Tran would be left the shortest stack at the final table.  It was his turn to shove UTG for 750,000, with Craig Lozak calling (eight of nine in chips), and action folding around.  The two shortest stacks would be all-in, with Tran at risk:

Tran: A♥ 10♥
Lozak: Q♠ Q♣

Flop: 3♣ 7♣ 6♥
Turn: Q♦
River: 7♠

It would be over on the turn for Kevin, as he wished good luck to the rest of the final table, before heading to the podium to get paid.  Lozak would chip up to 2,700,000 with that pot.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Short Stack Doubles

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 10
Chip Average: 5,500,000

Richard Guadagnino was the shortest of the players remaining at the final table, and he just shoved his remaining 800,000 UTG+1, with action folding around to Jose Montes in the big blind.  Jose would take a look at the tournament clock, then a look at his chips, before making the call.  Guadagnino would get a clean runout with J♥ J♦ against the Q♠ 7♠ of Montes, and Richard doubled to 1,800,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Level Up/Jawdropper

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)

Players Remaining: 10

Chip Average: 5,500,000

Level 29 started just moments ago, with players now posting blinds of 50,000/100,000/10,000.  On the last hand before break, Dennis Thurman doubled up in dramatic fashion.  Thurman and Michael Jelaso got to the turn in a raised pot, and on a board of A♠ 7♥ 3♣ 5♦, the chips got in with Thurman at risk:

Thurman: 7♣ 5♣       Jelaso: A♦ 7♦

River: 5♠

Jelaso would have Dennis drawing to two outs, holding a better two pair (and sharing the sevens).  Even the rail would have a reaction when the five hit the river, with Dennis able to sit back down with 5,200,000.  After absorbing the loss, Jelaso dips down to 10,800,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Final Table (w/ Chip Counts)

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 10
Chip Average: 5,500,000

Here is the final table of the Big Stax 300, with up to the minute chip counts:

1. Scott Blackman - 6,200,000
2. Craig Lozak - 1,700,000
3. Frederick Ferrell - 5,000,000
4. Sergio Loureiro - 5,100,000
5. Jose Montes - 10,100,000
6. Dennis Thurman - 2,700,000
7. Dan Wach - 5,700,000
8. Richard Guadagnino - 1,100,000
9. Kevin Tran - 1,700,000
10. Michael Jelaso - 12,700,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Back To Business

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 10
Chip Average: 5,500,000

Here is the final table for the Big Stax 300:

1. Scott Blackman
2. Craig Lozak
3. Frederick Ferrell
4. Sergio Loureiro
5. Jose Montes
6. Dennis Thurman
7. Dan Wach
8. Richard Guadagnino
9. Kevin Tran
10. Michael Jelaso

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Dinner Break

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 10
Chip Average: 5,544,000

Players are now on dinner break and will return to the final (20) minutes of Level 28 at 8:40pm.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 11th Place - Strong ($4,608)

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 10
Chip Average: 5,544,000

Bill Strong (Wayne, PA)

After Scott Blackman opened the pot for a raise, action would fold around to Bill Strong in the big blind.  Strong would three-bet shove from the big blind and Blackman would make the quick call:

Strong: K♦ J♥
Blackman: K♣ K♠

Flop: 5♥ 7♦ 3♣
Turn: 4♠
River: 9♣

Strong would find himself in about as bad a spot as could be, and the runout would bring little help.  With Strong's elimination, the tournament has reached it's final table.  Players have agreed to go on dinner now, with 20:00 remaining in Level 28.  Players will find their new seats once they return from break, and the seating arrangement/chip counts will be posted then.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Wach Is "Bach"

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 11
Chip Average: 5,000,000

On a board of Kx 5x 2x Kx Jx, Dan Wach sat with a bet of 1,300,000 in front of him.  Craig Lozak was in the tank, trying to figure Wach's line.  Dan flatted Lozak's raise pre, check-called flop, and then led turn and river.  Lozak's decision was eventually made and he would push chips across for a call.  Wach would turn over Ax Ax, and flatting aces pre would work out for him.  Wach would chip up to 6,300,000 with the pot, while Lozak dropped down to 2,200,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Doubles Around

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 11
Chip Average: 5,000,000

Two players just doubles in a span of (10) minutes, one at each of the tables remaining.  First it was Craig Lozak making a huge call for his tournament life, as Kevin Tran bet the river (2,000,000) of a board reading 4♥ 9♠ 10♣ 10♦ 4♣.  The pot was close to 1,800,000, and Lozak thought for a long while before announcing a call and turning over 5♠ 5♣.  The hand was good against the Q♦ J♦ of Tran, and the chips shifted the way of Lozak.  Craig now sits with 4,500,000 in front of him, while Tran dropped down to 2,300,000.

Just a few hands after Lozak's double, Sergio Loureiro would be all-in on the river of a board reading 9♣ 9♥ 4♦ A♥ 5♠ (for 1,610,000).  The action would be on chip leader Jose Montes, and he would think for close to four minutes before putting across the chips for a call.  Sergio would table 8♠ 9♦, which would be good enough for the win, and he'd chip up to 3,700,000.  Even with losing the sizable pot, Montes still holds close to double the chip average with 9,900,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 12th Place - A. Nonymous ($4,608)

Leve 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 11
Chip Average: 5,000,000

A. Nonymous (Parts Unknown, USA)

With the elimination of the second A. Nonmyous just moments ago, everyone remaining in the field has a name and a face.  A. Nonymous and Jose Montes got the chips in on the turn of a board reading A♥ 10♠ 10♦ 8♦, with Nonymous holding A♦ 7♦.  Nonymous would be drawing to a chop with Montes having flopped a full house, holding A♣ 10♣.  The case ace would not come on the river, and A. Nonymous would be sent home in 12th place ($4,608).

Montes has now assumed the chip lead with over 12,500,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Change To Dinner

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 12
Chip Average: 4,600,000

Players were scheduled to go on dinner break at the end of this level for (75) minutes.  The actual dinner break is going to still be after this level, but the remaining players have agreed to shorten the length down to (60) minutes.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time/Updated Chip Counts

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 12
Chip Average: 4,600,000

Players are on a (10) minute break and when they return to Level 28, the blinds being posted will be 40,000/80,000/10,000.  Here are the updated chip counts from break:

Table 57:

1. Sergio Loureiro - 900,000
2. Michael Jelaso - 10,500,000
3. Richard Guadagnino - 2,300,000
4. A. Nonymous - 4,600,000
5. Jose Montes - 8,300,000
6. Dennis Thurman - 3,800,000

Table 58:

1. Craig Lozak - 1,400,000
2. Kevin Tran - 5,800,000
3. Scott Blackman - 7,000,000
4. Frederick Ferrell - 5,000,000
5. Dan Wach - 2,700,000
6. Bill Strong - 2,000,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 13th Place - Press ($4,189)

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 12
Chip Average: 4,600,000

Stephen Press (New York, NY)

Stephen Press's (New York, NY) day was definitely a roller coaster, with his stack fluctuating frequently over the four hours of play today.  Just after Valdez was eliminated, the dealer would announce, "all-in and a call," with Press at risk against Michael Jelaso:

Board: A♦ 5♣ 6♠ 3♦

Press: 5♠ 6♦
Jelaso: A♥ 4♣

River: 3♥

Jelaso would be behind when the chips got in on the turn, but he'd have outs to a better two pair or a straight...or if the board paired threes and counterfeited Press's two pair.  Press was in shock when the dealer pushed up the winning board, expressing how bad of a river that was.  Jelaso assumes the chip lead with that pot, chipping up to 11,500,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 14th Place - Valdez ($4,189)

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 12
Chip Average: 4,600,000

Juan Valdez (Philadelphia, PA)

Juan Valdez shoved from early position for 730,000 (just over ten big blinds), with action folding around to Kevin Tran on the button.  Tran would verbalize a call, with Frederick Ferrell thinking long and hard in the big blind.  Ferrell would eventually push his cards towards the muck and the hands would be tabled:

Valdez: A♠ 2♠
Tran: A♥ Q♠

Flop: A♣ Q♦ 4♣
Turn: 10♠
River: 10♦

Ferrell did mention that he was ahead of Tran pre-flop, but everything would of changed once Tran flopped two pair.  The hand was good enough to eliminate the one time Day 2 chip leader in 14th place ($4,189).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 15th Place - A. Nonymous ($4,189)

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 13 
Chip Average: 4,300,000

A. Nonymous (Parts Unknown, USA)

The dealer at Table 57 would announce an all-in and a call, and approaching the hand it would A. Nonymous at risk against Jose Montes:

Nonymous: A♥ J♠
Montes: A♣ 8♥

Runout: 7♥ 9♣ 10♣ 2♦ 6♠

Montes flopped and open ended draw, gaining eight extra outs to win the hand.  "You did me dirty," said A. Nonymous as Jose rivers the straight to knock out the mystery player in 15th place.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 16th Place - Wright ($3,823)

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 15
Chip Average: 3,700,000

Sean Wright (Robbinsville, NJ)

Kevin Tran opened the pot from the cutoff to 130,000, with action folding to Sean Wright in the big blind.  Wright should three-bet shove for 605,000, with Tran taking a few moments to think and calculate the numbers.  Kevin announced a call after about a minute and the hands were tabled:

Wright: A♦ 7♦
Tran: K♠ 8♠

Flop: 8♥ 8♣ J♠
Turn: 6♠
River: 4♠

The flush that Tran made on the river was just overkill, as he had flopped a huge hand already.  Wright stood up to collect his things, and wished everyone at the table good luck.  Sean collects $3,823 for the 16th place finish, his third largest lifetime score to date.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 17th Place - Spence ($3,823)

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 16
Chip Average: 3,465,000

Jeffrey Spence (King Of Prussia, PA)

The hand before break, Jeffrey Spence and Kevin Tran would be involved in a sizable pot, with Kevin's pressure taking it down on the turn.  That would leave Jeffrey Spence will less than 20 big blinds returning, and the two would just get tangled in another pot.

This time the chips were in pre-flop, with Jeffrey holding a commanding lead:

Spence: Q♠ Q♣
Tran: 10♥ 10♠

Runout: 3♦ 6♠ K♠ 10♦ 5♥

Spence's lead would hold on the flop, but when Kevin spiked a ten on the turn, Jeffrey had hopes only for one of the two remaining queens.  Spence has a handful of deep runs in Big Stax events, including a final table (Big Stax 500/Big Stax III).  Jeffrey would collect $3,823 for his finish, finding out from Tran what Kevin held on the hand before break.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Yes Way Jose

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 17
Chip Average: 3,300,000

The action at Table 57 was caught up on the flop of 2♣ 2♥ 5♥, just as Jose Montes had raised Stephen Press's 350,000 bet to 855,000.  Press made the call and the two players saw the 6♦ on the turn.  Montes put out a bet of 880,000, with Press making the call very quickly.  After the 4♠ on the river, the action would go check-check, and Jose would turn over A♣ A♦.  Press tapped the table twice before pushing his cards towards the muck, and telling Montes, "Nice hand."

Jose's table mates would comment how good a run of cards he's been getting, as Montes chips up to 8,900,000 with that pot.  Press, who has had a pretty roller coaster day up to this point, is down to 2,700,000 after losing the hand.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time/Updated Chip Counts

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 17
Chip Average: 3,300,000

Here are the up to the minute chip counts from the field:

Table 57:

1. Sergio Loureiro - 1,600,000
2. Michael Jelaso - 8,300,000
3. Richard Guadagnino - 2,000,000
4. A. Nonymous - 4,400,000
5. Jose Montes - 6,900,000
6. Craig Lozak - 1,000,000
7. Dennis Thurman - 3,200,000
8. A. Nonymous - 1,500,000
9. Stephen Press - 4,400,000

Table 58:

1. Jeffrey Spence - 1,000,000
2. Kevin Tran - 4,900,000
3. Scott Blackman - 5,800,000
4. Sean Wright - 970,000
5. Frederick Ferrell - 4,800,000
6. Juan Valdez - 850,000
7. Dan Wach - 2,700,000
8. Bill Strong - 2,600,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 18th Place - Liberto ($3,823)

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)

Players Remaining: 17

Chip Average: 3,300,000

Justin Liberto (Baltimore, MD)

Justin Liberto's (Baltimore, MD) last hand was really just a formality, as he was all-in for less than 75,000.  It was the hand prior that was his undoing, as he and Scott Blackman got all the chips in pre for a pot worth 5,700,000.  Liberto held J♥ J♦ against the K♥ K♣ of Blackman, with a runout of 5♠ K♠ Q♦ 2♣ 7♣.  

Blackman eventually eliminated Justin the next hand as his pocket eights held up against Liberto's Ax 5x.  Over the Twitter-sphere, Liberto was considered one of the favorites to win this tournament, having such a remarkable history in this room.  Justin  collects $3,823 for the 18th place finish, adding to his supreme Big Stax resume.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Two Doubles Simultaneously

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 18
Chip Average: 3,100,000

Both tables had players all-in and at risk at the same time, with the shorter stack winning both of the hands.  First it would be Sean Wright all-in pre with A♦ K♣ against the 9♥ 9♦ of Bill Strong.  The board would runout 4♠ Q♦ K♠ 7♠ 4♣ and Sean would double up to 1,100,000.  After losing the hand and doubling up Wright, Bill Strong would be left with 2,600,000.

At Table 57, one of the bigger hands of the day was unfolding between Stephen Press and A. Nonymous.  The action (caught on the flop) saw Press raising A. Nonymous enough to put him all-in on a flop of 2♠ 3♠ 4♦.  Nonymous thought for a few moments, as he was holding close to 2,100,000 behind.  Press's pressure was not enough to get a fold, and the call would be made, with both hands being tabled:

Flop: 2♠ 3♠ 4♦

Press: 3x 5x        Nonymous: Kx Kx

Turn: 9♥

River: Q♥

Press would have to ship over 2,150,000 to Nonymous, who now sits with 4,600,000 in front of him.  Stephen began to re-stack his remaining chips, down to what is now 2,700,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Montes Amassing Mountains

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 18
Chip Average: 3,100,000

The action at table would be picked up on the flop (3♦ 4♥ 5♦), in a hand between Dennis Thurman, Sergio Loureiro, and Jose Montes.  Thurman sat with a bet of 350,000 in front of him, and Loureiro (on the button) with a call laid out across the line.  With action on Montes, he shoved for 1,650,000, and was called by Thurman.  Sergio folded behind and the hands were tabled:

Flop: 3♦ 4♥ 5♦

Montes: A♠ A♣      Thurman: 6♦ 6♣ 

Turn: 5♣

River: 9♠

Montes faded Thurman's open ended/three of a kind outs, and would more than double up to 4,100,000.  After absorbing the loss, Dennis drops down to 4,400,000, still well above the chip average.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Final Two Tables

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 18
Chip Average: 3,100,000

Here are the seating arrangements for the final two tables:

Table 57:

1. Sergio Loureiro
2. Michael Jelaso
3. Richard Guadagnino
4. A. Nonymous
5. Jose Montes
6. Craig Lozak
7. Dennis Thurman
8. A. Nonymous
9. Stephen Press

Table 58:

1. Justin Liberto
2. Jeffrey Spence
3. Kevin Tran
4. Scott Blackman
5. Sean Wright
6. Frederick Ferrell
7. Juan Valdez
8. Dan Wach
9. Bill Strong

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Kim Eliminated/Redraw Once More

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 18
Chip Average: 3,100,000

David Kim returned from break one of the shortest stacks in the field, so with action folding to him in the cutoff, he found it a good time to shove his remaining 915,000.  After folds from button and small blind, the call was made by Jeffrey Spence in the big blind:

Kim: K♠ Q♠       Spence: A♠ K♣

Flop: K♦ 5♣ 9♦

Turn: 6♠

River: 2♠

David would be in tough shape going into the hand, and the runout would bring him no help.  Kim leaves the table the 19th place finisher ($3,456), and while he gets paid out, the rest of the field redraws for new seats.  The seating arrangement will be posted shortly after players are once again settled in.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): First Break/Updated Chip Counts

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 19
Chip Average: 2,917,000

Players are heading on their first (10) minute break of the day, and when they return to Level 26, the blinds posted will be 25,000/50,000/5,000.  Here are updated chip counts from break:

Table 57:

1. Frederick Ferrell - 2,800,000
2. Dan Wach - 2,500,000
3. Justin Liberto - 3,200,000
4. Michael Jelaso - 5,400,000
5. Jose Montes - 2,400,000
6. Stephen Press - 5,600,000

Table 58:

1. A. Nonymous - 3,200,000
2. Juan Valdez - 2,400,000
3. Scott Blackman - 2,600,000
4. Kevin Tran - 1,850,000
5. Craig Lozak - 1,300,000
6. A. Nonymous (2) - 2,300,000
7. Richard Guadagnino - 3,900,000

Table 59:

1. Sergio Loureiro - 3,800,000
2. Dennis Thurman - 5,600,000
3. David Kim - 800,000
4. Bil Strong - 3,800,000
5. Sean Wright - 700,000
6. Jeffrey Spence - 1,700,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Chan Chased Out By Liberto

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 19
Chip Average: 2,917,000

Action at Table 57 would fold around to Daniel Chan, who was on the button.  Chan would open the pot for a raise to 85,000.  Liberto would come along from the big blind and the two would see a flop of 7♦ 7♠ 6♣.  Liberto would check-call Chan's 75,000 flop bet, and the two would watch as the dealer placed the A♦ on the turn.  Liberto would once again check-call Chan's bet, this time for 175,000.  The river would pair the board with the 6♠, and Liberto would bet enough to put Chan all-in.  Daniel would  make the call and see the bad news, as his A♠ 10♦ would fall to the Q♦ 6♥ of Liberto.  Justin's full house was well good to scoop up the pot, and he is now up to 4,000,000.  Chan would be eliminated in 20th place ($3,456), leaving the field one elimination away from their second redraw of the day.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Strong Living Up To His Name

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 20
Chip Average: 2,917,000

Charles Urritia (West Orange, NJ) was another player to come into the day with less than twenty big blinds, but he was doing his best to navigate that stack in the early stages of the day.  He would shove his short stack at Table 59 and get called by Bill Strong.  It would be Strong with the lead, holding A♠ K♥ against the A♣ 6♣ of Urritia.  Things would be all but over when the flop brought two kings, and Charles would be eliminated in 21st place ($3,456).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Sembler's Short Stack No Match For Valdez

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 21
Chip Average: 2,640,000

Bobby Sembler (Staten Island, NY) would come into the day as one of the shortest stacks in the field, and he was the last to arrive for Day 3 play.  He would actually reach a pay jump while sitting in traffic, but arrived to just over five big blinds.  Sembler would shove his remaining 205,000 from middle position, and get called by Juan Valdez from the small blind:

Valdez: A♣ 9♥         Sembler: 5♦ 6♦

Flop: Q♣ 8♣ 10♦

Turn: J♠ 

River: 10♥

When the hands were tabled, Chris Lozak mentioned to Bobby that he liked his hand, but after the flop...not so much.  The turn would bring Valdez a straight, and Sembler would be eliminated in 22nd place ($3,037).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Sanders Leads Slips Away

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 22
Chip Average: 2,520,000

The action would shift tables, as players folded around to Adam Sanders at Table 58.  Sanders would open shove for 670,000, with folds around to Kevin Tran, who would make the call:

Sanders: A♠ K♥         Tran: A♦ J♦

Flop: J♠ 9♣ 8♣

Turn: 6♠

River: 3♣

Sanders would be in seemingly good shape to get a double, but Tran would flop a jack, leaving Adam to try and find a king or running straight cards.  The turn and river would bring no help to Sanders, and he would be eliminated in 23rd place ($3,037).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Azzaro's Critical Race

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 22
Chip Average: 2,520,000

After an open to 105,000 from Michael Jelaso at Table 57, Mike Azzaro would three-bet shove his remaining 575,000.  The action would fold around the table and back to Jelaso, who would make the call:

Azzaro: A♣ K♥         Jelaso: 10♦ 10♥

Flop: 6♦ 7♣ 2♥

Turn: 3♠

River: 4♠

The sweat would be minimal for Azzaro, as the board ran out with a card no higher than a seven.  Mike was looking to reach his second ever Big Stax final table, but he would end up short, finishing in 24th place ($3,037).  After adding Mike's chips to his stack, Jelaso is now up to 4,000,000 (100 big blinds).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): "Hu"-ge Pot

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 24

Action would fold around to Stephen Press on the button, who would open the pot to 105,000.  The small blind would fold and Horatio Hu would three-bet from the big blind to 225,000, with Press calling.  The flop would come out A♦ 5♣ 5♥ and Hu would check-call Press's 200,000 flop bet.  Hu would check once again after the 8♠ on the turn, with Press now firing 525,000.  Horatio's line would change though, as check-jammed, getting called immediately by Press.  Hu would be in dire straights as his K♠ K♣ was drawing to two outs against the Q♥ 5♦ of Press.  With the board pairing on the river with an 8, Hu would be eliminated in 25th place ($2,618), while Press would chip up to just under 7,000,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Savage Meets Blackman/Blount Departs

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)

Players Remaining: 26

Chip Avergae: 2,132,000

Scott Blackman would open the action at Table 58 to 90,000, with action folding around to Trevor Savage on the button.  Trevor would three-bet shove his stack (less than 20 bigs), with action folding back around to Blackman.  Scott would make the call and his Q♠ Q♣ would hold against the K♥ Q♥ of Savage, sending Trevor home in 27th place ($2,618).  This would Trevor's first live tournament in over a year, and although he fell short of the ultimate goal, it was nice to have him back at his home poker room.

Ed Blount's final hand was only a formality, as he was all-in for a small blind (20,000).  How he got down to that number has not been verified, but he was just eliminated in 26th place ($2,618).  Although this wasn't Blount's largest score in the Big Stax series, this was the deepest run he's made to date.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): The Final Three Tables

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 27
Chip Average: 2,053,000

Here are the new seating assignments for the final three tables:

Table 57:

1. Frederick Ferrell
2. Horatio Hu
3. Daniel Chan
4. Dan Wach
5. Justin Liberto
6. Michael Jelaso
7. Jose Montes
8. Mike Azzaro
9. Stephen Press

Table 58:

1. A. Nonymous
2. Juan Valdez
3. Scott Blackman
4. Kevin Tran
5. Craig Lozak
6. A. Nonymous (2)
7. Bobby Sembler
8. Trevor Savage
9. Adam Sanders

Table 59:

1. Charles Urrutia
2. Sergio Loureiro
3. Dennis Thurman
4. David Kim
5. Bill Strong
6. Sean Wright
7. Jeffrey Spence
8. Ed Blount
9. Richard Guadagnino

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Liberto Sends Field To Day's First Redraw

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 27
Chip Average: 2,053,000

Richard Lipson (Philadelphia, PA) came into the day with less than ten bigs, and he just shoved his remaining chips in UTG.  Justin Liberto would make the call next to act, and action would then fold all the way around:

Liberto: A♦ J♣       Lipson: A♣ 5♣

Flop: Q♠ J♥ Q♣

Turn: 5♦

River: 9♠

Liberto went in with the lead, and it only strengthened on the flop.  Lipson would actually have a sweat to stay alive after the five on the turn, but the river nine would mean the end of the line for Richard, and he would be eliminated in 28th place ($2,252).  Players are now racking up their chips and finding their new seat assignments.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): About To Get Underway

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 28
Chip Average: 1,980,000

Players are still getting settled and taking their chips out of the bags, but they shouldn't get too comfortable, because after the next bustout there will be a full redraw.  The tournament supervisor will make a quick rules announcement in just a few moments, and the cards will then be in the air.  It looks like there are a few players who still have not arrived, but today's start time is firm, so Day 3 play has just begun.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Day 3 Seating Assignments

Total Players:	1848	Total Remaining:	28
Total Chips:	55,440,000	Avereage Chips:	1,980,000

Daniel	Cgan	New York NY	2,300,000	57	1
Sergio	Loureiro	Wayne NJ	3,430,000	57	2
Craig	Lozak	North Wales PA	2,100,000	57	3
Ed	Blount	Lake Anna	250,000	57	4
Richard	Guadagnino	Beachwood NJ	3,405,000	57	6
Bill	Strong	Wayne PA	2,150,000	57	7
Bobby	Sembler	Staten Island NY	420,000	57	8
Juan	Valdez	Philadelphia PA	885,000	57	9
Charles	Urrutia	West Orange NJ	420,000	58	1
Adam	Sanders	Atlantic Highlands NJ	1,690,000	58	2
Scott	Blackman	Egg Harbor Twp NJ	1,900,000	58	4
Dan	Wach	Boonton NJ	1,890,000	58	5
Horatio	Hu	New York NY	2,040,000	58	7
Michael	Azzaro	Yonkers NY	910,000	58	8
David	Kim	Flushing NY	1,920,000	58	9
Earnest	Whistler	Fairfax VA	1,195,000	59	2
Michael	Jelaso	Long Beach NY	1,940,000	59	3
Rich	Lipson	Philadelphia PA	390,000	59	4
Justin	Liberto	Baltimore MD	3,450,000	59	5
Kevin	Tran	Center Valley PA	2,440,000	59	6
Dennis	Thurman	Fisk MO	5,200,000	59	7
Frederick	Ferrell	South Philly	2,625,000	59	8
Jose	Montes	Bronx NY	2,530,000	60	1
Stephen	Press	New York NY	3,825,000	60	2
Trevor	Savage	West Deptford NJ	635,000	60	5
Sean	Wright	Robbinsville NJ	300,000	60	6
Joe	Nichols	Nutley NJ	2,735,000	60	8
Jeffrey	Spence	KOP PA	2,465,000	60	9

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): End Of Night

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/20,000/4,000)
Total Entries: 1,848
Players Remaining: 30

The clock is now paused and players have just been informed of how many hands remain in the night (five hands).  Once the chips are bagged for the night, the full chip count will be posted.  Unless there are two eliminations over these final hands, players will return to the ten tables tomorrow, and then redraw at (27).

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Top Three Stacks

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 1,848
Players Remaining: 31

There is (30) minutes remaining on the clock in Level 24, with play pausing at the 10:00 minute mark.  The tournament supervisor will then determine how many hands remain in the night, and players will then finish those hands before bagging their chips for tomorrow.  Here are the top three stacks at the moment:

Dennis Thurman - 4,600,000
Richard Guadagnino - 4,100,000
Stephen Press - 3,800,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Tran Sends Home Nguyen

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 1,848
Players Remaining: 32

Kevin Tran (Center Valley, PA)

At Table 54, Kevin Tran would open the pot to 70,000, with Dennis Thurman flatting next to act.  Action would fold around to James Nguyen, who would three-bet shove for 630,000.  With all eyes back on Tran, he would take a few moments before verbalizing a call.  Thurman would quickly fold behind and the hands would be tabled:

Tran: Q♦ Q♥
Nguyen: A♥ J♠

Runout: 8♣ 5♦ 6♣ 8♦ 4♥

Nguyen wouldn't get much help on the flop or turn, and he'd go into the river needing one of the three remaining aces.  It wouldn't be for James, who would finish in 33rd place and collect $2,252.  With that pot, Tran would chip up to 2,800,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 37th-45th Places ($1,938)

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 1,848
Players Remaining: 34

The following players have cashed in the Big Stax 300 for $1,938:

37. Christopher Curtin (Glassboro, NJ)
38. Anthony Garofalo (Philadelphia, PA)
39. John Disante (Norristown, PA)
40. Jesse Mercado (Brooklyn, NY)
41. Vincent Caesar (Newark, DE)
42. Jamie Kerstetter (Monroe Township, NJ)
43. Kenneth Goodkind (Andalusia, PA)
44. Robert Paventi (Brooklyn, NY)
45. Armine Mandjian (Bergenfield, NJ)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Thurman Busts Gorafalo

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 1,848
Players Remaining: 37

Just as a spectator came over to ask who the chip leader was, a few players were standing at Table 54, watching an all-in hand between Anthony Gorafalo and Dennis Thurman:

Gorafalo: J♦ J♥        Thurman: A♠ K♥

Flop: A♣ K♠ 3♣

Turn: K♦

River: 7♠

Players at the table commented on how well Dennis has been flopping, as he knocks Anthony out in 38th place.  Thurman adds those chips to his already mountainous stack of 3,800,000.  Dennis is currently the chip leader of the remaining field, with just over (70) minutes remaining in the night.