Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Back In Action

Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Day 1B Entries: 186

Players are seated once again and ready to finish out the night.  There are many notables still active and looking to put themselves in good position for Day 2 on Sunday:

Marvin Siegel	Jason Rivkin
James Sloat	Stephanie Hubbard
James Ingram	John DiBella
Asher Conniff	Jeffrey Spence
Dawn Wilno	Michael Sandler
Alex Rocha	Mike Azzaro
Vincent Caesar	Jesse Cohen
Matt Glantz	Joe McKeehen
Greg Fishberg	Antonio Payne
Kevin Tran	Cathy Dever
Tom Dobralovic	Joe Palma
Frank Ferrigno	Maggie Morris

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Dinner Break

Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)
Total Day 1B Entries: 180

Players are headed on a (75) minute dinner break that will last from 6:20-7:35pm. When those active players return, the blinds in Level 10 will be 600/1,200/200. Live coverage will return once the cards are back in the air.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Big Stacks Before Dinner

Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)

Total Day 1B Entries: 178

Mike Azzaro 

Players have just entered Level 6, with blinds going up to 500/1,000/100.  This will be the last level before dinner, which will last from 6:20-7:35pm.  Here are the three of the larger stacks in the room heading into Level 6:

Mike Azzaro - 200,000

Vel Sathienathan - 180,000

Sandeep Patel - 160,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Satellite Into Main Running Tonight

Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Day 1B Entries: 170

A reminder for all of those players following the live updates and not currently active in today's field, there is a $230 No Limit Hold'em Satellite into the Big Stax 1500 running at 7:00pm this evening.  Players will sit down to a starting stack of 15,000, with (25) minute levels throughout the tournament.  Late entry (and re-entry) is open until the end of Level 8, with one seat into the Big Stax 1500 given away for every $1,600 in the prize pool.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Level Up/Updated Chip Counts

Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Day 1B Entries: 166

The tournament supervisor has just announced the beginning of Level 8, with blinds going up to 400/800/100.  Here are some updated chip counts from the last level's end:

Michael Sandler - 115,000
Cathy Dever - 105,000
Chau Nguyen - 100,000
Ray Shackelford - 85,000
Matt Glantz - 75,000
Vincent Caesar - 65,000
Tim Little - 65,000
Joe McKeehen - 58,000
Justin Liberto - 30,000

Big Stax VII ($230 No Limit Hold'em Seniors Event): Final Results

Big Stax VII
August 6, 2014

$200 + 30 No Limit Hold'em Seniors Event

Total Entries: 100
Total Prize Fund: $19,400

Final Results:

Place	Player Name		Prize
1	Sidney	Miller	$6,014
2	Harry	Bressler	$3,686
3	Daniele	Focarelli	$2,157
4	Robert	Goffredo	$1,649
5	Michael	Faccenda	$1,245
6	Ronald	Kamens	$995
7	John	Krause	$815
8	Michael	Bayer	$679
9	Nicholas	Cook	$582
10	Michael	Einhorn	$501
11	Raymond	Dever Jr.	$359
12	Robert	Moy	$359
13	James	McCarthy	$359

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Twitter Counts From Break

Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/100)
Total Day 1B Entries: 155

The Twitter-verse has been pretty alive surrounding the debate over the possibly rules change for Big Stax tournaments, but there are also chip counts being updated throughout as well:

After level 6 (45 minute levels) @parxpokerroom got 33.3k $200k guarantee purse. B Flight #TeamBSO #TeamProPayne
— Antonio Payne (@Anthony_1Payne) August 8, 2014

@parxpokerroom 101K on 2nd break
— Cathy Dever (@CathyDever) August 8, 2014

Already down to 23k from 40k in the 550 at Parx. 300/600/100 when we resume
— Matteo Menna (@matteo__menna) August 8, 2014

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Break Time

Level 7 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Day 1B Entries: 148

Players have just cleared out of the tournament area and are on a (15) minute break.  They will return to Level 7 and blinds of 250/500/50.  There will be three more levels played, and after Level 9 finishes up, those still active in the field will go on a (75) minute dinner break.  As mentioned numerous times over the past week, the poker minds behind the Parx Poker Room are always looking to better the tournaments.  There is currently discussion about a rules change, and Poker Room Ambassador Matt Glantz is looking for feedback from players:

We r considering dropping standard no talking/no showing cards rule when heads up in a pot @parxpokerroom. Looking for player feedback.
— Matt Glantz (@MattGlantz) August 8, 2014

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Later Arrivals

Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Day 1B Entries: 147

Players have been filing in all day as the number of entries continues to climb, bringing the event close to the guarantee.  The most recent players to take their seats include:

Joe McKeehen
Matteo Menna
Matt Glantz
Jeff Gross
CJ Joshi
Dave Novak
Jia Liu
Tom Dobralovic
Kyle Bowker

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Updated Chip Counts

Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Day 1B Entries: 141

Players have just entered Level 6, and will finish out this level before heading on their second (15) minute break of the day.  Here are some updated chip counts from the level's transition:

Ibraim Ibraimovic - 120,000
Frank Ferrigno - 110,000
Mike Azzaro - 95,000
Gregory Fishberg - 80,000
Dawn Wilno - 65,000
Alex Rocha - 58,000
Ilya Ekshtut - 48,000
Maggie Morris - 40,000
Kevin Tran - 32,000
Justin Liberto - 24,000
Alyson Parker - 10,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Fishberg Flopping Sets

Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Day 1B Entries: 138

Greg Fishberg (Willow Grove, PA)

Greg Fishberg (Willow Grove, PA) sat still while his remaining 30,825 was piled neatly across the betting line.  The board would read 2♠ 5♥ J♦ 8♣ and his opponent was deep in the tank.  After a few minutes of chip shuffling, Greg's opponent asked for a count, and decided to make the call:

Board: 2♠ 5♥ J♦ 8♣

Fishberg: 5♦ 5♣
Player X: Q♥ Q♠

River: K♣

The river would bring paint, but it wasn't the type that Fishberg's opponent was looking for.  Greg would double to over 75,000 with that pot, well above the current average in the room.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Maggie Morris Is A #Boss

Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Day 1B Entries: 133

Maggie Morris (Stamford, CT)

So Maggie Morris (Stamford, CT) breaks into the tournament scene earlier this year, taking home first place money ($95,000) in a three way chop of the Big Stax V/Big Stax 300.  She would best a final table that included the likes of Joe McKeehen, Joel Gola, and Rocco Luciano, on her way to the biggest payday of her life.  The relative unknown player may have been looked at by others as a flash in the pan, but she continued to go deep in tournaments, including a $500 No Limit Hold'em event at Borgata (5th Place - $8,497).

Even after all of those results, Maggie would make sure that any of the doubters out there would have no value claims.  Morris final tabled Event #49 ($5,000 No Limit Hold'em) during this summer's WSOP, finishing in fourth place and earning over $212,000.  It's clear that Maggie is just a boss, but because of her work schedule, she doesn't get a chance to play nearly as much as she would like.  She just took her seat at Table 49 for the first time this series, and has already tweeted out to friends (that already bagged) that she hopes to see them on Sunday.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): First Back From Big Stax 300 Marathon

Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/50)
Total Day 1B Entries: 102

Sergio Loureiro (Wayne, NJ)

It was a long a grueling final table for the final six players of the Big Stax 300, but it looks like enough time has passed for one of those players to recuperate.  Sergio Loureiro (Wayne, NJ) finished in fifth place ($17,805) on Monday, flopping trips on his final hand, but getting his chips in on the turn when Jose Montes had made a straight.  Loureiro had only one recorded cash prior to that finish, but it's clear that he's hungry for more results and a deeper run this time around.

Also seated at Sergio's table is Frankie Flowers, a Foxwoods regular who arrived yesterday for Day 1A, but was unable to bag chips moving forward towards Day 2.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Updated Chip Counts

Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/25)
Total Day 1B Entries: 102

Players are back from break and the cards are once again in the air.  Here are some updated chip counts taken while players were away from the tournament area:

Daryl Boatwright - 70,000
Ray Shackelford - 65,000
Stephanie Hubbard - 61,000
Frank Ferrigno - 59,000
Antonio Payne - 56,000
Michael Sandler - 55,000
Jason Rivkin - 42,000
Vincent Caesar - 38,000
Jesse Cohen - 36,000
James Ingram - 27,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): First Break Of The Day

Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/35)
Total Day 1B Entries: 101

Players are heading on their first (15) minute break of the day, and they will return to Level 4 and blinds of 150/300/25.  There have been a few more new additions to the field, including Justin Liberto and Michael "Mr. Huge" Hug.  Some updated chip counts will be posted once players clear the tables and return from break.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Rough River For Robinson

Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Day 1B Entries: 101

Dave Rittmeyer

There would be a sizable pot unfolding at Table 51, as three players were looking down at a board of 7♠ 6♦ 2♠ Q♥.  John Robinson was on the button and sitting with 12,425 in front of him (he was all-in).  Dave Rittmeyer and another player made the call, and watched as the dealer placed the 7♥ on the river.  Rittmeyer looked up and announced himself all-in, with his active opponent folding quickly.  Robinson would announce that he had a full house as he turned over 6♠ 6♣, but David turned over a bigger full house to take down the pot (Q♦ 7♦).  Robinson would leave the table after collecting his things, while Rittmeyer chips up to 62,000 with the pot.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Above Average Stacks Already In The Bag

Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Day 1B Entries: 90

As the early stages of the day lack that real excitement (with players holding over 200 big blinds in front of them), it gives a chance to look back at the action from yesterday.  The chip average from Day 1A ended at 213,000, but note that the number will change by the time Day 2 begins on Sunday. Here are all of the players to bag above average stacks last night:

Christopher	Rich	North Massapequ, NY	570,500
Anthony	Garofalo	Philadelphia, PA	547,500
Adam	Larkin	New York City, NY	537,000
Eugene	Zaslavsky	Marlboro, NJ	410,000
David	Datashvili	Forest Hills, NY	406,000
Karan	Sehgal	Easton, PA	353,500
Jon	Rublee	Bradenton, FL	329,500
Vinny	Pahuja	New York City, NY	305,500
Robert	Boyko	Yonkers, NY	300,000
Craig	Batemon	Bryn Mawr, NJ	289,000
Malik	Saunders	Philadelphia, PA	267,000
Paul	Shepaker	Croydon, PA	265,000
David	Heck	Colts Neck, NJ	255,000
Jesse	Willgruber	Philadelphia, PA	253,000
Ed	Stanish	Pennsville, NJ	251,000
Rocco	Luciano	Philadelphia, PA	232,000
Thomas	Favilla	Lindenhurst, NJ	230,500
Christopher	Capone	Lebanon, PA	221,000
Alan	Kraut	Doylestown, PA	220,500

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): New Names At Table 55

Level 2 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Day 1B Entries: 87

The outer tables are beginning to open up, with Table 55 grabbing a handful of well known players.  Jason Rivkin (Tinton Falls, NJ) joins girlfriend Stephanie Hubbard, coming off his runner-up finish in the $340 Omaha Hi/Lo 8B earlier this week.  Asher Conniff took his seat for this first time in this event, looking to reach his fourth ever Big Stax final table.  The last name to join the table was tournament professional John DiBella (Cave Creek, AZ).  DiBella is coming off a runner up finish in the $2,200 Borgata Summer Poker Open Championship Event, falling to Denis Gnidash heads up.  John would add $90,000 to his career earnings with the finish, pushing his total above $2,278,000.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Who Else Is Here?

Level 2 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Day 1B Entries: 62

Vincent Caesar (Glen Mills, PA)

As the field enters Level 2, a small rush of new entries made their way to the tables.  Vincent Caesar (Glen Mills, PA) is looking to put himself in position for Day 2, this after finishing 41st in the Big Stax 300 for $1,938.  Caesar is coming off a final table during the Live! Summer Series Of Poker at Maryland Live!, finishing 10th place in the $500 No Limit Hold'em event during the series ($2,647).  Other notables players not mentioned earlier include:

Marvin Siegel
Stephanie Hubbard
Tony Tran
John Robinson
Antonio Payne
Ibrahim Ibrahimovich
Jeffrey Spence
Cathy Dever
Ray Shackelford

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): The Early Notables

Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Day 1B Entries: 58

The intimate field at the moment resembles the start from yesterday, but that number eventually grew to 245 total entries.  While the middle of three starting days in any tournament will usually be the smallest, that hasn't stopped the recognizable faces from showing up:

Alyson Parket
Michael Drabot
Vincent Caesar
James Ingram
James Sloat
Fritz Stoner
Joe Palma
Jesse Elliot
Michael Sandler

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Things Getting Underway

Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Day 1B Entries: TBD

Players are still getting settled as the tournament supervisor makes the rules announcement for all those already in attendance.  There are some new faces in the field, as well as those trying to put themselves in position to bag chips for the first time this event.  While a list of notables will be posted   after the tournament area begins to fill, there is at least one that made their intentions clear via Twitter:

On way to @parxpokerroom for $200k guarantee. Only 1 goal. #Bag&Tag
— Antonio Payne (@Anthony_1Payne) August 8, 2014

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): End Of Day 1A Chip Counts

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1A Entries: 245

Day 1A
Total Players:	245	Players left:	46
Total Chips:	9,800,000	Average Chips:	213,043
Christopher	Rich	North Massapequ, NY	570,500
Anthony	Garofalo	Philadelphia, PA	547,500
Adam	Larkin	New York City, NY	537,000
Eugene	Zaslavsky	Marlboro, NJ	410,000
David	Datashvili	Forest Hills, NY	406,000
Karan	Sehgal	Easton, PA	353,500
Jon	Rublee	Bradenton, FL	329,500
Vinny	Pahuja	New York City, NY	305,500
Robert	Boyko	Yonkers, NY	300,000
Craig	Batemon	Bryn Mawr, NJ	289,000
Malik	Saunders	Philadelphia, PA	267,000
Paul	Shepaker	Croydon, PA	265,000
David	Heck	Colts Neck, NJ	255,000
Jesse	Willgruber	Philadelphia, PA	253,000
Ed	Stanish	Pennsville, NJ	251,000
Rocco	Luciano	Philadelphia, PA	232,000
Thomas	Favilla	Lindenhurst, NJ	230,500
Christopher	Capone	Lebanon, PA	221,000
Alan	Kraut	Doylestown, PA	220,500
Kevin	McColgan	Douglassville, PA	207,500
Jason	Beers	Upper Black Eddy, PA	198,500
Austin	Buchanan	Winter Park, FL	195,500
Noam	Fliegelman	Philadelphia, PA	188,500
Jacob	Perry	Branchville, NJ	188,500
Ben	Lavallee	Norwood, PA	178,000
Jonathan	Borenstein	Teaneck, NJ	166,500
Kevin	Grabel	Litter Box, PA	165,500
Alex	Brody	Staten Island, NY	162,000
Esther	Taylor	Havertown, PA	157,500
John	Dascoli	Hatboro, PA	150,500
JR	Marquetie	York, PA	143,500
Gene	Raman	Mount Laurel, NJ	134,000
Sam	Heilman	Philadelphia, PA	133,000
Myron	Rosenbaun	Philadelphia, PA	126,500
Ari	Buchman	Valley Stream, PA	115,500
Michael	Marder	Sewel, NJ	115,000
Matt	Vitale	Dix Hills, NY	112,500
DJ	MacKinnon	Buffalo, NY	112,000
Billy	Sanford	Mount Vernon, NY	110,500
Nancy	Martin	Wash. Crossing,   PA	91,500
Alex	Figura	East Elmhurst, NY	84,000
Daniel	Wellborn	Arlington, VA	73,500
Joe	Agron	Langhorne, PA	71,000
Jack	Doung	South Plainfield, NJ	69,500
Leon	Zinder	Brooklyn, NY	69,000
Petar	Mudrinic	Hamilton, NJ	60,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): And The "Rich" Get Richer

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1A Entries: 245

Chris Rich

The tournament floor has announced how many hands remain (3 hands) in the night, and it looks like the end of night chip lead bonus will be going to Chris Rich.  Rich trended steadily upwards over the final three levels of the night, and now has close to 600,000.  Rich won some timely flips in the last level of the night with some short stacks, and stands to earn $1,500 for the bonus.

The end of Day 1A chip counts will be posted on the live updates page once all chips are bagged and verified.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Down The Stretch They Come

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1A Entries: 245

The names from earlier have fallen back to the pack, as Jonathan Borestein and Adam Larkin both have substantially less than they peaked at.  The new name on top is currently Anthony Garofalo (Philadelphia, PA), who sits with 510,000, only (20) minutes short of the final hand announcement.  Another new name that is in contention is Karan Sehgal, who has 425,000 at the midway point of Level 15.

The clock will be passed with 10:00 showing, and the tournament supervisor will then announce how many hands remain in the night.  Those remaining after the hands are completed will bag chips for Day on Sunday.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Final Break

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Entries: 243

Players are heading on their final break of the night, and they will return to Level 15 and blinds of 2,000/4,000/500.  The last level saw some notables end the night a level short of bagging, as Joe Palma and Jeffrey Spence were eliminated during Level 14.  The tournament supervisors will color off the brown (100 denomination chips) and players will return for the final (45) minutes.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Down To The Wire

Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Entries: 243

It looks as if the end of day chip lead bonus is going to go down to the final level, as Adam Larkin came back down towards the rest of the field, and now sits with 485,000.  Here are some of the players creeping towards that number:

Anthony Garofalo - 425,000
Chris Rich - 400,000
Bill Sanford - 365,000
John Rublee - 350,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Notable Chip Counts

Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 242

Adam Larkin 

There are currently 65 active players remaining in the Day 1A field, and they have just entered Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400).  Players will finish this level before a final break of the night, and then return to play Level 15.  Here are some notable counts from the end of Level 13:

Adam Larkin - 630,000
Kevin McColgan - 315,000
Jonathan Borenstein - 290,000
Rocco Luciano - 240,000
DJ ManKinnon - 235,000
Alan Kraut - 230,000
Vinny Pahuja - 180,000
Esther Taylor - 165,000
Nancy Martin - 105,000
Mike Linster - 50,000
Jeffrey Spence - 49,000
Joe Palma - 41,000
Bo Toft - 22,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Pahuja Picks Off Grabel

Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 242

Vinny Pahuja (New York, NY)

Approaching Table 52, there would be a hand on the river between Vinny Pahuja and Kevin Grabel.  The board would read 3♠ 4♣ 6♥ 10♣ J♠, with a pot just under 40,000 in the middle.  Pahuja would check to Kevin, who threw out a stack of chips. Vinny asked the dealer for a count (28,500), and put across the call after a few moments of thought.

Grabel would turn over A♠ Q♣ (ace high), with Pahuja in turn tabling 3♥ 5♥.  The pair would be good enough to scoop the pot, and Vinny goes over the 250,000 mark.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Break Time/Updated Chip Counts

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 242

Players are finishing off the remaining few minutes in Level 12, and they will then be going on a (15) minute break.  When the players return, the blinds in Level 13 will be 1,200/2,400/300.  The rest of the night will play out as such: players finish Levels 13 and 14 before a final (10) minute break, and then return to Level 15 before bagging at it's conclusion.  Here are some updated chip counts from the field before break:

Adam Larkin - 515,000
Bill Sanford - 440,000
Kevin McColgan - 350,000
Austin Buchanan - 240,000
Joel Frank - 220,000
Alan Kraut - 215,000
Vinny Pahuja - 165,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): No Longer Active

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 242

There are currently (10) active tables remaining in the field, leaving approximately 85 players from the 242 total entries.  Here is a short list of notables to end the day prematurely:

Kyle Bowker
Chris Csik
Greg Fishberg
Alex Rocha
Sean Wallace
Matt Glantz
Eric Rivkin
Dan Sewnig
Joe Cappuccio

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Little Jackie Growing Up Quickly

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 242

Jack Duong (South Plainfield, NJ)

Jack Duong (South Plainfield, NJ) has only been around the tournament poker scene for three years, but he's clearly made a name for himself in 2014.  Duong came into the year with just under $75,000 in career tournament earnings.  Three quarters of the way through 2014, they are now $460,000.  Here are Jack's notable finishes so far this year:

WSOP Circuit LA $550 Mega Millions IX - 4th Place - $118,574
WSOP Circuit LA $1,675 Main Event - 5th Place - $58,025
WSOP Event #20 $3,000 NLH Shootout - 4th Place - $85,616
WSOP Event #62 $1,111 NLH Little One Drop - 6th Place - $117,507

That would be two WSOPC final tables and two WSOP final tables in the span of three months, a feat that takes some people years to reach.  Duong joined the field just as Level 12 started, and has not yet been involved in a hand.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Grabel Grabbing Pots

Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 239

Kevin Grabel (Southampton, PA)

Kevin Grabel (Southampton, PA) already has history bagging chip leads for a bonus, having succeeding in just that last series during this exact event.  Grabel was already up to 150,000 and had an opportunity to collect 40,000 more, having an opponent at risk:

Flop: J♠ 8♣ 4♠

Grabel: J♦ 10♣

Player X: A♠ 5♠

Turn: A♣ 

River: 10♥

Grabel would outflop his opponent to be ahead when the chips got in on the flop, but he'd have to fade an ace or a spade.  The ace on the turn was going to make it difficult for Kevin, now needed a non-spade jack or ten...and that's exactly what he got.  Grabel would send his opponent to the rail, while scooping in the pot and reaching 195,000.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): New Names Chipping Up

Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 237

Jonathan Borenstein's once insurmountable lead had already been eclipsed, as a handful of players are beginning to amass well above average stacks.  One name in particular sticks out, as Robert Boyko (Yonkers, NY) handles his top ten stack at the moment.  Boyko is a New York City police officer and part-time professional player, who also happened to co-win the first event Big Stax $1,500 Main Event.  Boyko chopped the event with Patrick Halter (Narberth, PA), each taking home over $134,000 for their efforts.  Here are some of the other names jumping up the leaderboard:

Adam Larkin - 296,000
Joel Frank - 245,000
Robert Boyko - 210,000
Eug Zas - 205,000
DJ MacKinnon - 195,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Only A Few Of Ladies Remain

Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 222

Esther Taylor (Havertown, PA)

The Day 1A field is already down to just three women remain, with two sitting at the same table.  Esther Taylor (Havertown, PA)  is currently sitting with a well above average stack (126,000), while Nancy Martin (Washington Crossing, PA) hovers around the 60,000 mark.  Across the room sits Megan Millburn, on the shorter side at the moment with just over 20,000.

The ladies are trying to follow in the footsteps of Maggie Morris, the first female player to win a Big Stax event.  Jamie Kerstetter went the furthest of the ladies in the Big Stax 300, finishing in 42nd place for $1,938.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Back From Dinner

Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Entries: 224

Players are allowed back into the tournament area, and the cards will be back in the air in just seconds.  The trend of players entering the tournament for the first time post-dinner break continues, with more than a handful of new entrants taking their seats.  One notable in particular to show up just moments ago was Mike Linster (Levittown, NY).  Linster was also here during the Big Stax 300, finishing in 95th place for $843.  Mike needs a cash over $5,000 to push his career earnings over $1,000,000, a goal for many professional tournament players on the circuit.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Chip Count Updated Via Twitter

Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 219

Players are going to be back in action in just over ten minutes, but a handful have posted chip counts while away from the tables:

101k on dinner @parxpokerroom #ParxBigStax
— Jake Perry (@JakePerry12) August 7, 2014

107,500/40kss on dinner. Coming back to 1200/200. #ParxBigStax
— Michael Marder (@MMarder86) August 7, 2014

137K on dinner break @parxpokerroom #ParxBigStax
— Alan Kraut (@AlanKrautPoker) August 7, 2014

82.2K on dinner coming back to 1200BB in 75 minutes
— Dan Sewnig (@RedsoxNets5) August 7, 2014

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Dinner Break

(Dinner Break)

Total Day 1A Entries: 217

Players are currently on dinner break from 6:20pm-7:35pm, with players returning to Level 10 and blinds of 600/1,200/200.  Live coverage of Day 1A will resume once the cards are back in the air.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Updated Chip Counts Before Dinner

Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 217

Players are about half the way through Level 9, with dinner break beginning at the conclusion of this level.  Players will go on dinner from 6:20pm-7:35pm, and will return to finish out the final six levels (play ends after Level 15 is finished).  Here are some updated chip counts from the midway point of Level 9:

Jonathan Borestein - 275,000
Rocco Luciano - 205,000
Moje Laska - 185,000
Joel Frank - 150,000
Frankie Flowers - 120,000
Malik Saunders - 118,000
Jonas Wexler - 105,000
Kevin McColgan - 105,000
Michael Sandler - 98,000
Joe Cappuccio - 85,000
DJ MacKinnon - 70,000
Kyle Bowker - 60,000
Jake Perry - 48,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): "Pools" Triples Up

Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 210

Walking over to Table 78, there would be a three-way all-in pre between Eric "Pools" Siegel, Alan Kraut, and Vinny Pahuja.  Siegel was the shortest of the three with 11,600 in front of him, with Vinny holding the most and having both players at risk (27,000):

Siegel: 7♣ 7♠        Kraut: A♦ 8♦       Pahuja: A♣ K♠

Flop: 3♥ 3♣ 3♠

Turn: 10♠

River: 6♥

Siegel's pair of sevens would hold against the overs, and Eric would chip back up to the 40,000 starting stack with the main pot.  Pahuja would win the side pot, and although he recouped some chips, he still lost 7,000 total in the hand.  Kraut would bust in the hand and head to the tournament cage to re-enter.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Flowers Chipping Up...Borenstein Running Away

Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 199

Frankie Flowers (Pleasant Valley, NY)

The value and structure of this tournament continues to attract players from all over the East Coast, as Foxwood's reg Frankie Flowers (Pleasant Valley, NY) shows up in the tournament area for the first time tho series.  Flowers has over $120,000 in career earnings, including a win in the most recent Foxwoods Mega Stack Challenge.  Flowers is off to a solid start, having already doubled his starting stack, and sitting with just under 90,000.

Jonathan Borenstein (Teaneck, NJ) was mentioned earlier as the chip leader, and he's looking to go wire to wire for the end of day bonus.  Jonathan is over 270,000 at the moment, with no other player currently active over 200,000.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Updates From The Twitter World

Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 196

After a round of golf to clear the mind (or put someone on full tilt), Parx regular Sean Wallace (Horsham, PA) has just taken his seat in the field.  Wallace bagged a top ten stack going into Day 2 of the Big Stax 300, but could not find traction in the later stages and ended up finishing in 50th place ($1,676).

There has not been as much Twitter buzz from players in the current field compared to that of the Big Stax 300, but a small handful of players are keeping it up:

Had it just under 100K after TT>77 then got AK in vs KK button vs cutoff for 26K each. I've been aggro enough that I think it was fine. 67K.
— Dan Sewnig (@RedsoxNets5) August 7, 2014

Big Stax VII ($340 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold'em): Final Results

Big Stax VII
August 5, 2014

$340 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold'em

Total Entries: 155
Total Prize Fund: $45,405

Final Results:

Place	Player Name	Hometown	Prize
1	Oleg Yavorovskiy	Brooklyn, NY	$10,299
2	Willie Chang	Elmhurst, NY	$7,000
3	Tam Nguyen	Harrisburg, PA	$7,000
4	Alexander Berdichevskiy	Huntingdon, PA	$5,000
5	John Reshaw	Ewing, NJ	$5,000
6	Tony Tran	Charlotte, NC	$2,314
7	Michael Cannon	Harrisburg, PA	$1,894
8	Steven Tague	Philadelphia, PA	$1,579
9	Martin Overline	Philadelphia, PA	$1,353
10	Daniel Sztenderowicz	Feasterville, PA	$1,164
11	Thomas Slyman	Staten Island, NY	$843
12	Glenn Macartyney	Philadelphia, PA	$834
13	Allan Lubin	Watchung, NJ	$834

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Model Of Consistency

Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 190

Vinny Pahuja (New York, NY)

One of the last entrants to join the field prior to break was Vinny Pahuja (New York, NY), a well known tournament professional with a voice in the community.  Pahuja's last cash before leaving for the WSOP came in March, when he final tabled the Big Stax 1500, finishing in 4th place for $44,682.

Vinny then went on to the WSOP and cashed in eight events during the series.  His cashes totaled over $100,000, and included a final table during Event #33 ($1,000 No Limit Hold'em).  Pahuja also bubbled two other final tables, finishing 12th place in both Event #9 ($1,000 No Limit Hold'em) and Event #44 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em).

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Break Time/Updated Chip Counts

Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 184

Players are about to head on their second break of the day, and they will be returning to Level 7 and blinds of 300/600/100.  Here are some updated chip counts of players heading to break:

Jonathan Borestein - 185,000
Kevin Grabel - 117,000
Michael Sandler - 105,000
Greg Pogarsky - 95,000
Kevin McColgan - 93,000
Joe Cappuccio - 90,000
James Sloat - 64,000
Jonas Wexler - 55,000
Kyle Bowker - 50,000
Alan Kraut - 48,000
Joe Palma - 42,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Fashionably Late Crowd

Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 169

Jonas Wexler (Southhampton, PA)

Players continue to file in as tables begin to open up in the outer tournament area. Former Big Stax 1500 co-winner Jonas Wexler (Southhampton, PA) is one of those to fill one of the newer tables.  Wexler chopped the Big Stax 1500 during the Big Stax II series in May of 2013.  Wexler would earn $101,800 as his part of the deal, an even chop with Mike Dentale (Brooklyn, NY).  Jonas is coming off a WSOP where he reached one final table, finishing in 10th place during Event #26 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em).

Other players to take their seats over the last level include:

Kyle Bowker
Esther Taylor
Joel Frank
Joe Cappuccio

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Updated Chip Counts

Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 158

The day is still early, but it's alway san appropriate time to mention the end of day chip lead bonus.  The player to bag the largest stack at the end of each starting day will earn themselves $1,500, and depending on how many bullets were fired, will essentially be free rolling this event.  Here are some of the counts taken from the midway point of Level 5:

Bill Sanford - 128,000
Jonathan Borenstein - 115,000
Kevin Grabel - 70,000
Bo Toft - 70,000
Rocco Luciano - 60,000
Michael Marder - 42,000
Justin Liberto - 38,000
Alex Rocha - 27,000
Nancy Martin - 18,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Early Leader/Level Up

Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 148

Jonathan Borenstein (Teaneck, NJ)

The tournament supervisor has just announced the beginning of Level 5, with blinds going up to 200/400/50.  The early leader in the field is Jonathan Borenstein (Teaneck, NJ), who sits with just over 110,000 (almost triple the 40,000 starting stack).  Borenstein has three recorded cashes lifetime, with his first coming during the first ever eerie aran at Parx.  Borenstein final tabled the $300 No Limit Hold'em event during the Parx Open Poker Classic, way back in 2011.  Most recently, Jonathan took down the $350 No Limit Hold'em Saturday Series at Borgata, his largest ever score for $41,892.

New names continue to enter the field, as Matt Glantz joins the play at Table 81, and DJ MacKinnon doing the same at Table 55.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): On A Solid Pace

Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 139

One of the reasons that the Big Stax series has improved consistently over time is the attention to detail from the "powers that be."  Bill Entenman (Director Of Poker Operations) and Tom Martucci (Tournament Director) work very closely with Matt Glantz to make everything from integral to simple changes each series.  A key piece of information that is used it the numbers from each series, and where they stand compared to those prior.  The numbers that are seen right now (139 entries at 1:30pm) is right on pace to see a field for this event anywhere between 575-800.  The key day usually ends up being Saturday, which tends to attract the largest turnout of the three starting days.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Notables Continue To Arrive

Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Day 1A Entries: 118

Baruch Thaler (Brooklyn, NY)

Player have under ten minutes until their first break of the day (which lasts 15 minutes), and they will return to blinds of 150/300/50.  There was a strong rush of recognizable players to enter the field towards the mid way point of Level 3:

Nancy Martin
Baruch Thaler
Alex Rocha
Megan Millburn
Greg Fishberg
Joe Palma
James Brady
Aaron Freese
Michael Sandler
Robert Boyko

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): ICYMI: 2014 WSOP Bracelet Winner Takes Down Omaha 8B

Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Day 1A Entries: 105

Nicholas Kost (Chicago, IL)

The $340 Omaha Hi/Lo 8B event ran concurrent with Day 3 of the Big Stax 300, but that doesn't mean that the story coming out of the event was overlooked.  When scanning the results over first glance, the thing that may stand out is Jason Rivkin (Tinton Falls, NJ) finishing in second place.  Jason has (53) recorded results to his name, with his largest coming from his win at the first ever Big Stax event (Big Stax 300 - February 2013).  Rivkin has since made numerous deep runs in non-no limit hold'em events, specializing in the hi/lo variations.

It wasn't until about three hours after the tournament ended that Jason himself did a little research on the player he fell to heads-up.  Prior to this year's WSOP, Nicholas Kost (Chicago, IL) was a relative unknown in the tournament poker world.  That was until he won the $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #14) at this year's WSOP for over $283,000.  Kost then went on to final table the very prestigious $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #22) only a week later.  Clearly Kost is at the top of his game at the moment, as he bested the 99 player field, and one of the better local mixed game players in the area.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Bad Beat Highest Yet At Parx

Level 2 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Day 1A Entries: 91

While the Big Stax events are going on, the cash game in the poker room never stops.   Since implementing the Bad Beat Jackpot earlier this year, it has hit five times, with the most recent coming July 5th.

With a full month passing without the bad beat being reached, the jackpot number has soared higher than ever before.  At this current moment, the number sits at $203,922, meaning the player to having the "losing" hand of the bad beat will be receiving over $80,000.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Making Up The Field

Level 2 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Day 1A Entries: 79

Those players seated have just entered the second level of the day, with blinds going up to 75/150.  Today's field is one of the more intimate seen since the start of the series, but these usually end up being the days the surprise people the most.  Here are some of the faces to grace the field early:

Jake Perry
Bo Toft
Jonathan Borenstein
Kevin McColgan
Frankie Flowers
Jame Sloat
Vincent Caesar
Michael Matrone
Jesse Cohen
Eric Rivkin
Ken Silberstein
Igor Rabinovich
Gordon Eng
David Heck
Jeffrey Spence
Kevin Grabel

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Fun Starting Table

Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD

Keeping up with the Twitter world, two notable players were spotted mentioning each other at their first table of the day.  Alan Kraut (Doylestown, PA) and Michael Marder (Sewell, NJ) are both regulars during all of the Big Stax series, with Kraut returning last week after a short hiatus from poker to concentrate on business.  The two made deep runs in the Big Stax 300, finishing in the top fifty, but falling short of Day 3.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1A): Cards In The Air Shortly

Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD

The tournament supervisor is making the rules announcement for players already seated at their tables, and in just moments the cards will be in the air.  There is a buzz on Twitter surrounding players heading in for the first of three starting days, and once players settle in, a post will be published with some of the notables making up the early field.

Big Stax VII: Big Stax 300 Recap (Final Table Results)

There aren't many poker tournaments out there that are accessible to the budding recreational player, while offering a structure and value that attracts some of the top professionals in the community.  With 1,848 total entries, a $526,680 prize fund, and a first place prize over $108,000, the Big Stax 300 has reached a "must play" status.  Giving just enough time for players to recharge from the WSOP grind, along with local buzz leading up to the series, it was clear from the first starting day that this was going to be a special event.

Jason Paster

The initial story beyond the numbers was the Parx Poker representation at the WSOP.  The three starting days saw two players who fell one spot short of a bracelet, as Jason Paster (2nd Place Event #4 - $1,000 No Limit Hold'em) and Joseph McKeehen (2nd Place Event # 51 - $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Monster Stack) both returned to a chorus of congratulations from staff and fellow players alike.  The field also saw it's newest bracelet winner try to make another deep Big Stax run, as Jared Jaffee (Brooklyn, NY) returned to Parx off the heels of winning Event #58 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em  Mixed-Max).  

Once the play started though, the focus was strictly on poker, and trying to reach Day 2 with some chips in the bag.  The $1,000 end of day chip lead bonus was back, with former Parx dealer Phuc Hoang (Day 1A), notable high stakes cash game player Dan Wach (Day 1B), and Neal Gay (Day 1C) all bagging the on their respective starting days.  Other notables to bag top five stacks moving forward towards Day 2 included Jason Rivkin, Joe Reddick, Sean Wallace, Scott Blackman, and Jonathan Borestein.  

One of the biggest questions coming into Day 2 was whether or not this field was going to reach the record number of 1,857 set back in February.  The trend of buying in the morning of Day 2 has become a very popular one, especially with the recent success of players doing just that.  Once the cards were in the air and registration was closed, the final number would fall just short, but very healthy 1,848 total entries.  The field reached the money bubble fairly quickly, as the elimination of Charles Welch (Baltimore, MD) in 198th place meant those remaining would be cashing.  The early story of the day was Juan Valdez (Philadelphia, PA), who was steam rolling his table on his way to becoming the first player over 1,000,000 in chips.  Day 2 was scheduled to play to the conclusion of Level 24 (or final table), with deep runs made by Joe Mckeehen (81st place), Trevor Deeter (73rd place), AJ DeNicco (61st place), Michael Marder (47th place), and Jamie Kerstetter (42nd place).  When the day was done though, there would be 28 players going forward to Day 3, with a list of big names still in the running (Scott Blackman, Dan Wach, Justin Liberto, Kevin Tran, Jose Montes, Trevor Savage, David Kim, Mike Azzaro, Daniel Chan, and Jeffrey Spence).

Sentiments on Twitter and social media clearly showed Justin Liberto as one of the favorites coming

Justin Liberto

back to Day 3.  Many would ask the question why not him, coming off Big Stax VI were he chopped the Big Stax 300 and 1500, and finished 18th in the Big Stax 500.  It looked as if those premonitions were coming true, and Liberto sent home Richard Lipson minutes into the day (28th place - $2,252), sending the field into a redraw.  Although Trevor Savage (Mantua, NJ) would be eliminated next, he had to be positive about his first live tournament played in over a year.  The notables would continue to fall, as Mike Azzaro (24th place), Daniel Chan (20th place), David Kim (19th place), Justin Liberto (18th place), Jeffrey Spence (17th place), and Juan Valdez (14th place) all fell short of the final table.

Scott Blackman

The final table was reached at about 7:45pm, with players heading to dinner before returning to finish out the tournament.  It's unlikely anyone would be cognizant of what was to follow, as play stood with a chip average over 50 big blinds deep the rest of the way out.  Players were able to absorb huge losses without being forced into "shove-mode," leaving quality play the entire night into the morning.  The names would start falling one by one, as Kevin Tran (10th place - $4,608), Dennis Thurman (8th place - $8,012), and Dan Wach (6th place - $13,616) lasted well into the night.  After the elimination of Wach, it would be close to two hours before Sergio Loureiro busted in 5th place ($17,805), and another two hours for Jose Montes to depart in 4th place ($23,042).  It was now 5:00am, but the three players remaining (Frederick Ferrell, Michael Jelaso, and Scott Blackman) weren't about to end it there.  The marathon Day 3 ended almost twelve hours after reaching the final table, with Scott Blackman (Egg Harbor Township, NJ) getting his hands on the trophy and over $108,000.  

Final Table Results:

1. Scott Blackman (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ) - $108,035
2. Michael Jelaso (Long Beach, NY) - $64,936
3. Frederick Ferrell (Philadelphia, PA) - $33,516
4. Jose Montes (Bronx, NY) -$23,042
5. Sergio Loureiro (Wayne, NJ) - $17,805
6. Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) - $13,616
7. Richard Guadagnino (Beachwood, NJ) - $10,474
8. Dennis Thurman (Fisk, MO) - $8,012
9. Craig Lozak (North Wales, PA) - $6,284
10. Kevin Tran (Center Valley, PA) - $4,608