Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Playing Above Average

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

Keeping up with a trend started just yesterday, we take a look back at Day 1A and the players that bagged stacks above average.  While the chip average changes for each starting day depending on how many entries/players remaining, it's still a good gauge for those looking for answers about numbers.  These are all the players to bag more than 219,000 at the end of yesterday's play:

Matt	Glantz		545,000
Matteo	Menna	Drexel Hill PA	496,000
Chau	Nguyen	Mechanicsburg PA	456,500
David	Novak	Philadelphia PA	433,000
Jimmy	Paper	Pottstown PA	379,000
Jason	Rivken	Tinton Falls NJ	343,500
Sandeep	Patel	Parsippany NY	342,500
Andrew	Lydon	Phoenixville PA	336,500
Lewis	Saxon	Philadelphia PA	305,500
John	Dibella	East Chester PA	296,000
Ozea	Ingram	Trenton NJ	295,500
Dawn	Wilno	Hamilton NJ	290,000
Deding	XU	Philadelphia PA	268,000
Todd	Morehouse	Philadelphia PA	267,500
Chris	Delgrande	Glen Mills PA	245,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Action On The Felt Begins

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

While the "early birds" are taking their seats and getting settled, the tournament supervisor is making the rules announcement for the field.  This will be the last chance for players to try and bag chips for Day 2, but let's not forget the opportunity to buy-in tomorrow before the cards are in the air.  Once the room begins to fill up and the layout of the land is a little clearer, the notables in the field will be mentioned.  Cards are now in the air for Day 1C!!!

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Bagging Chips Is The Goal

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

After the first two starting days, there has been a total of 453 entries, with 84 players fortunate enough to seal a bag with chips heading into Day 2 (tomorrow 12:00pm).  It was Christopher Rich bagging the bonus on Day 1A with 570,500, while Parx Poker Ambassador Matt Glantz bested the Day 1B field with 545,000.  While there have been a lot of notables to bag over the first two days, a good number will be returning today firing bullets again.  The cards will be in the air in less than an hour, will live coverage picking up at that time.

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

Day 1B
Total Players:	208	Players left:	38
Total Chips:	8,320,000	Average Chips:	218,947
Matt	Glantz		545,000
Matteo	Menna	Drexel Hill PA	496,000
Chau	Nguyen	Mechanicsburg PA	456,500
David	Novak	Philadelphia PA	433,000
Jimmy	Paper	Pottstown PA	379,000
Jason	Rivken	Tinton Falls NJ	343,500
Sandeep	Patel	Parsippany NY	342,500
Andrew	Lydon	Phoenixville PA	336,500
Lewis	Saxon	Philadelphia PA	305,500
John	Dibella	East Chester PA	296,000
Ozea	Ingram	Trenton NJ	295,500
Dawn	Wilno	Hamilton NJ	290,000
Deding	XU	Philadelphia PA	268,000
Todd	Morehouse	Philadelphia PA	267,500
Chris	Delgrande	Glen Mills PA	245,000
Asher	Conniff	Brooklyn Zoo NY	215,000
Staffan	Lind	Vero Beach	206,000
Ari	Nissim	Morris Plains NJ	180,500
Joe	Taormina	Warminster PA	179,000
Joesph	McKeehen	North Wales PA	169,500
Mike	Lavenburg	Montville	169,000
Andy	Jiang	Brooklyn NY	159,500
Marv	Siegel	Monroe NJ	154,000
Jonathan	Cachola	Wayne NJ	147,500
Robert	Aaronson	Brooklyn NY	146,500
Michael	Cannon	Harrisburg PA	145,000
Velnmailum	Sathiawathan	Dayton OH	129,500
Judith	Bielan	Bayonne NJ	128,000
Tom	Revelle	Bridgewater NJ	122,000
Sheri	Moores	Wayne PA	112,500
Philip	Neiman	Flushing NY	112,500
Tom	Dobrilovic	West Nyack NY	108,000
Timothy	Little	Cheverly MD	102,000
Barry	Kohout	Canfieldi OH	90,500
Robert	Bolte	Richboro PA	86,500
Gaetano	Cantone	NY	82,500
Jeffrey	Spence	KOP PA	46,500
Rich	Swanson	Philadelphia PA	29,500

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Bringing Home The Bonus

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 206

Matt Glantz - Day 1B Chip Leader

Call it "home court advantage" if you like, but Matt Glantz played a solid last level to end up bagging the chip lead bonus ($1,500).  Matt will be bagging close to 560,000 (exact numbers will be posted shortly), with Chau Nguyen and a few other players falling just short of the number to beat.

The end of Day 1B chip counts will be posted before 2:00am, with live coverage of this event picking back up tomorrow afternoon at 11:00am for Day 1C.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Trying To "Nguyen" The Bonus

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 205

The top five stacks in the room were mentioned only minutes ago...things have already changed.  The new name on top is Chau Nguyen (Mechanicsburg, PA), sitting with just under 500,000.  With only (10) minutes remaining before the final hands are announced, that's going to be a hard number to beat.  Once the final hands are completed and chips are verified, the winner of the bonus will be posted, along with the end of day chip counts shortly thereafter.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Glantz Has Company

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 203

Andrew Lydon

The remaining field has returned from break, with action in this level playing down to 10:00 showing on the clock.  At that time, the tournament supervisor will draw a random amount of hands to end the night, and those left will then bag once those hands are completed.  Here are some updated counts of players in contention for the chip lead bonus:

Matt Glantzx - 363,000
Andrew Lydon - 358,000
Sandeep Patel - 345,000
Deding Xu - 330,000
Lou Saxon - 300,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Glantz Eyeing The Bonus

Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Day 1B Entries: 201

Matt Glantz (Lafayette Hills, PA)

Over half the way through the level, the chip leader is now none only than Parx Poker Ambassador Matt Glantz (Lafayette Hills, PA).  Glantz sits with 390,000 in front of him, one of only a couple of players even over the 300,000 mark.  His table has become one of the more difficult of those remaining, with tables around the room breaking and bringing together:

Kyle Bowker
Joe McKeehen
Sandeep Patel
Vincent Caesar
John DiBella

Players will be going on their final break of the night, while the tournament floor colors off the brown (100 denomination) chips.  Play will return in Level 15 with blinds of 2,000/4,000/500.

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

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

Players have less than ten minutes remaining in Level 13, with blinds going up to 1,500/3,000/400 in Level 14.  There will then be a (15) minute break at the end of the level, before players return to finish out the night.  Here are some updated counts from the field:

Mike Cannon - 325,000
Sandeep Patel - 280,000
Lou Saxon - 275,000
Matt Glantz - 255,000
Dave Novak - 240,000
Robert Aaronson - 235,000
Matteo Menna - 230,000
Asher Conniff - 185,000
John DiBella - 185,000
Deding Xu - 180,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Showing The Ladies Some Love

Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/300)
Total Day 1B Entries: 199

Sherri Moores

While yesterday saw only two women remaining at this point of the day, there are currently six left at the current moment (with three at the same table).  The leading lady of the six has a Big Stax final table to her name, and she's trying to position herself for another deep run:

Sherri Moores - 135,000
Judith Bielan - 80,000
Dawn Wilno - 72,000
Stephanie Hubbard - 68,000
Sandra Seligman - 31,000
Cathy Dever - 29,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Novak's Chip Lead Pot

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1B Entries: 197

Dave Novak

"I know it's a flip, and I'm winning it this time," were the words out of a younger players mouth, talking to Dave Novak.  The two were all-in pre and very close in chips, racing for a pot worth 250,000:

Novak: Q♠ Q♣
Player X: A♠ K♣

Runout: 9♥ 3♠ 9♠ 3♥ 5♣

Novak's opponents premonition was not quite correct, as Dave's hand held, and he would become one of the chip leaders in the field.  Players are going on break in less than five minutes, and will return to Level 13 and blinds of 1,200/2,400/300.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Lind Lands A Nice Pot

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1B Entries: 193

Staffan Lind (Vero Beach, FL)

Another player with Big Stax final table history is chipping up, as Staffan Lind (Vero Beach, FL) sends a player to the rail.  Passing Lind's table, he'd bet enough on the turn to put his opponent as risk, with his adversary making the call:

Board: 5♦ 3♦ Q♥ J♠

Lind: J♥ 3♥ (two pair)
Player X: A♦ 4♦ (combo draw)

River: K♣

Lind's two pair would hold up against the straight/flush outs, and he'd pick up the pot worth close to 90,000.  Lind is up to 185,000, and with history of having bagged a chip lead bonus before, it may be something in the back of his mind.

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

Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)
Total Day 1B Entries: 191

The field continues to shrink down, with just under (90) players currently active on ten tables.  There have been a few notables to bust without re-entering, including Antonio Payne and Justin Liberto.  There are also some new names climbing up the leaderboard:

Sandeep Patel - 285,000
Asher Conniff - 170,000
Jeff Gross - 165,000
Ilya Ekshtut - 145,000
Matt Glantz - 135,000
Marvin Siegel - 120,000
Jia Liu - 110,000

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Following His Brother's Footsteps

Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)
Total Day 1B Entries: 188

Jia Liu (Brooklyn, NY)

Jia Liu (Brooklyn, NY) has an older brother (Shi Jia Liu) with over $690,000 in career tournament earnings, including a major win from 2012 ($2,500 Borgata Spring Poker Open Championship Event - $312,483).  While the younger Liu has only a third of the amount in lifetime earnings, he is already on his way with major tournament wins.

Jia won the DeepStacks Poker Tour Wold Championship ($2,500 NLH - Mohegan Sun) for just under $130,000, and has since cashed in two WSOP events this year.  Liu is currently seated at Table 44, and is comfortable at the moment with 100,000.  Jia also has one Big Stax cash to his name, finishing 36th in the Big Stax 500 earlier this February.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Cannon Knocking Two Out

Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Day 1B Entries: 188

Mike Cannon (Harrisburg, PA)

At Table 47, Mike Cannon would having two players at risk (all-in pre), once of which was Parx regular Joe Palma:

Cannon: A♣ A♠
Palma: K♥ Q♥
Player Y: A♥ 10♦

Flop: 10♣ 9♦ 2♣
Turn: 8♥
River: Q♣

While both players that were all-in were fairly short stacked, Cannon would win the pot worth close to 40,000.  He is now over 140,000 (115 big blinds), and looking to best his cash from the Big Stax 300.

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.