Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1A Entries: 295
The remaining 60 players are going on their final (15) minute break of the night while the tournament floor colors off the brown (100 denomination) chips. They will return to finish Level 15, posting blinds of 2,000/4,000/500 over the last (45) minutes. Tournament supervisor Andrew Merlino will pause the clock with 10:00 remaining, and announce how many hands are left in the night. The bagging process will then begin, and those left will have three days off (if they choose) until Day 2 on Sunday.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Wible Takes A Big Hit
Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 294
Richard Wilble was one of the chip leaders in the field, sitting with over 300,000 in front of him. As we approached his table, Wilbe would be heads-up on the flop with John Miller. On the flop of A♣ 7♠ 4♦, Miller had 14,000 in front of him, with Wible raising to 200,000. Miller sat for a few moments, mentioning to Richard that he "had a good kicker." John would eventually cross the line with a handful of chips, and the hands would be exposed:
Miller: 4♠ 4♣
Wible: A♥ 7♥
Turn: 5♦
River: Q♥
Miller had everyone fooled at the table when he ended up turning over a set of fours against Wible's top two pair. The turn and river ran clean for Miller, and the dealer counted down his stack of 112,000 for the double. John chips up to 250,000, while Wible drops down to 190,000.
Total Day 1A Entries: 294
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| John Miller (Toms River, NJ) |
Miller: 4♠ 4♣
Wible: A♥ 7♥
Turn: 5♦
River: Q♥
Miller had everyone fooled at the table when he ended up turning over a set of fours against Wible's top two pair. The turn and river ran clean for Miller, and the dealer counted down his stack of 112,000 for the double. John chips up to 250,000, while Wible drops down to 190,000.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Notables Still Alive
Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 294
While play continues, there are still many notables remaining that have not been mentioned throughout the day. We are well aware that family, friends, and investors all want to know how certain players are doing, so here are some updates from the remaining field:
Eric Rappaport - 270,000
Chris Leong - 230,000
Robert Boyko - 150,000
Scott Blackman - 125,000
Joseph Galazzo - 120,000
James Kaplan - 120,000
Chris Csik - 115,000
Marvin Siegel - 110,000
Pierre Diessler - 100,000
Robert Klein - 75,000
Gretchen Sonne - 56,000
Jake Perry - 55,000
Total Day 1A Entries: 294
While play continues, there are still many notables remaining that have not been mentioned throughout the day. We are well aware that family, friends, and investors all want to know how certain players are doing, so here are some updates from the remaining field:
Eric Rappaport - 270,000
Chris Leong - 230,000
Robert Boyko - 150,000
Scott Blackman - 125,000
Joseph Galazzo - 120,000
James Kaplan - 120,000
Chris Csik - 115,000
Marvin Siegel - 110,000
Pierre Diessler - 100,000
Robert Klein - 75,000
Gretchen Sonne - 56,000
Jake Perry - 55,000
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Desai Hits Gin
Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 294
Since winning a large pot back during Level 6, Raj Desai (Randolph, NJ) hovered around the 130,000 mark for hours. He was moments from being left with peanuts, as he had Tham Nguyen covered by a few thousand in a pot worth close to 230,000. The action was caught just as Nguyen called Desai's all-in on the turn:
Desai: Q♠ J♥
Nguyen: A♦ J♣
Board: 6♦ 2♠ J♦ 6♥
River: Q♣
Raj spiked a three-outer to steal the pot away from Nguyen, and goes from potential peanuts to piles, as he is close to 250,000. Desai is looking to better his deep Big Stax VI 300 run, when he made Day 3 and finished in 15th place for $3,400.
Total Day 1A Entries: 294
Since winning a large pot back during Level 6, Raj Desai (Randolph, NJ) hovered around the 130,000 mark for hours. He was moments from being left with peanuts, as he had Tham Nguyen covered by a few thousand in a pot worth close to 230,000. The action was caught just as Nguyen called Desai's all-in on the turn:
Desai: Q♠ J♥
Nguyen: A♦ J♣
Board: 6♦ 2♠ J♦ 6♥
River: Q♣
Raj spiked a three-outer to steal the pot away from Nguyen, and goes from potential peanuts to piles, as he is close to 250,000. Desai is looking to better his deep Big Stax VI 300 run, when he made Day 3 and finished in 15th place for $3,400.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Tweets From Break
Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 294
The Twitter-verse was alive during the break, with a handful of players updated their statuses up to this point:
Total Day 1A Entries: 294
The Twitter-verse was alive during the break, with a handful of players updated their statuses up to this point:
198,200 at bb 3k
— Chris Leong (@ChrisLeongPoker) October 2, 2014
219k going into 1200-2400. 3 more levels in the night
— Eric Rappaport (@Rappy300) October 2, 2014
Faded 1k 2k without getting removed from the playing venue. #shipit
— Ryan Eriquezzo (@RyanEriquezzo) October 2, 2014
28,600 coming back to 2400/300. Living on life support today, time to run it up tho. #ParxBigStax
— Michael Marder (@MMarder86) October 2, 2014
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Updated Counts From Break
Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 291
Players are going on another (15) minute break, and will return to blinds of 1,200/2,400/300. There are just over 80 players remaining in the field, which equates to an average chip stack of 107,000. John Wizicker has cooled off significantly since mentioned earlier, but still leads the field:
John Wizicker - 380,000
Richard Wible - 355,000
Christopher Senape - 310,000
James McKeon - 305,000
Martin Vone - 270,000
Lucas Picking - 240,000
Eric Rappaport - 210,000
Megan Milburn - 205,000
Bill Miller - 200,000
Joseph Galazzo - 140,000
Total Day 1A Entries: 291
Players are going on another (15) minute break, and will return to blinds of 1,200/2,400/300. There are just over 80 players remaining in the field, which equates to an average chip stack of 107,000. John Wizicker has cooled off significantly since mentioned earlier, but still leads the field:
John Wizicker - 380,000
Richard Wible - 355,000
Christopher Senape - 310,000
James McKeon - 305,000
Martin Vone - 270,000
Lucas Picking - 240,000
Eric Rappaport - 210,000
Megan Milburn - 205,000
Bill Miller - 200,000
Joseph Galazzo - 140,000
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): So Far...A Triumphant Return
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 290
The last time Ryan Eriquezzo (New Haven, CT) exited the poker room, he wasn't the happiest player in the world. He took a brief hiatus from playing tournaments here at Parx, but has done quite well with his first bullet fired into a Big Stax event in a while.
Even after just doubling up a short stacked Michael Marder, Ryan still has over 200,000 (100 big blinds). Since his last cash in May (during the Big Stax VI), Ryan has recorded one notable cash, final tabling the $1,125 No Limit Hold'em WSOP Circuit event at Foxwoods. He finished in fourth place and earned himself $13,179.
Players will be going on break at the end of this level, which has (20) minutes remaining.
Total Day 1A Entries: 290
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| Ryan Eriquezzo (New Haven, CT) |
Even after just doubling up a short stacked Michael Marder, Ryan still has over 200,000 (100 big blinds). Since his last cash in May (during the Big Stax VI), Ryan has recorded one notable cash, final tabling the $1,125 No Limit Hold'em WSOP Circuit event at Foxwoods. He finished in fourth place and earned himself $13,179.
Players will be going on break at the end of this level, which has (20) minutes remaining.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): "I'm Going Speeding"
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 289
There were a few players standing at Table 51, which is the international sign for "a few people are all-in." That was the case as Martin Vone had two opponents well covered, but was a little behind:
Vone: 5♠ 5♣
Player X: J♠ J♣
Player Y: K♠ J♦
Flop: 8♥ 5♥ 9♠
Turn: 10♠
River: 10♥
"I'm going speeding," Von said in regards to his hand nicknamed the "speed limit." Vone flopped a set, bring a big smile to his face, but that look changed to concern once both players turned outs to a straight. The river pairing the board solidified the hand for Vone, who is now over 210,000.
Total Day 1A Entries: 289
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| Martin Vone |
Vone: 5♠ 5♣
Player X: J♠ J♣
Player Y: K♠ J♦
Flop: 8♥ 5♥ 9♠
Turn: 10♠
River: 10♥
"I'm going speeding," Von said in regards to his hand nicknamed the "speed limit." Vone flopped a set, bring a big smile to his face, but that look changed to concern once both players turned outs to a straight. The river pairing the board solidified the hand for Vone, who is now over 210,000.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Have You Heard This Story Before?
Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)
Total Entries: 284
So we promise that this isn't the John Wickizer updates page, but he just continues to steamroll the table. As we passed Table 56, Joel Frank (who had just entered moments ago) was all-in for 27,500. John Wickizer had called, and the player to his direct right shoved for another 18,300. Wickizer made the call after getting the count, and the three players cards were tabled:
Wickizer: A♥ J♣
Frank: 8♥ 8♣
Player X: 6♥ 6♣
Runout: A♣ 2♦ 7♥ 5♥ K♦
Nobody at the table was surprised to see the ace on the flop, with John busting his two opponents, and adding another 60,000 to his stack. Wickizer now has 480,000 stacked in front of him, any continues to trend upwards.
Total Entries: 284
So we promise that this isn't the John Wickizer updates page, but he just continues to steamroll the table. As we passed Table 56, Joel Frank (who had just entered moments ago) was all-in for 27,500. John Wickizer had called, and the player to his direct right shoved for another 18,300. Wickizer made the call after getting the count, and the three players cards were tabled:
Wickizer: A♥ J♣
Frank: 8♥ 8♣
Player X: 6♥ 6♣
Runout: A♣ 2♦ 7♥ 5♥ K♦
Nobody at the table was surprised to see the ace on the flop, with John busting his two opponents, and adding another 60,000 to his stack. Wickizer now has 480,000 stacked in front of him, any continues to trend upwards.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): The Anti-Blog Curse
Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 278
The first level back from dinner is now in the books, and players are posting blinds of 800/1,600/200 in Level 11. About five minutes before dinner, Gregory Whiting and John Wickizer got involved in a sizable pot. Whiting opened for 4,000, with Wickizer three-betting to 12,000, and Gregory coming along to the flop. The dealer fanned out a flop of 7♦ 9♦ 9♥, with Whiting leading out for 15,000. John made the call, and the two saw the A♣ on the turn. Whiting continued with his line, this time betting 25,000, and once again Wickizer made the call. The river brought the 4♣, and Whiting pushed across a bet of 50,000. This time Wickizer wasn't good with just a call, and he would min-raise to 100,000. Whiting thought about it for a few moments before calling, and John turned over A♠ A♥ (turned full house). Gregory tossed his cards into the muck, and John continues separating himself from the field.
The pot was close to 300,000, which means that Wickizer is now pushing a 400,000 stack, for and a away the largest in the field.
Total Day 1A Entries: 278
The first level back from dinner is now in the books, and players are posting blinds of 800/1,600/200 in Level 11. About five minutes before dinner, Gregory Whiting and John Wickizer got involved in a sizable pot. Whiting opened for 4,000, with Wickizer three-betting to 12,000, and Gregory coming along to the flop. The dealer fanned out a flop of 7♦ 9♦ 9♥, with Whiting leading out for 15,000. John made the call, and the two saw the A♣ on the turn. Whiting continued with his line, this time betting 25,000, and once again Wickizer made the call. The river brought the 4♣, and Whiting pushed across a bet of 50,000. This time Wickizer wasn't good with just a call, and he would min-raise to 100,000. Whiting thought about it for a few moments before calling, and John turned over A♠ A♥ (turned full house). Gregory tossed his cards into the muck, and John continues separating himself from the field.
The pot was close to 300,000, which means that Wickizer is now pushing a 400,000 stack, for and a away the largest in the field.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Stepping Up His Game
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 271
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| John Wickizer (Philadelphia, PA) |
John Wickizer (Philadelphia, PA) has nine career cashes that are recorded to his name, with all of them coming here at Parx. Eight of them are from daily tournaments this calendar year, and one from 2012 during the WPT Parx Open Poker Classic. Seven of the finishes are final tables, which on a bigger scale (larger buy-ins) would be the beginning of a solid resume.
All this considered though, Wickizer is clearly playing well, as he sits with the chip lead, the first player above 200,000. John's stack currently sits at 250,000, and while the chip lead bonus has been removed from this series, bagging a top stack is a great start towards a very deep run.
John is currently seated at Table 56, to Megan Milburn's direct left. Megan won a nice pot right before dinner, and has just over 100,000 in front of her.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Back From Dinner
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 267
Players have returned from break, and the cards are once again in the air. The trend of players entering during dinner continues, but lighter than we've seen, as only five extra entries come back. This number will surly go up as the registration window closes, with the highest coming on Day 1D. There are six more levels remaining in the night, with the next few critical to players that are looking to bag healthy stacks going into Day 2 on Sunday.
Total Day 1A Entries: 267
Players have returned from break, and the cards are once again in the air. The trend of players entering during dinner continues, but lighter than we've seen, as only five extra entries come back. This number will surly go up as the registration window closes, with the highest coming on Day 1D. There are six more levels remaining in the night, with the next few critical to players that are looking to bag healthy stacks going into Day 2 on Sunday.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Grabbing Some Grub
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 261
Players are exiting the tournament area, and will be on dinner break until 7:45pm. Play will resume with Level 10, and blinds of 600/1,200/200. Depending on how many players decide to register during the break, play should come back with just under 140 active bodies. That means that the estimated chip average returning is 58,000, with equates to about (48) big blinds.
Live coverage of Day 1A will continue once cards are back in the air.
Total Day 1A Entries: 261
Players are exiting the tournament area, and will be on dinner break until 7:45pm. Play will resume with Level 10, and blinds of 600/1,200/200. Depending on how many players decide to register during the break, play should come back with just under 140 active bodies. That means that the estimated chip average returning is 58,000, with equates to about (48) big blinds.
Live coverage of Day 1A will continue once cards are back in the air.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Updated Counts Before Break
Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 260
Players are just about half the way through Level 9, which is the time we like to update the blog followers on chip counts before dinner. Tournament Director tom Martucci has informed us that dinner will be at 6:30pm each day, regardless of what the clock says. Sometimes the clock is paused throughout the day for an extra few minutes, which would interfere with reservations that players may have made for dinner. The exact stop time keeps from any scheduling conflicts, and actually may offer some extra time, as will happen today (players receive ann extra nine minutes).
Here are some updated chip counts taken from the midway point of Level 9:
Prince Stevens - 175,000
Richard Wible - 168,000
Christopher Senape - 165,000
James McKeon - 160,000
Sardor Gaziev - 140,000
Hua Wei - 125,000
Raj Desai - 120,000
Scott Blackman - 115,000
Gregory Whiting - 110,000
John Rinki - 105,000
Norman Rogers - 100,000
Total Day 1A Entries: 260
 |
| Prince Stevens |
Here are some updated chip counts taken from the midway point of Level 9:
Prince Stevens - 175,000
Richard Wible - 168,000
Christopher Senape - 165,000
James McKeon - 160,000
Sardor Gaziev - 140,000
Hua Wei - 125,000
Raj Desai - 120,000
Scott Blackman - 115,000
Gregory Whiting - 110,000
John Rinki - 105,000
Norman Rogers - 100,000
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Blackman Building Before Dinner
Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 254
The tournament supervisor has just announced the beginning of Level 9, with blinds going up to 500/1,000/100. This is be the last level played before players go on an extended (75) minute break for dinner. Today's numbers have already exceeded expectation, as Director Of Poker Operations Bill Entenman predicted a high number of 250 total entries for this additional starting day.
On one of the final hands of Level 8, Scott Blackman (Egg Harbor Township, NJ) sent an opponent away from the table, scooping up a pot worth close to 80,000. The hand was already over and the dealer was counting down his opponent's chips, but Scott held A♦ Q♥ on a board of Q♦ Q♠ 3♦ 6♥ K♣ for the win. The pot would push Blackman above 100,000, as the defending Big Stax 300 champion looks to bag chips on Day 1A.
Total Day 1A Entries: 254
The tournament supervisor has just announced the beginning of Level 9, with blinds going up to 500/1,000/100. This is be the last level played before players go on an extended (75) minute break for dinner. Today's numbers have already exceeded expectation, as Director Of Poker Operations Bill Entenman predicted a high number of 250 total entries for this additional starting day.
On one of the final hands of Level 8, Scott Blackman (Egg Harbor Township, NJ) sent an opponent away from the table, scooping up a pot worth close to 80,000. The hand was already over and the dealer was counting down his opponent's chips, but Scott held A♦ Q♥ on a board of Q♦ Q♠ 3♦ 6♥ K♣ for the win. The pot would push Blackman above 100,000, as the defending Big Stax 300 champion looks to bag chips on Day 1A.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): "Hua" You Do That?
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 247
The day have moved along to this point with no real fireworks, fairly quiet in the poker world scheme of things. That was until we passed Table 49, and saw an all-in involving Hua Wei (Edison, NJ) and an unknown player. The money got in on the turn, with one of the two standing to win a pot worth close to 110,000:
Board: K♦ 6♠ 9♣ 3♦
Wei: K♣ Q♣
Player X: 6♥ 9♥
River: Q♠
Wei needed some help once the cards were exposed, behind the two pair of his opponent. Hua had nine outs to win as the dealer burned, and she'd expose one of those outs on the river, as Wei made a bigger two pair with the Q♠. Wei is up to 120,000, with just under an hour until dinner.
Total Day 1A Entries: 247
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| Hua Wei (Edison, NJ) |
Board: K♦ 6♠ 9♣ 3♦
Wei: K♣ Q♣
Player X: 6♥ 9♥
River: Q♠
Wei needed some help once the cards were exposed, behind the two pair of his opponent. Hua had nine outs to win as the dealer burned, and she'd expose one of those outs on the river, as Wei made a bigger two pair with the Q♠. Wei is up to 120,000, with just under an hour until dinner.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Didn't Go As Planned
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 227
Alan Kraut (Doylestown, PA) is a Parx regular, who rarely misses any of the series run throughout the year. Kraut took some time away from poker to concentrate on his business, one of the longest hiatuses he's taken from the game since deciding to play part time. He announced his arrival via Twitter a few hours ago:
After firing a few bullets into this first starting flight, Kraut decided not to continue his comeback to the game on this day, but already has thoughts about returning:
Total Day 1A Entries: 227
Alan Kraut (Doylestown, PA) is a Parx regular, who rarely misses any of the series run throughout the year. Kraut took some time away from poker to concentrate on his business, one of the longest hiatuses he's taken from the game since deciding to play part time. He announced his arrival via Twitter a few hours ago:
Just sat down @parxpokerroom
1st tourney in a couple of months. Recognize like my entire table. Time to shake off the rust. #bigstax
— Alan Kraut (@AlanKrautPoker) October 1, 2014
After firing a few bullets into this first starting flight, Kraut decided not to continue his comeback to the game on this day, but already has thoughts about returning:
Spent less than 2 hours at Parx. Back home already. Not much went right today, picked up right where I left off. Maybe back for 1B?
— Alan Kraut (@AlanKrautPoker) October 1, 2014
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): "What A Hand Man"
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 224
Nobody loves hearing hands histories after the fact more than poker bloggers...well maybe that's a little exaggeration. Just as players were heading to break, Rajesh Desai (Randolph, NJ) walked over to media row to tell the story of his most recent pot.
Rajesh was holding Q♠ 10♥ on a flop of Q♣ 10♣ 4♦, and after a bet from his opponent in a heads up pot, Desai shoved for 85,000. Desai said he was hoping to get his adversary off a flush draw, but it just wasn't going to happen. Raj was called by A♣ K♣, and needed to fade the combo draw (with overs). The turn and river would indeed run out clean, and Desai headed to break with 175,000.
There were also some new faces to mention that arrived just before or during break, including Sean Wallace, Alex Rocha, Anthony Garofalo, and Megan Milburn.
Total Day 1A Entries: 224
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| Rajesh Desai (Randolph, NJ) |
Rajesh was holding Q♠ 10♥ on a flop of Q♣ 10♣ 4♦, and after a bet from his opponent in a heads up pot, Desai shoved for 85,000. Desai said he was hoping to get his adversary off a flush draw, but it just wasn't going to happen. Raj was called by A♣ K♣, and needed to fade the combo draw (with overs). The turn and river would indeed run out clean, and Desai headed to break with 175,000.
There were also some new faces to mention that arrived just before or during break, including Sean Wallace, Alex Rocha, Anthony Garofalo, and Megan Milburn.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Big Stax Emerging
Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 214
"I love this tournament, I would never miss it," said Alex Brody as we passed Table 54. There are a lot of other players who would love this tournament as well if they had just doubled up as well. Brody had his opponent covered just by a few hundred as the two got it in on a flop of A♦ J♣ 10♥, for a pot worth close to 80,000. When the hands were turned over, it would be the A♥ J♥ of Brody against the J♠ 10♠ of his opponent. The board would run out without a third ten or running straight cards, and Brody picked up the pot. He is just one of a handful of players to start to chip up before the end of Level 6, and the second break of the day.
When players return to Level 7, the blinds will be going up to 300/600/100, with an estimated chip average just over 40,000. Here are some updated counts tallied towards the end of Level 6:
Sardor Gaziev - 155,000
Jim McKeon - 130,000
Christopher Senape - 105,000
Gregory Whiting - 105,000
Haiku - 90,000
Alex Brody - 85,000
Bill Miller - 80,000
David Kim - 70,000
Ryan Eriquezzo - 70,000
Kevin Grabel - 65,000
Total Day 1A Entries: 214
"I love this tournament, I would never miss it," said Alex Brody as we passed Table 54. There are a lot of other players who would love this tournament as well if they had just doubled up as well. Brody had his opponent covered just by a few hundred as the two got it in on a flop of A♦ J♣ 10♥, for a pot worth close to 80,000. When the hands were turned over, it would be the A♥ J♥ of Brody against the J♠ 10♠ of his opponent. The board would run out without a third ten or running straight cards, and Brody picked up the pot. He is just one of a handful of players to start to chip up before the end of Level 6, and the second break of the day.
When players return to Level 7, the blinds will be going up to 300/600/100, with an estimated chip average just over 40,000. Here are some updated counts tallied towards the end of Level 6:
Sardor Gaziev - 155,000
Jim McKeon - 130,000
Christopher Senape - 105,000
Gregory Whiting - 105,000
Haiku - 90,000
Alex Brody - 85,000
Bill Miller - 80,000
David Kim - 70,000
Ryan Eriquezzo - 70,000
Kevin Grabel - 65,000
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): A Champion Before Big Stax
Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 207
Before the was Big Stax, Parx Poker Room did run tournament series, like the WPT Regional Parx Open Winter Showdown (March 2012). While is was only two years ago, it seems like ages since the Big Stax name/brand took over and changed the game.
The final event of the Parx Open Winter Showdown was a $460 No Limit Hold'em Main Event, which attracted 266 players and offered a $118,636 prize pool. The tournament was won by Sardor Gaziev (North Brunswick, NJ), who collected $24,067 and quadrupled his lifetime earnings at the time.
Over the past two years, Gaziev has added $130,000 to his resume, but is still looking for his Big Stax moment. Sardor is currently the chip leader of field, sitting with 140,000.
Total Day 1A Entries: 207
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| Sardor Gaziev (North Brunswick, NJ) |
The final event of the Parx Open Winter Showdown was a $460 No Limit Hold'em Main Event, which attracted 266 players and offered a $118,636 prize pool. The tournament was won by Sardor Gaziev (North Brunswick, NJ), who collected $24,067 and quadrupled his lifetime earnings at the time.
Over the past two years, Gaziev has added $130,000 to his resume, but is still looking for his Big Stax moment. Sardor is currently the chip leader of field, sitting with 140,000.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Good Few Days On (And Off) The Felt
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 196
Being able to play in front of the cameras for many to watch is something that many professional tournament players aspire to do. DJ MacKinnon (East Amherst, NY) got his opportunity last month, as Borgata ran two tournaments that would have live streamed final tables. Events 1 and 10 of the Borgata Poker Open were the designated tournaments to have the production, with MacKinnon final tabling the latter (Event 10 - $350 No Limit Hold'em Re-Entry). While DJ's time in the limelight would be short lived (finishing in 9th place - $14,562), that wasn't the highlight of his week.
MacKinnon would enter a NFL lineup in one of the daily fantasy football sites, hoping to grab a piece of the $1,000,000 guarantee that was offered for the tournament. He would go into Monday night in second place, and needed to hold while other opponents had players active in the Eagles v. Colts game. DJ tried not to watch the game as he played in the $3,300 NLH Championship event, but managed to catch the final quarter once chips were bagged. He would end up holding in that second position, earning himself an extra $40,000 towards his bankroll.
Total Day 1A Entries: 196
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| DJ MacKinnon (East Amherst, NY) |
MacKinnon would enter a NFL lineup in one of the daily fantasy football sites, hoping to grab a piece of the $1,000,000 guarantee that was offered for the tournament. He would go into Monday night in second place, and needed to hold while other opponents had players active in the Eagles v. Colts game. DJ tried not to watch the game as he played in the $3,300 NLH Championship event, but managed to catch the final quarter once chips were bagged. He would end up holding in that second position, earning himself an extra $40,000 towards his bankroll.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Bad Beat Jackpot Getting Real Good
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 187
One of the first thing that you will notice when pulling into the Parx East parking lot is the enormous big screen flashing promotions on the screen. There is one promotion that you can count on seeing many times throughout the day, and that is the amount of the Bad Beat Jackpot. The current jackpot is $216,338, and is growing by the minute. The jackpot was hit during the last series, in the early morning hours after players had bagged chips for the day. That gives players just another reason to stick around once the tournament day is done, because we know that poker players never sleep.
Just a reminder, if you get beat out of a $20+ pot while holding quad sizes or better, you'll take home 40% of the jackpot! The winning hand takes 20%, with the remaining 40% divided between the other players seated at the table (and dealt into the hand in question).
Total Day 1A Entries: 187
One of the first thing that you will notice when pulling into the Parx East parking lot is the enormous big screen flashing promotions on the screen. There is one promotion that you can count on seeing many times throughout the day, and that is the amount of the Bad Beat Jackpot. The current jackpot is $216,338, and is growing by the minute. The jackpot was hit during the last series, in the early morning hours after players had bagged chips for the day. That gives players just another reason to stick around once the tournament day is done, because we know that poker players never sleep.
Just a reminder, if you get beat out of a $20+ pot while holding quad sizes or better, you'll take home 40% of the jackpot! The winning hand takes 20%, with the remaining 40% divided between the other players seated at the table (and dealt into the hand in question).
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): The Champ Is Here
Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 179
The last time this event was run was in July, during the Big Stax VII series. The tournament had a $150,000 guarantee, but ended up crushing that number. There were a total of 1,848 entries and a prize pool of $524,694, both staggering numbers. The final day of the tournament would last over (16) hours, with the champion being crowned just after 8:00am.
When the dust finally settled, it would be Scott Blackman taking down his first major title, earning over $108,000. The final table was truly a grind for Blackman, has he bested some really quality players, including Dan Wach, Jose Montes, Frederick Ferrell, and Michael Jelaso.
Blackman just took his seat at Table 46, next to Scott Blumstein (Morristown, NJ), who is coming off a Big Stax VII 500 final table (8th Place - $7,911). Blumstein also bubbled the live streamed final table of the $350 + 50 No Limit Hold'em $1,000,000 Guaranteed last month at Borgata, collecting $9,708 for his 11th place finish.
Total Day 1A Entries: 179
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| Scott Blackman (Egg Harbor, NJ) |
When the dust finally settled, it would be Scott Blackman taking down his first major title, earning over $108,000. The final table was truly a grind for Blackman, has he bested some really quality players, including Dan Wach, Jose Montes, Frederick Ferrell, and Michael Jelaso.
Blackman just took his seat at Table 46, next to Scott Blumstein (Morristown, NJ), who is coming off a Big Stax VII 500 final table (8th Place - $7,911). Blumstein also bubbled the live streamed final table of the $350 + 50 No Limit Hold'em $1,000,000 Guaranteed last month at Borgata, collecting $9,708 for his 11th place finish.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Giving Up The Laptop...Just For A Little
Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 170
There was a small rush of new players to arrive during the break, including a few traveling from their new home. Mike Azzaro (Yonkers, NY) and Asher Conniff (Brooklyn, NY) moved to Brigantine, NJ together recently, looking to take advantage of the online poker offerings. They are only two of many to make the move to the state for that same reason, many of which are familiar names to the Parx Poker family.
Both of those players have Big Stax 500 final table finishes to their names, with Azzaro finishing third in the Big Stax III 500 ($21,163), and Conniff fourth in the Big Stax V 500 ($22,758). Some other names to walk through the door over the last hour include:
Ryan Eriqezzo
Mike Cannon
Pierre Diessler
Trevor Deeter
Joseph McKeehen
Alan Kraut
Total Day 1A Entries: 170
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| Mike Azzaro (Yonkers, NY) |
Both of those players have Big Stax 500 final table finishes to their names, with Azzaro finishing third in the Big Stax III 500 ($21,163), and Conniff fourth in the Big Stax V 500 ($22,758). Some other names to walk through the door over the last hour include:
Ryan Eriqezzo
Mike Cannon
Pierre Diessler
Trevor Deeter
Joseph McKeehen
Alan Kraut
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Still Living Up To His Name
Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Day 1A Entries: 159
We're not trying to make these early stages of the day all about Marvin Siegel, but he is continuing to live up to his Mr. Day 1 nickname. Marvin just became the first player to eclipse the 100,000 mark, busting Sal Pipitone in the process. The action between the two was caught on the flop, as Sal led out for 2,000 on a board of 5♠ 9♦ 2♥. Marvin through in a min-raise to 4,000, with Pipitone rearranging his chips to make the call. The dealer paired the board on the turn with the 2♦, with Marvin putting out a 12,000 bet after Sal's check.
Pipitone was deep in the tank, counting out his stack (which was about 30,000), and even took a second to apologize to the table for taking so much time. It was a polarizing bet (close to half of Sal's stack), and after all of the thought, Pipitone decided to push all-in. Marvin quickly made the call, and after a blank on the river, he would win the pot with K♠ K♣ against Sal's A♦ 9♠. Siegel now leads the way, with players about to head on their first (15) minute break of the day:
Marvin Siegel - 110,000
Gregory Whiting - 85,000
Dan Pettit - 69,000
Sardor Gaziev - 67,000
Haiku - 65,000
Ken Silberstein - 50,000
David Kim - 40,000
Joseph Galazzo - 24,000
Total Day 1A Entries: 159
We're not trying to make these early stages of the day all about Marvin Siegel, but he is continuing to live up to his Mr. Day 1 nickname. Marvin just became the first player to eclipse the 100,000 mark, busting Sal Pipitone in the process. The action between the two was caught on the flop, as Sal led out for 2,000 on a board of 5♠ 9♦ 2♥. Marvin through in a min-raise to 4,000, with Pipitone rearranging his chips to make the call. The dealer paired the board on the turn with the 2♦, with Marvin putting out a 12,000 bet after Sal's check.
Pipitone was deep in the tank, counting out his stack (which was about 30,000), and even took a second to apologize to the table for taking so much time. It was a polarizing bet (close to half of Sal's stack), and after all of the thought, Pipitone decided to push all-in. Marvin quickly made the call, and after a blank on the river, he would win the pot with K♠ K♣ against Sal's A♦ 9♠. Siegel now leads the way, with players about to head on their first (15) minute break of the day:
Marvin Siegel - 110,000
Gregory Whiting - 85,000
Dan Pettit - 69,000
Sardor Gaziev - 67,000
Haiku - 65,000
Ken Silberstein - 50,000
David Kim - 40,000
Joseph Galazzo - 24,000
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Looking To Parlay A Score
Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Day 1A Entries: 154
Players are now in Level 3, with antes introduced into the tournament for the first time (100/200/25). The tournament area is now three-quarters full, with a lot of faces from last night's satellite already in action. The $100 + 20 No Limit Hold'em Super Satellite into the Big Stax 300 and 500 attracted 233 players, which was a record turnout. There were (25) players that gained seats into the first two trophy events of the series (Big Stax 300/500):
Total Day 1A Entries: 154
Players are now in Level 3, with antes introduced into the tournament for the first time (100/200/25). The tournament area is now three-quarters full, with a lot of faces from last night's satellite already in action. The $100 + 20 No Limit Hold'em Super Satellite into the Big Stax 300 and 500 attracted 233 players, which was a record turnout. There were (25) players that gained seats into the first two trophy events of the series (Big Stax 300/500):
- Norman Rogers
- Thomas Coan
- Francis Concha
- Allan Lubin
- John Stinsman
- William Halpern
- James Jamison
- Gene Raman
- Richard Lipson
- Daniel Mosher
- Nathan Parsons
- Russell Clayton
- Matthew Vitale
- Donald Shimalo
- William Damato
- Gregory Spurdis
- Luis Brilhante
- Jose Rosario
- William Server
- Joseph Spillane
- Bryan Miller
- Richard Wible
- Kyle Norton
- Rocco Luciano
- Jay Kell
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Trying To Bottle Up The Magic
Level 2 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Day 1A Entries: 131
It's going to be hard for Jose Montes (Bronx, NY) to be results oriented during this series, unless he can somehow replicate his play from the Big Stax VII series in August. Montes started the series with a 4th place finish in the Big Stax 300, earning himself $23,042. Jose then pulled off the improbable in the Big Stax 500, buying in on Day 2 (Sunday) with eight big blinds, and ending up getting 2nd place money in a three-way chop ($66,969).
Jose's poker schedule has been a lithe light since those results, as he has taken time to enjoy family and business outside the poker world. Montes most recently attended Derek Jeter's final game at Yankee Stadium, tweeting out that it was easily the best game he had ever been to.
Jose is one of the most recent entries into the field, joining the likes of Greg Fishberg, Robert Klein, James Ingram, Robert Pyne, and Gregory Whiting.
Total Day 1A Entries: 131
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| Jose Montes (Bronx, NY) |
Jose's poker schedule has been a lithe light since those results, as he has taken time to enjoy family and business outside the poker world. Montes most recently attended Derek Jeter's final game at Yankee Stadium, tweeting out that it was easily the best game he had ever been to.
Jose is one of the most recent entries into the field, joining the likes of Greg Fishberg, Robert Klein, James Ingram, Robert Pyne, and Gregory Whiting.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Notables In The Field
Level 2 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD
The tournament supervisor has just announced the beginning of Level 2, with the blinds now going up to 75/150. The field is growing at a steady pace, with already (13) tables in action, and more opening each time we look up. It's always nice to play the first starting flight and bag chips, giving yourself a few days off from the tournament grind in the process. Here are some of the familiar faces that have been spotted over the first hour of the day:
Eric Rappaport
Nick Spence
Ray Ross
Kevin Grabel
Sal Pipitone
Michael Marder
Jake Perry
Norman Rogers
Jonathan Sonne
Kevin Bressler
Paul Shedaker
Sardor Gaziev
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD
The tournament supervisor has just announced the beginning of Level 2, with the blinds now going up to 75/150. The field is growing at a steady pace, with already (13) tables in action, and more opening each time we look up. It's always nice to play the first starting flight and bag chips, giving yourself a few days off from the tournament grind in the process. Here are some of the familiar faces that have been spotted over the first hour of the day:
Eric Rappaport
Nick Spence
Ray Ross
Kevin Grabel
Sal Pipitone
Michael Marder
Jake Perry
Norman Rogers
Jonathan Sonne
Kevin Bressler
Paul Shedaker
Sardor Gaziev
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): They Call Him "Mr. Day 1"
Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD
As Marvin Siegel (Monroe Township, NJ) approached his table, the dealer that was in the box saw him walking over and said, "Hey, it's Mr. Day 1." Marvin could only smile and shrug his shoulders in reaction to the comment, knowing that his history in these Big Stax events does have that track record. Siegel's deepest run in a "main" trophy event came in the Big Stax II 300 event, where he finished in 28th for $1,534. Marvin does has a first and two second place finishes in side events (totaling over $70,000), so it's just the "Big Stax" hump that he needs to get over.
Siegel is living up to his name already, having just eliminated an opponent to chip up to 60,000, already doubling the starting stack in the first level.
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD
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| Marvin Siegel ("Mr. Day 1") |
Siegel is living up to his name already, having just eliminated an opponent to chip up to 60,000, already doubling the starting stack in the first level.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): Mush Is Just His Handle
Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD
His Twitter handle may be @joeydamush, but with his play of late, Joseph Galazzo (Union, NJ) may have @joeydaman on hold. Galazzo has over $195,000 in career tournament earnings, and if coming off a very deep run in one of the years most prestigious events. Galazzo reach Day 4 of the WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship, finishing in 24th place for $17,385. It may have not been the largest score of his career, but he can definitely take away from the experience of playing so deep in an event like that. Joseph is joined at Table 55 by Parx regular Jeffrey Spence, just one of the many early notables in the field:
Marvin Siegel
Ken Silberstein
Fritz Stoner
Hua Wei
Benjamin Scholl
Ilya Ekshtut
Chris Van Deursen
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD
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| Joe Galazzo (Union, NJ) |
Marvin Siegel
Ken Silberstein
Fritz Stoner
Hua Wei
Benjamin Scholl
Ilya Ekshtut
Chris Van Deursen
Big Stax 300 (Day 1A): About To Get Underway
Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD
Big Stax VIII is about to "officially" get underway, with players already seated, just waiting for the "shuffle up and deal" announcement. The tournament supervisor is currently going over the rules with those in the field, stressing the fact that there is no discussion between players in hands, even if the action is heads up.
Other than today's addition of a fourth starting flight today, the same Big Stax 300 rules apply for this event. Players will sit down to 30,000 in chips, with levels lasting (45) minutes throughout each of the four starting days. There is unlimited re-entry while registration is open, which means that players can buy in up until cards are in the air for Day 2 on Sunday (12:00pm). Players are allowed to enter as many flights as they choose, moving forward with their largest stack (if they bag). Dinner break will begin at approximately 6:30pm each day, and will last (75) minutes.
Cards are now in the air, and a list of some of the notables to show up early on this first starting flight will be posted shortly.
Total Day 1A Entries: TBD
Big Stax VIII is about to "officially" get underway, with players already seated, just waiting for the "shuffle up and deal" announcement. The tournament supervisor is currently going over the rules with those in the field, stressing the fact that there is no discussion between players in hands, even if the action is heads up.
Other than today's addition of a fourth starting flight today, the same Big Stax 300 rules apply for this event. Players will sit down to 30,000 in chips, with levels lasting (45) minutes throughout each of the four starting days. There is unlimited re-entry while registration is open, which means that players can buy in up until cards are in the air for Day 2 on Sunday (12:00pm). Players are allowed to enter as many flights as they choose, moving forward with their largest stack (if they bag). Dinner break will begin at approximately 6:30pm each day, and will last (75) minutes.
Cards are now in the air, and a list of some of the notables to show up early on this first starting flight will be posted shortly.
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