Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Entries: 762
Players have exited the tournament area while the supervisors color of the (100) denomination chips. Those still remaining will return to Level 15 and blinds of 2,000/4,000/500. Once the tournament clock reads 10:00 minutes remaining, the supervisor will pause the clock and announce how many hands remain in the night. Once those hands are over, the bagging process will begin and players will leave for about (12) hours (Day 2 begins at 12:00pm).
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): New Names Popping Up
Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Entries: 760
There are some new faces climbing up the leaderboard, with Rocco Derosa (Bronx, NY) coming out of nowhere to amass 380,000.
With just over a level and a half remaining in the night, Derosa is definitely in contention to bag the chip lead. Some others with stacks over 300,000 include:
Eugene Fouksman - 360,000
Ron Rosenberg - 330,000
Total Entries: 760
 |
| Rocco Derosa (Bronx, NY) |
With just over a level and a half remaining in the night, Derosa is definitely in contention to bag the chip lead. Some others with stacks over 300,000 include:
Eugene Fouksman - 360,000
Ron Rosenberg - 330,000
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Silberstein Gets A Big Double
Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Entries: 760
We just made it in time to catch a big hand between Stephanie Hubbard and Ken Silberstein. On a board reading 6♣ 10♥ 9♣ A♦, Hubbard would shove all-in, enough to cover Silberstein. He quickly made the call and the hands were tabled:
Hubbard: A♣ 4♣ (top pair/flush draw)
Silberstein: 10♦ 10♠ (flopped set)
River: 4♦
Hubbard would need to fade a club in order to stay alive, but she's make a useless second pair on the river. Silberstein's all-in amount was 71,100, and with the chips that were already in the pot, he is now close to 200,000.
Total Entries: 760
We just made it in time to catch a big hand between Stephanie Hubbard and Ken Silberstein. On a board reading 6♣ 10♥ 9♣ A♦, Hubbard would shove all-in, enough to cover Silberstein. He quickly made the call and the hands were tabled:
Hubbard: A♣ 4♣ (top pair/flush draw)
Silberstein: 10♦ 10♠ (flopped set)
River: 4♦
Hubbard would need to fade a club in order to stay alive, but she's make a useless second pair on the river. Silberstein's all-in amount was 71,100, and with the chips that were already in the pot, he is now close to 200,000.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Rublee Standing Tall
Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/300)
Total Entries: 759
Jon Rublee (Rochester, NY) made the final table the last time he played in this event, finishing in 6th place during Big Stax VII. That cash would earn him $14,504, pushing his career total over the $60,000 mark.
He hasn't had any cashes since, but he's putting himself in great position to pick up his next one in this event. Rublee is just over 400,000, clear of anyone else in the field.
Players will be entering Level 14 in just a few minutes, with the blinds going up to 1,500/3,000/400.
Total Entries: 759
 |
| Jon Rublee (Rochester, NY) |
He hasn't had any cashes since, but he's putting himself in great position to pick up his next one in this event. Rublee is just over 400,000, clear of anyone else in the field.
Players will be entering Level 14 in just a few minutes, with the blinds going up to 1,500/3,000/400.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): The Numbers Are Up
Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/200)
Total Entries: 759
The numbers are now scrolling for the payouts for this event, and it looks like first place for this tournament will be over $80,000!!! Not too bad for a $500 buy-in event. There are currently (126) players remaining in this Day 1C field, with a chip average right around 74,000.
Just a reminder for those interested in entering this field, you can still arrive tomorrow morning before the cards are in the air and buy-in. You will sit down with (8) big blinds, and be assured either the button or the cutoff. If you think that's a little crazy, ask Jose Montes (Bronx, NY) what he thinks of the option. Montes bought in last series with those (8) blinds and ended up getting second place money in a three-way chop.
Total Entries: 759
The numbers are now scrolling for the payouts for this event, and it looks like first place for this tournament will be over $80,000!!! Not too bad for a $500 buy-in event. There are currently (126) players remaining in this Day 1C field, with a chip average right around 74,000.
Just a reminder for those interested in entering this field, you can still arrive tomorrow morning before the cards are in the air and buy-in. You will sit down with (8) big blinds, and be assured either the button or the cutoff. If you think that's a little crazy, ask Jose Montes (Bronx, NY) what he thinks of the option. Montes bought in last series with those (8) blinds and ended up getting second place money in a three-way chop.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Chip Counts Before Break
Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/200)
Total Entries: 757
Players are heading on another (15) minute break, and will return to play Level 13, with blinds of 1,200/2,400/200. There will be two more levels played, a final color off break (15 minutes), and then the final level (just a quick breakdown of the remaining schedule). Here are some chip counts from the end of Level 12:
Frank Dorig0 - 340,000
Nick Spence - 305,000
Wayne Kaufmann - 270,000
Jon Rublee - 260,000
Aaron Mermelstein - 250,000
Alex Rocha - 200,000
Ray Ross - 185,000
Greg Himmelbrand - 150,000
Cornel Andrew Cimpan - 140,000
Total Entries: 757
Players are heading on another (15) minute break, and will return to play Level 13, with blinds of 1,200/2,400/200. There will be two more levels played, a final color off break (15 minutes), and then the final level (just a quick breakdown of the remaining schedule). Here are some chip counts from the end of Level 12:
Frank Dorig0 - 340,000
Nick Spence - 305,000
Wayne Kaufmann - 270,000
Jon Rublee - 260,000
Aaron Mermelstein - 250,000
Alex Rocha - 200,000
Ray Ross - 185,000
Greg Himmelbrand - 150,000
Cornel Andrew Cimpan - 140,000
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): The Younger Spence Building
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Entries: 753
It's been Jeffrey Spence (King Of Prussia, PA) making noise in a lot of these Big Stax events, but on this night, it's his son Nick getting noticed. After Nick opened the pot to 3,500 (it was Level 11 blinds), the player in the cutoff called, and the big blind three-bet to 13,500. Both Spence and the player in the cutoff came along, and the dealer placed down a flop of A♥ J♦ 3♦. The action would get checked around, with the 5♥ coming on the turn.
Spence led out for 22,000, and after the cutoff folded, he'd see some resistance with an 83,000 shove from the button. Spence called after some thinking, and the cards were turned over:
Spence: A♣ Q♣
Player X: 6♥ 7♥ (combo draw)
River: 2♠
Nick faded the outs of his opponent, and would chip up to 290,000 with that pot...top five in the room.
Total Entries: 753
 |
| Nick Spence (Collegeville, PA) |
Spence led out for 22,000, and after the cutoff folded, he'd see some resistance with an 83,000 shove from the button. Spence called after some thinking, and the cards were turned over:
Spence: A♣ Q♣
Player X: 6♥ 7♥ (combo draw)
River: 2♠
Nick faded the outs of his opponent, and would chip up to 290,000 with that pot...top five in the room.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Mermelstein Still Leads The Way
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Entries: 749
Players have just starting posting blinds of 1,000/2,000/300 in Level 12, and will go on break once this level is completed. The chip leader with over 320,000 at the level's transition is Aaron Mermelstein (Philadelphia, PA). He's been at the top of the leader board for most of the afternoon, and his only competition at the moment is Frank Dorigo (260,000).
Aaron has just under $75,000 in live tournament earnings, with his last two cash coming here at Parx during Big Stax events. Of his (19) recorded results, his only win came during a daily tournament here last summer. Mermelstein won a $100 + 20 NLH Green Chip Bounty ($2,673) in July, but his largest cash came at last year's WSOP, when he finished 25th in a $1,000 No Limit Hold'em event ($12,999).
Total Entries: 749
 |
| Aaron Mermelstein (Philadelphia, PA) |
Aaron has just under $75,000 in live tournament earnings, with his last two cash coming here at Parx during Big Stax events. Of his (19) recorded results, his only win came during a daily tournament here last summer. Mermelstein won a $100 + 20 NLH Green Chip Bounty ($2,673) in July, but his largest cash came at last year's WSOP, when he finished 25th in a $1,000 No Limit Hold'em event ($12,999).
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Giametta Gets Pretty Lucky
Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)
Total Entries: 744
Throughout every tournament, there are moments that you can look back to that are critical to someone's success or demise. Matthew Giametta (East Islip, NY) will note the hand that just took place, as we captured the action on the flop. There were three players all-in (including Giametta), with Matthew as risk, while holding the second largest of the three stacks:
Flop: K♦ 10♠ Q♣
Player X: A♥ J♥ (flopped straight)
Player Y: J♠ 9♠ (flopped straight)
Giametta: Q♠ J♦ (pair/open-ended)
Turn: 10♥
River: Q♦
Giametta was not only in third place when the cards were exposed, he looked to be drawing to a chop at best. The turn would give him outs to win the hand, and the river continued his magical runout. Giametta would send one opponent home, while leaving the other with less than the starting stack. Matthew is up to 140,000 with that pot, and can smile knowing he's still alive in the flight.
Total Entries: 744
Throughout every tournament, there are moments that you can look back to that are critical to someone's success or demise. Matthew Giametta (East Islip, NY) will note the hand that just took place, as we captured the action on the flop. There were three players all-in (including Giametta), with Matthew as risk, while holding the second largest of the three stacks:
Flop: K♦ 10♠ Q♣
Player X: A♥ J♥ (flopped straight)
Player Y: J♠ 9♠ (flopped straight)
Giametta: Q♠ J♦ (pair/open-ended)
Turn: 10♥
River: Q♦
Giametta was not only in third place when the cards were exposed, he looked to be drawing to a chop at best. The turn would give him outs to win the hand, and the river continued his magical runout. Giametta would send one opponent home, while leaving the other with less than the starting stack. Matthew is up to 140,000 with that pot, and can smile knowing he's still alive in the flight.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Cizak Sent To The Rail
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Entries: 733
George Cizak (Dover, NJ) was all-in and at risk as we walked past Table 80, with Frank Dorigo on the other end of this heads up battle. Dorigo had George covered and was looking good to win the pot worth close to 150,000:
Dorigo: K♠ K♣
Cizak: Q♠ Q♣
Flop: A♠ 2♦ 2♥
Turn: 6♦
River: 8♦
Dorigo's pocket kings would hold, and he would chip up to 260,000 with the win. Cizek wished his table mates luck before he walked away, with no sign just yet if he will be re-entering the field.
Total Entries: 733
 |
| Frank Dorigo (Hamilton, NJ) |
Dorigo: K♠ K♣
Cizak: Q♠ Q♣
Flop: A♠ 2♦ 2♥
Turn: 6♦
River: 8♦
Dorigo's pocket kings would hold, and he would chip up to 260,000 with the win. Cizek wished his table mates luck before he walked away, with no sign just yet if he will be re-entering the field.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Above Average From Day 1B
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Entries: 729
It's a little later than we usually put up these numbers, but there is no way we will forget to continue the trend that's been started. The chip average at the end of the night for Day 1B was 188,000, and here are the players that bagged above average stacks:
Total Entries: 729
It's a little later than we usually put up these numbers, but there is no way we will forget to continue the trend that's been started. The chip average at the end of the night for Day 1B was 188,000, and here are the players that bagged above average stacks:
| DJ | MacKinnon | 577,500 |
| Dave | Penna | 340,000 |
| Edward | Pham | 308,500 |
| Tyler | Beaton | 297,500 |
| Matt | Elsby | 287,500 |
| Mike | Sandler | 284,500 |
| Catherine | Dever | 283,500 |
| Joe | Rieg | 276,500 |
| Allan | Lubin | 276,500 |
| James | McKeon | 272,500 |
| Jay | Kell | 257,000 |
| Jeffrey | Spence | 250,500 |
| Gino | Gesso | 243,000 |
| Steven | Benkovic | 236,500 |
| David | Heck | 208,500 |
| Marvin | Siegel | 202,000 |
| Vincent | Teutonico | 201,500 |
| Chetna | Joshi | 192,000 |
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Cards Are Back In The Air
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Entries: 725
Players have returned from dinner, and the cards are back in the air. There are about 180 players that remain active in this field, which gives them a chip average of 69,000, an amount that equates to (57) big blinds. What does all that mean? There is a lot of deep play left in the night, likely ending with our chip leader going into Day 2. The number to beat right now was set by DJ MacKinnon, and that is 577,500.
Total Entries: 725
Players have returned from dinner, and the cards are back in the air. There are about 180 players that remain active in this field, which gives them a chip average of 69,000, an amount that equates to (57) big blinds. What does all that mean? There is a lot of deep play left in the night, likely ending with our chip leader going into Day 2. The number to beat right now was set by DJ MacKinnon, and that is 577,500.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Dinner Break
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Entries: 714
Players are now heading on a (75) minute dinner break, which will last from 6:30-7:45pm. When players return, they will be playing Level 10, with blinds of 600/1,200/200. There are only six more levels remaining for those interested in jumping in this event...that is unless you want to buy in tomorrow with (8) big blinds.
Total Entries: 714
Players are now heading on a (75) minute dinner break, which will last from 6:30-7:45pm. When players return, they will be playing Level 10, with blinds of 600/1,200/200. There are only six more levels remaining for those interested in jumping in this event...that is unless you want to buy in tomorrow with (8) big blinds.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Updated Chip Counts Before Dinner
Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)
Total Entries: 707
 |
| Vinny Masino (Levittown, NY) |
Having mentioned Cornel Andrew Cimpan earlier in the day, it would only be right that Vinny Pahuja's (New York, NY) arrival be posted as well. Pahuja has long been known as a "voice" for the East Coast poker community, trying to help better structures/payouts and such with social media presence and suggestions. While he is below the starting stack at the moment, a group of players are experiencing a different fortune:
Aaron Mermelstein - 315,000
Alex Rocha - 230,000
Vinny Masino - 180,000
John Rublee - 175,000
Carlos Colon - 150,000
Ray Ross - 130,000
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Getting Full Before Dinner
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Entries: 703
There are some big stacks that are emerging a little earlier than usual, with two of the largest counts belonging to some familiar names. Alex Rocha (Brigantine, NJ) has made the most of his late start, already up to 250,000.
Aaron Mermelstein (Philadelphia, PA) hasn't been at his seat for the past few minutes, but he's not too worried, leaving close to 300,000 in chips occupying the empty seat.
Players are about to enter Level 9, with blinds going up to 500/1,000/100. That will be the last level played before dinner break, which will last from 6:30-7:45pm.
Total Entries: 703
 |
| Alex Rocha (Brigantine, NJ) |
Aaron Mermelstein (Philadelphia, PA) hasn't been at his seat for the past few minutes, but he's not too worried, leaving close to 300,000 in chips occupying the empty seat.
Players are about to enter Level 9, with blinds going up to 500/1,000/100. That will be the last level played before dinner break, which will last from 6:30-7:45pm.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): The Early Evening Rush
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/100)
Total Entries: 680
There are only a few tournament tables that are not in action, as the field pushes towards 700. Eric Doerr (Newark, DE) already has a Big Stax win this series, signing for first place in the $300 + 40 Deep Stack No Limit Hold'em Turbo event. He is one of the many players to arrive since the last break:
Mike Santoro
Daniel Chan
Jeff Wicker
Daryl Boatwright
Ryan Eriquezzo
Jason Rivkin
Eric Rivkin
Drew Small
Joel Gola
Anthony Antastasi
Total Entries: 680
 |
| Eric Doerr (Newark, DE) |
Mike Santoro
Daniel Chan
Jeff Wicker
Daryl Boatwright
Ryan Eriquezzo
Jason Rivkin
Eric Rivkin
Drew Small
Joel Gola
Anthony Antastasi
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Breaking Things Up
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/100)
Total Entries: 666
Players are exiting the tournament area while the supervisors color off the green (25) chips, with those no longer needed in play. The blinds will be 300/600/100 when players return, with three more levels to complete before dinner break.
Here are some updates from Twitter taken during break:
Total Entries: 666
Players are exiting the tournament area while the supervisors color off the green (25) chips, with those no longer needed in play. The blinds will be 300/600/100 when players return, with three more levels to complete before dinner break.
Here are some updates from Twitter taken during break:
45k at 2nd break.
— Frank DiRe (@FLD15) October 11, 2014
We get the KK to AA cooler to bust in 55k pot at 250/500. shucks.
— Norman Michalek (@norm_michalek) October 11, 2014
38k on 2nd break
— Bob Brady (@BobBrady2) October 11, 2014
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Rocha's Big Return
Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Entries: 664
After not bagging chips for the Big Stax 300, Alex Rocha (South Setauket, NY) left the room and spent the week playing online. He just entered the field for the first time this tournament, and he's already over double the starting stack. Alex's table immediately began talking when he sat down about how crazy the action had been before he arrived, and he'd join a raised pot with five others two hands in. The six players went to a flop of 6♠ 7♣ 9♥, with action checking all the way through.
After the 10♦ on the river (putting four to a straight on board), an unknown player would bet 5,000, with three players calling. With action on Rocha, he would raise to 18,000, thinning the field down to heads up action. After the dealer put the 2♣ on the river, Rocha's opponent would check, and Alex shoved his remaining chips across the line. His adversary folded, and Rocha would immediately go from 40,000 to 85,000 without showdown.
Total Entries: 664
After not bagging chips for the Big Stax 300, Alex Rocha (South Setauket, NY) left the room and spent the week playing online. He just entered the field for the first time this tournament, and he's already over double the starting stack. Alex's table immediately began talking when he sat down about how crazy the action had been before he arrived, and he'd join a raised pot with five others two hands in. The six players went to a flop of 6♠ 7♣ 9♥, with action checking all the way through.
After the 10♦ on the river (putting four to a straight on board), an unknown player would bet 5,000, with three players calling. With action on Rocha, he would raise to 18,000, thinning the field down to heads up action. After the dealer put the 2♣ on the river, Rocha's opponent would check, and Alex shoved his remaining chips across the line. His adversary folded, and Rocha would immediately go from 40,000 to 85,000 without showdown.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): First Look At Chip Counts
Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Entries: 645
Tournament supervisor David Rolo has just announced to the field that Level 6 has started, with blinds going up to 250/500/50. The early chip leader in the field looks to be Peter Pietras (Parlin, NJ), who sits with over 135,000. He mentioned that his stack was bigger in the second level, but he hasn't really won a pot since.
Up top as well is Jon Rublee (Rochester, NY), whose name may ring a bell, since he did final table this event during the Big Stax VII ($14,504). Rublee is just behind Pietras with 134,000, looking capture some of the magic from August. Some other counts that are over 100,000 belong to:
Ed Walsh - 105,000
Wayne Kaufmann - 100,000
Total Entries: 645
 |
| Peter Pietras (Parlin, NJ) |
Up top as well is Jon Rublee (Rochester, NY), whose name may ring a bell, since he did final table this event during the Big Stax VII ($14,504). Rublee is just behind Pietras with 134,000, looking capture some of the magic from August. Some other counts that are over 100,000 belong to:
Ed Walsh - 105,000
Wayne Kaufmann - 100,000
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Another Wave Of Potent Notables
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Entries: 622
While it doesn't look like we will reach the record total of 925 for this tournament, the total number of entries continue to climb at a steady pace. Joe Black (Bronx, NY) is back in action, looking to do what he does best...build big stacks. If you look at his history in these series, he most always has a top 15-20 stack when he makes a Day 2.
Black was just part of a flurry of players to walk over to the tournament podium to find their seats:
Dominick Christiano
Ray Taylor
Kevin Lutz
Jim Tesone
Antonio Payne
Gordon Eng
Joseph Agron
Brendan O'Neal
Total Entries: 622
 |
| Joe Black (Bronx, NY) |
Black was just part of a flurry of players to walk over to the tournament podium to find their seats:
Dominick Christiano
Ray Taylor
Kevin Lutz
Jim Tesone
Antonio Payne
Gordon Eng
Joseph Agron
Brendan O'Neal
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Wayne's World
Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/50)
Total Entries: 612
The action at Table 81 would be caught pre-flop, as Dean Burkammer three-bet out of the big blind after a raise from Ilya Ekshtut and call from Wayne Kaufmann. Both players came along and we'd go three ways to the flop of 4♣ 6♥ 10♣. Wayne checked, Burkhammer bet 5,200, with Kaufmann making the call after Ekshtut folded.
The dealer placed down the 3 on the turn, with Kaufmann checking once again. His line changed slightly this street, as his check was followed by a shove after Burkhammer bet 7,000. Burkhammer looked back at his cards, making a comment to Wayne about possibly getting there. The call would be made and Burkhammer was at risk:
Burkhammer: K♦ K♥ (over pair)
Kaufmann: K♣ 7♣ (turned flush)
Wayne had his opponent drawing dead, and once Burkhammer saw the news, he splashed his chips across the table and walked away shaking his head. Kaufmann chips up to 80,000 with that pot, and is one of the leaders in the room at the moment.
Total Entries: 612
 |
| Wayne Kaufmann (Smithtown, NJ) |
The dealer placed down the 3 on the turn, with Kaufmann checking once again. His line changed slightly this street, as his check was followed by a shove after Burkhammer bet 7,000. Burkhammer looked back at his cards, making a comment to Wayne about possibly getting there. The call would be made and Burkhammer was at risk:
Burkhammer: K♦ K♥ (over pair)
Kaufmann: K♣ 7♣ (turned flush)
Wayne had his opponent drawing dead, and once Burkhammer saw the news, he splashed his chips across the table and walked away shaking his head. Kaufmann chips up to 80,000 with that pot, and is one of the leaders in the room at the moment.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Heading To Break
Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/50)
Total Entries: 588
Players are heading on their first (15) minute break of the night, and will be returning to Level 4 and blinds of 150/300/50. One of the newest entries into the field is Jamie Kerstetter (Brigantine, NJ), who is taking a break from the online game. Since the online game returned to New Jersey, Jamie has 141 total cashes and over $41,000 in earnings on Party Poker alone (her sponsored site). The computer hasn't kept Jamie from playing live tournaments though, as she recently cashed in the WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, finishing in 52nd place for $11,342. Kerstetter is off to a slow start today, heading to break with just over 33,000.
Total Entries: 588
Players are heading on their first (15) minute break of the night, and will be returning to Level 4 and blinds of 150/300/50. One of the newest entries into the field is Jamie Kerstetter (Brigantine, NJ), who is taking a break from the online game. Since the online game returned to New Jersey, Jamie has 141 total cashes and over $41,000 in earnings on Party Poker alone (her sponsored site). The computer hasn't kept Jamie from playing live tournaments though, as she recently cashed in the WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event, finishing in 52nd place for $11,342. Kerstetter is off to a slow start today, heading to break with just over 33,000.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): They Just Keep On Coming In
Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Entries: 577
Players have just starting new blinds of 100/200/25 in Level 3, with the field growing by the minute. There are new tables popping up in the outer tournament area each time we look over, each filling up with recognizable players. Edmond Petrella (Lumberton, NJ) is firing his first overall bullet in the event, a name that many of the blog followers would remember. Petrella recorded his first ever tournament cash last August, chopping up the Big Stax III 300 event and earning himself $44,275. Petrella was reading an instructional poker book throughout the tournament, which he was eventually pictured with in the "winner's photo."
The list of notables continues to grow, as more were spotted across the room:
Katayon Khaterzai
Ken Silberstein
Frank Ferrigno
James Kaplan
Michael Cologna
Ibraim Ibraimovic
Aaron Mermelstein
Andrew Zhu
Tomasz Gliniecki
Total Entries: 577
Players have just starting new blinds of 100/200/25 in Level 3, with the field growing by the minute. There are new tables popping up in the outer tournament area each time we look over, each filling up with recognizable players. Edmond Petrella (Lumberton, NJ) is firing his first overall bullet in the event, a name that many of the blog followers would remember. Petrella recorded his first ever tournament cash last August, chopping up the Big Stax III 300 event and earning himself $44,275. Petrella was reading an instructional poker book throughout the tournament, which he was eventually pictured with in the "winner's photo."
The list of notables continues to grow, as more were spotted across the room:
Katayon Khaterzai
Ken Silberstein
Frank Ferrigno
James Kaplan
Michael Cologna
Ibraim Ibraimovic
Aaron Mermelstein
Andrew Zhu
Tomasz Gliniecki
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Hidden Talent
Level 2 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Entries: 553
Players who travel for tournaments throughout the year have an unreal amount of choices when it comes to places to play. We have seen a trend recently of big named players choosing Big Stax and Parx Poker Room.
Cornel Andrew Cimpan (Sacramento, CA) is a former WPT Player Of The Year, with well over $3,000,000 in earnings. His career highlight came in 2009 when he won the LA Poker Classic $9,700 No Limit Hold'em Main Event for $1,686,760. Cimpan travels all over the world to play tournaments, and it really does say something about this room and the tournament brand to have players of this stature pencil in Parx to their schedule.
We've also seen a lot of women in the field today, including Sara Wasch, Allison Schultz, Stephanie Hubbard, and Dawn Wilno.
Total Entries: 553
 |
| Cornel Andrew Cimpan (Sacramento, CA) |
Cornel Andrew Cimpan (Sacramento, CA) is a former WPT Player Of The Year, with well over $3,000,000 in earnings. His career highlight came in 2009 when he won the LA Poker Classic $9,700 No Limit Hold'em Main Event for $1,686,760. Cimpan travels all over the world to play tournaments, and it really does say something about this room and the tournament brand to have players of this stature pencil in Parx to their schedule.
We've also seen a lot of women in the field today, including Sara Wasch, Allison Schultz, Stephanie Hubbard, and Dawn Wilno.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): It's That Man
Level 2 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Entries: 540
One of the first posts that was published on Day 1A was a "guess that player" feature, with a picture of a well known tournament professional. That player pictured was Jesse Cohen (Ardmore, PA), clean shaven and basically looking like a new man.
Cohen is one of a group of new players sitting down to some of the outer tournament tables. These later arrivals included the likes of:
Frank DiRe
Brian Mooney
Matthew Silberzweig
Aristedes Santana
Matthew Itkin
Greg Himmelbrand
Total Entries: 540
 |
| Jesse Cohen (Ardmore, PA) |
Cohen is one of a group of new players sitting down to some of the outer tournament tables. These later arrivals included the likes of:
Frank DiRe
Brian Mooney
Matthew Silberzweig
Aristedes Santana
Matthew Itkin
Greg Himmelbrand
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Familiar Faces In The Field
Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Entries: 505
There is no better weather to play poker than what's going on outside, and it looks like a lot of players agree. The tournament area is filling up at a steady pace, with those arriving knowing that the window is closing on the opportunity to bag chips. Before even taking a lap around the room, there were a handful of notables spotted right in front of media row. Some of the faces that we've seen since sitting down:
Norman Michalek
Aileen Freifeld
Steven Thorton
Ilya Ekshtut
Ray Ross
Lana O'Brien
Bob Brady
Alan Kraut
Total Entries: 505
There is no better weather to play poker than what's going on outside, and it looks like a lot of players agree. The tournament area is filling up at a steady pace, with those arriving knowing that the window is closing on the opportunity to bag chips. Before even taking a lap around the room, there were a handful of notables spotted right in front of media row. Some of the faces that we've seen since sitting down:
Norman Michalek
Aileen Freifeld
Steven Thorton
Ilya Ekshtut
Ray Ross
Lana O'Brien
Bob Brady
Alan Kraut
Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Last Chance To Dance
Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Day 1C Entries: TBD
The cards will be in the air shortly for Day 1C of the Big Stax 500, the final flight of three for the event. There were (39) players to bag chips last night, from of total of 183 for the day, with DJ MacKinnon (East Amherst, NY) bagging up the chip lead (577,500). There were a handful of notable on top of the list when everything was said and done, including Ed Pham (308,500), Matt Elsby (287,500), Michael Sandler (284,500), and Cathy Dever (283,500).
The same rules apply for the day, with players sitting down to a 40,000 starting stack, and levels lasting (45) minutes throughout the day. There will be (15) levels played, with registration open all day today, and tomorrow until the cards are in the air.
Total Day 1C Entries: TBD
The cards will be in the air shortly for Day 1C of the Big Stax 500, the final flight of three for the event. There were (39) players to bag chips last night, from of total of 183 for the day, with DJ MacKinnon (East Amherst, NY) bagging up the chip lead (577,500). There were a handful of notable on top of the list when everything was said and done, including Ed Pham (308,500), Matt Elsby (287,500), Michael Sandler (284,500), and Cathy Dever (283,500).
The same rules apply for the day, with players sitting down to a 40,000 starting stack, and levels lasting (45) minutes throughout the day. There will be (15) levels played, with registration open all day today, and tomorrow until the cards are in the air.
Big Stax 300 (Day 1B): End Of Day 1B Chip Counts
Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 183
Below are the end of Day 1B chip counts of the (39) players that successful bagged chips:
Total Day 1B Entries: 183
Below are the end of Day 1B chip counts of the (39) players that successful bagged chips:
| First Name | Last Name | Hometown | Chip Count |
| DJ | MacKinnon | Buffalo NY | 577,500 |
| Dave | Penna | Babylon NY | 340,000 |
| Edward | Pham | Lansdale PA | 308,500 |
| Tyler | Beaton | Philadelphia PA | 297,500 |
| Matt | Elsby | Chandler AZ | 287,500 |
| Mike | Sandler | NYC NY | 284,500 |
| Catherine | Dever | Ephrata PA | 283,500 |
| Joe | Rieg | Walley Forge PA | 276,500 |
| Allan | Lubin | 276,500 | |
| James | McKeon | Lattingtown NY | 272,500 |
| Jay | Kell | Harleysville PA | 257,000 |
| Jeffrey | Spence | KOP PA | 250,500 |
| Gino | Gesso | Woddbridge NJ | 243,000 |
| Steven | Benkovic | Harrisburg PA | 236,500 |
| David | Heck | Coltsneck NJ | 208,500 |
| Marvin | Siegel | Monroe NJ | 202,000 |
| Vincent | Teutonico | Staten Island NY | 201,500 |
| Chetna | Joshi | Bensalem PA | 192,000 |
| Richie | Knauer | Brooklyn NY | 183,000 |
| Anthony | Serino | Hydepark NY | 180,000 |
| Jim | Jamison | Doylestown PA | 149,500 |
| Justin | Schwarts | Lake Grove | 149,000 |
| Ernest | Gozman | Newtown PA | 143,000 |
| Eric | Siegel | Melville NY | 135,000 |
| Jack | Doung | South Plainfield NJ | 119,000 |
| James | Lillis | Highstown NJ | 117,500 |
| Joe | Loscialo | Middletown NJ | 115,500 |
| Jeff | Gross | Wall NJ | 112,000 |
| Toung | LE | Bensalem PA | 110,000 |
| Steven | Nacht | Paramus NJ | 100,000 |
| Ian | Hodges | Bryn Mawr | 99,500 |
| Michael | Hollenberg | Rockaway NJ | 99,000 |
| Jay | Sharon | Fresh Meadows NY | 97,500 |
| Steven | Kobitz | East Hanover NJ | 97,000 |
| Richard | Devivo | Phoenixville PA | 92,000 |
| Anothony | Garofalo | Philadelphia PA | 65,000 |
| James | Sivolella | East Hanover NJ | 61,000 |
| Rich | Kates | NJ | 54,500 |
| Drew | Johnson | Bridgewater NJ | 50,500 |
Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Final Four Hands
Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 183
Tournament supervisor Andrew Merlino has just announced to those seated and active that there will be four hands remaining in the night. Once those hands are finished, players will begin the bagging process, and we will bring you the end of Day 1B chip counts about (90) minutes after the end of play. Action will continue tomorrow with the third and final flight of the Big Stax 500, beginning at 11:00am. Live coverage will commence at that moment, and last through the final hand of the day.
Total Day 1B Entries: 183
Tournament supervisor Andrew Merlino has just announced to those seated and active that there will be four hands remaining in the night. Once those hands are finished, players will begin the bagging process, and we will bring you the end of Day 1B chip counts about (90) minutes after the end of play. Action will continue tomorrow with the third and final flight of the Big Stax 500, beginning at 11:00am. Live coverage will commence at that moment, and last through the final hand of the day.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): MacKinnon Now The Man
Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 183
DJ MacKinnon has just put some separation between himself and the rest of the field, as he sends home two opponents. A player open shoved UTG for 55,000, with action folding around the small blind. The small blind flatted, and with action now on DJ, he would re-shove for 240,000 (having the small blind covered). The call would be made by the player in the small blind, and the hands were tabled:
MacKinnon: J♠ J♣
Player X: A♥ A♠
Player Y: K♣ K♠
Runout: J♥ 8♣ 6♠ 3♦ 2♣
MacKinnon went from worst to first in the matter of the flop, and after the turn and river made it official, he would scoop in the pot worth over 460,000.
Total Day 1B Entries: 183
DJ MacKinnon has just put some separation between himself and the rest of the field, as he sends home two opponents. A player open shoved UTG for 55,000, with action folding around the small blind. The small blind flatted, and with action now on DJ, he would re-shove for 240,000 (having the small blind covered). The call would be made by the player in the small blind, and the hands were tabled:
MacKinnon: J♠ J♣
Player X: A♥ A♠
Player Y: K♣ K♠
Runout: J♥ 8♣ 6♠ 3♦ 2♣
MacKinnon went from worst to first in the matter of the flop, and after the turn and river made it official, he would scoop in the pot worth over 460,000.
Big Stax 500 (Day 1B): Elsby Gets Some Back
Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 183
Matt Elsby (Chandler, AZ) had been the chip leader for most of the day, but trended downwards returning from dinner, getting as low as 100,000 (from 380,000). The action leading up his double up just moments ago hasn't been verified, but it was clear that the chips got in on the turn of a board reading 4♥ 9♥ K♠ 5♥:
Elsby: 4♠ 5♠
Players X: A♥ A♠
River: Q♠
Elsby's opponent couldn't believe he had lost the hand, even commenting on the extra outs he gained with the heart draw. Matt's count to match was 117,300, added to the amount that was already in the pot, and he is now back over 300,000.
Total Day 1B Entries: 183
Matt Elsby (Chandler, AZ) had been the chip leader for most of the day, but trended downwards returning from dinner, getting as low as 100,000 (from 380,000). The action leading up his double up just moments ago hasn't been verified, but it was clear that the chips got in on the turn of a board reading 4♥ 9♥ K♠ 5♥:
Elsby: 4♠ 5♠
Players X: A♥ A♠
River: Q♠
Elsby's opponent couldn't believe he had lost the hand, even commenting on the extra outs he gained with the heart draw. Matt's count to match was 117,300, added to the amount that was already in the pot, and he is now back over 300,000.
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