Big Stax 500 (Day 2): Day 2 Chip Counts (Alpha)

Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Entries: 762

Here is an alphabetical listing of the (172) players to bag chips for Day 2 (along with seating assignments):

Name	Last Name	Chip Count	Table #	Seat #
Tanios	Abi-yaghi	68,000	74	5
George	Alberto	463,500	76	7
Mark	Amabile	80,000	75	1
Ido	Ashkenazi	310,500	47	9
Craig	Bateman II	234,500	55	9
Tyler	Beaton	297,500	52	7
Joshua	Beckley	264,000	74	8
Steven	Benkovic	236,500	76	8
Alex	Berdichensury	101,000	76	3
Mike	Bertolini	475,500	80	7
Ed	Blount	279,500	53	1
Michael	Briggs	224,000	79	7
David	Britchkow	125,000	46	4
Tim	Bryan	149,500	54	8
Sal	Busaeca	191,500	76	5
Sean	Byars	215,500	47	2
Jonathan	Cachola	64,000	50	4
Benjamin	Chan	110,000	52	9
Tracy	Childress	78,500	79	4
Jesse	Cohen	112,500	78	5
Carlos	Colon	61,000	50	5
Chris	Csik	67,000	76	9
Craig	Curran	23,000	80	3
Eugene	Curzio	306,000	53	4
William	Daloisi	98,000	46	8
Trevor	Deeter	96,500	54	7
Rocco	Derosa	427,500	77	4
Catherine	Dever	283,500	56	4
Richard	Devivo	92,000	51	6
George	Dgheim	35,500	75	6
Emmanuil	Digilou	280,500	47	1
Steven	Dippolito	214,500	55	8
Frank	Dire	475,000	48	5
Dan	DiZenzo	187,500	48	1
Frank	Dorigo	293,500	49	5
Jack	Doung	119,000	77	3
Dave	Elliott	146,000	53	5
Tony	Elmo	177,000	80	1
Matt	Elsby	287,500	53	6
Mohammad	Farah	145,500	50	7
Abraham	Faroni	189,000	75	5
Rhand	Feinstein	90,500	52	6
Frank	Ferrigno	117,000	51	3
Taemee	Feuer	151,500	75	4
Eugene	Fouksman	120,000	74	7
Rich	Gargel	239,000	46	6
Anothony	Garofalo	65,000	76	1
Sardor	Gaziev	332,500	50	9
Gino	Gesso	243,000	56	8
Matthew	Giametta	457,000	52	8
James	Gilbert	270,500	48	8
Matt	Glantz	292,500	74	4
Ernest	Gozman	143,000	77	6
John	Green	73,500	78	7
Jeff	Gross	112,000	49	8
Ryan	Gutzler	151,000	52	1
Rick	Hanheide	194,500	46	3
David	Heck	208,500	49	9
Greg	Himmelbrand	91,500	79	8
Ian	Hodges	99,500	54	9
Cullen	Hofmann	186,500	53	8
Ryan	Hohner	206,000	80	5
Michael	Hollenberg	99,000	79	5
Stephanie	Hubbard	101,500	55	5
Ozea	Ingram	31,000	75	7
Matt	Itkin	254,500	79	1
Jim	Jamison	149,500	46	2
Drew	Johnson	50,500	45	4
Stephen	Jones	64,000	78	9
Chetna	Joshi	192,000	48	9
Timothy	Jurkiewicz	51,000	81	5
Mike	Kalfa	104,000	45	6
James	Kaplan	212,000	54	4
Rich	Kates	54,500	51	9
Wayne	Kaufmann	219,500	47	3
Mikhail	Kazakevich	111,000	45	7
Jay	Kell	257,000	53	7
Mike	Kemeter	102,000	49	6
Juno	Kim	113,000	55	4
Brian	Kim	147,000	56	5
Jack	King	204,000	78	6
Richie	Knauer	183,000	81	8
Steven	Kobitz	97,000	74	3
Christopher	Kounoupis	129,000	46	5
Pavel	Krapivin	96,000	48	7
Christopher	Larrea	210,500	50	8
Toung	LE	110,000	81	6
Justin	Liberto	347,000	49	4
James	Lillis	117,500	46	9
Staffan	Lind	263,000	51	5
Joe	Loscialo	115,500	79	3
Allan	Lubin	276,500	49	2
Rocco	Luciano	150,500	54	1
Andrew	Lydon	104,000	78	8
DJ	MacKinnon	577,500	56	6
Michael	Marder	135,000	79	6
Michael	Mariner	202,000	46	7
Nancy	Martin	158,500	45	2
Hugh	Martin	464,500	56	3
Vincent	Masino	337,000	52	3
Mark	McDonough	76,000	49	7
Kevin	Mcgee	141,500	50	3
Mike	Mcguire	135,000	47	7
Joseph	McKeehen	161,500	55	3
James	McKeon	272,500	74	6
Aaron	Mermelstein	135,000	48	6
Joseph	Montervino	139,500	50	1
Jose Ivan	Montes	76,000	50	2
Eric	Most	344,000	45	5
Joseph	Munoz	97,000	74	9
Steven	Nacht	100,000	47	6
Jacob	Neff	118,500	76	6
Philip	Neiman	250,000	55	7
Eric	Nilsen	153,500	48	2
Anthony	Pagan	129,500	75	3
Vinny	Pahuja	355,500	81	3
Joseph	Palma	115,000	56	9
Steve	Pares	108,000	45	1
Antonio	Payne	106,500	81	7
Hector	Pedraza	183,000	77	8
Dominick	Pelli	164,000	54	6
Dave	Penna	340,000	78	3
Edward	Pham	308,500	77	1
Max	Pinnola	89,500	77	9
Ching	Poon	12,000	45	9
Michael	Pszczola	161,500	47	5
Alexander	Queen	329,000	48	4
Geno	Raman	112,000	81	4
Eric	Rappaport	220,000	77	5
Joe	Rieg	276,500	75	9
Jason	Rivkin	230,500	45	3
Alex	Rocha	100,500	51	2
Ron	Rosenberg	454,000	50	6
Ray	Ross	354,500	54	3
Richard	Rossetti	90,500	80	8
Jon	Rublee	201,500	45	8
Louis	Russo	116,500	55	6
Mike	Sandler	284,500	51	8
Steven	Sarmiento	182,500	49	1
Mike	Schoultz	53,500	75	8
Justin	Schwarts	149,000	80	9
Bobby	Sembler	63,500	47	8
Christopher	Senape	237,000	53	9
Anthony	Serino	180,000	81	1
Jay	Sharon	97,500	78	4
Paul	Shedaker	119,000	79	9
Daniel	Shelbo	93,500	49	3
Robert	Sichelstiel	504,500	77	7
Eric	Siegel	135,000	52	5
Marvin	Siegel	202,000	55	1
Ken	Silberstein	162,000	47	4
Matthew	Silberzweig	40,000	54	5
James	Sivolella	61,000	80	6
Nicholas	Spence	305,500	56	7
Jeffrey	Spence	250,500	76	4
Darius	Studdard	111,000	56	1
Satish	Surapaneni	383,000	52	4
Ray	Taylor	76,000	74	1
Vincent	Teutonico	201,500	48	3
Steven	Thornton	85,000	51	7
Sean	Wallace	254,000	51	1
Matt	Weasen	112,000	51	4
Tyreem	Williams	130,500	80	4
Greg	Wish	180,500	46	1
Justin	Wong	86,500	81	9
Yao	Wu	152,000	53	3
Artur	Zaikansky	184,500	78	1

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Mermelstein's Straight Flush Loses

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Entries: 762

"We just got straight flush under straight flush," Aaron Mermelstein said as he walked over to friend Trevor Deeter on the rail.  We would walk over to the table to see a board of 6♣ 7♣ 8♣ 2♠ 5♣, and Emmanuil Digilov's 9♠ 9♣ still exposed on the table.  Mermelstein held 4♣ 4♣ for the low end of the straight flush, but is still alive in the tournament.

Aaron did double up Digilov to over 160,000, while dropping to 50,000 in the process.  The clock will be paused in (10) minutes and the final hands will be played.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Remember What Was Said?

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Entries: 762

Matthew Giametta

Remember earlier when we told you about Matthew Giametta, getting very lucky to run out a full house and triple up as a short stack?  It was said that moments like that can be looked upon later as a defining moment of a players tournament.

Matthew now has over 400,000 and is looking to bag a top ten stack for this flight.  Giametta has three lifetime cashes for just over $3,600, so to say the potential of winning this tournament would be a highlight is an understatement.

Only (30) minutes remain in the night, with less than (90) players currently active in the field.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Final Break Of The Night

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).

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): New Names Popping Up

Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Entries: 760

Rocco Derosa (Bronx, NY)

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

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.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Rublee Standing Tall

Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/300)
Total Entries: 759

Jon Rublee (Rochester, NY)

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.

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.

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

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): The Younger Spence Building

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Entries: 753

Nick Spence (Collegeville, PA)

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.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Mermelstein Still Leads The Way

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Entries: 749

Aaron Mermelstein (Philadelphia, PA)

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).

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.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): Cizak Sent To The Rail

Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Entries: 733

Frank Dorigo (Hamilton, NJ)

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.

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:

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.

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.

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

Alex Rocha (Brigantine, NJ)

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.

Big Stax 500 (Day 1C): The Early Evening Rush

Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/100)
Total Entries: 680

Eric Doerr (Newark, DE)

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