Big Stax VI (Big Stax 300): Recap

@ParxPokerRoom's sixth installment of the Big Stax series kicked off last Thursday with the Big Stax VI 300.  Coming off of record numbers in February, the excitement leading up to this series was clear.  Players flocked to satellites during the month of April, offering packages which included seats to the Big Stax 300 & 500 events.  The Big Stax VI lead off event attracted 1,351 entries and touted a first place prize over $80,000.

Alex Queen & Justin Liberto

Each poker tournament takes on a life it's own, with the theme of this event "the story."  The headline would be two of the east coast's poker "good guys" chopping up the event.  Alex Queen (Bethlehem, PA) and Justin Liberto (Baltimore, MD) played only a few hands heads up before discussing a chop and agreeing to the numbers.  The two players have close to $2,000,000 in combined career earnings, and resumes any tournament player would be happy to boast.

The three Day 1's brought us the opening to this tale, as players were coming off the prestigious WPT Championship and a WSOP Circuit series in the weeks leading up to Big Stax VI.  Parx regular and tournament pro Antonio Payne (Hazlet, NJ) would show up on Day 1A coming off a circuit main final table.  That wouldn't be lead though as Payne won his first circuit ring as well only days earlier.  A handful of other regs in the field were coming off of nice scores/wins, including Kevin Grabel, Laurence Wolf, and Mohammed Farah.  Day 1C would coincide with Kentucky Derby day, and the buzz was great throughout the day.  Not only were the track patrons abound, but so were the bullets, as players were doing all they could to bag chips.  After three days of poker and unlimited re-entries throughout, Staffan Lind (Vero Beach, FL) would be the chip leader going into Day 2.

Ryan Eriquezzo

Day 2 would bring one of the stories of the tournament, as Ryan Eriquezzo (Danbury, CT) bought in that morning for the starting stack (30,000 which was six big blinds).  Not only would Eriquezzo survive to reach the money bubble, he would have one of the largest stacks going into Day 3!!!  Notables to cash in the event, but not make Day 3 included Matt Glantz (139th), Jonas Wexler (100th), Jonathan Kramer (67th), Peter Ippolito (59th), and Tru Le (24th).

The story would wrap up on Day 3, but not before story lines unfolded throughout.  Eriquezzo's miracle run would end in the late afternoon, as he was eliminated in 17th place for $3,056.  David Kim and Danny Yip would bubble the final table, but those who made it created the conclusion.  Ray Ross (Maple Glenn, PA) would reach his third Big Stax final table, showing the consistency that makes a winning tournament pro.  Sheri Moores (Wayne, PA) held the torch for the ladies in this event, as she continued the trend of women players at the final table (5th place - $13,753).  Amateurs Michael Wang (6th place) and Phillip Yan (3rd place) showed quality play throughout in their breakout scores to date.  In the end though it would be two of more accomplished players in the field, let alone the final table that would be left standing in the end.  Both players felt primed to do well in this event, and hope that they can ride the momentum into the rest of Big Stax VI and the WSOP that follows.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Queen ($67,404)

Level 31 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 2

Alex Queen (Bethlehem, PA)
$67,404

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Liberto ($61,974)

Level 31 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 2

Justin Liberto (Fallston, MD)
$61,974

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Chop It Up

Level 31 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 2

Alex Queen & Justin Liberto
Big Stax 300 Winners

The two players have discussed the numbers and agreed to a chip chop.  The numbers will be posted shortly, after both players have filled out information at the podium.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 3rd Place - Yan ($25,978)

Level 31 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 2

Philip Yan (Princeton, NJ)
3rd Place - $25,978

Philip Yan opened the pot to 450,000 and Queen defends the big blind.  The flop comes out J 10 5 and the action goes check-check.  After the A on the turn, Queen check calls 450,000.  The river brings another A, and Alex check-jams Yan's 1,500,000 river bet.  Yan would ask for a count, only to find out he was covered by Queen.  Philip would make the call and Alex would table A 5 (rivered full house), and Yan would table AK.

Queen would send Philip to the podium with that tough beat, and is now the chip leader heads up:

Alex Queen - 24,000,000

Justin Liberto - 16,000,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): And Queen Does It...Again

Level 31 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 3

Alex Queen doubles through Philip Yan once again, as he check-raised the turn against Phillip, on a board of 4 5 8 A.  Yan would three-bet all-in and Queen would quickly call and turn over 5 5 (flopped set).  Philip would be drawing dead as he tabled AJ, and Queen is now up to 14,000,000.

Alex Queen - 14,000,000
Philip Yan - 8,800,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): This Could Be A While

Level 31 (Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 3

With the average right now 60 bigs deep, and accomplished players remaining, this could take some time to play out.  Also to be considered is that Alex Queen just doubled through Yan to 8,000,000 after his KQ > 77 (all-in pre).

Philip Yan - 16,000,000
Alex Queen - 800,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time

The remaining three players are on break, and they will return in (10) minutes to Level 31 and blinds of 100,000/200,000/25,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Three Handed Counts

Level 30 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 3

Here are the three handed chip counts:

1. Alex Queen - 5,000,000
2. Philip Yan - 18,500,000
3. Justin Liberto - 16,500,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 4th Place - Frank ($17,956)

Level 30 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 3

Joel Frank (Rocky Hill, NJ)
4th Place - $17,956

Joel Frank is one of Parx's most loyal cash game players, and now he has a Big Stax final table cash to add to the records.  Joel's no stranger to tournaments though, with $300,000 in career earnings coming into this tournament.  He was the shortest of the four players and jammed his final 1,400,000 in, only to see his AJ < 44 of Justin Liberto.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 5th Place - Moores ($13,753)

Level 30 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 4

Sheri Moores (Wayne, PA)
5th Place - $13,753

Moores was the shortest stack at the table, and after Queen opened to 300,000, Sheri jammed her remaining 1,100,000 in the middle.  Alex would make the call and Sheri's K 10 < 10 10 of Queen, and Moores would be eliminated in 5th place.  Sheri has her biggest live cash of her career, and a Big Stax final table to add to the Ladies Event she won at Delaware Park last year.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Yan Takes One From Liberto

Level 30 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 5

On the other side of the room, the Big Stax NLH/PLO Mix was just wrapping up, with Keith Crowder taking home the trophy and over $5,000.  As Keith was getting his winners photo taken, Philip Yan took down an 8,000,000 pot from Justin Liberto.  On a board of 5♥ 6♣ 8♥ Q♠ 2♥, Yan had put out a 5,000,000 river bet, and Justin would end up folding (action prior is not yet known).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Updated Chip Counts

Level 30 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)

Players Remaining: 5

Here are updated chip counts:

1. Joel Frank - 1,500,000
2. Alex Queen - 4,000,000
3. Philip Yan - 16,500,000
4. Sheri Moores - 1,400,000
5. Justin Liberto - 17,500,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Moores Short

Level 30 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 5

The chip disparity between Yan/Liberto and the three remaining players is almost unheard of.  The two leaders now have 75% of the chips in play, while Sheri Moores sits as the shortest of the shorties.  She has just under 2,000,000, and is creeping towards the 10 big mark.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 6th Place - Wang ($10,697)

Level 30 (75,000/150,000/25,000)
Players Remaining: 5

Mike Wang (Livingston, NJ)
6th Place - $10,697

Alex Queen opened the pot for a min-raise, and both Yan and Liberto flatted behind.  Wang would then squeeze all-in for just over 1,500,000.  Queen would fold, Philip Yan would make the call, and Liberto would also fold behind.  It would be the A 9 of Wang against the Q J of Yan, and Philip's run good continued as he had Wang drawing dead on the J 4 6 J x runout.  This is Wang's second ever recorded cash (according to Hendon Mob), and it makes another solid score for the young player.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Updated Break Counts

Here are the counts for the remaining six players while on break:

1. Michael Wang - 1,700,000
2. Joel Frank - 2,700,000
3. Alex Queen - 3,100,000
4. Philip Yan - 13,400,000
5. Sheri Moores - 4,900,000
6. Justin Liberto - 14,700,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Queen Doubles... Again

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 6

On one of the last hands before players were to go on break, Alex Queens woke up to a big hand in the big blind after an open from Michael Wang.  Wang would call Alex's ship, and Queen would take down the pot after his AA > A5.  Queen is now over 3,000,000 (and peaking for the day).

Players are going on a (10) minute break, and when they return to Level 30 the blinds will be going up to 75,000/150,000/25,000.  Updated chip counts will be posted shortly.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 7th Place - Mason ($8,405)

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 6

Mike Mason (Collingswood, NJ)
7th Place - $8,405

It wasn't long after the table lost Lind that another player would be sent to the cage.  Mike Mason got it all-in pre against Sheri Moores, but his AK couldn't win the flip against Sheri's 99, even after flopping three to a flush (and having overs).  This looks to be Mike's first live recorded cash of his career (according to Hendon Mob), and it's not a bad way to get on the board.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 8th Place - Lind ($6,495)

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 7

Staffan Lind (Vero Beach, FL)
8th Place - $6,495

Lind was very active throughout the day, and after getting involved in a handful of multi-way pots and losing, was left as the short stack at the table.  Lind ripped over Justin Liberto's open, and the shortstack would be eliminated as his KQ < A2 of Liberto on the 6 6 2 A A runout.  Lind just won a WSOPC ring at Chester before this series, and now has his first Big Stax final table cash to add to it.

Bg Stax 300 (Day 3): Updated Chip Counts

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 8

Here are updated counts with (20) minutes remanning in the level:

1. Michael Wang - 3,600,000
2. Joel Frank - 2,200,000
3. Alex Queen - 1,700,000
4. Philipp Yan - 11,500,000
5. Mike Mason - 3,100,000
6. Sheri Moores - 3,300,000
7. Justin Liberto - 13,600,000
8. Staffan Lind - 1,400,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Queen's Coaster Continues

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 8

Alex Queen's day has truly been one of ups and downs, and he is currently on the downward trend.  Alex is the shortest stack at the table, holding less than 20 big blinds.  On the other side of the spectrum, Philipp Yan and Justin Liberto hold close to 60% of the total chips in play combined.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 9th Place - Ross ($4,966)

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 8

Ray Ross (Maple Glenn, PA)
9th Place - $4,966

After opening the pot and getting flatted by Phillip Yan, Ray Ross would ship his remaining 700,000 on an ace high board.  Phillip would make the call and his ace would be good for the win against Ray's pocket jacks.  This is Ray's third Big Stax final table, only the second player to ever make a third (James Anderson).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Moore Chips

Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 9

Sheri Moores continues to chip up as she just scooped a pot worth over 2,000,000.  Five players went to the flop (J♠ K♠ 6♣) and checked around.  The turn was the 4♠, and Michael Wang bet out 500,000.  Sheri Moores and Staffan Lind called behind and saw a river come a 3♣.  The action was checked around once more and Sheri tabled 4 4 (set of fours), and she would chip up over 5,000,000.

Big Stax NLH/PLO Mix: Down To Seven

Big Stax VI
$230 NLH/PLO Mix

The field in this trophy is already down to seven, and here is who remains:

1. Matt Kupiec (Norristown, PA)
2. Keith Crowder (Philadelphia, PA)
3. Oleg Bovchenko (Queens, NY)
4. Joe Palma (Bensalem, PA)
5. William Daloisi (Staten Island, NY)
6. Julian Miranda (Union City, NJ)
7. Trevor Deeter (Langhorne, PA)

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Coming Back

Players are once again allowed to enter the tournament area, and play will resume in about (3) minutes.  Just a reminder, the blinds in Level 29 are going up to 50,000/100,000/10,000 (chip average is 45 bigs).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Dinner Break

The remaining players are going on a (75) minute dinner break, and will return at approximately 9:10pm.  Live coverage of the event will commence once the cards are back in the air.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Dinner Break Counts

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 9

Here are the counts minutes before going to dinner:

1. Michael Wang - 4,200,000
2. Joel Frank - 3,400,000
3. Ray Ross - 1,800,000
4. Alex Queen - 1,700,000
5. Philipp Yan - 11,800,000
6. Mike Mason - 3,300,000
7. Sheri Moores - 3,100,000
8. Justin Liberto - 6,700,000
9. Staffan Lind - 4,900,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 10th Place - Peticca ($3,744)

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 9

Nick Peticca (Philadelphia, PA)
$3,744

Nick Peticca opened to 160,000 from the hi-jack after the action folded to him.  Justin Liberto would call from the small blind and Staffan Lind (big blind) would call as well.  The flop would come out J♠ 3♦ 8♥, and both Liberto and Lind would check to Peticca.  Nick would bet out 250,000 and both players would call.  The turn would bring the 2♥, and once again both players checked to Peticca, who would go all-in for 1,530,000.

Liberto thought for about three minutes before cutting out the chips for a call.  Once those chips were in his hand he thought for another few moments and put them across the line.  Lind would then start eyeing Liberto's stack before also making the call.  There would be three to the river, with one all-in, and the 7♣ would be tabled.  Both Liberto and Lind would go check-check, and players waited for Peticca to table K♠ J♥.  Liberto quickly turned over A♠ J♦, and Lind would look back at his cards before mucking.  Justin now assumes the chip lead once more with just over 9,000,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Queen Keeps It Up

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 10

Alex Queen continues his trend of getting short and doubling, as he wins another flip.  This time is was against Justin Liberto, and Queens A K out flopped the 8 8 of Liberto, and Alex is up to 1,700,000.

Liberto lost a sizable pot right off the bat at the final table to Staffan Lind, and is now right around average with 4,200,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Final Table

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 10

Here is the Big Stax VI 300 final table lineup:

1. Michael Wang
2. Joel Frank
3. Ray Ross
4. Alex Queen 
5. Philipp Yan
6. Nick Peticca
7. Mike Mason
8. Sheri Moores
9. Justin Liberto
10. Staffan Lind

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 11th Place - Yip ($3,744)

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 12

Daniel Yip (Brooklyn, NY)
11th Place - $3,744

Just as Everton Taylor was walking to the podium, there was an all-in and a call from Table 57.  The two players involved were Sheri Moores and Danny Yip.  They were on the turn when all the chips got in, on a board of 9♣ 2♣ Q♥ 10♥.  Sheri tabled J♣ 6♣ (for a straight/flush draw), while Danny held the lead with 10♦ 2♦ (two pair).  The river would bring the K♣ (bring Sheri the flush), and Danny would be the final table bubble boy.

Players are now redrawing their final table seats, and will finish out this level before going on dinner.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 12th Place - Taylor ($3,744)

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 12

Everton Taylor (Brooklyn, NY)
12th Place - $3,744

Seeing the what would be perceived as a bluff the hand prior from Michael Wang, Everton Taylor was all-in pre the next hand versus Philipp Yan:

Taylor: A♦ 9♣         Yan: 10♠ 10♣

Flop: Q♠ 3♦ 2♦

Turn: 4♦

River: 8♣

Taylor would turn many outs, but was unable to hit and would be send home short of the final table.  This is Everton's first recorded cash at Parx, adding to his career earnings of $12,730.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): First Hand...10 Minutes (And Going)

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 12

Wang Waits...Taylor Thinks...Random Guy Photo Bombs

The first hand at Table 58 is actually still on the turn, and (11) minutes has already ticket off the clock.  On a board of A♣ 4♠ 5♠ 2♠, Everton Taylor had a bet of 600,000 in front of him, and was check-rasied by Michael Wang to 1,800,000.  Taylor has been taking since (clocked in at 9 minutes and counting).

*** Update: Taylor eventually folded and Wang showed the K 2 (off)

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Updated Chip Counts

Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 12

Here are the updated counts from break:

Table 57:

1. Staffan Lind - 4,800,000
2. Joel Frank - 3,300,000
3. Ray Ross - 2,400,000
4. Alex Queen - 1,100,000
5. Sheri Moores - 2,300,000
6. Danny Yip - 1,400,000

Table 58:

1. Mike Mason - 1,400,000
2. Michael Wang - 3,400,000
3. Everton Taylor - 3,700,000
4. Justin Liberto - 6,800,000
5. Philipp Yan - 6,900,000
6. Nick Peticca - 1,500,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time

Players are going on another (10) minute break, and when they return to Level 28 and blinds of 40,000/80,000/10,000.  Updated chip counts from break will be posted shortly.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 13th Place - Kim ($3,400)

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 11

David Kim (Flushing, NY)
13th Place - $3,400

David Kim and Justin Liberto would get the chips in on the flop of J♠ 4♣ 4♠, with Kim holding A♠ 5♠ against the K♠ K♣ of Liberto.  Kim would brick the turn and river, giving Justin a pot worth over 6,000,000 (and the chip lead).  Kim was looking to make his second Big Stax final table, just fell only a few spots short.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Taylor Sacks Peticca

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 13

Everton Taylor 

The was an all-in and call pre-flop on Table 58 between Everton Taylor and Nick Peticca, giving the field one of the biggest pots of the tournament (4,100,000 to the winner):

Taylor: J♠ 10♦      Peticca: A♠ K♦

Flop: Q♣ 9♠ 2♥

Turn: 3♠

River: K♥

Taylor would river the straight and go from one foot out the door to top three in the field.  Peticca had been pretty snug throughout the day, and after hovering around chip average is down to 1,600,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Moores Doubles Queen

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 13

The action was picked up on the flop between Alex Queen and Sheri Moores (blind v. blind).  The flop was 9 8 7, and Shery had just called Alex's all-in (535,000).  Queen's AA > 9 5 after Sheri couldn't find a card to take the lead.  Alex continues his up and down Day 3, and he now has over 1,200,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Uneventful Stuff

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 13

The first (30) minutes of this level have been fairly uneventful, with not many hands going to the flop.  Alex Queen has trended down since the level started, and only has about 800,000 in front of him.  Queen was all-in and at risk against Sheri Moores, but they both held A 9 and the hand would end up in a chop.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Updated Chip Counts

Level 27 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/10,000)
Players Remaining: 13

Updated chip counts from break:

Table 57:

1. Staffan Lind - 6,300,000
2. Joel Frank - 2,400,000
3. Ray Ross - 750,000
4. Alex Queen - 1,700,000
5. Sheri Moores - 2,800,000
6. Danny Yip - 1,700,000

Table 58:

1. Mike Mason - 1,800,000
2. Michael Wang - 4,300,000
3. Everton Taylor - 3,200,000
4. Justin Liberto - 4,300,000
5. Philipp Yan - 5,800,000
6. David Kim - 3,500,000
7. Nick Peticca - 2,100,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time/Level Up

Players are on their second (10) minute break of the day, and will return to Level 27 and blinds of 30,000/60,000/10,000.  The players will play two more levels before going on a (75) minute dinner break.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 14th Place - Perry ($3,400)

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 13

Jacob Perry (Branchville, NJ)
14th Place - $3,400

Perry was the shortest stack of the remaining field and would shove his 450,000 UTG +1 with A Q, but Danny Yip woke up with K K in the big blind.  Perry, who also cashed in the last Big Stax 300 (137th place), takes home $3,400 for the finish.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 15th Place - Desai ($3,400)

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 14

Rajesh Desai (Randolph, NJ)
15th Place - $3,400

Rajesh Desai was seemingly the player having the most fun on Day 3, even after showing up almost thirty minutes late.  He was chatting it up with his table mates, and smiling throughout.  After checking dark to David Kim heads up, the final board would be Q 8 5 2 5.  Kim would stack his chips in one pile and push the towards the middle (covering Desai).  Rajesh would push his chip in with force announcing the call.  Kim would turn over A Q and Desai would muck his hand face down, which would have to be tabled since the two players were all-in.  Rajesh made the call with 8 9 and would be the 15th place finisher.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Queen Doubles Once Again

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 15

Alex Queen would open the button and proceed to get three-bet from Danny Yip from the big blind (Yip moved to the table after Kroetz's elimination).  Alex would four-bet all-in and Yip would make the call, for a pot worth 1,700,000:

Queen: 10♠ 10♦     Yip: A♥ 10♥

Flop: 10♣ 4♥ 8♣

Turn: 9♦ 

River: A♦

Alex Queen - 1,700,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 16th Place - Kroetz ($3,056)

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 15

John Kroetz (Philadelphia, PA)
16th Place - $3,056

Staffan Lind continues to accumulate chips as he eliminates John Kroetz in 16th place.  The two players were all-in pre with Lind holding K K against the A K of Kroetz.  Although John would flop a flush draw, the turn and river would run clean for Lind.

Lind is now over 6,000,000 and is the clear leader of the field.  Staffan had 1,100,000 during the break before this level, and has crushed since returning.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 17th Place - Eriquezzo ($3,056)

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 16

Ryan Eriquezzo (Danbury, CT)
17th Place - $3,056

At Table 58 Rajesh Desai was all-in UTG with a full table to act, but as the action folded around, there was an all-in and call between Staffan Lind and Ryan Eriquezzo.  Ryan's K 10 < 9 9 of Staffan Lind, and although Ryan busts in 17th place, he was to this point the story of the tournament.

Eriquezzo was in the tournament for 10 bullets after all the starting days had finished, without bagging anything.  He came back yesterday morning and bought in with the starting stack (6 bigs), and proceeded to run it up, and put himself in serious contention for this title.  He couldn't recover from the brutal cooler against Lind earlier, and recoups some of the money he put into the event.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Awkward Moments At Table 57

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 17

Alex Queen

Alex Queen was to act after a couple of folds in front, and he loudly announced he was all-in (535,000).  He put a small stack in front of him to signify the bet, and when the action folded around to Staffan Lind in the small blind, he through in 150,000.  Lind did not know Queen was all-in, and because he put chips in the pot, he was by rule forced to make the call.  Lind would actually be ahead with A 6 (off) against the 10 8 of Queen, but Alex would flop a 10 and double up to 1,100,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Lind Coolers Eriquezzo

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 17

Staffan Lind

Table 57 continued to house the action of the two tables, as this hand was picked up on the turn between Ryan Eriqeuzzo and Staffan Lind.  The board was 2 Q 2 J, and the action was on Ryan (on the button).  Ryan checked with the pot already over 800,000.  The river would bring a third deuce, and Staffan would put out a bet of 500,000 (full board was Q 2 2 J 2).  Ryan would paused momentarily before announcing all-in, and Lind would quickly call.  Lind showed J J for a turned full house, while Ryan tabled A A (worse full house).

Staffan Lind - 2,800,000
Ryan Eriqeuzzo - 1,00,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Some Come...Some Go

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 17

The action at Table 57 was already on the flop and Staffan Lind all-in against Alex Queen.  The flop was 10 8 8 and Lind had 7 9 tabled in front of him, while Alex had A 8.  The turn would bring a 6 giving Lind the straight, and when the river didn't pair Queen, Lind would get the double up.

Staffan Lind - 1,800,000
Alex Queen - 900,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Queen's Sticking Around A Little

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 17

Ryan Eriquezzo opened the pot for 110,000, and Ray Ross net to act made is 235,000.  Alex Queen was on the button and announced himself all-in (965,000), with Ryan declaring himself all-in as well.  Ross was left with a big decision and eventually mucked his hand:

Ryan: A K          Queen: 10 10 

Flop: 8 8 9 

Turn: Q

River: 9

Alex would more than double to 2,300,000, while Eriquezzo drops down to 2,500,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Updated Chip Counts

Level 26 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 17

Here are the updated chip counts from break:

Table 57:

1. Staffan Lind - 1,100,000
2. Jake Perry - 900,000
3. Joel Frank - 2,300,000
4. Ryan Eriquezzo - 3,300,000
5. Ray Ross - 1,500,000
6. Alex Queen - 870,000
7. Sheri Moores - 2,000,000
8. John Kroetz - 1,000,000

Table 58:

1. Mike Mason - 2,200,000
2. Michael Wang - 3,400,000
3. Everton Taylor - 3,600,000
4. Justin Liberto - 3,700,000
5. Philipp Yan - 4,900,000
6. Danny Yip - 2,200,000
7. Rajesh Desai - 2,000,000
8. David Kim - 2,400,000
9. Nick Peticca - 2,600,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time

Players are on their first (10) minute break of the night, and will return to Level 26 and blinds of 25,000/50,000/5,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 18th Place - Chabi ($3,056)

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 17

It didn't take long for action to ensue once players found their new seats, and Elan Chabi (Brooklyn, NY) gets his short stack in against Ryan Eriquezzo.  Chabi's A 6 < A Q of Eriquezzo, and he would eliminated in 18th place (taking home $3,056).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): The Final 18

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 18

Table 57:

1. Staffan Lind
2. Jake Perry
3. Joel Frank
4. Ryan Eriquezzo
5. Ray Ross
6. Alex Queen
7. Sheri Moores
8. John Kroetz
9. Elan Chabi

Table 58:

1. Mike Mason
2. Michael Wang
3. Everton Taylor
4. Justin Liberto
5. Philipp Yan
6. Danny Yip
7. Rajesh Desai
8. David Kim
9. Nick Peticca

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 19th Place - Nomberg ($2,751)

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 18

Erik Nomberg was sitting with only 5 blinds in front of him, and had just folded his big blind.  He would be eliminated the next hand when his A3 < AJ of John Kroetz.  The players are now racking their chips for the redraw, and when everyone is settled, the chip counts and seating assignments will be posted.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Shaking Things Up

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 19

After the next elimination, the remaining 18 players will be redrawn and finding new seats (and table mates).  Philipp Yan has been fairly active since assuming the chip lead, and may have relinquished that title to Michael Wang (3,700,000).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 20th Place - Edwards ($2,751)

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 21

Chris Edwards (Little Silver, NJ) was the shortest stack of the remaining players, waiting for his spot to double up.  Edwards would get what was left of his chips in with 22 against the KK of Elan Chabi. The runout would bring no help to Edwards and he would be eliminated in 20th place ($2,751).

Chabi came into the day with 1,300,000, but snap lost over  half his stack in a hand earlier with Sheri Moores (AQ < AK).  Chabi has recouped some of those chips now, and is just under 900,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Nomberg Doubles Through Lind...Gives It Right Back

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 20

Erik Nomberg doubles to 1,100,000 after winning a big flip against Staffan Lind (AQ > JJ).  Lind was  the chip leader late in Day 2, but is left with 600,000 after losing the hand.  Nomberg is back up over 1,000,000, but still only has half the average.

Only three hands later it would be Lind winning the flip, as his A 10 > 9 9 of Nomberg.  The chips would trade places once more, and Nomberg would be the short stack once again.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 21st Place - Saddler ($2,751)

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 20

Philipp Yan would limp UTG, with Ryan Eriquezzo then raising to 100,000.  Dawn Saddler would call behind, and Yan would check raise to 400,000.  Eriquezzo would make the call and Saddler would go all-in for 705,000.  Both players would call behind and they would go to the flop with over 2,100,000 in the middle already.  The board would run out 3♣ 10♠ 7♠ (check flop) 2♠ (check turn) 9♥, and Yan would put in a tiny river bet of 205,000.  After Ryan made the call, Yan would turn over 6♠ 8♥ for a rivered straight and eliminate Dawn Saddler (who held AK).

Philipp Yan - 4,600,000
Ryan Erriquezzo - 1,700,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Joel Frank Gets A Double

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 21

The action at Table 59 was picked up on the flop of 4♦ 5♠ 5♣, and Philipp Yan had a bet of 100,000 in front of him.  Frank raised all-in for 860,000, and after thinking for a moment Yan would make the call.  Joel's 8♥8♠ > A♦K♦ of Yan, and he would double to 1,800,000.

Joel Frank - 1,800,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Moores Doubles, Chabi Crippled

Level 25 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 21

After Sheri Moores opened the pot from the hijack, Elan Chabi three-bet the button.  Action would fold back around to Moores and she would four-bet shove for 800,000.  Chabi would make the call (having Moores covered), and the hands would be tabled:

Moores: A♥K♦        Chabi: A♠Q♦

Flop: A♣ K♠ J♥

Turn: 3♠

River: 3♥

Sheri Moores - 1,750,000
Elan Chabi - 300,000

Chabi would double up two hands later through David Kim, and is up to 650,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Breaking It Down

The tournament director Tom Martucci is going over the rules to the players (with the exception of Rajesh Desai and Ryan Eriquezzo).  The cards will then be in the air and the blinds in Level 25 are going to be 20,000/40,000/5,000 (chip average of 2,000,000).

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Lock The Doors

Players are beginning to sit down and empty their chips from their respective bags, preparing for a long day of poker.  The tournament will be played until conclusion today, with one of the 21 players coming back being crowned Big Stax VI 300 champion.  The cards will be in the air shortly, and live updates will be commence thereafter.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Table Draw And Seating Assignments

DAY 3	Table Order
Total Players:	1351	Total Remaining:	21
Total Chips:	40,530,000	Avereage Chips:	1,930,000
Name	Last Name	Hometown	Chip Count	Table #	Seat #
Rajesh	Desai	Randolph,NJ	2,970,000	57	1
Erik	Numberg	Dix Hills,NY	845,000	57	2
Justin	Liberto	Baltimore,MD	3,465,000	57	3
EMPTY				57	4
Staffan	Lind	Vero Beach,FL	1,595,000	57	5
Everton	Taylor	Brooklyn,NY	2,615,000	57	6
EMPTY				57	7
Jacob	Perry	Branchville,NJ	1,240,000	57	8
John	Kroetz	Philadelphia,PA	880,000	57	9
Chris	Edwards	Little Silver,NJ	570,500	58	1
David	Kim	Flushing,NY	3,265,000	58	2
Sheri	Moores	Wayne,PA	815,000	58	3
EMPTY				58	4
Elan	Chabi	Brooklyn,NY	1,380,000	58	5
Michael	Wang	Livingston,NJ	3,335,000	58	6
EMPTY				58	7
Mike	Mason	Collingswood,NJ	2,505,000	58	8
Ray	Ross	Maple Glenn,PA	1,170,000	58	9
Danny	Yip	Brooklyn,NY	2,460,000	59	1
Nick	Peticca	Philadelphia,PA	2,235,000	59	2
Dawn	Saddler	Ashburn,VA	1,530,000	59	3
EMPTY				59	4
Alexander	Queen	Bethlehem,PA	730,000	59	5
Philip	Yan	Princeton,NJ	2,551,000	59	6
EMPTY				59	7
Joel	Frank	Rocky Hill,NJ	850,000	59	8
Ryan	Eriquezzo	Danbury,CT	3,730,000	59	9

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Final Four Hands

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 21

The clock is paused with 10:00 minutes in the level, and the players have four hands.  At the completion of the hand, players remaining will bag their chip for Day 3 tomorrow at 1:00pm.  The table redraw and chip counts will be posted shortly after the floor verifies all counts.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 22nd-24th Places ($2,483)

The following players have cashed for $2,483:

22. Aaron Haight (Katonah, NY)
23. Mohammed Farah (Bensalem, PA)
24. Tru Le (Philadelphia, PA)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 25th-27th Places ($2,216)

The following players have cashed for $2,216:

25. DeeAngelo Seng (Sicklerville, NJ)
26. Charles Welch (Dunlawk, MD)
27. Joe Wang (Potomac, MD)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 28th-36th Places ($1,948)

The following players cashed in the event for $1,948:

28. Cullen Hofmann (Baltimore, MD)
29. John Frenchu (Belle Mead, NJ)
30. Michael Combes (Middle Island, NY)
31. Dave Woloshin (Fort Washington, PA)
32. Cary Poulos (Feasterville, PA)
33. Alan Kraut (Doylsetown, PA)
34. Steven Stahursky (Fairfield, CT)
35. Art Disprospero (Willow Grove, PA)
36. Aleksander Katsman (Brooklyn, NY)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Solid Field Shaping Up

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 27

There are (30) minutes remaining in this level, and players will then bag chips for Day 3, beginning tomorrow at 1:00pm.  There may be a few more bustouts before the night ends, but the Day 3 field has shaped up to be pretty strong.  Accomplished tournament pros like Ryan Eriquezzo, Justin Liberto, and Alex Queen will be forces, while cash game specialists Ray Ross and David Kim both have Big Stax final table experience.  There are then the players looking for their first breakout score, and the recreational players making a run.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): The Final 27

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 27

Here are the final 27 players, along with seating assignments:

Table 45:

1. Charles Welch
2. Justin Liberto
3. Aaron Haight
4. Rajesh Desai
5. Erik Nomberg
6. John Kroetz
7. Tru Le
8. Everton Taylor
9. Jake Perry

Table 46:

1. Joel Frank
2. Philipp Yan
3. Alex Queen
4. Dawn Saddler
5. Staffan Lind
6. Ryan Eriquezzo
7. DeeAngelo Seng
8. Nick Peticca 
9. Danny Yip

Table 51:

1. Mike Wang
2. Mike Mason
3. Ray Ross
4. Sheri Moores
5. Elan Chabi
6. Mohammed Farah
7. Joe Wang
8. Chris Edwards
9. David Kim

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Chabi Doubles, Hofmann's Bustout Brings The Redraw

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 23

Elan Chabi

There was a loud reaction from Table 52, and it was the displeasure from Erik Nomberg.  Nomberg was about to send home Elan Chabi, as his KQ held a grip on the hand going to the river (runout of 8 6 Q 10) against the A 4 of Chabi.  The river brought and ace, and new life for Chabi as he doubles to over 800,000.

While that hand was unfolding, Cullen Hofmann (Baltimore, MD) was eliminated in 28th place, send the rest of the field into a redraw.  The new seating assignments will be posted shortly.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Woloshin Had To Go

Level 24 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Players Remaining: 29

Everton Taylor 

The action was picked up on the flop at Table 51 in a hand between Everton Taylor and Dave Woloshin.  The board was A 4 7, and Taylor was all-in (having Woloshin covered).   Dave exclaimed, "Alright, I'm ready to go," and pushed his chips in.  Taylor turned over A 3, and was in superior shape against Woloshin's Q 8.  The 7 on the turn would have Dave drawing dead, and he'd be sent home in 31st place ($1,948).  While getting a receipt from the podium, Woloshin did explain that he had a hearing tomorrow and could not play.

Also eliminated only moments later was Michael Combes ($1,948).

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Final Break...Final Level

Players are going on their final break of the night, and when they return the blinds will be going up to 15,000/30,000/5,000.  The chip average of 1,300,000 is just over 43 big blinds, so the play is still going to be super deep the rest of the way out.

When the field is down to 27, the tournament floor will redraw those players, and the new seating assignments and chip counts will be posted.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Twitter Updates

Level 23 (Blinds 12,000/24,000/4,000)
Players Remaining: 34

Here are some recent Tweets from the field:

And busto in 37th with 88 on 5 high board and run into AA. Thanks for the twitter rails.
— Frank DiRe (@FLD15) May 5, 2014

Guy lost big pot. Left w/400k. Folds 2 him next hand. He pops to 60k. I button/10 10. Put him all in. He tilt call AJ as expected. 1.1mil
— HMan (@CullenHMan) May 5, 2014

36/1351 left @parxpokerroom #ParxBigStax
— Alan Kraut (@AlanKrautPoker) May 5, 2014

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 37th-45th Places ($1,681)

The following players have cashed for $1,681:

37. Frank Dire (Columbus, NJ)
38. John Borzio (Las Vegas, NV)
39. William Pfeffer (Philadelphia, PA)
40. Dan Sweeney (Bensalem, PA)
41. Robert Boyko (Yonkers, NY)
42. Mark McDonough (Yonkers, NY)
43. Keith Woernle (Rahway, NJ)
44. Kevin Carroll (Philadelphia, PA)
45. Joe Nichols (Nutley, NJ)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Updated Counts

Level 23 (Blinds 12,000/24,000/4,000)
Players Remaining: 39

Almost half the way through the level, and 38 players now remain.  Here are some of the larger stacks remaining in the room:

Mike Yang - 3,800,000
DeeAngelo Seng - 2,500,000
Nick Peticca - 2,400,000
Ryan Eriquezzo - 2,000,000
David Kim - 2,000,000
Jake Perry - 1,900,000
Joe Wang - 1,700,000
Ray Ross - 1,600,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Wang's Thang To Lose?

Level 23 (12,000/24,000/4,000)

Players Remaining: 43

Mike Wang 

Mike Wang won a monster pot right before break, as he flopped aces up and got all the chips in on the turn after Ilya Dyment made a worse aces up (A 10 > A 5).  It was easily the biggest pot of the tournament, as both players were in the top ten in chips.  Wang now has over 3,700,000, with his closest competitor almost one million chips behind.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Break Time

Players are going on a (15) minute break, and when play resumes the blinds in Level 23 will have gone up to 12,000/24,000/4,000.  The chip average at the moment amongst the remaining 47 players is 862,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 46th-54th Places ($1,414)

The following players have cashed for $1,414:

46. Ilya Dyment (Brooklyn, NY)
47. Alex Jim (Brooklyn, NY)
48. Deeneash Krishnanand (Kew Gardens, NY)
49. Eric Rivkin (East Hampton, NY)
50. Scott Davis (Wayne, PA)
51. Robert Miller (Nanuet, NY)
52. Jeff Gross (Wall, NJ)
53. Tomasz Gliniecki (Jackson, NJ)
54. Nicholas Partenope (Colonia, NJ)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Kim Eliminates Krishnanand

Level 22 (Blinds 10,000/20,000/3,000)

Players Remaining: 47

After Deeneash Krishnanand opened the pot, both Charles Welch (small blind) and David Kim (big blind) called and the three would go to the flop.  The flop would run out  9 6 4 (rainbow), and both players would check to Deeneash.  Deeneash would c-bet, and after Welch folded, Kim would put in a check raise.  Krishnanand would three-bet all-in (Kim just had him covered), and David would make the call.  Kim's 6 9 > AA of Krishnanand, and would push 1,800,000 after winning the pot.

David Kim - 1,800,000

Deeneash Krishnanand - Eliminated

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Kraut Finds Big Double

Level 22 (Blinds 10,000/20,000/3,000)
Players Remaining: 48

Alan Kraut (Doylestown, PA) was all-in for his last 255,000, and his pocket fives were in bad shape against A Q on an A J J flop.  The turn brought a miracle five, and Kraut would fade the river ace/jack to double up to 550,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Still Around

Level 22 (Blinds 10,000/20,000/3,000)
Players Remaining: 51

Here is a short list of notable players still alive:

Art DiProspero
Dawn Saddler
Ilya Dyment
DeeAngelo Seng
Ryan Eriquezzo
Justin Liberto
Frank Dire
Charles Welch
David Kim
Sheri Moores
Ray Ross
Philipp Yan
Alan Kraut
Erik Nomberg
Mark McDonough
Mohammed Farah
Tru Le
Alex Queen
Robert Boyko
Cullen Hofmann
Nick Peticca
Staffan Lind

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Six Bigs And A Dream

Level 22 (Blinds 10,000/20,000/3,000)
Players Remaining: 52

Ryan Eriquezzo (New Haven, CT)

Ryan's Tweet pretty much sums things up, and it's also part of what makes these events great:

Hopped in day two for my last chance and six BBS for an absurd number of bullets and am itm at dinner w 1.3mm coming back to 20k bb 58 left
— Ryan Eriquezzo (@RyanEriquezzo) May 4, 2014

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 55th-63rd Places ($1,184)

The following players have cashed for $1,184:

55. Cappy Palombo (Pennington, NJ)
56. Satish Surapaneni (Clifton, NJ)
57. Brandon Bugli (Newark, DE)
58. Keith DeAngelis (Philadelphia, PA)
59. Peter Ippolito (East Meadow, NY)
60. Robert Sembler (Staten Island, NY)
61. Mike Cannon (Harrisburg, PA)
62. Ramanna Bharthku (Dayton, NJ)
63. Charles Levin (Lebanon, NJ)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): After Dinner Treat

Players are beginning to take their seats once again, with the blinds going up to 10,000/20,000/3,000. The chip average amongst the remaining 58 players is 700,000 (35 big blinds), with two more levels remaining in the night.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Dinner Time

Players are going on a (75) minute dinner break, and they will return to finish three more (90) minute levels at approximately 8:15pm.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 64th-72nd Places ($955)

The following players have cashed for $955:

64. Ryan Dion (Parts Unknown)

65. Chris Larrea (Philadelphia, PA)

66. Nathan Baum (Plainsboro, NJ)

67. Jonathan Kramer (Forest Hills, NY)

68. Flavio De Oliveira (Brazil)

69. Scott Love (Wyndmoor, PA)

70. Chris Capone (Philadelphia, PA)

71. Val Zekser (Philadelphia, PA)

72. Gary Bowker (East Lansdowne, PA)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Updated Counts

Level 21 (Blinds 8,000/16,000/2,000)
Players Remaining: 66

The field will be going on dinner in about (30) minutes, and here are some counts from the remaining players:

Nick Peticca - 2,000,000
Staffan Lind - 1,700,000
Mike Yang - 1,600,000
Ilya Dyment - 1,500,000
Mark McDonough - 1,500,000
David Kim - 1,200,000
Deeneash Krishanand - 1,300,000
Sheri Moores - 1,000,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 73rd-81st Places ($802)

The following players cashed for $802:

73. Kim Edmonds (Toms River, NJ)
74. Alex Lafontant (Huntingdon Valley, PA)
75. Kevin Bressler (Wayne, PA)
76. TJ Shulman (Boyton Beach, FL)
77. Joe Reddick (New York, NY)
78. Igor Skochilo (Astoria, NY)
79. Steve Cormier (Summit Hill, PA)
80. Wu Yao (New York, NY)
81. Manh Nguyen (Philadelphia, PA)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Skochilo Busts

Level 20 (Blinds 6,000/12,000/2,000)
Players Remaining: 77

Igor Skochilo (Astoria, NY) came into the day with one of the top stacks in the field, but he has just taken the long walk to the cage (collecting 78th place money).  Level 20 has under (10) minutes remaining, and players will finish one more level before going on dinner.  The blinds in Level 21 go up to 8,000/16,000/2,000 (chip average currently 533,000).

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 82nd-90th Places ($726)

The following players have cashed for $726:

82. Michael Ryan (Abbottstown, PA)
83. Larry Wolf (Annapolis, MD)
84. Brian Dougherty (Philadelphia, PA)
85. Joseph Egan (Philadelphia, PA)
86. Ryan Forbeck (Shamong, PA)
87. Tam Nguyen (Harrisburg, PA)
88. Nathan Tuthill (Fredericksburg, VA)
89. Eugene Gorelik (Brooklyn, NY)
90. Martin King (Jamison, PA)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Three Ladies Remain

Level 20 (Blinds 6,000/12,000/2,000)
Players Remaining: 86

There are only three ladies remaining in the field, and here are the counts:

Sheri Moores - 900,000
Dawn Saddler - 295,000
Kim Edmonds - 250,000

Two shorties got big doubles right after break, as Jeff Gross doubles to 275,000 and Peter Ippolito doubles to 400,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time

Players are going on their second break of the day (15 minutes), and they will return to blinds of 6,000/12,000/2,000.  Staffan Lind (Vero Beach, FL) still leads the way with 88 players remaining, having the only stack over 2,000,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 91st-108th Places ($649)

The following players have cashed in for $649:

91. Igor Rabinovich (Ridgeboro, PA)
92. Jason Rivkin (Eatontown, NJ)
93. Ronald Vitello (New York, NY)
94. Michael Melkerson (Harrisonburgh, VA)
95. Max Pinnola (Huntingdon Valley, PA)
96. Michael Fiabane (Bordertown, NJ)
97. Zachary Zahner (Erie, PA)
98. Michael Slaven (Bensalem, PA)
99. Michael Marder (Sewell, NJ)
100. Jonas Wexler (Southampton, PA)
101. Alexander Roiz (Huntingdon Valley, PA)
102.Vladimir Kitsovl (Philadelphia, PA)
103. Christine Brewer (Port Monmouth, NJ)
104. Michael DiMaiuta (Centerhill, PA)
105. Ly Choing (Marlton, NJ)
106. Philipp Knirch (Media, PA)
107. Vincent Teutonico (Staten Island, NY)
108. Jesse Letchworth (Colonial Heights, VA)

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Millionaires Club

Level 19 (Blinds 5,000/10,000/1,000)
Players Remaining: 93

Here are the seven players in the room over 1,000,000 at the moment:

Staffan Lind - 2,200,000
Mark McDonough - 1,600,000
David Kim - 1,500,000
Nick Peticca - 1,300,000
Erik Nomberg - 1,100,000
Tyler Bowker - 1,100,000
Val Zekser - 1,000,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Level 19 Begins

Level 19 started moments ago, with the blinds going up to 5,000/10,000/1,000.  The bustouts have been fast and furious, as players are steadily bringing seat cards to the podium.

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): 109th-143rd Places ($611)

The following players have cashed for $611:

109. Daniel Nolam (Baltimore, MD)
110. David Wheeler (Hamilton, NJ)
111. Thai Quang (Factoryville, PA)
112. Frank Lorreno (Staten Island, NY)
113. Adam Consalvo (Freehold, NJ)
114. Michael Boehme (Willingboro, NJ)
115. Joe Simmons (Philadelphia, PA)
116. Robert Anderson (Mechanicsburg, PA)
117. Devin Christie (Chicora, PA)
118. Justin Friedman (Yardley, PA)
119. Stephanie Hubbard (Hazlet, NJ)
120. Alexander Bernard (Fredricksburg, VA)
121. Chris Bloom (Philadelphia, PA)
122. Anthony Serino (Hyde Park, NY)
123. Antonio Amato (Langhorne, PA)
124. Michael Matrone (Morganville, NJ)
125. Frank Ficadenti (Springfield, VA)
126. Charles Beck (Albany, NY)
127. Bosu Avunoori (Cary, NC)
128. Jerry Callahan (East Norwich, PA)
129. Gary Ackerman (Collegeville, PA)
130. Scott Fitzgerald (Philadelphia, PA)
131. Trevor Deeter (Langhorne, PA)
132. Nancy Birnbaum (Henderson, NV)
133. Wayne Goldstein (Brooklyn, NY)
134. Joshua Teitelbaum (Brooklyn, NY)
135. Stephen Rozanski (Huntingdon Valley, PA)
136. Thomas Coan (Smithtown, NY)
137. Irwin Reiter (New York, NY)
138. Robert Calabrese (Brooklyn, NY)
139. Matt Glantz (Lafayette Hill, PA)
140. Daniel Yoo (Palisades Park, NJ)
141. Frank Molinari (Moonachie, NJ)
142. Vincent Tronu (Brigantine, NJ)
143. Kevin Miller (Freeport, NY)

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): True Story

Level 18 (Blinds 4,000/8,000/1,000)
Players Remaining: 124

Ryan Eriquezzo started the day with the 30,000 starting stack...this Tweet was from moments ago:

#reallife pic.twitter.com/dkNg8pOwb9
— Ryan Eriquezzo (@RyanEriquezzo) May 4, 2014

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): ITM Tweets

Level 18 (Blinds 4,000/8,000/1,000)
Players Remaining: 143

ITM @parxpokerroom @APinson1 Guaranteed $31 for cheating. Crime pays!!
— HMan (@CullenHMan) May 4, 2014

itm with 143 left I have 400k #ParxBigStax
— Tru Q Le (@tru_le) May 4, 2014

In the money w 240k at 8k bb #parxbigstax #notsowitheredstax
— Jason Rivkin (@jayriv2) May 4, 2014

In the money...still ninja mode. #ParxBigStax
— Michael Marder (@MMarder86) May 4, 2014

1351 players 143 till I win $80K in the $$$ @parxpokerroom
— Nancy Birnbaum (@NancyBirnbaum) May 4, 2014

Big Stax 300 (Day 2): Bubble Has Burst

Level 18 (Blinds 4,000/8,000/1,000)
Players Remaining: 143

The bubble has burst very quietly, and with tables still spread in different areas of the poker room, the action of the fateful hand is not yet known.  Play is back to normal now after a short applause from the field, with the min cash bringing $611.