Big Stax 300 (Recap): A Parx Reg, Relative Unknown, And Tournament Pro Walk Into A Bar...

The Big Stax 300 started in the early afternoon hours of October 3, and not many people really knew what to expect.  The series was shortened and the question many posed was if the tournaments would attract the same field they have in the past?  The answer was made evident before dinner break on Day 1B, as the guarantee ($150,000) had been reached, and the field was on pace to crack 1,000 entries once again.  When the final handshake(s) were made, it would be three players agreeing to chop the remaining prize pool.  Ray Ross (Philadelphia, PA), Alfredo Sosa (Paraguay), and Steven Sarmiento (Queens, NY) were left standing to work out the numbers, and that they did at approximately 2:30am.

Over the three starting days the field would reach a final number of 1,079 entries, building a solid prize pool of $307,515.  It was over double the guarantee that was offered for the opening trophy event, and there were faces old and new.  It was no surprise to see players the like of Mike Dentale, John DiBella, Jason Rivkin, Kyle Bowker, and Matt Glantz.

When the starting days we over and the field was finally combined, we saw some new faces coming into Day 2 on top.  Alexander Dubinchik (Holland, PA), Mike Cannon (Harrisburg, PA), and Foster Haines (Lock Haven, CT) came into Day 2 the leaders, with an honorable mention to Mike Dentale (Brooklyn, NY).  After chopping the Big Stax 1500 earlier in the year, Dentale would bag a top five stack in this monstrous field.  The trend we were seeing on Day 2 were players who formerly made Big Stax final tables seeing some great success.

Players would reach the cash only a few hours into Day 2 play, including Nicholas Partenope, Michael Wert, Dave Inselberg, Jack Duong, and Jeff Wicker (all who have made Big Stax final tables this year).  Day 2 would end with 25 players remaining, which is the most we have ever gone into Day 3 with.  Local tournament pro Joseph McKeehen (North Wales, PA) would be the chip leader going in, and would clearly be pegged one of the favorites coming into the final day.

McKeehen would lead a Day 3 group full of notable players, many of which were Parx tournament/cash regulars.  We saw names like Ray Ross, Sean Wallace, Paul Shedaker, and Frank Ferrigno.  The final table would be reached right after dinner break, and we would see two more players accomplish what is a really tough feat.  Bryan Hayes (Moorestown, NJ) would be at his second Big Stax final table (finished runner-up in the Big Stax I 300), as well as Steven Sarmiento (who final tabled the Big Stax III 1000).

The tables would turn at the final table, as Alfredo Sosa began the lethal combination of run good and big hands.  Good friends Joseph McKeehen and Mike Cannon would exit the tournament in eighth and seventh respectively.  Once Dennis Lisovskiy was eliminated in fourth players, the remaining three took a short scheduled break, and then returned to the conversation of chop.  The numbers were put into the ICM calculator, and a deal agreed to.  Here are your final table results:

1. Alfredo Sosa (Paraguay) - $51,614 *
2. Ray Ross (Philadelphia, PA) - $40,218 *
3. Steven Sarmiento (Queens, NY) - $39,315 *
4. Dennis Lisovskiy (Holland, PA) - $14,607
5. Frank Ferrigno (Wayne, PA) - $11,778
6. Bryan Hayes (Moorestown, PA) - $9,348
7. Mike Cannon (Harrisburg, PA) - $7,073
8. Joseph McKeehen (North Wales, PA) - $5,074
9. Yurig Kalantarov (Rego Park, NY) - $3,844
10. Foster Haines (Lock Haven, CT) - $3,383

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 1st Place - Sosa ($51,614)

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000

Alfredo Sosa (Paraguay)
Big Stax 300 Winner - $51,614

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 2nd Place - Ross ($40,218)

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000

Ray Ross (Pennsylvania)
2nd Place - $40,218

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 3rd Place - Sarmiento ($39,315)

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000

Steve Sarmiento (Queens, NY)
3rd Place - $39,315

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Chop It Up

The three players have decided to chop (ICM), and here are how the payouts look:

1. $51,614 (Alfredo Sosa)
2. $40,218 (Ray Ross)
3. $39,315 (Steven Sarmiento)

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Final Break?

Players are about to go on another break, and will return to Level 30 and blinds of 100,000/200,000/25,000.  Ray Ross just doubled before break, and here are the updated counts:

1. Alfredo Sosa - 16,000,000
2. Steven Sarmiento - 7,900,000
3. Ray Ross - 8,300,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 4th Place - Lisovskiy ($14,607)

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000

Players Remaining: 3 (Average: 10,000,000)

Dennis Lisovskiy (Holland, PA)
4th Place - $14,607

Ray Ross limped under the gun (150,000), and when Sosa folded to Sarmiento, he made is 925,000.  Dennis then four bet all-in for 2,500,000, and Ross folded behind.  Sarmiento would make the call and the cards would be tabled:

Sarmiento: A♦ K♦               Lisovskiy: A Q

Flop: 2♦ 4♦ J

Turn: 7

River: 10

Sarmiento would win the hand and chip up to 11,000,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 5th Place - Ferrigno ($11,778)

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000

Players Remaining: 4 (Average: 8,000,000)

Frank Ferrigno (Wayne, PA)
5th Place - $11,778

Ferrigno was still left as the short stack, even after Ross had been knocked down a bit.  He had been blinding himself down before shoving Q J into the A K of Sosa.  

Sosa would hold up and would chip up to 18,000,000 (which is more than 55% of the chips in play).  His closest competitor at the moment has 6,000,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): It's A Cruel (Mixed Up) Game

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000

Players Remaining: 5 (Average: 5,500,000)

To begin to explain the action that just occurred would likely be too confusing to even lay out.  In the best fashion that we probably can though...we will give it a shot.

Basically...after a raise and a three-bet, there was a premature flop put out (before action could be completed).  Let's take a step back to mention the hand was between Ray Ross and Steven Sarmiento.  

In order to not fill in pieces that aren't fully verified, we will give the story in the simplest terms.  They players were told the flop would be taken back and mixed back in the deck and we would see a new flop.  The players then got all the chips in the middle (the completed action that never had a chance to occur pre).  The hands were exposed and it was A K (Ross) against the A 4 (Sarmiento).  The board would run out clean for Ross until a 4 spiked the river!!!  

Sarmiento would double up to 4,400,000, while Ross was taken down to below 3,000,000.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Your Chip Leader

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000

Players Remaining: 5 (Average: 5,600,000)

Alfredo Sosa (13,000,000)

Not much is known about Sosa, as he has zero recorded cashes to date.  What we do know is that he's got close to half of the chips in play, and he continues playing with a strong aggressive style.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 6th Place - Hayes ($9,348)

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000

Players Remaining: 5 (Average: 5,500,000)

Bryan Hayes (Moorestown, NJ)
6th Place - $9,348

Bryan Hayes was trying to something that we have yet to see at Parx, which is making the final three in two separate Big Stax events (he finished runner-up to Jason Rivkin during the Big Stax I).  Dennis Lisovskiy shoved for 2,575,000 and after the action folded around the Hayes, he re-shoved for less:

Hayes: J J           Lisovskiy: K Q

Flop: 9 2 3

Turn: Q

River: x

We hadn't seen Hayes often since his runner-up finish (for over $50,000), but he's clear not a flash in the pan.  He bested two different fields over 1,000 players, and finish 2nd and 6th respectively.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 7th Place - Cannon ($7,073)

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000

Players Remaining: 6 (Average: 5,000,000)

Mike Cannon (Harrisburg, PA)
7th Place - $7,073

Cannon came back from break as the shortest stack, and would be eliminated the first hand back from break.  He shoved with K J and ran into the K K of Alfredo Sosa, who would stretch out his chip lead a little more.

Cannon will bring his career earnings up to $40,000 with this cash, and we're sure to see him in the near future.

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): Break Time

Players are going on another (10) minute break, and when they return to Level 29 the blinds will be going up to 75,000/150,000/25,000.  Here are the updated chip counts:

Ray Ross - 7,700,000

Frank Ferrigno - 3,700,000

Mike Cannon - 2,300,000

Bryan Hayes - 2,400,000

Alfredo Sosa - 10,500,000

Steven Sarmiento - 3,000,000

Dennis Lisovskiy - 2,800,000

Big Stax 300 (Day 3): 8th Place - McKeehen ($5,074)

Level 28 - 50,000/100,000/10,000

Players Remaining: 7 (Average: 5,300,000)

Joseph McKeehen (North Wales, PA)
8th Place - $5,074

McKeehen's string of deep runs continue, but this time he will not be adding a Big Stax trophy to his mantle just yet.  His A K could not come from behind versus the J J of Ray Ross, and one of the most experienced players at the table would be sent to the cage.

Ross is now up to 7,000,000, which puts him towards the top of the seven remaining.