Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): 1st Place - Ha ($100,000)

Vimy Ha (Brooklyn, NY)
1st Place - $100,000 *

* Denotes Chop

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): 2nd Place - Albin ($93,236)

Josh Albin (Freeport, NY)
2nd Place - $93,236 *

* Denotes Chop

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): Break Time

Vimy Ha and Josh Albin are taking a (10) minute break, and when they return the blinds in Level 31 will be 150,000/300,000/50,000.

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): Heads Up Counts

Here are the heads up counts:

Vimy Ha - 19,000,000
Josh Albin - 7,000,000

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): 3rd Place - Pillai ($42,327)

Level 30 - Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000 (Players Remaining: 2)

Shankar Pillai (New York, NY)
3rd Place - $42,327

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): Updated Counts

Here are your up to the minute counts:

1. Shankar Pillai - 6,000,000
2. Josh Albin - 3,000,000
3. Vimy Ha - 17,000,000

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): 4th Place - Levy ($31,438)

Level 30 - Blinds 100,000/200,000/25,000 (Players Remaining: 3)

Justin Levy (Coral Springs, FL)
4th Place - $31,438

Justin's all-in was for only four big blinds, and Shankar Pillai three bet to 1,700,000.  Vimy Ha called the 1,700,000 out of the big blinds and we went to the flop: A Q 6.  Ha check raised Shankar's 1,200,000 flop bet to 3,000,000, and after some thought Shankar would eventually fold.  Levy couldn't have seen a worse flop with K 7, and was drawing dead after a deuce spiked the turn against Ha's AQ.

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): Break Time/Chip Counts

Players are taking another (10) minute break, and will return to blinds of 100,000/200,000/25,000.  Here are the four handed chip counts:

1. Justin Levy - 2,000,000 (10 big blinds)
2. Shankar Pillai - 8,500,000 (42 big blinds)
3. Josh Albin - 2,500,000 (12 big blinds)
4. Vimy Ha - 12,500,000 (62 big blinds)

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): Pillai Dips...Vimy Assumes Chip Lead

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000 (Players Remaining: 4)

After getting paid off on the river in a 7,000,000 pot with aces (against Shankar), Vimy Ha has now taken the chip lead with close to 12,000,000.

Shankar Pillai seemed to be on cruise control only a level ago, but he has trended downwards, and now has less than 9,000,000.

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): Levy Triples

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000 (Players Remaining: 4)

Justin Levy just triples up as he was down to less than 700,000.  He was called by both Pillai and Ha, and already got his things together before the hand even ran out.  The board was checked down by the two players (J 8 A A 6), and Levy announced he had a pair lower than everything on board (pocket threes).   Neither Ha or Shankar had a pair, and Levy would end up tripling up.

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): 5th Place - Wyvill ($24,282)

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000 (Players Remaining: 4)

Wes Wyvill (Alexandria, VA)
5th Place - $24,282

Wes was the shortest stack at the table after watching Justin Levy double up, and it was only moments later that Wyvill would be all-in UTG + 1.  He was called by Pillai in the big blind, and Shankar's AK would have Wes's QJ drawing dead on the turn.

Pillai is up over 14,000,000.

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): Levy Doubles

Level 29 - Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000 (Players Remaining: 5)

We see our first short stack get it in, as Justin Levy pushes from the small blind after Vimy's raise.  Levy has Ha dominated with AK against the KJ of Vimy.

Levy goes over 3,200,000 with the win.

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): Back In Action

Players have taken their seats to start Level 29, and from the talk during break, it's only a matter a time before the play opens up for the shorter stacks.

Big Stax 1000 (Day 3): Break Time/Chip Counts

The play is still super deep, and as the blinds increase in Level 29 to 75,000/150,000/25,000, the chip average is still above 30 big blinds.  The pay jumps where we are now are pretty steep, and players have been staying away from playing many big pots.  Here are the updated chip counts:

1. Justin Levy - 1,800,000
2. Shankar Pallai - 10,200,000
3. Josh Albin -  2,000,000
4. Wes Wyvill - 2,900,000
5. Vimy Ha - 9,400,000