We had 194 entries for Friday’s Day 1a of our Big Stax 1500 event. 42 players bagged chips and will return Sunday for Day 2. Here’s a list sorted by chip count:

Date	Time	Event	Buy In + Fee
Tues Feb 24th	10:15AM	Limit H.O.S.E	$500
Fri. Feb. 27th	10:00AM	Big Stax 1500 Day 1a (8-handed)	$1,500
Sat. Feb. 28th	10:00 AM	Big Stax 1500 Day 1a (8-handed)	$1,500
Sun. Mar 1	11:00AM	Big Stax 1500 Day 2 (8-handed)	$1,500
Sun. Mar 1	1:00PM	Big Stax 2500: Day 1 (8-handed)	$2,500
Mon. Mar 2	12:00PM	Big Stax 1500 Day 3 (8-handed)	$2,500
Mon Mar. 2	11:00 AM	Big Stax 2500: Day 2 (8-handed)	$2,500
Tues. Mar 3	12:00PM	Big Stax 2500: Day 3 (8-handed)	$2,500
Thurs. Mar 5	10:15 AM	NL Hold em: Seniors (50+ Event)	$340
Fri Mar 6	12:15PM	NL Hold’em: Purple Chip Bounty	$1,060
Sun Mar 8	11:15AM	Sun daily NL Hold’em Turbo	$150

*All remaining Events in the main poker room

• Parx Big Stax 750 XXXVII 9:50PM
• Level 31: 100,000/200,000/200,000
• Total Entries: 830
• Players Remaining: Play Complete

Bob Rickards of Jackson NJ is the Big Stax 750 XXXVII Champion taking home his largest cash to date for $100,000. Rickards is in construction by day and plays poker recreationally and is taking home the trophy on his first and only buy in.

Congratulations to all the winners!

• Parx Big Stax 750 XXXVII 9:50PM
• Level 31: 100,000/200,000/200,000
• Total Entries: 830
• Players Remaining: Play Complete

Pre-flop Jeff Gibson raised to 500k, Bob Rickards raised to 2mi, Gibson moved all in for about 8M and Rickards quickly called.

Gibson: 44

Rickards: 10 10

Board: K♣5♠J♣ K♦ 9♠ for Rickard’s pocket tens to hold up and eliminate Gibson in 2nd place for $78,095

• Parx Big Stax 750 XXXVII 9:30PM
• Level 31: 100,000/200,000/200,000
• Total Entries: 830
• Players Remaining: 2

It was a short lived hot start for Jeff Gibson, when Rickards started closing in on Gibson to be very close to even stacks.

Rickards on the button raised to 500k and Gibson called.

Flop: 10♥4♣5♥ Gibson checks, Rickards bets 600k and Gibson calls

Turn: J♥ Gibson checks, Rickards bets 3.2M and Gibson calls

River: 3♥ both players check

Rickards shows Q♥2♥ for a Q high flush and a disgusted Gibson mucks his cards.

• Parx Big Stax 750 XXXVII 9:10PM
• Level 31: 100,000/200,000/200,000
• Total Entries: 830
• Players Remaining: 2

The final 2 players took a brief break to discuss and decided to take off some money from first place to give an even 100k and the trophy to first and $78,095 now going to second before beginning heads up play. Updated chip counts prior to heads up play beginning below:

Table	Seat	First	Last	Chip Count
11	5	Jeff	Gibson	18.925M
11	9	Bob	Rickards	14.275M

• Parx Big Stax 750 XXXVII 9:00PM
• Level 310: 100,000/200,000/200,000
• Total Entries: 830
• Players Remaining: 2

Pre flop Mike Ciarlante limped in on the button, Bob Rickards raised to 700k, Ciarlante re-raised to 1.8 M and Rickards called.

Flop: J♣3♥10♠ Rickards goes all in for 3.8M and Ciarlante quickly calls

Ciarlante: QQ

Rickards: A10

Turn: A giving Rickards 2 pair

River is a blank for Rickards 2 pair to award him the double up.

The very next hand Rickards limps in and Ciarlante announces he hasn’t looked and is all in on the big blind for 2.475M. Rickards thinks and then makes the call

Rickards: J8

Ciarlante: K8

Flop: QJ10 giving Rickards a pair of J’s while Ciarlante is open ended to hit a straight.

Turn and River are no help to Ciarlante to knock him out in 3rd place for $44,940.

Though a cash game regular, Ciarlante says this was his first tournament in many years and first major tournament he’s ever played. He came into day 2 as chip leader and managed to hold the chip lead most of day 2 and much of day 3 and fired just one bullet into the event. Ciarlante brings a fun and friendly spirit to the game and as his mom always said strives to “Be the better person.” Well played Mike, and congrats on your 3rd place finish!

• Parx Big Stax 750 XXXVII 8:35PM
• Level 31: 100,000/200,000/200,000
• Total Entries: 830
• Players Remaining: 3

A major shift in chips when Mike Ciarlante hit an inside straight draw to the nut straight held by Jeff Gibson.

Board was 10 4 8 5 7

Ciarlante: 6 3 for a 7 high straight

Gibson: J9 for a J high straight.

River Gibson made a large 3M bet which Ciarlante called and a couple million was already in the pot prior to the river.

• Parx Big Stax 750 XXXVII 8:30 PM
• Next Level 31: 100,000/200,000/200,000
• Total Entries: 830
• Players Remaining: 3

Pre flop the final 3 limp in.

Flop 10 9 4 Jeff Gibson and Bob Rickards check in the blinds and Mike Ciarlante bets 600k, Gibson folds, Rickards moves all in for 2.6M and Ciarlante folds and shows 10 8 for top pair, Rickard shows 98 for middle pair.

Not long after, Rickards raised from the button pre flop to 600k and Ciarlante called.

Flop: Q 8 2 Ciarlante bets 700k and Rickards calls

Turn: 6 Ciarlante checks, Rickards moves all in for 2.4M and Ciarlante calls

Ciarlante:10 10

Rickards: 66 for a set of sixes

River: K for Rickards to hold and double up

• Parx Big Stax 750 XXXVII 8:00PM
• On Break Next Level 31: 100,000/200,000/200,000
• Total Entries: 830
• Players Remaining: 3

Table	Seat	First	Last	Chip Count
11	2	Mike	Ciarlante	15.35M
11	5	Jeff	Gibson	12.1M
11	9	Bob	Rickards	5.75M