2016 Fun in the Sun
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Hollywood, FL
$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em
Entries: 114
Prize Pool: $25,000
December 29, 2016

Daren Stabinski won Event 5 of the Fun in the Sun at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood on Thursday evening. Stabinski emerged victorious from a field of 114 entries in the series’ $250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em tournament. A deal was reached between the final seven players and Stabinski, who began the unofficial final table as the short stack, scored a double up and all three eliminations to seize the chip lead before the deal was agreed upon.

Stabinski resides in Miami, Florida and the victory marks his seventh at the Seminole Hard Rock and moves him just below $550,000 in career tournament earnings.

*denotes seven-handed deal

$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 21: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 114
Average Stack: 244,000 (15 bb)

The remaining seven players agreed to a deal. Here were their chip counts at the time:

Daren Stabinski – 533,000 (33 bb)
Scott Efron – 475,000 (29 bb)
Zeav Shababo – 209,000 (13 bb)
Justin Lee – 169,000 (10 bb)
Stanley Sanders – 115,000 (7 bb)
Kevin Buldo – 113,000 (7 bb)
Marc Sacheli – 98,000 (6 bb)

As chip leader, Daren Stabinski was officially declared the champion of Event 5. Here were the payouts from the deal:

Daren Stabinski – $4,368
Scott Efron – $4,140
Zeav Shababo – $2,763
Justin Lee – $2,485
Stanley Sanders -$2,064
Kevin Buldo – $2,047
Marc Sacheli – $1,918

A recap of the event with complete payouts will be posted later tonight.

$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 21: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 114
Average Stack: 244,000 (15 bb)

Stanley Quinn raised all in from the button for about 75,000 and Daren Stabinski called from the big blind with , leading Quinn’s .

Stabinski flopped trip tens and no miracle save came for Quinn, ending his run in eighth place.

Daren Stabinski – 535,000 (33 bb)
Stanley Quinn – Eliminated in 8th Place ($838)

$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 21: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8 of 114
Average Stack: 190,000 (11 bb)

Daren Stabinski raised to 37,000 from early position, Sharon Bachar reraised all in for about 70,000 from the next seat over, and Stabinski called with , flipping with Bachar’s .

The board came down , safe for Stabinski to score the elimination.

Daren Stabinski – 450,000 (28 bb)
Sharon Bachar – Eliminated in 9th Place ($738)

$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 21: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 of 114
Average Stack: 190,000 (11 bb)

Nigel Murray raised all in for 28,000 from the hijack and found action from Daren Stabinski in the cutoff.

Murray:
Stabinski:

The board came down , not enough help to Murray, locking up the pot for Stabinski.

Daren Stabinski – 300,000 (18 bb)
Nigel Murray – Eliminated in 10th Place ($650)

$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 21: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 10 of 114
Average Stack: 171,000 (10 bb)

Marc Sacheli raised all in from middle position and Daren Stabinski called all in from the big blind for 94,000 with , racing with Sacheli’s .

The board came down , giving Stabinski quad jacks to double up.

Daren Stabinski – 216,000 (13 bb)
Marc Sacheli – 48,000 (3 bb)

$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 20: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 11 of 114
Average Stack: 155,000 (13 bb)

Howard Mash raised all in from the button for 70,000 and Justin Lee called from the big blind with , leading Mash’s .

The board came down , safe for Lee to score the elimination, having Mash covered by just 1,000.

Justin Lee – 152,000 (15 bb)
Howard Mash – Eliminated in 13th Place ($563)

Other recent eliminations include Al Gomez (12th – $650), Dimitry Agrachov (14th – $563), and Josh Tsur (15th – $563).

$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 15 of 114
Average Stack: 114,000 (14 bb)

With the eliminations of Willie Wiggins and former big stacks Jorge Gomez and James Smith, play became hand for hand. A few minutes into it, Trent Smith raised all in for about 62,000 from middle position and Daren Stabinski isolated the action with a shove of his own from from the cutoff.

Smith:
Stabinski:

The board ran out , giving Stabinski jacks full of aces to eliminate Smith and send the remaining field into the money.

Daren Stabinski – 170,000 (21 bb)
Trent Smith – Eliminated on the money bubble

$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Upcoming Level 17: 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 19 of 114
Average Stack: 90,000 (15 bb)

The players are in the midst of a 30-minute dinner break. Play resumes at about 5:31 pm. Only 15 players make the money.

James Smith – 160,000 (27 bb)
Nigel Murray – 145,000 (24 bb)
Jorge Gomez – 130,000 (21 bb)
Kevin Buldo – 126,000 (21 bb)

$250 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 1,500/3,000 with a 500 ante
Players Remaining: 23 of 114
Average Stack: 74,500 (24 bb)

Stanley Quinn – 145,000 (48 bb)
Daren Stabinski – 120,000 (40 bb)
Stanley Sanders – 110,000 (36 bb)
Marc Sacheli – 108,000 (36 bb)