$600 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Return to Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Players Remaining:  49 of 506

Flight A:  506 Entries; 49 Advanced
Flight B:  Underway
Flight C:  Friday at 10 a.m.
Flight D:  Friday at 6 p.m.
Flight E:  Saturday at 10 a.m.
Flight F:  Saturday at 6 p.m.
Day 2:  Sunday at 1 p.m.

$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Flight B Entries:  390

The players return from their first break to begin Level 5, with increased blinds of 200-400 with a 400 ante.

The tournament clock shows 390 entries so far, and registration remains open with unlimited re-entries until the start of Level 9 (around 10:30 pm).

The total field size is up to 896, and the prizepool is already worth more than $465,000 on its way to the $1 million guarantee.

A scan of the field during the break turned up four players with at least 70K in chips, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Brandon Lalloo  –  77,500  (194 bb)
2.  Pasquale Caiazza  –  77,000  (193 bb)
3.  German Zaga  –  74,600  (187 bb)
4.  Ben McCoy  –  73,700  (184 bb)

$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Flight A Players Remaining:  49 of 506

In addition to the double knockout at the hands of Ricardo Velasco, two other players were eliminated during hands already in action before hand-for-hand play could begin.

So there are only 49 players who survived Flight A to bag up chips for Day 2. The full list of official chip counts will be posted later this evening.

In the meantime, here’s a look at the top three chip stacks from Flight A:

1.  Michael Moskowitz  –  554,000  (92 bb)
2.  Jason Young  –  508,000  (85 bb)
3.  William Fife  –  478,000  (80 bb)

Action ended with 6:30 remaining in Level 17, so Day 2 will begin with the blinds no later than that. Day 2 begins Sunday at 1:00 pm, and everyone who bags chips for Day 2 will be in the money.

$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Flight A Players Remaining:  51 of 506

A player moved all in from middle position for about 41,000, Ricardo Velasco called from middle position, and the player on the button moved all in over the top for about 81,000.

Velasco called with a larger stack, and all three players showed their cards. Here they are in descending order of chip counts:

Ricardo Velasco:  
Button:  
Middle Position:  

The board came , and Velasco paired his ace on the flop to win the entire pot with two pair, aces and fives, eliminating both players from Flight A.

Ricardo Velasco  –  407,000  (68 bb)

With 51 or fewer players remaining, that is a wrap on Flight 1A. Stay tuned for the full list of official chip counts from this flight.

$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Flight A Players Remaining:  55 of 506

This first starting flight is now four spots away from the money, which is also the end of their day. There are 55 players left, but only 51 can advance to Day 2.

The current chipleader is Jason Young, who is sitting with a stack of 450,000.

Back in January of 2019, Young outlasted a field of 1,634 to win the WPTDeepStacks Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship, earning a whopping $263,205. Young is also a WSOP bracelet winner in $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout, where he won $335,565.

Jason Young  –  450,000  (75 bb)

With 55 players remaining from a field of 506 entries, the average stack is around 184,000 (31 big blinds). Action will continue this evening until there are 51 players remaining, and everyone who bags chips will finish in the money and advance to Day 2, which begins Sunday at 1:00 pm.

$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2:  100/100
Flight B Entries:  242

Flight B is building up a nice field, with 242 entries here in Level 2, bumping the total field to 748 and the prizepool up over $385,000.

Registration remains open with unlimited re-entries until the start of Level 9, around 10:30 pm.

$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 15:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Flight A Players Remaining:  70 of 506

A player raised under the gun to 8,000, William Baldera moved all in from the button for 48,000, and his opponent called with .

Baldera turned over , and needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Baldera won the pot with his king to double up in chips.

William Baldera  –  106,000  (27 bb)

With about 70 players remaining from a field of 506 entries, the average stack is around 145,000 (36 big blinds). Action will continue this evening until there are 51 players remaining, and everyone who bags chips will finish in the money and advance to Day 2, which begins Sunday at 1:00 pm.

$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 15:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Flight A Players Remaining:  77 of 506

The players return from break to begin Level 15, with increased blinds of 2,000-4,000 with a 4,000 ante.

A scan of the field during the break turned up five players with at least 250K each, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Francois Gagne  –  457,000  (114 bb)
2.  Howard Mash  –  383,000  (96 bb)
3.  Michael Moskowitz  –  368,000  (92 bb)
4.  Ido Ashkenazi  –  303,000  (76 bb)
5.  Ricardo Velasco  –  269,000  (67 bb)

With 77 players remaining from a field of 506 entries, the average stack is around 131,000 (33 big blinds). Action will continue this evening until there are 51 players remaining, and everyone who bags chips will finish in the money and advance to Day 2, which begins Sunday at 1:00 pm.

$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1:  100/100

Flight B of Showdown Event 15 gets underway at 6 pm and looking to build on the great start in Flight A. The tournament already has 506 entries and more than a quarter of the way to the $1,000,000 guarantee already.

Players start with 20,000 deep stacks and all Day 1 levels last 30 minutes. Levels increase to 40 minutes on Day 2 and go up to 60 when down to the last three tables. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 9 at 10:30 pm.

Flight B will play down to the last 10% of the field and those with chips will bag them up for a Day 2 return on Sunday at 1 pm in the money.

• $1,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Day 1 levels last 30 minutes; Day 2 levels last 40 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 9 (10:30pm)
• Day 1 will end when field reaches 10%
• Event 15 Structure Sheet

$600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 14:  1,500/3,000 with a 3,000 ante
Flight A Players Remaining:  99 of 506

The Flight A field dropped back into double digits with 11 tables and 99 players. A little more half of these players will make Day 2 and the money.

Howard Mash is another spot they will have to go through to get there. The 2019 WSOP Seniors Champ (and two-time Coco Poker Open winner as well) moved up to 301,500 with another break in the near future.