$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $125,400  |  Structure
Level 7:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1C Entries:  143

Cards are back in the air after the second break and the prize pool reached $125K while they were gone. They will play two more levels before the dinner break.

Marc Sacheli is the early chip leader with a healthy lead over the rest. Bruce Kahn, Craig Witz, Jamar Brown, and Franklin Rojas round out the top five trying to catch him.

Here’s a look at some of the top counts and others in the game:

Marc Sacheli – 158,200 (264 bb)
Bruce Kahn – 116,200 (194 bb)
Craig Witz – 106,100 (177 bb)
Jamar Brown – 101,700 (170 bb)
Franklin Rojas – 98,400 (164 bb)
Miriam Sharom – 91,900 (153 bb)
Matthew Kuba – 88,500 (148 bb)
Nicholas Visconti – 74,000 (123 bb)
Gidi Chamdi – 63,400 (106 bb)
Eric Kolodny – 52,000 (87 bb)
Joel Harwood – 38,300 (64 bb)
Paul Domb – 26,800 (45 bb)
Melissa Kaiser – 26,400 (44 bb)
Kelly Slay – 25,500 (43 bb)
Eric Rivera – 20,600 (34 bb)
Rafael Lima – 18,700 (31 bb)
Robert Scholz – 14,600 (24 bb)

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $122,760  |  Structure
Level 6:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1C Entries:  135

Another break is right around the corner with 135 entries in the game and the prize pool up to $122,760.

They will take 15 minutes away from the game, return for two more levels, and have an extended 40-minute dinner break.

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $119,460  |  Structure
Level 6:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1C Entries:  125

We found Joel Harwood grinding a stack in the middle of the room, a sight we’re not used to seeing. More often than not, we see him working his way through non-hold’em fields where he’s always in contention for a trophy.

Harwood is part of a very talented family; daughter Loni Hui has two WSOP bracelets and five WSOP Circuit rings while son-in-law Phil has four bracelets and five rings.

While we don’t see Harwood in two-card action very often, his biggest career cash came in No-Limit Hold’em when he finished 12th of 1,070 entries in the $5,300 buy-in SHRPO Championship in 2023 for $68,500. Harwood also owns a guitar pick trophy when he won the 2018 SHRPO $360 PLO8 title.

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $115,500  |  Structure
Level 5:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1C Entries:  113

We had some fun yesterday when husband/wife duo Kelley and Kelly Slay made an appearance in the Poker Room. The two were visiting from Jacksonville and took a shot in Flight B of the $400 Deep Stack.

They even found themselves seated next to each other late in the day.

Unfortunately, Kelly busted out during one of the last hands of the evening. Kelley was able put chips in a bag and Kelly is back today trying to match him.

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $111,210  |  Structure
Level 4:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1C Entries:  100

Players returned from the first break of Flight C and the entry count hit 100 shortly after action resumed. That’s a great turnout and the prize pool continues to climb, not stopping until tomorrow at 11 am.

We haven’t lost many of those 100 entries and we have nine full tables running for a busy Poker Room.

Some early friends include Oniel McCalla, Rafael Lima, Melissa Kaiser, Paul Domb, Marc Sacheli, Eric Kolodny, Eric Rivera, Alex Borukhovich, Mark Gaudino, Gary Gelman, and Nicolas Visconti.

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em
Prize Pool:  $103,620  |  Structure
Level 2:  100/100 with a 100 ante
Day 1C Entries:  77

We didn’t expect it to take long, and it didn’t. Cruising through the second level of the day, when the entry count hit 67 to officially top the $100,000 guarantee, then added another ten on top.

The prize pool currently sits at $103,620 but it will grow much bigger with late registration available until 11 am Sunday morning for the start of Day 2.

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em
$100,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 1:  100/100

The third and final flight of Deep Stack Poker Series Event 3 gets underway at 11 am, and the first order of business is a milestone. The $400 buy-in tournament is only 67 new entries away from surpassing its $100,000 guarantee and it will get there early.

From there, the prize pool will continue to build until we close the books tomorrow.

Players sit with 30K in their stacks and all Day 1 levels last 40 minutes, increasing to 60 in Day 2 and 90 minutes in Level 27. Late registration and re-entries are available until the start of Day 2 tomorrow at 11 am.

Play will continue through 14 levels today and survivors return tomorrow for Day 2.

• $100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 in chips
• Levels 1-14 last 40 minutes; Level 15-26 last 60 minutes
• Levels 27+ last 90 minutes
• Late registration until start of Day 2
• Day 1 will end after Level 14
• Event 3 Structure Sheet

Primary Event Schedule

11AM: Event 3 Day 1C – $400 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

• $100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 in chips
• Levels 1-14 last 40 minutes; Level 15-26 last 60 minutes
• Levels 27+ last 90 minutes
• Late registration until start of Day 2
• Day 1 will end after Level 14
• Event 3 Structure Sheet

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em
$100,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Return to Level 15:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining:  39 of 237

Flight A: 120 Entries; 23 Advanced
Flight B: 117 Entries; 16 Advanced
Flight C: Saturday at 11 am
Day 2: Sunday at 11 am

Registration is open until the start of Day 2 on Sunday at 11 am

$400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em
$100,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 14:  2,000/3,000 with a 3,000 ante
Day 1B Players Remaining:  16 of 117

Flight B of the $400 Deep Stack ended with 16 players advancing to Day 2 on Sunday at 11 am.

Willie Wiggins held on to the lead throughout most of the day and finished with the overall chip lead. His 588,000 held of a late rush by Ivan Marynych, who bagged 557,000. Paul Balzano, Ariel Rosello, and Bruce Snell rounded out the top five.

Willie Wiggins – 588,000 (196 bb)
Ivan Marynych – 557,000 (186 bb)
Paul Balzano – 441,000 (147 bb)
Ariel Rosello – 383,000 (128 bb)
Bruce Snell – 235,000 (78 bb)

Late in the day, husband/wife in the field Kelley Slay and Kelly Slay found themselves seated next to each other. Unfortunately, Kelly was eliminated during one of the last hands, but Kelley was able to bag.

Full chip counts will be posted later this evening.