$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 19: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 108 of 1,804
Average Stack: 167,000 (21 bb)

In the third hand of bubble action, a player in early position opened to 18,000, and Kenneth Watson three-bet shoved for about 120,000 a few seats over. The original raiser called all in for 83,000 total, putting himself at risk.

Watson:
Opponent:

The board ran out , and Watson’s pair of kings earned him the knockout, eliminating his opponent on the direct money bubble.

That reduced the field to 108 players, and they’re now all in the money. Everyone left is guaranteed to earn at least $346 this evening, with a top prize of nearly $50,000 awaiting the eventual winner.

Kenneth Watson – 220,000 (28 bb)

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 110 of 1,804
Average Stack: 164,000 (27 big blinds)

It took less than 20 minutes into the new level to get Event 5 down near the money bubble. They are one elimination from going to hand-for-hand action.

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 Ante
Players Remaining: 120 of 1,804
Average Stack: 150,000 (25 big blinds)

Players are back in their seats and we expect the money bubble to get here before the end of this level. Ty Akbasli continues to lead the field but Qasem Jamhour moved into second position early in the day.

Top stacks and notable names:

Ty Akbasli – 570,000 (95 bb)
Qasem Jamhour – 462,000 (77 bb)
Jon Turner – 440,000 (73 bb)
Marc Levy – 300,000 (50 bb)
Zo Karim – 274,000 (46 bb)
Paul Balzano – 230,000 (38 bb)
Johanssy Joseph – 200,000 (33 bb)
Stosh Gepp – 193,000 (32 bb)
Sean Shah – 160,000 (27 bb)
Edina Pantinchin – 145,000 (24 bb)
James Salmon – 140,000 (23 bb)
Wally Maddah – 96,000 (16 bb)
David Inselberg – 90,000 (15 bb)
Mike Beasley – 80,000 (13 bb)

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 17: 2,500/5,000 with a 500 Ante
Players Remaining: 121 of 1,804
Average Stack: 149,000 (30 big blinds)

Players are on their first break of the day and return only a handful of eliminations away from making some money.

Tournament staff are coloring off the 500 denom chips and we’ll check out our big stacks when that is complete.

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 17: 2,500/5,000 with a 500 Ante
Players Remaining: 144 of 1,804
Average Stack: 125,000 (29 big blinds)

We’re used to seeing players arrive late to tournament restarts, especially those with big stacks. Marc Levy took it a little further than most and was the last to take a seat an hour into play. But it wasn’t his original seat because that table was distributed around the room.

Table 14 was already dealing with Ty Akbasli’s chip leading stack, now it has to contend with Levy as well.

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 16: 2,000/4,000 with a 500 Ante
Players Remaining: 153 of 1,804
Average Stack: 118,000 (29 big blinds)

The rich get richer and the field gets shorter.

Ty Akbasli was at an early-break table and moved over to the middle of the room, he was getting active not long after unracking his chips.

James Hughs open-shoved under the gun for 35,500 and it folded around the Akbasli in the big blind. He took a minute to think before saying “let’s gamble”.

Hughs was ahead with against Akbasli’s live and stayed that way on the flop. Akbasli added a gutshot draw and promptly popped it on the turn to leave Hughs drawing dead short of the money.

James Hughs – Eliminated
Ty Akbasli – 510,000 (128 bb)

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 1,500/3,000 with a 500 Ante
Players Remaining: 183 of 1,804
Average Stack: 98,500 (33 big blinds)

Cards are in the air and Day 2 is underway. We expect a lot of quick exits at the start before action slows when they approach the bubble.

We lost a player on the second hand of the tournament and it was just as leader Ty Akbasli was getting to his table.

“The shortest stack is going in,” Hagai Stein half-joked.

He began the day with only 17,000 and had his best friend Akbasli at the other end of the table with the biggest. Stein was in the big blind and prepared to get them in when John Ho open-shoved his stack from under the gun.

It folded to Stein and he peeped  the for the call. He had only one overcard with against Ho’s and was eliminated early as the board ran .

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 1,500/3,000 with a 500 Ante
Players Remaining: 183 of 1,804
Average Stack: 98,500 (33 big blinds)

Six flights of Event 5 drew more than 1,800 entrants over the two starting days but only 183 were able to make it through the first 14 levels of the tournament. Those players return today for Day 2 and we are scheduled to play down to a champion later today.

They created a prize pool worth $216,480 and the last 108 players will earn a piece. Those who min-cash will take home $346 while the eventual champion banks nearly $50,000.

Ty Akbasli bagged up the biggest stack of all the starting flights and returns as the only player over 400,000. He’s followed by Marc Levy with 323,000 with Olvenso Savoie, Evan Young, Joseph Lachovic rounding out the top five.

Also still alive for the title are Wally Maddah, Zo Karim, Carlos Loving, Johanssy Joseph, Kim Stone, and WSOP bracelet winner Joe Ebanks.

Players are finding their new seats, unbagging their chips, and they will be underway in a moment.

• Event 5 Day 2 Chip Counts
• Event 5 Day 2 Table/Seat Assignments
• Event 5 Payouts

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Total Entries: 1,804
Players Remaining: 183
Average Stack: 98,500

$150 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Total Entries: 1,804
Players Remaining: 183
Average Stack: 98,500