2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
End of Level 14: 1,200/2,400 with a 400 ante | Structure
Flight C Players Remaining: 27 of 169

And that’s a wrap on Flight C of the Escalator $560. From 169 starting, only 27 advanced with Carlos Rodriguez topping a tough fieldd. Trailing the 305,500 chips of the leader are Brian Hastings (294,500) and Michael Newman (252,500).

Here’s a look at some of the big stacks advancing:

• Carlos Rodriguez – 305,500
• Brian Hastings – 294,500
• Michael Newman – 252,500
• William Wilkinson – 244,500
• Ira Schwartz – 226,000
• Richard Arno – 214,500
• Bienvenido Santiago – 200,500
• Josh Beckley – 195,000

Complete chip counts through Flight D will be posted tomorrow morning by 9am.

As is, the field stands at 511 total entries generating $255,500 toward the $400,000 guarantee. With tonight’s Flight D starting momentarily and Flight E and F still to come tomorrow, the six-figure target will easily bested by the time the dust settles.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 14: 1,200/2,400 with a 400 ante | Structure
Flight C Players Remaining: 35 of 169

Level 14 is here and it marks the last of the Flight C Day 1 levels. When the clock narrows to 10 minutes remaining, tournament staff will draw for the a set number of hands to be played. At their completion, the players still in will bag and tag set to return for Day 2 Sunday at 1pm.

The clock shows 35 still in the game at this point. We’ll provide a look at some of the top stacks when the action is final.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 13: 1,000/2,000 with a 300 ante | Structure
Flight C Players Remaining: 35 of 169

Oscar Trestini is a bit healthier after sending a pair of players — including Jonathan Hilton — to the rail. Trestini claimed and had the lead preflop versus Hilton’s and an unknown players’ . The turnout fell blanks and Trestini sent two home while growing his stack to more than 150,000 in chips.

One other player climbing the counts is Brian Hastings. Hasting’s nines recently came out best versus eights in a set-over-set battle. Hastings hit quads on the turn for good measure and doubled his last 54,300. The pot was worth about 155,000 and made its way to Hastings.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 12: 800/1,600 with a 200 ante | Structure
Flight C Players Remaining: 54 of 169

Former WSOP November Niner Josh Beckley is battling for the chip lead as players have returned from their final break of the night. Beckley sits on a stack of 207,000 and is one of the top stacks along with Gary Flur. Beckley, who finished runner-up in the 2015 WSOP Main Event for better than $4,400,000, is a familiar face here in South Florida and he’s not stranger to deep runs in big events.

Players are set to log three more 30-minute levels before action concludes at roughly 6:40pm local time. We’ll provide the top five chip counts following Flight C’s conclusion and post the complete counts Saturday morning by 9am.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 11: 600/1,200 with a 200 ante | Structure
Flight C Players Remaining: 54 of 169

With more than $2,600,000 in career earnings, Brian Hastings is among the upper tier of players in the Escalator $560. He’s had a good go of Flight C thus far, currently sitting with about 75,000 chips late in Level 11. There are plenty of Hollywood successes on his resume, most recently a fourth-place finish in September’s $1,675 WSOP Circuit Main Event.

Hastings is going well here in Flight C, but recently surrendered a small pot to Dolphus Powers when Dolphus checked-raised the flop. Hastings let it go and didn’t risk his healthy stack.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 11: 600/1,200 with a 200 ante | Structure
Flight C Players Remaining: 63 of 169

Flight C of the Escalator $560 is down to seven tables and just 63 players. Those still in and looking for a bag include Brian Hastings, Jonathan Hilton, Dolphus Powers and Joshua Beckley.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 ante | Structure
Flight C Entries: 169 (Total Entries: 511)

Made it past late reg @shrpo 560 with 60k this time. Coming back to 400/800. Getting to the bag this time

— Joshua Beckley (@Joshua1Beckley) March 16, 2018

The official attendance figure for Flight C of the $560 Escalator is 169 entries. That puts the combined number at 511 generating an unofficial prize pool of $255,500. That has the tournament well over halfway to the guarantee and easily on pace to best the $400,000 target.

Here’s a look at the event thus far:

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 ante | Structure
Flight C Entries: 169 (Total Entries: 511)

Gary Flur is tops through the first eight levels of action. Players returned from their second break of the day moments ago and are back in their seats with registration closed. The Flight C field is unofficial at 169 entries, and it’s Flur that’s best with more than 150,000 chips.

Flur is well above average and cruising with the Flight C only shrinking from this point forward.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 8: 300/600 with a 75 ante | Structure
Flight C Entries: 163 (Total Entries: 505)

Lester Trimino put a hurt on the early stages of last week’s $350 bagging the chip lead heading to Day 2. To gethere, Trimino turned those 15,000 starting chips into better than 400,000 and was the only player (of 206 Day 2 participants) to surpass that figure. He stumbled a bit, but found a cash finishing in 50th place.

Trimino is back at it here in Flight C and hopes to capture that same rungood to bag big in the $560.

2018 Escalator Series (Week 4)
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 7: 250/500 with a 50 ante | Structure
Flight C Entries: 156 (Total Entries: 498)

Seminole Hard Rock regular Michael Newman enjoyed his crowning poker achievement during last November’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker winning the Championship for more than $374,000. He’s made the rounds since, logging entries in Tampa and Coconut Creek as well as here in Hollywood. He’s in the Flight C field and recently took a medium-sized pot with a little aggression.

The board laid and Newman’s opponent checked to him. With a pile of chips already in the middle, Newman bet 8,000. The opponent folded and Newman took the pot while flashing his . The hand moved Newman to about 75,000 chips.