Championship: Chip Counts Through Flight A

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Return to Level 9:  1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Players Remaining:  37 of 110

Flight A: 110 Entries; 37 Advanced
Flight B: Saturday at noon
Day 2: Sunday at noon
Day 3: Monday at noon
Final Table: Tuesday at noon

RankFirst NameLast NameCityStateChip Count
1WagnerWysotchanskiOrlandoFL340,000
2KenFishmanTarpon SpringsFL316,000
3Ya YunLiuBeijing302,500
4ChongyouChenSt AugustineFL227,500
5AndrewNeidingValricoFL204,000
6MarkZhangUseldange192,000
7AnthonyBertuccioLakelandFL188,000
8JackBittkerPanoramaNY164,000
9WesleyHaymondMurphysCA150,500
10BrianRayTampaFL143,500
11ThomasStinsonHoustonTX136,500
12TarunGulatiTampaFL132,500
13HarveyVandevenOcalaFL130,000
14FrankWeigelOdessaFL129,000
15LiamHagensBradentonFL127,000
16KharlinSuedPembroke PinesFL126,500
17MohamadAlhalwaniOrlandoFL125,500
18OscarLindoSpring HillFL118,000
19WoodrowPassSeffnerFL103,000
20BryceMcVayJupiterFL94,000
21BrianArbaughJacksonvilleFL92,500
22PaulBarlogTampaFL91,500
23RyanHoganWinter GardenFL80,000
24MitchMitchellSatellite BeachFL73,500
25JeevanNomulaTampaFL73,500
26AlanWentzThornvilleOH72,000
27CoryWoodValricoFL71,500
28AaronMederosTampaFL70,500
29KevinCarnevaleJohnstonRI53,000
30JamesKerrLakelandFL49,500
31StephenBriteBradentonFL47,500
32DrewDodgeSpring HillFL43,500
33JohnO'NealJacksonvilleFL40,500
34RobertLebeauTampaFL37,000
35CubaLevenberryHollywoodFL33,000
36DanielClementeWesley ChapelFL27,000
37LamontTownsendBradentonFL13,500

Championship Day 1A: Last Level of the Night

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 8:  600/1,200 with a 1,200 ante
Day 1A Entries:  110

Wagner Wysotchanski

Level 8 is here, leaving players one more hour to grind up a big bag for Day 2 or make some moves. Since this is a best-stack-forward tournament, they can play tomorrow if they don’t like the state of their stack tonight.

Ken Fishman is still having himself a day, up over 400,000 after sending Liz McKane out when her kings ran into his aces. Wagner Wysotchanski is also building a castle to sit behind with 150,000.

We will gather all the chip counts once the bags are full and report the complete list later this evening.

Championship Day 1A: Ken Fishman Still Leads Big

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 7:  500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Day 1A Entries:  105

Ken Fishman

The last break ended and cards are back in the air for the last two levels of the day. Ken Fishman continues to hold a big lead with 271,900 and trying to go nearly wire-to-wire today.

Andrew Neiding is in second with 179,000 followed by Ya Yun Liu (174,200), Jack Bittker (154,300), and Tarun Gulati (150,900).

They will play out the next two levels, color off the black chips, and bag up for a Day 2 return on Sunday.

Championship Day 1A: Triple Digits

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1A Entries:  100

Chad Kitchen

The entry count hit triple digits and this field has the tournament almost halfway to the $500K with a big Saturday planned.

A few more familiar faces include Chad Kitchen, Andrew Neiding, Ryan Hogan, John Devine, John O’Neal, Jake Ferro, and last night’s champ Rodney Turvin.

Andrew Neiding (left) and Ryan Hogan (right)
John Devine

Championship Day 1A: Ken Fishman Leads

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1A Entries:  98

Ken Fishman

The second break ended and players returned to action only two new entries away from hitting 100 for the day. Fantastic.

Ken Fishman is the new leader in the room, out front with 127,700 (and added a nice chunk on the first hand back). Andrew Neiding, sitting across the table from Fishman, is second with 125,000 while Oscar Lindo (115,000), and Chad Lipton (104,500) are giving chase.

Championship Day 1A: Take a Break

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1A Entries:  92

Time once again for Championship players to take a break from the action, maybe catch a snack at the grill or some sun now that it has returned to the Tampa area.

With 92 entries so far, our Day 1A players have put more than $200K toward the $500,000 guarantee. It’s a good day to be in the Poker Room.

Championship Day 1A: More Friendly Faces

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1A Entries:  86

Liz McKane

Another level is in the books and the entry count to steadily clicking up toward 100. With a full day of registration and a level on Day 2, there’s plenty of time to join us.

Some more friends in action include Liz McKane (who finished eighth out of 825 in Event 3), Mo Alhalwani, Steve Ekin, Mitch Mitchell, Thad McNulty, and Woodrow Pass.

Mo Alhalwani
Steve Ekin

Championship Day 1A: Cory Wood Leads Early

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1A Entries:  69

Cory Wood

Action is back underway after the first break with 69 entries and more coming to the cage to register. A fine start to the final weekend of the series.

Cory Wood is the early leader in the Championship, out front with 118,000 followed closely by Tahsin Kelekci with 110,000.

Championship Day 1A: First Break

$2,500 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1A Entries:  64

Dion Jagroo

Flight A players are about ready to take their first break from the action with 64 on the clock and many more expected as we head into the weekend.

More friends in the game include Dion Jagroo, Wagner Wysotchanski, Kharlin Sued, Robert Lebeau, and Dan Clemente.

Kharlin Sued
Wagner Wysotchanski