Event #7: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack

Event #7
No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack
Buy-In: $300 (+$65)
Total Entries: 346
Prize Pool: $103,800

Daniel Evans (pictured) takes down the monster stack event to earn his first gold ring.

Stateline, Nev. (November 5, 2015) --  The monster stack at Harveys Lake Tahoe was a hit. It drew 346 entries, which was by far the largest tournament of the series, excluding the re-entry event, which was the only event of the series thus far to have multiple starting flights. The big field created a $103,800 prizepool and in turn one of the biggest first place prizes of the series. Daniel Evans put claim to that first place prize, which totaled $23,874.

It was not an easy road to victory for Evans. Once the tournament got down to three-handed play, Evans found himself up against two proven WSOP champions. To his direct left was two-time gold ring winner Mark Bonsack (2nd), and his other opponent was two-time gold ring winner, Cary Marshall (3rd).  All three players fought hard for the gold ring, but it was Evans who would come away with the victory.

This marked Evans third career WSOP related cash. He final table bubbled the Main Event here at Harveys Lake Tahoe in 2013. His 10th place finish earned him $9,851. His other WSOP cash came this summer in the inaugural Colossus event. He finished 1,443rd for just over $2,000.

According to Evans, he plays a lot of tournaments and plays a lot locally, but he usually doesn't stray too far away from his home of Chico, California. Northern California, Vegas, Tahoe, and L.A. are his main targets for playing.

When Evans isn't playing in tournaments he likes to play PLO cash games. Day 1 of Event #9 - $365 PLO was running simultaneously with this event's final table. During the dinner break, Evans and Bonsack both went and tried their luck in the PLO tournament.

"[Bonsack and I] played in the PLO event on dinner break. We both got it in with aces good and we both got sucked out on," said Evans.

No dice in the PLO event for Evans, but he more than made up for by earning his first gold ring in the monster stack.

--------

Event #7 was the seventh of 12 gold ring events on the WSOP Circuit schedule at Harveys Lake Tahoe. The $365 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack tournament attracted 346 players generating a $103,800 prize pool. The top 36 players were paid.

Day 1 began Wednesday at 11 a.m. and lasted 21 levels. Day 2 began Thursday at 2 p.m. with 23 players remaining. The tournament concluded at about 11:30 p.m. midway through Level 30.

Final table results:

1st: Daniel Evans - $23,874 + Circuit gold ring
2nd: Mark Bonsack - $14,759
3rd: Cary Marshall - $10,767
4th: Bryan Haycraft - $7,986
5th: Jeff Lester - $6,016
6th: Michael Riddle - $4,601
7th: Casey McDaniel - $3,571
8th: Matthew Betti - $2,811
9th: Thomas Clark - $2,244

Complete results are available under the “Results” tab above.

Cary Marshall has busted in third place and that leaves Mark Bonsack and Daniel Evans heads up for the gold ring. The two players are nearly dead even, but Bonsack has the slightest of leads over Evans.

Here is a look at the current chip counts:

Mark Bonsack - 3,400,000 (42 BBs)
Danile Evans - 3,200,000 (40 BBs)

- 50 minutes remain in Level 30: 40,000/80,000 with a 10,000 ante

The chip stacks are as even as they have been all tournament with only a few big blinds separating the leader from the fourth place competitor. Right now Daniel Evans (pictured) is edging out the competition, but not by much. Jeff Lester is the short stack, but one double up could put him right into the lead.

Current chip counts:

Seat 1: Daniel Evans - 1,700,000 (42 BBs)
Seat 2: Mark Bonsack - 1,400,000 (35 BBs)
Seat 3: Cary Marshall - 1,500,000 (37 BBs)
Seat 4: Bryan Haycraft - 1,550,000 (38 BBs)
Seat 5: Jeff Lester - 800,000 (20 BBs)

- Three minutes remain in Level 27: 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante

Players are on their first break since the final table began. So far two players have been eliminated and Cary Marshall has extended his chip lead.

Here is a look at the current chip counts:

Seat 1: Daniel Evans - 920,000 (30 BBs)
Seat 2: Mark Bonsack - 940,000 (31 BBs)
Seat 3: Cary Marshall - 2,200,000 (73 BBs)
Seat 4: Bryan Haycraft - 600,000 (20 BBs)
Seat 5: Jeff Lester - 940,000 (31 BBs)
Seat 6: Casey McDaniel - 295,000 (9 BBs)
Seat 7: Michael Riddle - 530,000 (17 BBs)

- 50 minutes remain in Level 26: 15,000/30,000 with a 5,000 ante

The $1,675 Main Event begins tomorrow at 11 a.m. with the first of two starting flights. It is time to start thinking about earning a seat through one of the five mega satellites being offered at Harveys Lake Tahoe.

Here is a look at the upcoming mega satellite schedule for the Main Event:

• Thursday at 9 p.m.
• Friday at 9 a.m.
• Friday 4 p.m. 
• Friday at 9 p.m.
• Saturday at 9 a.m.

All five of the mega satellites have buy-ins of $250 and allow unlimited re-entry through the registration period.

The first few hands of Day 2 of the $365 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack event are now being dealt. There are 23 players remaining and they are all guaranteed at least the 23rd place prize money of $891.

Mark Bonsack (pictured) comes into the day second in chips. He is a two-time gold ring winner who won his first career gold ring at this stop back in 2011. The only player he trails is Matt Betti. Other notables at the top of the chip counts include Julian Galvan (4th) and Cary Marshall (5th).

Complete start of Day 2 chip counts and seating assignments can be found above under the "Results" tab.

Players will soon be heading on their dinner break. The clock currently reads that there are 180 players of the 346 player starting field remaining with 15 minutes left in Level 12. Players will take a one hour dinner break at the end of the level.

Cards are expected to be back in the air at 6:52 p.m. Day 1 will then last nine more 40-minute levels before players bag for the night.

The tournament clock currently shows that there are 337 player registered for Event #7 - $365 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack and there is still 45 minutes of registration remaining. Registration is set to close at the beginning of Level 9, which will be around 3:30 p.m.

The large field has already produced a prizepool of over $100,000 and it will continue to grow as players register.

Players that choose to last minute will still have over 30 big blinds due to the monster stack element of this tournament, so don't think it is too late to register. Get down to Harveys Tahoe to be part of one of the most exciting tournaments the series has to offer.

Today's new gold ring event is Event #7 - $365 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack. Monster stack tournaments are relatively new to the Circuit, but so far have been a hit. The key difference between a monster stack event and a standard $365 NLHE event is that players start with 20,000 chips instead of the normal 10,000 chip starting stack. Cards will be in the air at 11.a.m. with late registration open until the start of Level 9. Details on the tournament can be found below

Event #7 - $365 No-Limit Hold'em - Day 1 - 11 a.m.

• Players begins with 20,000 chips
• Blinds begin at 25/50
• Registration remains open until the beginning of Level 9 (~3:30 p.m.)
• Re-entry is not allowed
• Level 1-12 are 30 minutes long, levels 13-21 are 40 minutes long and levels 22+ are 50 minutes long
• There is a one hour dinner break after Level 12 (~5:45 p.m.)
• Day 1 is scheduled to last 21 levels
• This is a two-day tournament. Day 2 begins Wednesday at 2 p.m.