$2,500 Championship Event Day 2 | Hollywood Poker Open Season 4 Championship Event

Player	Chips	Progress
Aaron Mermelstein	1,473,000 123,000	123,000

Thomas Muehloecker	1,402,000 352,000	352,000
Anthony Vaughn	1,341,000 41,000	41,000
Mark Castaldo	1,273,000 568,000	568,000
Michael Tureniec	1,136,000 296,000	296,000

Calvin Anderson	1,112,000 388,000	388,000

Brady Bullard	1,052,000 112,000	112,000
Bryan Piccioli	944,000 56,000	56,000

Jesse Cohen	898,000 12,000	12,000
Dejuante Alexander	762,000 10,000	10,000

Jim Kasputis	716,000 166,000	166,000
Tobias Ziegler	700,000 270,000	270,000
Nathan Bjerno	661,000 196,000	196,000
Michael Aron	530,000 30,000	30,000
Pierre Neuville	464,000 111,000	111,000
Dan O'Brien	389,000 71,000	71,000
John Creed	322,000 78,000	78,000
Duke Lee	284,000 84,000	84,000
Julian Parmann	281,000 259,000	259,000
Philip Randazzo	260,000 2,000	2,000
Keven Stammen	225,000 80,000	80,000

Player

Chips

Progress

Aaron Mermelstein

1,473,000

123,000

Thomas Muehloecker

1,402,000

352,000

Anthony Vaughn

1,341,000

41,000

Mark Castaldo

1,273,000

568,000

Michael Tureniec

1,136,000

296,000

Calvin Anderson

1,112,000

388,000

Brady Bullard

1,052,000

112,000

Bryan Piccioli

944,000

56,000

Jesse Cohen

898,000

12,000

Dejuante Alexander

762,000

10,000

Jim Kasputis

716,000

166,000

Tobias Ziegler

700,000

270,000

Nathan Bjerno

661,000

196,000

Michael Aron

530,000

30,000

Pierre Neuville

464,000

111,000

Dan O'Brien

389,000

71,000

John Creed

322,000

78,000

Duke Lee

284,000

84,000

Julian Parmann

281,000

259,000

Philip Randazzo

260,000

2,000

Keven Stammen

225,000

80,000

Table	Seat	Name	Chip Count
5	1	Julian Parmann	281,000
5	2	Calvin Anderson	1,112,000
5	3	Michael Tureniec	1,136,000
5	4	Philip Randazzo	260,000
5	5	Michael Aron	530,000
5	6	DeJuante Alexander	762,000
5	7	Dan O'Brien	389,000

6	2	Nathan Bjerno	661,000
6	3	John Creed	322,000
6	4	Aaron Mermelstein	1,473,000
6	5	Thomas Muehloecker	1,402,000
6	7	Mark Castaldo	1,273,000
6	8	Keven Stammen	225,000
6	9	Bryan Picioli	944,000

7	1	Pierre Neuville	464,000
7	2	Jesse Cohen	898,000
7	3	Anthony Vaughn	1,341,000
7	5	Duke Lee	284,000
7	6	Brady Bullard	1,052,000
7	8	Tobias Ziegler	700,000
7	9	Jim Kasputis	716,000

Table

Seat

Name

Chip Count

Julian Parmann

281,000

Calvin Anderson

1,112,000

Michael Tureniec

1,136,000

Philip Randazzo

260,000

Michael Aron

530,000

DeJuante Alexander

762,000

Dan O'Brien

389,000

Nathan Bjerno

661,000

John Creed

322,000

Aaron Mermelstein

1,473,000

Thomas Muehloecker

1,402,000

Mark Castaldo

1,273,000

Keven Stammen

225,000

Bryan Picioli

944,000

Pierre Neuville

464,000

Jesse Cohen

898,000

Anthony Vaughn

1,341,000

Duke Lee

284,000

Brady Bullard

1,052,000

Tobias Ziegler

700,000

Jim Kasputis

716,000

Aaron Mermelstein finished on top of the counts on Saturday night to take the lead into the final day of the Hollywood Poker Open $2,500 Championship Event.

"I feel great," Mermelstein said after bagging up his stack of 1.473 million in chips. "I'm the chip leader, so I'm super happy with how things went today. The cream really rose to the top and there are a lot of good players left, but I feel good. I feel like I'm making good decisions, and I hope I can keep it up tomorrow."

When the day was done, there were 21 players remaining, and Sunday's finale will see a first-place prize of $332,338 up for grabs.

"I feel like I do well in these deep-stacked tournaments," Mermelstein, a two-time World Poker Tour champion, added. "We started with 25,000 chips and it's one-hour levels. It's a great structure and I feel like it kind of plays like a WPT, so I'm super comfortable. We'll see how it goes tomorrow, but this is my first time playing it and it has been a lot of fun so far."

Mermelstein will be joined by another WPT champion in Keven Stammen on Day 3, but more importantly Stammen is the defending champion of this event. Last year, he beat a field of 684 entries and earned $347,045. Stammen finished Day 2 on 225,000 in chips with the hopes of going back to back.

Other headliners included World Series of Poker gold bracelet winner Calvin Anderson and the man who seems to have found the fountain of youth, Pierre Neuville. Those two bagged up 1.112 million and 464,000, respectively.

There was plenty of action on Day 2 of the event, with over 200 players from a starting field of 655 starting the day and the top 63 reaching the money. Some of those to bust before the money was reached included Toby Lewis, Ray Henson, Steven van Zadelhoff, Jeremy Ausmus, Craig Varnell, Connor Drinan, and Scott Davies.

When the players returned from dinner, the money bubble had arrived. Falling in 64th place was Travis Burch. He first lost with pocket kings to Justin Young's when an ace hit the flop to fall crippled, and then Mark Herm finished him off despite Burch holding the dominating hand.

Young went on to finish in 27th place for $9,748, and Herm busted in 35th for $8,124.

Others to bust before Day 2 was done, but with a cash, included Adrian Mateos (25th - $9,748), Randal Flowers (30th - $8,124), Joe Serock (47th - $5,760), and 91-year-old Ray Cuny (49th - $5,760).

Cuny had a particularly impressive story having qualified for this event from his home venue of Hollywood Casino Joliet and making the trip after recently being diagnosed with bladder cancer. He's a player who plays poker for the fun and entertainment of the game, but making a great run with nearly $6,000 to show for it is quite the benefit as well.

Instead of the originally scheduled start time of 11 a.m. local time, the final group of players voted to delay Sunday's start time until 12 p.m. That's when we'll see you back here on PokerNews.com for continued coverage of this event as the field plays down to the Hollywood Poker Open Season 4 champion.

Tags: Aaron Mermelstein Adrian Mateos Calvin Anderson Connor Drinan Craig Varnell Jeremy Ausmus Joe Serock Justin Young Keven Stammen Mark Herm Pierre Neuville Randal Flowers Ray Cuny Ray Henson Scott Davies Steven van Zadelhoff Toby Lewis Travis Burch