Big Stax 500
Day 3 Completed
Parx Big Stax XXXII
Big Stax 500
Day: 3
Joel Deutsch Wins the Parx Big Stax XXXII 500 for $126,995
Level 35
: 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
The heads-up match for the Parx Big Stax 500 Championship, a tournament that attracted 1,496 entrants, began with Joel Deutsch facing a 52-million to seven-million chip deficit against Kenny Huynh. It ended, after a 19-hour day, with Deutsch coming out on top after a heads-up battle for the ages.
Deutsch rode the rollercoaster and staved off elimination multiple times over a two-hour match, scoring a $126,995 payday at the end of a grueling final day at Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.
Deustch was short stacked for most of three-handed play and beyond, but came away with the biggest score of his career.
Deutsch, Huynh (2nd - $80,298), and Bosu Avunoori (3rd - $52,300) were the final three, with Huynh and Avunoori holding most of the chips. In a span of one big hand, followed by another final duel between Huynh and Avunoori, and heads-up play was set.
"I had nothing to lose," said Deutsch of the heads-up battle. "I'm thinking one thing; I've got second place. I didn't picture this."
Deutsch chipped away at the lead and won a couple of big pots, at one point he avoided elimination with jack-ten offsuit in a preflop all in against Huynh's ace-jack.
"It kept getting better from there," said Deutsch. "I really got some momentum going."
Final Table Results
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joel Deutsch | United States | $126,995 |
| 2 | Kenny Huynh | United States | $80.298 |
| 3 | Bosu Avunoori | United States | $52,300 |
| 4 | Michael Michnik | United States | $38,372 |
| 5 | Michael Wolf | United States | $28,637 |
| 6 | Sumeet Wayachal | United States | $21,531 |
| 7 | William Corvino | United States | $16,557 |
| 8 | Jeffrey Giordano | United States | $12,720 |
| 9 | Bouyan Han | United States | $10,019 |
Long Grind to the Final Table
Day 3 started with 42 players, and it took nearly 11 hours to reach the nine-handed final table. Coming back from dinner break, 14 players remained, and it took another hour after that for the next elimination, with David Clarke going out in 14th place ($6,182).
Two more eliminations happened within the following hour, but after that, the tournament remained an 11-player affair for another two-plus hours.
The floodgates broke in Level 31, however, with Adam Pepper (11th -$7,888) and Joey Deforca (10th- $7,888) going out within minutes of each other, sending the remaining nine players to the final table.
Bouyan Han (9th - $10,019) went out on one of the first hands of the final table, trimming the field down to eight.
Final Table Action
Jeffrey Giordano was next to go, taking eighth place after suffering a knockout at the hands of Avunoori.
Things started to get wild at the final table after that, with William Corvino (7th - $16,557) and Sumeet Wayachal (6th - $21,53) both knocked out in the same hand by Avunoori. The trio got into a three-way preflop all in with Avunoori’s pocket kings holding up to eliminate both opponents.
Shortly after that, Michael Wolf (5th - $28,637) found himself on the wrong end of a set-over-set cooler, losing his stack to Huynh when Wolf’s eights full were bested by Huynh’s queens full.
Four-handed play continued to involve big pots, including a massive pot won by Deutsch in a hand that began with Deutsch limping in from the cutoff, and eventually taking down a nearly 10-million chip pot at Michael Michnik’s expense. Michnik went out a few hands later.
That concludes our coverage of the Big Stax 500 event, but the Parx Big Stax XXXII continues this weekend with the Big Stax 1100 tournament, which we'll also live report.
Kenny Huynh Eliminated in 2nd Place ($80,298)
Level 35
: 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
With the board showing 
, Kenny Huynh checked, Joel Deutsch bet 4,000,000, and Huynh called.
The river came 
, and Huynh checked.
"You checked? I need a minute," said Deutsch, who got up and contemplated his next move for a few moments.
Deutsch went all in, with Huynh slightly covered. Huynh went deep into the tank, eventually deciding to call off the last 17,000,000 of his stack.
Deutsch showed 
for two pair, and Huynh mucked.
Huynh finishes second, and Deutsch is the Parx Big Stax 500 champion.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
59,840,000 | 31,040,000 |
|
Busted |
Back to Even
Level 35
: 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Joel Deutsch limped, Kenny Huynh raised to 1,200,000, and Deutsch called.
Huynh bet 1,000,000 on the 
flop, Deutsch raised to 3,000,000, and Huynh called.
Deutsch went all in on the 
turn, and Huynh folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
31,000,000 | -4,100,000 |
|
|
28,800,000 | 4,100,000 |
Level: 35
Blinds: 200,000/400,000
Ante: 400,000
Huynh Going Up
Level 34
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
With 
on the board, Joel Deutsch bet 1,000,000, Huynh raised to 5,000,000, and Deutsch thought it over for a bit, then folded.
The pot put Huynh back in the lead, with about a 10-million chip advantage as Level 34 winds down.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
35,100,000 | 6,600,000 |
|
|
24,700,000 | -6,600,000 |
Deutsch In the Lead
Level 34
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Joel Deutsch gained big chips on Kenny Huynh in a hand that saw Huynh triple-barrel bluff for 9,700,000 across the runout, only to have Deutsch call on all three streets.
Deutsch took the chip lead a few hands later, in a hand that started with Huynh opening for 800,000 and getting a call from Deutsch.
Both players checked the 
turn.
Deutsch bet 800,000 on the river, and Huynh made the call. Deutsch showed 
, and Huynh flashed the 
as he mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
31,300,000 | 14,600,000 |
|
|
28,500,000 | -13,600,000 |
Huynh Bets Turn, Gets Fold
Level 34
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Joel Deutsch limped, and Kenny Huynh raised to 1,000,000, with Deutsch making the call.
Huynh bet 1,400,000 on the 
flop and Deutsch called.
Huynh bet 3,300,000 on the 
turn, and Deutsch folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
42,100,000 | 3,800,000 |
|
|
16,700,000 | -4,800,000 |
Deutsch Coming Back
Level 34
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Joel Deutsch is climbing back into the heads-up match, getting up to 21.5 million.
Deutsch's latest pot came in a limped pot, with Kenny Huynh on the button.
Deutsch check-called a 600,000 bet on the flop.
Deutsch checked the turn, Huynh bet 1,500,000, Deutsch check-raised to 3,000,000, and Huynh called.
Deutsch bet 2,500,000 on the 
river, and Huynh called, but mucked when Deutsch showed 
for the straight.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
38,300,000 | -16,000,000 |
|
|
21,500,000 | 17,000,000 |
Huynh Gains Chips
Level 34
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Kenny Huynh opened to 600,000, and Joel Deutsch called.
Deutsch check-called bets for 800,000 on the flop, 1,600,000 on the turn, and 4,200,000 on the 
river, and Hynh showed down the nuts, tabling 
for the nut flush.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
54,300,000 | 9,300,000 |
|
|
4,500,000 | -2,800,000 |