The Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia poker room was buzzing all day long, as players flocked to the PokerStars Open Philadelphia series in bunches.
After 361 entries combined over the first two flights of the $1,100 Main Event, Day 1c saw 283 more to help the overall prize pool cruise past the advertised guarantee. The total now sits at $618,240, with one last flight on Saturday that is expected to be even busier.
The last 36 remaining players from Friday will join the 46 survivors from the first two days, with the top two overall stacks setting a new pace on Day 1c. After more than 17 levels of play, Norman Rodriguez bagged the chip lead with 860,000, followed closely by Angel Lopez sitting second overall with 841,000.
Day 1c Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norman Rodriguez | Dominican Republic | 860,000 |
| 2 | Angel Lopez | United States | 841,000 |
| 3 | Steven Christopher | United States | 693,000 |
| 4 | Frank Funaro | United States | 684,000 |
| 5 | Soheb Porbandarwala | United States | 603,000 |
| 6 | Michael Stashin | United States | 509,000 |
| 7 | Lin An | United States | 497,000 |
| 8 | Brent Vaalburg | United States | 489,000 |
| 9 | Anibal Santiago | United States | 466,000 |
| 10 | Mykhailo Lendel | United States | 464,000 |
Friday’s action saw a trio of PokerStars Ambassadors join the field, with Caitlin Comeskey lasting the longest before bowing out late in the night.
Fellow team members Arlie Shaban and Jen Shahade were among the early entries throughout the day, but they also fell short of a spot on Day 2.
That leaves Maria Konnikova as the lone PokerStars Ambassador with a bag, but there is still time for one of her teammates to find a spot in the money.
One last flight is available, with the field already sitting at 644 entries ahead of Day 1d. Players will look to survive 40-minute levels with blinds starting at 100/100, along with a 100 big blind ante.
The schedule includes 15-minute breaks after every three levels, while a 60-minute dinner break will begin after Level 9.
Just like the first three flights, action will continue until just 12.5% of the field remains. Late registration and reentries will stay open until the start of Level 13. The full remaining field will then combine on Sunday, with a shot at PokerStars Open glory on the line.
The PokerNews live reporting team will continue to have you covered, so don’t miss any of the action as the largest opening flight is expected on Saturday.
