The WSOP Circuit Monster Stack event is drawing to its end, with American poker player Hermilo Vargas in the chip lead. The tournament is taking place at the Bicycle Casino in the City of Angels and attracted a field of 1,315 players who contributed to the accumulation of the huge $522,600 prizepool.
The prize money is to be divided among the top 171 finishers. The minimum payout winners can collect is capped at $600 but it is the first-place prize of $86,270 that all remaining contenders are hoping to walk away with.
After 14 levels of play, the field of the $365 No-Limit Texas Hold’em Monster Stack Event dwindled down to 18 contenders who will all return to compete for a place at the final table and will put their skills to the test in an attempt to collect the first place prize.
It was Hermilo Vargas from the United States who prevailed on Day 2 of the tournament and called it a day with a total of 4,890,000 million in chips. In fact, Vargas was the only remaining participant who succeeded in accumulating a stack that exceeded the 4 million mark.
The tournament attracted interest on behalf of professional players the rank of Owen Crowe from Canada and Amir Turkzadeh from the United States, who are known to frequent the high-stakes poker circuits. However, both players dropped to the bottom half of the chip lead list this time.
Joe Marcal who was crowned winner at last year’s WSOP Circuit $365 No-Limit Hold’em Event 7 also managed to remain in the field and is looking to repeat his feat in 2018. Another player who is to return to the final day of the WSOP Circuit Monster Stack event is Gregory Gibson.
Gibson may not boast a seven-figure amount in live earnings like some of the other contenders, but he celebrated a win in this year’s WSOP Circuit $365 No-Limit Hold’em Event 1. On March 3, the player finished first for the top prize of $24,705. Gibson is still standing but will start the final day as the shortest stack with 645,000 in chips. This year’s WSOP Circuit has been rather successful for the player as he so far has participated in all four days of the prestigious tournament series and has not been eliminated in any of the events he took part in.
Vargas Topped a Monster Stack Event in December
However, it is Vargas who climbed on top of the chip lead list, followed closely by Chen Yu Hung who succeeded in accumulating as much as 3,595,000 in chips at the end of Day 2. Vargas is not new to success on the felt as he collected a ring for his performance in the $365 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack Event on December 2, 2017 which attracted a tough field of 1,150 contenders.
At the time, the American player joined the final table as the shortest stack but later on, succeeded in building up to the position of a chip leader. After more than seven hours of play, Vargas prevailed over the tough field, finishing at first place for the prize of $71,195. Vargas was previously earning his living as a taxi driver but following his success on the felt, he decided to switch to playing poker professionally. He currently sits on top of $556,806 in total live earnings.
- Author
Harry Evans
