It took more than 13 hours on Day 2 to put a Ring on the finger of Brandon Wammes. The game played down to the final two tables very quickly, but then slowed to a crawl as the pay jumps got bigger.

Wammes brought a relatively short stack into Day 2, starting the day with less the 500k and he was still the short stack coming into the final nine players. Wammes doubled to stay alive with play 8-handed when he ran out to a boat with ace-nine but he was still the short stack with 6 left.

Wammes hit another boat to take the chip lead four ways when his dominated king-queen got there in dramatic fashion, flopping two pair against the ace-king for Evan Casey and then rivering the boat just to be safe.

Wammes took a big lead in a hand where he called down with a bare pair of aces on a flushy Broadway board after Tang Jooce made a big river bluff. While that hand didn't finish Tang off, he was out in third shortly after and Wammes was heads-up against  Andrew Goosen.

Goosen was never able to get traction heads up with Wammes' aggression keeping him flat-footed. In the final hand, Goosen was in good preflop, but Wammes spiked trips on the flop and it was all over. This was Wammes' first win on the live felt and the $71k prize will be more than 5x his previous lifetime earnings.

It was a relatively short heads-up battle after more than 12 hours on the felt. Andrew Goosen got to heads up against Brandon Wammes with a slightly shorter stack, but Wammes was able to chip him down. He got a double back up to nearly even when he was down to about 12 million, but that was as much as he could manage.

Wammes chipped him back down again and was relentless with aggression. On the penultimate hand, Wammes shoved the turn when an ace hit and forced Goosen off the hand and onto the shorter stack. In the next hand, Wammes open-jammed with the most and Goosen called off.

Andrew Goosen:
Brandon Wammes:

Goosen was in good shape before the flop but Wammes tripped his seven on the flop and the hand was over by the turn. Goosen won almost $44k for his efforts, and that is both his highest finish and his best score on Hendon Mob by a mile.

Andrew Goosen had dropped down to about 12 million but found a double in a big pot. He raised to 2 million, and Brandon Wammes called to the flop of . They both checked to the turn where Wammes check-called for 1.5 million.

Wammes checked again on the river and Goosen shoved for about 12 million. Wammes called but mucked when Goosen showed for the runner-runner trips.

Tang Jooce was left short after Andrew Goosen called down his bluff a few minutes ago, and then he lost a big flip against Brandon Wammes when Wammes hit a four-card heart flush against his jacks with ace-queen.

In the final hand, Tang had only 50k behind after paying his big blind. Both Goosen and Wammes limped into the pot, and Tang checked. They all checked the flop, and after a check from Goosen on the Tang put in his last 50k.

Both players called to the river and checked it down. Wammes showed jack-nine for the turned pair, Goosen mucked, and Tang's king-high was no good.

Tang Jooce opened the button to 1.8 million and Andrew Goosen called from the big blind. Goosen check-called for 1.2 million on the flop of and again for 1.8 million on the turn.

Goosen checked again on the river and Tang fired 7.2 million. Goosen thought about it for about a minute and made the call. His was good against the bluff for Tang.

They are getting short at the final table now as the blinds are going through the roof. Evan Casey shoved less than 5 bigs from the button, and Brandon Wammes called from the big blind.

Evan Casey:
Brandon Wammes:

Casey turned his seven but Wammes spiked a queen on the river to take it down.

It was a huge hand that started with Tang Jooce opening under the gun to 1.2 million. Brandon Wammes three-bet the button to 3.5 million but Evan Casey four-bet shoved. Tang got out of the way but Wammes hit the tank for a couple of minutes before putting in the call.

Brandon Wammes:
Evan Casey:

"No Queen dealer," Casey said before the flop, and he was initially excited when he saw a king come out, but there was also a queen on . The turn bricked but the river gave Wammes the boat for the win.

Casey was left with about 3.5 million but doubled up just before the end of the level. The final four players have agreed to a break before the next level of play.

Angelo Jopek was down to about 3 bigs and he shoved under the gun for 1.825 million. Tang Jooce reraised the button to 3.6 million to isolate.

Angelo Jopek:
Tang Jooce:

Jopek flopped a king, but Tang turned an ace and rivered a queen to take it down.

Angelo Jopek raised under the gun to 1 million and it folded around to Steven Dubois Daigle in the big blind who made the call. They checked through the turn and river, but Daigle bet 1 million on the river. Jopek hit the tank for a minute or so before sliding out a call. Both players were on ace-high, but Jopek's jack was the best kicker.

Just before the break, Jonathan Kunaman hit the rail after a bit of a bad beat at the hands of Andrew Goosen. Kunaman shoved and Goosen called from the blinds with a dominated ace.

Kunaman had ace-jack against ace-three, but Goosen flopped it with and held for the win.

They are down to 7 left now after the exit of Carl Sellars in 8th place for $8,369. He lost a race with ace-king into jacks against Brandon Wammes.

Jonathan Kunaman shoved the button, and big stack Tang Jooce asked for a count before calling off. The count was 1.675 million and Tang put in the call with against .

It was a dripping wet flop of that gave both players a lot of outs, but the bricked while the river his Kunaman for the double up.

Tang Jooce now has a big lead on the FT of the Monster Stack. In a recent hand, I picked up the action on the flop with the board reading and after checks from the blinds, Tang fired 700k. Only small blind Steven Dubois Daigle called to see on the turn. He checked, then folded when Tang put out 1.4 million.

Brandon Wammes shoved early for 1.9 million and Evan Casey reshoved the small blind to isolate. It was a classic flip with for Wammes against for Casey. Wammes flopped an ace, then ran out to a boat with 99 on the turn and river.

I missed the action while I was sorting out the pictures, names, and stacks for the FT, but Paul Bihis hit the rail for 9th place worth $6,667.

Wayne Kelley was the first player off the final table tonight for 10th place worth $5,389. I missed the action while I was getting pictures and names sorted out.

They are down to 9 players left in the Monster Stack now, and the estimated chip counts are in with Andrew Goosen leading the way and Day 1a chip leader Steven Dubois Daigle in second. Stay tuned for some FT Pics shortly.

The dinner break is nearly complete and the final 12 players will be back in action in less than 5 minutes. I had a look around the tables on dinner and it looks like Andrew Goosen is the clear leader at the moment with 7.9 million, while Evan Casey in one of a couple of players in the 6 million range.

Day 2 of the Monster Stack is now on dinner with the end of Level 30. The final 12 players will be away from the tables for 45 minutes and return for action in Level 31 with blinds at 150k/250k/250k.

There is a satellite to the Main Event running alongside Day 2 of the Monster Stack in the Chrome Room today, and it's another big one. There are 175 entries already with Level 1 play still ongoing and entries open for more than two hours yet. Last night, 41 players earned tickets to the Main, and it's looking like tonight could award even more.

There are about 10 minutes left to play in Level 30 before the dinner break and they are down to just 12 players left. They'll hit the final table at 10 players, but it seems likely that won't happen until after dinner.

I just noticed that the chip counts I entered earlier were all whacked, so I've corrected them. They are down to 13 players remaining now with 20 minutes to play in before the dinner break following Level 30.

They are down to 14 Players left in the game now with Level 30 just beginning. 

The Monster is slowing down as the field has been on 15 players for nearly all of Level 29 now. There are about 8 minutes left to play. They will take a 45-minute dinner break following Level 30.

There are just 15 players left in Day 2 of the Monster Stack now with just over 20 minutes to play in Level 28.

I had a look around at the break and it looks like Brian Phung is the chip leader right now with almost 10 million.

Bruce Anderson hit the rail just before the break at the end of Level 27 to bring the game down to two tables left. They are now on a 15-minute break.

Day 2 is playing pretty quickly so far with just 19 players left in the action now and just under 10 minutes to play in Level 27. They'll take a break following this level.

Day 2 of the Monster Stack is down to 24 players left now with about 25 minutes left in Level 27. Among the recent busts were Umang "Ronnie" Dattani, winner of the PLO Monster the other night, as well as Ring-winner Evan Thomas with his fourth cash in the series so far, including 4th place in the opening event.

They are redrawing for the final three tables now with 27 players left and just under five minutes to play in Level 26.

They are down to 28 players left in the Monster Stack Day 2 now, one elimination away from the three-table redraw. There are just over five minutes left in Level 26 and they'll take another following Level 27.

Day 2 of the Monster Stack is now down to 30 players left and a few of the early big stacks have already hit the rail, including start-of-day leader Jeff Cormier who ended his run in 36th place. Ryan Comely and Glenn Tarasoff also came into today with more than 1 million, but hit the rail recently.

They are down to 4 tables left with 36 players now as Level 25 comes to a close.

Poker is a tough game, and if you don't sometimes hate the game, you probably aren't playing it right. Nathan Drury got a bit of that just before the break.

While I was out on the break I overheard a conversation with Drury, who dropped down to about 500k after he turned top two with ace-king but ran into turned Broadway. His final assessment after describing the hand - "I hate poker."

Anyone who plays can feel the pain ...

The final 43 players in the Monster Stack are on their first break of the day now with the conclusion of Level 24. Thay'll be back at the felt in about 10 minutes for Level 25, which will be the first level at the 45-minute Day 2 blinds.

There are just under 10 minutes left in the Day 1 levels and the field is down to 45 players left on 5 tables now, They'll take their first break of the day following this level, and when they return, blinds will be 45 minutes long starting with Level 25.

Level 24 just started and the field is down to 49 players left in the Monster Stack now. They'll take a break following this level and then return to start the official Day 2 levels for the beginning of Level 25.

Prizes so far are under the payouts tab, but be aware that there are a few names missing as some players haven't reported for their payout yet, and one player has requested anonymity.

Level 23 has just begun, but they are already down 12 players from the start of the day with 58 players left alive. Early prizes are posted under the payouts tab.

Event #9: $400 Monster Stack ($330 + $70)
Day 2: Jan 18
Blinds: 45 Minutes
Entries: 1,380
Day 2 Players: 70
Prizes: $455,400 Total

The Monster Stack is among the most popular tournaments at the WSOP-C. Last year there were nearly 1,200 entries in the field for a prize pool of $395,715. This year, that number was way up with 1,380 entries and more than $455k in prizes.

Day 1 action gets going at noon on Thursday in the Chrome room with 70 players returning to play for the big prizes. There is more than $71k up top for the winner and seven players will pocket a five-figure score.

They'll start the day with about 10 minutes remaining in Level 22 and play a bit more than 2 levels at Day 1 blinds of 30 minutes before it moves to the 45-minute Day 2 levels starting at Level 25.

Jeff Cormier will be the big stack going into day 2 with 2.7 million, but Day 1a leader Steven Dubois-Daigle and Day 1b runner-up Angelo Jopek also have more than 2 million to start the day. 13 players are bringing more than 1 million into the final day of play.

Day 2 Seats