button in SafariSaker Alatrach Leads Day 1c as Late Registration Closes
Late registration has officially closed in Day 1c of the $600 Deep Stack Kick Off ($1,000,000 Guaranteed), with the field growing to 410 entries.
Sitting atop the chip counts at the break is Saker Alatrach, who holds the chip lead with around 445,000, overtaking Shad Murphy (374,000) in the final level of the registration period.
"I've just been fighting through it, brother," he told PokerNews. "It was really interesting. I busted three times at the beginning, but I got lucky, made the right calls, and got there."
"I doubled my stack with kings over there," he said. "Sometimes you just have to make the right decisions."
A regular on the East Coast circuit, Alatrach says he's always happy to be back in Atlantic City.
"I love the Borgata," he said. "It's competitive here."
Away from the tables, Alatrach runs a mechanical contracting company, balancing business with his passion for the game.
"I'm an entrepreneur. I own a mechanical company, but I've been playing poker and gambling for a long time. I treat it as a sport and try to enjoy it. It's been a challenge, but I'm very happy."
Around the Tournament Floor
The $650 One Shot Freezeout has attracted 41 entries so far and is down to 31 players, with late registration remaining open until the start of Level 10.
Meanwhile, Day 1d of the Deep Stack Kick Off is also underway. The evening flight has already reached 79 entries as play begins Level 3, with plenty of time still remaining for players to jump into the final Friday starting flight.