After 10 gruelling 40-minute levels, Event 1 Day 2 has drawn to a close with 34 players remaining out of the 1413 that entered one of the Event’s three Day 1s and out of the 282 that started Day 2.

Among the remaining players is Players Club member Trishelle Cannatella, who will start Day 3 in the middle of the pack (by chip count). Joining Trishelle are local tournament mainstays like Sid Michaels, Yannick Guérin, Nick “BroBro” Belanger, and Arthur W alongside a few players better known for their cash game prowess. Also in the field is Toronto’s Fuyuki Ikura, who often makes the trek down the 401 to play in Playground Poker events and who already has one bracelet in last spring’s $200 6-Max event.

Chip counts and seating assignments for Day 3 will be posted in the morning, and cards are in the air on Saturday at 3pm!

As level 24 begins in 1 minute the tournament is down to 49 players on 6 9-handed tables. Blinds are going up to 15K/30K/a3K and the chip average has passed 500K. The current plan is to play down to 36 players who will then return for Day 3 tomorrow at 3pm.

It looks like Fuyuki Ikura is the current chip leader though there are 5 or 6 players not too far behind. He’s playing over 1M with the average at 347.1K in level 22. 81 players remain, so there’s lots of poker left to be played tonight.

Players have gone on a 20 minute break. 95 players remain and when they return blinds will be 8K/16K/a2K. The current chip average is 295.9K.

We visited Table 61 a few minutes ago to see how what the action was like on the bubble on a table that is made up of mostly average or over average stacks. When we arrived the tourney was in Level 18 (4K/8K/a500) and the chip average was 193.9K.

Hand 1: The player UTG +3 open shoved 105K. Action folded to the BB who quickly called. The BB showed and the player who was all-in (and covered) flipped over . Heartbreak for the BB as the flop came out . The jacks couldn’t improve as the turn came and the river, a blank . The flopped set of tens doubled up to about 226K.

Hand 2: UTG +3 raised to 22K, everyone folds, raiser showed .

Hand 3: UTG raised to 20K, everyone folds.

Hand 4: Blinds up – Level 19 5K/10K/a1K – Highjack raises to 21K, BB shoves for 170K total. The highjack folds and shows her AJ offsuit.

Hand 5: Highjack open shoves around 100K, folds around.

Hand 6: Late position player open shoves 100K, everyone folds. Player shows .

Hand 7: UTG raises to 35K, everyone folds.

Hand 8: UTG +1 raises to 21K, table folds.

Hand 9: Mid position raise to 20K, Cutoff calls, BB calls. 3-way to the flop: . BB checks, the original raiser bets 30K. Fold, then the raises to 85K. The original raiser tanks for a while but eventually folds and the BB picks up a decent pot.

Hand 10: The player in Seat 6 (UTG +2) raises to 20K, Button calls, BB calls. 3-way to the flop: . BB checks, Seat 6 bets 38K, both players fold.

By the end of this orbit the bubble had burst. Not a hugely consequential orbit for anyone at the table except for the player that doubled up, but everyone got past the bubble intact and everyone on the table has enough chips to play with.

It came and went without too much fanfare, but the tournament is down to 134 players and everyone left is guaranteed to win at least $250. Once the floor announced that everyone left was in the money there was some cheering in the room – but people quickly got back to the business of building stacks.

Congratulations to everyone who make it into the money!

Level 17 (3K/6K/a500) is winding down and already 110 players who started today have busted from the tournament and we’re just 35 players away from the money bubble. There’s a break after this level (in about 5 minutes) so players will have a few minutes to relax before one of the most gruelling periods in the tourney begins.

So not only do we have a great tournament schedule getting started but as always there’s a ton of action at the cash tables… and tonight everyone playing there (two people in particular) are going to go home extra happy.

Why? Well, we have a Bad Beat Jackpot at Playground – and a few minutes ago a straight flush beat quad 7s to take it down.

If you’re not here yet don’t worry – the Jackpot resets at $75K.

And more photos from Facebook…

Day 2 of Event 1 in the 2013 Playground Poker Spring Classic is underway as 282 players on 29 tables are playing for a share $185,032 – including $35,000 for the winner!

Blinds are 2K/4K/a400 and we’re playing 40 minute levels during Day 2.