SugarRush (Day 2): Hastings Hangs Around, Then Ascends

Level 28 (Blinds 75,000/150,000/25,000)
Total SugarRush Challenge Entries: 512
Players Remaining: 3
Chip Average: 4,816,000

Brian Hastings has slowly but surely clawed himself back into contention and he’s now playing just over 6,200,000, nearly tying himself with chip leader Jerry Johnson.

Since Brian Hastings doubled through Jerry Johnson, he’s done nothing but increase his stack and now, through a series of small victories, Hastings is playing over the chip average. The majority of those small wins have come against Johnson, as Hastings continues to be a thorn in the big stack’s side.

One hand saw Hastings open to 300,000 from the button and Johnson call in the small blind to see the J♥10♣2♥ flop. Both players checked and after the Q♥ fell on the turn, Johnson led for 350,000. Hastings took some time to think and then slid out a raise to 950,000, one that immediately brought on a fold from the big stack.

A few hands later, Hastings was at it again. He called a bet of 300,000 from the button after Johnson took the lead from the small blind on a board of 8♥5♥4♠ flop. The 9♠ fell and Johnson bet 400,000, only to see Hastings again raise the turn, this time to 1,100,000.

Johnson, just like he did the last time, quickly folded and when the dust settled, Brian Hastings was playing just over 6,200,000. That’s nearly four-times the stack he had when he came back from break and Jerry Johnson is now near 6,500,000.