A favorite poker tournament option in the state of Pennsylvania can be found at the Parx Casino, known as the Big Stax. Over the past few years, players have visited the casino in large numbers to compete in the poker tournament events. The latest edition of the tournament series, the Big Stax XVI, saw many players hitting the felt, with one in particular making history.

Kevin Grabel took part in the Big Stax XVI 300 and the Big Stax XVI 500, earning back-to-back wins in two of the highlights of the festival, able to earn $78,450 with the first win and $43,000 with the second. As he earned both titles, Grabel became the first player to win two titles consecutively during the Big Stax tournaments at the Parx. Grabel had to defeat a big field in both events to earn the title wins.

During the Big Stax XVI 300, Grabel would start strong at the final table, taking down three players before the final four would begin a dinner break. Once game play commenced, Grabel would take out Geno Raman in fourth place, James Labrie in third and then take on Mike Lavenburg in heads up play. On the final hand, Grabel would hold 3-2 diamonds suited and defeat Lavenburg’s pocket Kings with two pair on the board to earn the first place win.

In the very next event, Grabel was able to outlast a field of 1,548 competitors to earn the first place win. After already taking out several competitors in a previous event, the player was confident in his game play. The final table would see ten players remaining with Grabel sitting eighth in chips. The player would have to fight his way from the bottom to the top, with negotiations beginning after the final eight remain.

The negotiations resulted in the top four chip leaders, including Grabel, would earn $43,000 each. The remaining four would earn $35,000 each. In the end, Grabel would claim the title, becoming the first player ever to score back-to-back wins during the Big Stax series at the Parx Casino.