A relative novice, 22 year old New Zealander Josh Egan is building a very respectable stack on Day 2A of the Main Event.

Josh, a film and finance student from Ponsonby in Auckland, is sitting on more than $80 000 after doubling up in the first Level of play.

One of the pro's at his table raised $2 000 and and Josh called with AQ, hitting a beautiful flop of K J T. The pro checked the turn and when Josh bet out $4 000 he re-re-raised all-in.

"I insta-called" said an ecstatic Josh, " and he turned over the low straight with Q 9"

Josh's straight to the Ace doubled him up and he's taken down a few more small pots since then.

Josh had been playing poker less than a year when he won his seat on PokerStars three months ago.

He admits being intimated on Day 1 but that has passed.

Scotty Nguyen just sat down to his left before the dinner break and Josh didn't bat an eyelid.

Australia's Peter Sun, from the Gold Coast, has visualised his way to a large stack too, with nigh on $90 000. The 49 year old runs a motivational coaching firm back home, helping businesses to find inspiration, and he's clearly listening to his own advice. ( And picturing himself surrounded by a huge pile of cash doesn't hurt either.)

I watched him take down a monster pot. The flop was Kh Ks 4h. The under the gun player checked, and Peter bet out $5 000 and was called.

A third King, the club, fell on the turn. Again it was checked, Peter made it $9 000 and was called. The turn came 8d and after it was checked again Peter put $20 000 in the pot.

He may not play like a rock but he can certainly imitate one, still as a lump of granite as his young American opponent leapt from the table, shouting "Wow, have you got the King?".

"I've got a monster here" he said, pacing about fretfully.

He folded, and Peter raked in the chips. I leant in to ask other player his name.

"Jimmy de Ambrosia" he said, "but you can just called me fish."

Peter's goal is to get through today with $150 000.

Russell Davies from Sydney lost a few big hands earlier. Running top pair into a set of 7s cost him $25 000, leaving him on $30 000 during Level 2. But he's more than made that back, and has $70 000.

Sam Khouiss, a big PokerStars player from Australia who is definitely from the old school had a horrible start to Day 2A.

"I've had four huge bad beats in a row, I lost them all to two and three-outers" he said, when I asked what happened to his starting stack of some $45 000.

He was hovering around $8 000 after the last beat, inflicted on him by a lady at the table.

"I've got Aces and she's got Tens, and she rivers me."

But Sam wasn't down for long, when I last saw him he was back up to $45 000 and beaming.