Event 2: $500 No-Limit Hold'em | 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge

Event 2: $500 No-Limit Hold'em

Day 1 Completed

03-30-2014 01:32 UTC-4

Congratulations to Joseph Elia, Winner of the WNY Poker Challenge Event #2 ($14,364)

[user153906]

Level 23 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante

Joseph Elia won the second event of the 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge late Saturday night. Elia navigated a field of 112 entries, including an extremely tough final table, to claim the $14,364 top prize.

After emerging as one of the leaders early in the day and reaching the final table as the short stack, Elia admittedly used a lot of luck during his heads-up match against the talented Rick Block to earn the win. Block, winner of a similar $500 tournament at last year's Seneca Fall Poker Classic in the same venue, took home $8,906 for his runner-up finish in this event.

This $500 tournament attracted many of the area's top players, and the cream rose to the top to create a heavy-hitting final table that included Randy Pfeifer, Jason Nablo, Scott Gaddi, Mark Roverts and Long Nguyen.

After Jimmy Thomson and Mike Vissers were eliminated in 10th and ninth place, respectively, Nguyen exited at the hands of Block. Nguyen raised to 21,000 from middle position, Block called from directly behind, and Pfeifer called from the big blind. Pfeifer checked the flop, and Nguyen moved all in for 158,000. Block called behind, and Pfeifer got out of the way.

Nguyen:
Block:

Nguyen had a lot of outs to fade, but Block drilled the on the turn for his straight, and Nguyen got up from his seat as the fell on the river.

Mark Roberts and Scott Gaddi followed Nguyen to the payout desk within minutes, and then Jason Nablo met his demise a short while later. The local grinder finished third in Event #1 of the WNYPC on Friday and added another final table on Saturday, but his run ended in fifth when he lost a flush-over-flush situation to Mike Azzinaro.

Azzinaro was eliminated in fourth place when his pocket jacks fell short against Block's pocket twos. Then a short-stacked Pfeifer moved all in from the small blind with and Block snap-called with the . Block hit trips on the flip, and that was the end of Pfeiffer.

Block held a slight lead when the heads-up match began, but that changed quickly when Elia hit a timely river card to double up. Block raised to 50,000, Elia three-bet to120,00 and Block called. On the flop, Elia led out for 150,000. Block min-raised to 300,000, and Elia shoved. Block called.

Elia:
Block:

Block picked off Elia's bluff, and the turn left him one card away from the title. But fate would have it another way as the drilled the river, giving Elia most of the chips in play.

It ended a few hand later when Elia's suited king-deuce came from behind in dramatic fashion. Congratulations to Joseph, and to our readers be sure to follow our blog on Sunday for Event #3 of the WNY Poker Challenge.

WNY Poker Challenge Event #2 Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Joseph Elia	$14,364
2	Rick Block	$8,906
3	Randy Pfeifer	$6,272
4	Mike Azzarino	$4,549
5	Jason Nablo	$3,352
6	Scott Gaddi	$2,490
7	Mark Roberts	$2,011
8	Long Nguyen	$1,628
9	Mike Vissers	$1,293
10	Jimmy Thomson	$1,005

03-30-2014 00:55 UTC-4

Rick Block Eliminated in 2nd Place ($8,906)

[user153906]

Level 23 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante

Rick Block min-raised his button and Joseph Elia moved all in. Block instantly called off for 300,000. Once again, Block got it in good with the against , and his position improved on the flop. But Elia picked up straight outs on the turn, and then the appeared on the river, securing the win for Elia with Broadway. A visibly irritated Block walked out of the poker room, but he returned a few minutes later to congratulate Elia on the title.

We'll have a full recap of Event #2 coming later.

Tags: 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge

03-30-2014 00:40 UTC-4

Elia Doubles

[user153906]

Level 23 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante

Rick Block raised to 50,000, Joseph Elia three-bet to120,00 and Block called. On the flop, Elia led out for 150,000. Block min-raised to 300,000, and Elia shoved. Block called.

Elia:
Block:

Block picked off Elia's bluff, and the turn left him one card away from the title. But fate would have it another way as the drilled the river, giving Elia a huge double up and most of the chips in play.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Elia	2,400,000	1,180,000
Rick Block	420,000	-1,180,000

Tags: 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge

03-30-2014 00:33 UTC-4

Randy Pfeifer Eliminated in 3rd Place ($6,272)

[user153906]

Level 23 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante

Randy Pfeifer moved all in from the small blind for 275,000 and Rick Block snap-called.

Pfeifer:
Bloock:

The flop didn't create much drama as Block hit trips, and Pfeifer was out of his seat even before the board completed. Pfeifer, one of our Players to Watch for this series, added $6,272 to his career earnings of more than $380,000.

Block and Elia are now heads up, and Block holds a slight lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rick Block	1,600,000	150,000
Joseph Elia	1,220,000	270,000
Randy Pfeifer	Busted

Tags: 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge

03-30-2014 00:08 UTC-4

Mike Azzinaro Eliminated in 4th Place ($4,549)

[user153906]

Level 23 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante

Rick Block raised to 40,000 from the button, Mike Azzinaro shoved for 259,000 from the big blind, and Block called to put Azzinaro at risk. Block was in rough shape with the against Azzinaro's , but the board gave Block a straight and a pot worth more than 500,000. Azzinaro earned $4,549 for his day of work.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rick Block	1,280,000	20,000
Mike Azzinaro	Busted

Tags: 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge Rick Block

Level: 23

Blinds: 12,000/24,000

Ante: 3,000

03-29-2014 23:50 UTC-4

Block Four-Bets With Air

[user153906]

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 2,000 ante

Rick Block raised to 40,000 from the cutoff, Joseph Elia called, and Randy Pfeifer three-bet to 114,000 from the big blind. Block paused for a moment before pushing out a raise worth 217,000 total. Elia quickly released, and Pfeifer tank-folded, giving Block an opportunity to show his bluff: