The 2015 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event continued Saturday with the second and final flight of Day 1. Players in the region flocked to Niagara Falls as the field nearly doubled the size from the previous day. The 183 entries, combined with the 92 on Friday, produced a total field of 275, creating a prize pool of $241,491. The eventual winner will pocket $59,162 along with the Main Event trophy.
Only 49 players survived the Day 1b flight, and leading the way when play commenced was Scott Hosbach. No stranger to the chip lead here at Seneca Niagara, the aggressive Hosbach fired a few bullets on Saturday but made the most of his last, cruising in the final levels to finish with 412,200.
Hosbach will begin Day 2 second in chips to Day 1a leader Damian Baird, who got max value on a Royal Flush Friday to end the day with 443,700.
Randy Pfeifer, fresh off his final table appearance at the World Poker Tour in Atlantic City, was among the leaders all day and finished second in chips Saturday with 285,500. He gained steam early on when he went runner-runner for two pair to counterfeit Scott Szatkowski's flopped two pair. That pushed Pfiefer above 100,000, and later in the day he rivered two pair again against Kyle Gauchat to send the friendly Buffalonian home empty handed.
Other notables advancing to Day 2 were Jason Nablo, Cameron Bartolotta, Alicia LaPorte, Scott Aitchison, Josh Knight and Event #1 champion Xiaohu Chen, who won an incredible hand to stay alive during the final level. Chen called a shove from Brad Perkins with on a flop and needed a lot of help against Perkins' flopped straight. Chen got exactly what he needed as the turn and river gave him a full house and a big stack to take into Day 2.
Among the less fortunate on Saturday were Travell Thomas, DJ MacKinnon, Dennis Durante, Rick Block, and defending champion Nick Walker, all of whom busted before the end of the day.
The WNY Poker Challenge Main Event continues Sunday at noon with Day 2 action on the balcony of the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino. Seventy-four players will attempt to make their way into the money and beyond, and we’ll have complete coverage of the tournament until a champion is crowned. Keep your browsers locked to PokerNews.com until the conclusion!
We heard a loud roar across the room and ran over to see a large pile of chips being pushed to Xiaohu Chen, who had the sitting in front of him. At the other end of the table was (former) chip leader Brad Perkins, who had tabled .
The board? .
We learned that Perkins had shoved all in on the flop, and Chen tanked for five minutes, had the clock called on him, and announced a call with time running out. He then went runner-runner for a full house to clip Perkins and stay alive in the Main Event.
The payouts were just handed to us by poker room manager Amanda Scarcelli. A total of 275 entries created a prize pool of $241,491, with the eventual winner taking home $59,162. The top 27 finishers will collect at least $1,835.
There will be a new champion here at the 2015 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event. Nick Walker got short and shoved his last five big big blinds with and got two callers. Both players checked the flop, but then one led out for 5,000 on the turn. The other player folded, and Walker saw he was drawing dead against a full house.
Kyle Gauchat bet 7,000 into a pot of about 9,000 on an flop. Randy Pfiefer raised it up big and Gauchat called all in with .
Pfeifer had a pair and a flush draw holding and had to be considered the statistical favorite despite being behind. The turn changed little, but the river changed it all, making Pfeifer two pair and sending Gauchat home early.
Pfeifer is now the second player past the 200,000-chip post
We walked over to Table 3 to see four players looking at a flop of . The player in Seat 6 moved all in for 7,000, Seat 9 folded, Randy Pfeifer reraised to 17,000, Scott Szatkowski moved all in for around 50,000, and Pfeifer called.
Pfeifer:
Szatkowski:
Seat 6:
Szatkowski was in front but everyone was drawing live for the main pot. The turn completed the straight for the shortest stack, and the shifted things again by giving Pfeifer a better two pair and the huge side pot.
"I got it in bad again," he told us with a smile. The other player made his way to the rail, but not before telling his bad beat tale to a friend.
Maria Parlatore, who won the title of Poker Queen by capturing the L.I.P.S. Poker Queen Ladies Championship at The Grand Poker Series in Las Vegas last year, has been bounced early here.
She got short, got frustrated and got it in with on on a board against Todd Saffron holding . Saffron made his flush on the river.
Parlatore has had a result this week, posting a third-place finish in Event #6 at the 2015 Western New York Poker Challenge, but if she wants one here in the Main Event she'll have to re-enter.
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The 2015 Western New York Poker Challenge
The second of two Day 1 starting flights for the Main Event of the 2015 Western New York Poker Challenge will begin at 11 a.m. this morning at the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, NY.
The $1,000 buy-in event features a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool and players will sit down with 30,000-chip stacks to play 13 levels today.
Friday's first Day 1 flight saw a total of 92 entries with only 25 players surviving. With a while to go before the guarantee is met, today's Day 1 flight is expected to be twice the size.
Damian Baird finished with the lead yesterday on 443,700 in chips, setting a rather high bar for today's entrants.
Registration and unlimited re-entries are available for the first nine 45-minute levels today.
The area's top rounders are expected to be taking a shot at the title here and the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on site to provide updates of all the action from the tournament floor throughout.
![[user153906]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
on a 
flop and needed a lot of help against Perkins' flopped straight. Chen got exactly what he needed as the 
turn and 
river gave him a full house and a big stack to take into Day 2.
.
and got two callers. Both players checked the 
flop, but then one led out for 5,000 on the 
flop. Randy Pfiefer raised it up big and Gauchat called all in with 
.
and had to be considered the statistical favorite despite being behind. The 
turn changed little, but the 
river changed it all, making Pfeifer two pair and sending Gauchat home early.
board, but Perkins had two queens and made the call.
. The player in Seat 6 moved all in for 7,000, Seat 9 folded, Randy Pfeifer reraised to 17,000, Scott Szatkowski moved all in for around 50,000, and Pfeifer called.
turn completed the straight for the shortest stack, and the 
shifted things again by giving Pfeifer a better two pair and the huge side pot.
. Saffron made his flush on the 
river.
