$1,000 Main Event Day 1b | 2016 Seneca Fall Poker Classic

The second of two starting flights for the $1,000 buy-in 2016 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event drew 179 entries on the hotel balcony at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York on Saturday.

That brought the total up to 300 entries and reentries, creating a $264,810 prize pool that will pay the top 27. The winner will earn a $64,882 top prize, Seneca Niagara poker glory and a spot on the cover of CardPlayer Magazine. A min-cash is worth a few dollars more than double the buy-in at $2,013 and the top six payouts are all five-figure prizes.

They played through 15 total 40-minute levels, and when it was all said and done, 33 players pushed through to tomorrow's Day 2.

Added to the 24 survivors from the first flight, that makes 57 coming back.

It was another local star bagging the chip lead on Saturday, with Jefferey Hobrecker contending all day, then winning a massive side pot in a huge hand to take the lead late. In the end, he grabbed the overall lead by just a handful of chips over first flight leader Alex Visbisky.

Entries and reentries poured in throughout a busy day and Michigan's Vinnie Ho seemed to chew through them all, running super hot to take the chip lead and run away with it until the lest level of the night, where he ended up finally missing a draw and losing the aforementioned huge pot to Hobrecker.

Ho hung in there, and remains in contention headed to Day 2. He'll be joined by Toronto Canada's Veerab Zakarian, who finished runner up here two years ago, contended all day as well, and bagged big.

A late rush from defending champion Kurtis Boutelle will also see him return Sunday with a shot at a second Fall Classic crown.

They will get back at it at 11 a.m. Sunday with the money bubble clearly in sight and plans to play down to a 2016 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event final table.

Keep it locked here on PokerNews to follow all the action.

Tags: Alex Visbisky Jeffrey Hobrecker Kurtis Boutelle Veerab Zakarian Vinnie Ho

Western New York is its most colorful in the Autumn season, and although the weather starts to hint at the long Winter ahead, locals love this time of year.

Summer's over. No more picnics at the beach. No more weekends at the lake. Inside the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, that means people come back to the Niagara Falls Poker Room and start playing poker again and it also means the start of the $1,000 buy-in 2016 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event.

Play began on Friday with the first of two starting flights for the $200,000 guaranteed event. It drew 121 total entries and reentries with 24 pushing through to Day 2 Sunday and local star Alex Visbisky taking hold of the chip lead.

The second and final starting flight kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday, and if past numbers are any indication, it could be almost twice the size. Things are a little different this time around. CardPlayer magazine has come on as a title sponsor of the event, meaning there's more than just big money and Seneca Niagara poker glory on the line. This year's Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event winner will actually grace the cover of CardPlayer, a magazine that's become an institution in the poker industry.

The event will kick off on the hotel balcony, allowing anyone 18 and up to enter. Players will start with 30,000 in chips and plans to play through 15 total 40-minute levels. The levels increase in length as the tournament moves forward.

Registration and unlimited reentry is available through the first ten levels and a 45-minute dinner break that will take place after ten levels are done.

This event always attracts some of the area's top poker talent and last year a machine operator from Frewsburg, NY named Kurtis Boutelle began a run that would ultimately include multiple local titles by booking a $62,933 win here, defeating a field of 291 entries. Visbisky made the final table as well.

They smashed the guarantee last time around, creating a $256,866 prize pool, and with multiple satellite winners already lined up, and a big number yesterday, they are well on their way to doing it again.

PokerNews will be on hand for every flop, turn and river from beginning to end, so get your popcorn ready, our coverage of the 2016 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event continues now.

Tags: Alex Visbisky Kurtis Boutelle