Just 19 of 95 Survive Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event 1a

The first of two starting flights for the $200,000 guaranteed 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event drew 95 entries at the Niagara Falls Poker Room inside a stuffed to the gills Seneca Niagara Casino & Resort Friday.

The turnout was almost as large as last year's Fall Classic Main Day 1a when the tournament went on to set a new record of 300 entries for a Seneca Niagara Main Event. However, a new record remains a possibility with a normally large Day 1b field expected tomorrow and the satellites drawing big tonight.

No matter how you look at it, the $200,000 guarantee should be just an afterthought.

By the time 15 levels of play were done today, a total of 19 players survived. 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic $300 Opening Event runner-up Leo Kaplin continued to run hot and bagged the biggest stack. Apparently he owes it all to his eight-year-old son, who told him to call with good hands and fold bad ones. Sage advice.

Kaplin notched 358,500, but that was just 50,000-chips ahead of Illan Kandiah, who will also carry a big stack into Day 2 after winning a massive cooler in the later levels.

The entire group of 19 will return Sunday to play down to a final table, and they will be joined by any and all survivors from tomorrow's Day 1b.

PokerNews will be back with coverage of tomorrow's flight beginning at 11 a.m. local time. Hasta mañana.