The $1,000 2014 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event came to a close on Monday afternoon. The tournament attracted 263 total entries, easily surpassing the $200,000 guaranteed prize pool. When it was all over, Rick Block was named the official champion after agreeing to a three-way deal at the final table with Veerab Zakarian and Dave Grana.
Block entered the day as the massive chip leader and eliminated two of the first three players at the final table to take total command. However, Zakarian and Grana made up some ground and the three players negotiated an even chop to bring the tournament to a close.
Rick Block: $40,050
Veerab Zakarian: $40,000
Dave Grana: $39,445
This marks the second Seneca Fall Poker Classic title for Block, as well as the largest score of his career. Zakarian, the 19-year-old from Toronto, picks up the first cash of his bright and promising poker career, and Grana capped off a great series that also included a final table in Event #3.
That does it for our coverage of the 2014 Seneca Fall Poker Classic. See you next time in Niagara Falls!
Rick Block opened to 100,000 from under the gun and got calls from Veerab Zakarian (small blind) and Anthony Sgroi (big blind).
The flop rolled out and Sgroi shipped it all in for 815,000. Block quickly folded, and Zakarian asked for a count before spending a couple minutes in the tank. He eventually called and was way behind.
Sgroi:
Zakarian:
Sgroi was an 87% favorite to win the hand, but his odds dropped with the hit the turn, giving Zakarian a flush draw. And sure enough the arrived on the river to complete the flush, sending Sgroi to the rail in fourth place.
Anthony Sgroi raised from the hijack and Joseph [Removed:340] shoved for 430,000 from the button. The blinds released and Sgroi called immediately.
Sgroi:
[Removed:340]:
"Such a tough spot," said [Removed:340] as he saw he was in trouble. The flop opened up some chop opportunities for [Removed:340], but the and completed the board to send him out in sixth place.
Rick Block raised to 90,000 from the cutoff and Andre Smith shoved for 635,000 from the small blind. Back on Block, he weighed his options for about a minute before announcing a call.
Smith:
Block:
The board brought no help to Block and Smith secured the double.
Rick Block opened to 90,000 from early position and it folded over to Joe Ciffa in the big blind. Ciffa moved all in for around 230,000 and Block called.
Ciffa:
Block:
Block was surprised to see he was ahead and it got even better on the flop. The turn left Ciffa drawing to a chop, but he couldn't get there on the turn.
Ciffa's seventh-place finish marks another great result here at the Seneca Poker room where he won two titles at the 2014 Summer Slam series.
Veerab Zakarian raised to 65,000 from the hijack, Anthony Sgroi called on the button and Rick Block three-bet to 175,000 from the small blind. Zakarian and Sgroi quickly released their hands, giving Block another pot.
"Big stack bully," said Zakarian, which prompted Block to show his .
"I knew it," said Zakarian with a grin. "I knew it"
Rick Block opened to 60,000 from early position and Thomas MacKenzie shoved for 550,000 from directly behind. Block crunched the numbers in his head, cut chips out of his stack and made the call.
MacKenzie:
Block:
Block was pleased to see he had two live cards. The flop gave each player a straight draw, and the turn moved Block into the lead with his top pair.
"Hold," Block pleaded. "Brick! Brick!"
The river was exactly that and MacKenzie was eliminated in eighth place.
Veerab Zakarian opened to 50,000 from middle position and Randy Lingenfelter shoved for 222,000 from late position. It folded back to Zakarian, who asked for an exact count before announcing a call.
Lingenfelter:
Zakarian:
Lingenfelter was dominated and he failed to improve on the board. He wished the rest of the table good luck before heading to the cage to collect his winnnings.
Welcome to our Day 3 coverage of the 2014 Seneca Niagara Fall Poker Classic $1,000 Main Event! Over the past three days inside the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino Events center, a field of 263 entrants was trimmed down to nine. The conclusion of the tournament will take place today inside the poker room, where each of the nine players will play for the trophy and a top prize of $57,736.
Leading the way entering the final table is Rick Block, a former champ here at the Seneca Fall Poker Classic who is looking to add a Main Event title to his resume. Block's biggest career win came last year in a World Series of Poker Circuit event in Atlantic City for $28,000. He could double that with a victory today.
Block has more than double the amount of chips of anyone else at the final table. His next closest competitors are Anthony Sgroi and Dave Grana, both of whom fell just short of 1 million when they bagged up Sunday night. Also at the final table is 19-year-old young gun Veerab Zakarian, who had to drive back to Toronto last night, take a school exam this morning at 8 a.m. and drive back to Niagara Falls for the final table.
Today's action resumes at noon ET with 13 minutes remaining in Level 24. The blind levels will remain 60 minutes until Level 31, at which point they will be increased to 90 minutes.
Stay tuned in to our coverage all day as we bring you live updates until a champion is crowned!
![[user153906]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Sgroi shipped it all in for 815,000. Block quickly folded, and Zakarian asked for a count before spending a couple minutes in the tank. He eventually called and was way behind.
hit the turn, giving Zakarian a flush draw. And sure enough the 
arrived on the river to complete the flush, sending Sgroi to the rail in fourth place.
board sent him to the rail in fifth place.
![Joseph [Removed:340]](https://s.pnimg.net/oHX_9FURxFmVdm8ErNkHl4q_hHf7HcAHuXV2fManWEE/pr:reporting-leading-desktop/aHR0cHM6Ly9wbmlt/Zy5uZXQvbHJlcC8x/ODcxLzE5L3gwZjBj/OTNjYmIyLmpwZw.webp)
flop opened up some chop opportunities for [Removed:340], but the 
and 
completed the board to send him out in sixth place.
board brought no help to Block and Smith secured the double.
flop. The 
turn left Ciffa drawing to a chop, but he couldn't get there on the 
turn moved Block into the lead with his top pair.
river was exactly that and MacKenzie was eliminated in eighth place.
