Event 16: $300 No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1 Completed
2014 Western New York Poker Challenge
Event 16: $300 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
2014 Western New York Poker Challenge
Buy-in
$265
Prize Pool
$18,126
Entries
72
Congrats to Robert Donegan, Winner of the WNY Poker Challenge Event #16 ($6,163)
While the 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge $1,100 Main Event was busy playing down to a winner on Sunday, another tournament was taking place across the room – Event #16 $300 No-Limit Hold’em. The last event of the 16-event series attracted 72 entries and created a prize pool of $18,126. After more than 12 hours of play, Robert Donegan emerged victorious to take home the $6,163 first-place prize.
The tournament marked the last chance for players to find success in the 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge, or in some case more success. Take for instance Andy Spears, who won Event #12 $200 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack Turbo for $6,422 just a couple of days earlier.
According to our Ones to Watch preview, the Seneca Poker Room has been Spears' personal playground for the past year. Last August he took down the Summer Slam Series Main Event for $23,700, and a few months later he went wire-to-wire to win the $1,500 Fall Poker Classic Main Event for $52,410. In addition, back In September he claimed his first World Series of Poker Circuit ring in Cincinnati, winning a $365 Turbo tournament for $10,801.
Unfortunately for Spears, he was on the wrong end of a set-over-set hand shortly after registration closed.
"I would if I could," Spears replied when another player jokingly asked him if he would be rebuying.
As the money bubble neared, Sharman Olshan got her stack all in against Jim Goertz, who had been eliminated from the Main Event earlier in the day.
Goertz: 
Olshan: 
Olshan had some kicker issues, and they didn't get resolved as the board ran out a dry 
. Olshan was one of 64 players to exit Event #16 empty handed.
The bubble boy of the tournament, Ryan Callahan, actually walked away with some cash after the final nine players did a save. Once the “bubble” burst, the eliminations came fast and furious. Cam Bartolotta was first to go when he ran sevens into the pocket rockets of Goertz, and he was followed out the door by Vince Ileluzzi (7th - $834), Goertz (6th - $1,015), Jeff Katz (5th - $1,305), and Art Demmerley (4th - $1,758).
After a bad beat led to Jason Clarke being sent out the door in third place, Donegan squared off against Cos Barillari in heads-up play. The former held a more than 2-1 chip lead, and he put it to good use. In what would be the final hand, a raising war on a 
flop resulted in Barillari getting his stack all in.
Barillari: 
Donegan: 
Barillari had flopped a flush draw, while Donegan had an open-ended straight draw. The 
turn completed the latter's straight draw, meaning Barillari needed a diamond on the river to stay alive. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't in the cards as the 
blanked on the river.
WNY Poker Challenge Event #16 Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Robert Donegan | $6,163 |
| 2nd | Cos Barillari | $3,825 |
| 3rd | Jason Clarke | $2,501 |
| 4th | Art Demmerley | $1,758 |
| 5th | Jeff Katz | $1,305 |
| 6th | Jim Goertz | $1,015 |
| 7th | Vince Ileluzzi | $834 |
| 8th | Cam Bartolotta | $725 |
Congratulations to Robert Donegan, winner of the Western New York Poker Challenge Event #16! That does it for our coverage from the 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge in Seneca Niagara Falls. We'll see you next time!
Cos Barillari Eliminated in 2nd Place ($3,825)
Event #16 has come to an end with Robert Donegan as champion.
He and Cos Barillari engaged in a raising war on a flop, and when they turned up their hole cards you could see why.
Barillari:
Donegan:
Barillari had flopped a flush draw, while Donegan had an open-ended straight draw. The turn completed the latter's straight draw, meaning Barillari needed a diamond on the river to stay alive. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't in the cards as the blanked on the river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,440,000 | 440,000 |
|
Busted |
Heads-Up Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,000,000 | 150,000 |
|
|
440,000 | 40,000 |
Jason Clarke Eliminated in 3rd Place ($2,501)
After being crippled when his 
failed to hold against Cos Barillari's 
on a 
flop (yes, it came running 
), Jason Clarke seemed destined to finish in third place.
Indeed he did a short time later when he got his stack all in preflop holding 
against the 
of Barillari. The pocket pair held, and an seemingly irritated Clarke, who had support from his girlfriend on the rail, was eliminated in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Three-Handed Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
850,000 | 200,000 |
|
|
400,000 | 270,000 |
|
|
130,000 |
Art Demmerley Eliminated in 4th Place ($1,758)
In the very next hand after Jeff Katz fell in fifth place, Art Demmerley exited in fourth.
A 
flop saw Demmerley and Robert Donegan engage in a raising war that resulted in the former player being all in holding . Unfortunately for him, Donegan had flopped a set with . The turn and river both blanked, and Demmerley's run came to an end in fourth place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Jeff Katz Eliminated in 5th Place ($1,305)
Jeff Katz was eliminated in unknown action. He will take home $1,305 for his fifth-place finish.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Jim Goertz Eliminated in 6th Place ($1,015)
Jim Goertz was eliminated from the tournament after getting his stack all in preflop with 
only to run into the of Cam Bartolotta. Goertz failed to catch an ace, and that was that.
Goertz took home $1,015 for his sixth-place finish, which was no doubt satisfying after he barely missed out on making the money in the Main Event earlier today.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Updated Chip Counts (full)
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
650,000 | 375,000 |
|
|
200,000 | -10,000 |
|
|
160,000 | |
|
|
130,000 | -170,000 |
|
|
130,000 | -130,000 |
|
|
100,000 | 30,000 |