Tracy Rouse had grown extremely short and decided to move in her last 18,500 under the gun. Joe Cruz called from middle position, and Nicholas Walker came along from the small blind. Both active players then checked it down as the board ran out .
Rouse shook her head and showed the for not much of anything, and Cruz rolled over the . Walker mucked, which meant Cruz eliminated a disappointed Rouse as the bubble girl. Her elimination means the remaining 21 players are guaranteed at least $2,119.
After the bubble burst, Mathias got his last 33,500 all in preflop and was racing against chip leader Jerry Calvaneso.
Mathias:
Calvaneso:
Mathias was on his feet and watched the flop come down . Calvaneso flopped a set to take a commanding lead. The turn actually left Mathias drawing dead, and after the was run out on the river, he made his way to the payout desk in 21st place to collect $2,119.
The defending champ of the Western New York Poker Challenge is gone.
Matthew Sande, who won this event last year for $44,582, moved all in for 102,000 from the cutoff and Mike Shavensky called off for 92,500 from the button. The blinds both folded and Sande discovered the bad news.
Sande:
Shavensky:
Sande had some kicker issues, but he perked up a bit when the flop gave him chop outs.
"Deuce," he said. The dealer instead put out the to give him even more chop outs.
"Six?" he asked one last time. It fell on deaf ears though as the blanked on the river. Sande was left with just 8,500, and it went in the very next hand. Unfortunately he wasn't able to win that one, and his run came to an end in 20th place.
Not long after being crippled when his pocket tens lost to the of Johannes Mueller, John Aga moved all in for roughly 40,000 under the gun. When action reached Greg Miller in the small blind, he moved all in over the top and the big blind folded.
Aga:
Miller:
Aga actually took the lead on the flop, but it was only temporary as the turn gave it right back to Miller. The river failed to change a thing, and Aga was sent to the rail in 19th place, which means it's time for the two-table redraw.
Earlier in the series, Joseph Elia won the WNY Poker Challenge Event #2 for $14,364. He no doubt had high hopes for another title, but they were just crushed by Thomas Babiarz.
It happened when Elia raised from middle position and Babiarz three-bet to 48,000 from the big blind. Elia responded by moving all in for 155,000 more, and Babiarz, who didn't have much more than that, made the call.
Babiarz:
Elia:
Elia was in a dominating position and primed to double big, but then the flop came out . Babiarz hit a set and Elia was devastated. The turn changed nothing, and neither did the 4d} river. The stacks were verified, and indeed Elia has barely outchipped.
"Good game guys," he mustered before taking his leave in 18th place for $2,296.
After Nicholas Walker opened for 18,000 from the hijack and Jerry Calvaneso called from the cutoff, Ray Snell moved all in for 135,000 more from the button. The blinds folded, as did Walker, and then Calvaneso made a quick call.
Calvaneso:
Snell:
"Yes," Snell whispered under his breath when the flop gave him the lead. The turn meant he just needed to dodge a jack on the river to double, which is exactly what he did when the blanked.
.
for not much of anything, and Cruz rolled over the 
. Walker mucked, which meant Cruz eliminated a disappointed Rouse as the bubble girl. Her elimination means the remaining 21 players are guaranteed at least $2,119.
. Calvaneso flopped a set to take a commanding lead. The 
turn actually left Mathias drawing dead, and after the 
was run out on the river, he made his way to the payout desk in 21st place to collect $2,119.
flop gave him chop outs.
to give him even more chop outs.
of Johannes Mueller, John Aga moved all in for roughly 40,000 under the gun. When action reached Greg Miller in the small blind, he moved all in over the top and the big blind folded.
turn gave it right back to Miller. The 
. Babiarz hit a set and Elia was devastated. The 
turn meant he just needed to dodge a jack on the river to double, which is exactly what he did when the 
blanked.