Local cash grinder Chris Gras is coming off a spectacular performance in the first event on the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic schedule that saw him come back from a few chips and a chair late on Day 1, to the big chip lead in the money, before bubbling the final table.
Now he's worked the early levels here to take the chip lead heading into the second break on Day 1d of Event #3.
"That's how you become a live tournament wizard," he said, explaining that today's run has included queens holding over ace-high, getting some value out of pocket fives and a big pot where he flopped a set of aces against bottom two pair on an flop, holding to win some 40,000 chips.
He's now closing in in 60,000 already and firmly ahead of the pack.
Buffalonian Leo Kaplin bagged some 40,000 in last night's Day 1b flight.
Feeling like he can do better, he's back on the grind tonight, and everything appears to be coming up Kaplin.
He beat with two aces in the hole early and has picked up a few more key pots one the way to 46,000. That's already more than he bagged and good for the Level 7 chip lead.
Silvio DeRubeis smooth called a Rick Block open with aces, then did the same again when Cameron Bartolotta three-bet and Block folded.
They both checked a dry flop, but when the turn came a they went back and forth raising until all the chips got in. Bartolotta had two queens and was sent back to Canada chasing a bad beat jack pot when the river bricked.
DeRubeis, a finalist in Event #1 here Sunday, and just about every other big tournament at Seneca over the past 12 months, also added a big pot early when he made two pair on a board against a player with wanting to get it in.
"I'm getting through one of these flights even if it kills me," Scott Treutlein told PokerNews.
He built a big stack early in flight 1c this morning only to have it all go bad late. Now he's off an running in Day 1d, finding two pair and an early double to climb the counts.
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flop, holding to win some 40,000 chips.
with two aces in the hole early and has picked up a few more key pots one the way to 46,000. That's already more than he bagged and good for the Level 7 chip lead.
board against a player with 
