The second of four starting flights in the $200 No-Limit Hold'em $50,000 Guaranteed Event #1 on the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic drew 122 entries and re-entries at the the Niagara Falls Poker Room this evening.
When added to the 127 from the morning flight, this puts the event well on it's way to surpassing the guarantee with two starting flights still to come Saturday.
After 14 30-minute levels of play, just 18 more players survived.
The final level of the night began with three players in a dead heat for the lead, including Jimmy Thomson, [Removed:339] and Luis Ortiz.
But by the end of it all, Ortiz had found some separation from the pack and booked the overnight lead on 271,600.
Mike Wall took most of Thompson's chips in a late blind on blind battle and while [Removed:340] stayed stacked, Kristan Mackiewicz rose up from the ashes nearby. They all bagged big, but right now they are all still chasing Michael Davis and the massive 342,000-chip stack he built on Day 1a.
Other local heroes pushing through included Thomson, Paul McLean and Nicholas Goetz, and they will join the 15 Day 1a survivors, plus anyone through from Saturday's flights, in returning to play down to a champion Sunday.
Of course, the event continues Saturday with two more starting flights, beginning with the morning session at 11 a.m. local time.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be back then to provide continued coverage of the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Event #1 and you are welcome to join us right here in this space.
Lewiston, NY's Mike Wall made it 8,200 from the small blind and Jimmy Thomson defended his big.
The flop fell and Wall led for 9,200. Thomson fired back, raising to 25,000 and Wall shipped it in for what amounted to about 60,000 total.
Thomson called with , but was dominated pre and outflopped post with Wall on . It held on a run out.
With that the remaining players were moved to seats at the final two tables and a draw was conducted to determine the number of hands left to play. They drew a five.
From the lone tournament table at the back of the Niagara Falls Poker Room, Louis Ortiz has emerged as the new chip leader.
He claims to have been hit by the deck all day, including one massive hand where he flopped a set of eights against a flush and found a boat on the river.
Ortiz is now closing in on 100,000 and separating from the pack.
Kristan Mackiewicz just knocked out two players and now finds herself atop the chip counts.
This included John Stempien, who got it in on the first hand of his second bullet after flopping top pair tens with the . Mackiewicz held jacks and they held.
A few hands later she made top pair tens with the and got it in against a straight draw that failed to materialize.
[user127999]
2015 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam Main Event
Fall is in full effect and as the leaves change colors and the temperature drops in Western New York, the collective attention turns to the Buffalo Bills playoff hopes, the Niagara Falls Poker Room at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino and the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic.
The Bills beat the AFC East rival New York Jets on the road Thursday and the action continues in the poker room today with the second of four starting flights in the $200 No-Limit Hold'em $50,000 Guaranteed Event #1 set
Play began at 6 p.m. local time with a host of the area's top rounders and colorful regulars already in the mix.
The plan will be to play through 14 full 30-minute levels or down to 12 per cent of the starting field, whichever comes first.
Players started out with 15,000 in chips and registration and unlimited re-entry is available through the first eight levels. Of course, even players who bag chips can fire in another flight, taking thier best stack forward to Sunday's second and final day.
The Niagara Falls Poker Room has a long track record of obliterating its guarantees in these multiple-entry multiple starting flight events and the kick off of the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Should be no different. In fact, Friday morning's first flight already drew 127.
PokerNews will be on hand throughout bringing you live updates of all the action beginning with the start of this second flight's fourth level just minutes from now.
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Wall led for 9,200. Thomson fired back, raising to 25,000 and Wall shipped it in for what amounted to about 60,000 total.
, but was dominated pre and outflopped post with Wall on 
. It held on a 
run out.
turn to force two folds.
despite not having to and is all alone at the top of the counts now.
and 
to scoop a huge pot and now has over 120,000 at the final three tables.
. Mackiewicz held jacks and they held.
