$1,000 Main Event Day 1a | 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic

11-21-2015 00:01 UTC-4

Buck Ramsay Leads Day 1a of the Main Event as 13 Survive

[user127999]

Level 15 : 1,500/3,000, 400 ante

The first of two Day 1 flights for the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic $1,000 Main Event went off in Niagara Falls, NY, on Friday.

Day 1a drew a total of 82 entries, with just 13 players making it through 15 40-minute levels to book a seat in Sunday's Day 2.

As it seems every Main Event at Seneca Niagara is these days, this one was all about Port Colborne, ON, Canada's Buck Ramsay.

The winner of both the 2015 Western NY Poker Challenge Main Event and the 2014 Summer Slam Main Event got things started by winning a big pot with kings early. Then, just before the halfway mark of the day, Andy Spears ran suited into Ramsay's kings to give him close to 100,000 in chips.

Ramsay spun that up even more before picking up another pot with aces, and finally stacking a second player on six figures with kings, again, against the right before play halted. In the end, he bagged a massive 461,500.

University of Rochester student Yi-Wei Lu also had a big day, running well, playing well, and threatening for the lead all day and night before bagging his own massive stack of 395,000.

But it was 2014 Seneca Niagara Poker Classic champ Rick Block who earned the spot under Ramsay on the leader board at the end of play.

Block's title defense started off a little rocky, as he busted early and fired a second bullet. A swingy day saw him head into the late levels with a decent stack, before he played Blake Napierala like a fiddle in Level 15, check-calling all in with a rivered flush to bust the Seneca superstar and bag a big 397,000 himself.

The 13 surviving players will return to play for seats at the final table Sunday morning, but Saturday is another day and another flight, as Day 1b of the the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic $1,000 Main Event kicks off at 11 a.m. local time.

PokerNews will be on hand for every flop, turn, and river, and you are more than welcome to join us then.

Tags: Andy Spears Blake Napierala Buck Ramsay Rick Block Yi-Wei Lu

11-20-2015 23:19 UTC-4

Block Threatens After Felting Napierala

[user127999]

Level 15 : 1,500/3,000, 400 ante

Rick Block is now a good bet to bag big in defense of his title after felting Blake Napierala.

He defended his big blind with the against a Napierala open, then check-raised on the flop. Napierala called, and then led again for 35,000 when Block checked the turn.

Block called and then slyly checked the river. Napierala shoved and Block beat him to the pot with the call. Napierala mucked and complimented Block's play before saying goodnight.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rick Block	295,000 135,000	135,000
Blake Napierala	Busted

Tags: Blake Napierala Rick Block

11-20-2015 21:26 UTC-4

Running Out Of Customers

[user127999]

Level 13 : 1,000/2,000, 300 ante

Buck Ramsay just hit the 300,000 mark, busting Mike Rellinger in the process.

Ramsay opened, Thinh Bui flatted and Rellinger shoved the small blind for less than 40,000. Ramsay slid out all his red T10,000 chips and Bui folded.

Ramsay:
Rellinger:

Rellinger got up to walk away, but that old trick did not work, as the board rolled out , leaving him dead on the turn.

"Keep this up and you're going to run out of customers," Bui said with a smile.

Player	Chips	Progress
Buck Ramsay	305,000 45,000	45,000
Thinh Bui	75,000 -70,000	-70,000
Mike Rellinger	Busted

Tags: Buck Ramsay Mike Rellinger Thinh Bui

11-20-2015 18:22 UTC-4

Block Leads; Spears Swears Blood Vendetta Against Tomorrow's Day 1b Field

[user127999]

Level 9 : 400/800, 100 ante

Rick Block made it 1,400 from late position and Joe Ciffa flatted from the cutoff. It folded to Andy Spears in the big blind and he three-bet, making it 6,500.

Block fired back, making it 15,000, and after Ciffa released, Spears pushed his entire 69,000-chip stack in the middle.

Block snap-called with the setting up a classic showdown against Spears' with dealer Eddy Williams nowhere to be found.

The board rolled out to the turn, but Spears vowed to return again tomorrow when the river came down, knocking him out and pushing Block up to the top of the counts.

"See you tomorrow," the always affable Spears said genuinely, with a smile and zero animosity towards Block or anyone else.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rick Block	155,000 90,000	90,000
Andy Spears	Busted

Tags: Andy Spears Rick Block

11-20-2015 16:34 UTC-4

Fair Catch

[user127999]

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

Andy Spears punted on third and short to give Buck Ramsay a huge stack with the mid-point of the day in sight.

He somehow got it all in preflop after three-betting the suited versus Ramsay's . Kings held, and while Spears elected to re-enter and started again with 30,000, Ramsay suddenly had his single bullet up close to 90,000.

Spears' re-entry has proved profitable though. He just got it in holding over and , fading all trouble to triple up and join the group at the top of the counts.

Player	Chips	Progress
Buck Ramsay	88,000 36,000	36,000
Andy Spears	75,000 75,000	75,000

11-20-2015 16:07 UTC-4

Cooked-To-Order, Seasoned and Grilled

[user127999]

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

It's Niagara Falls, NY local Ronny D'Grillo who will actually take the lead into the break on close to 75,000.

He managed to flop the nuts with on a board. Randy Pfeifer had a pair, an open-ender and and itchy trigger finger, firing bets into Broadway on every street until D'Grillo showed him the goods.

Don't feel too bad for Pfeifer though, he cracked with the a couple hands later, making three fives to take 70,000-plus into a ten minute break that starts right now.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ronny D'Grillo	76,000
Randy Pfeifer	74,000 44,000	44,000

Tags: Ronny D'Grillo Randy Pfeifer

11-20-2015 15:11 UTC-4

Chip Off The Old Block

[user127999]

Level 5 : 150/300, 25 ante

Defending Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event champion Rick Block is at the cage firing a second bullet after finding no joy on the first.

He lost half his stack running kings into aces, likely owing his tournament life to a flop with two jacks that slowed things down considerably.

The other half went in soon after with Block being run over a little. In the end, he flopped a set that got four-flushed and broke him.

He starts again with 30,000 now heading into Level 6.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rick Block	30,000

Tags: Rick Block

11-20-2015 14:04 UTC-4

Sgroi Leads Into The Break

[user127999]

Level 3 : 100/200, 0 ante

Maria Parlatore flopped trips and turned it full, but her name is not at the top of the chip counts heading into the break. In fact, it isn't even on the list anymore.

That chip lead would belong to Rochester, NY's Tyler Orsini, who would not be pushed off this hand on third or fourth street, and eventually made a Royal Flush on fifth.

He got his stack in and almost a full double up out of it when Parlatore couldn't fold her monster. But he isn't the leader either.

Parlatore somehow got it back to 24,000 and when she lost all but 375 of that in a three way all-in pot with a straight and a flush draw against Youngstown, NY's Anthony Sgroi's bigger straight and a third player with a pair and a draw, Sgroi appeared to be the leader.

Parlatore cracked Orsini's aces with the making two pair a hand later, and it was clear Sgroi was in the lead.

Parlatore busted unceremoniously a hand or two later and the first break of the day starts now.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anthony Sgroi	64,000 64,000	64,000
Tyler Orsini	57,000 57,000	57,000
Maria Parlatore	Busted

Tags: Anthony Sgroi Maria Parlatore Tyler Orsini

11-20-2015 10:31 UTC-4

LIVE: The 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic $1,000 Main Event

[user127999]

2014 Seneca Fall Poker Classic champ Rick Block

After a week of preliminary events at the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic, including two $50,000 guaranteed tournaments and more than $150,000 in prize money doled out, the $200,000 Guaranteed 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic $1,000 Main Event kicks off this morning.

The first of two Day 1 starting flights will go off on the balcony inside the Seneca Resort & Casino b‌eginning at 11 a.m. local time.

After hosting a bevvy of satelittes and juicing local rounders' bankrolls throughout the week leading up to the Main Event, staff at the Niagara Falls Poker Room are expecting some big numbers for this one.

Among the players likely to get in on the action include the past two Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event champions, as both 2014 champ Rick Block and 2013 champ Andy Spears have been see kicking around the prelims. The top rounders from across Western New York and beyond always turn out in droves for a shot at a big score and Seneca Niagara poker glory and since its on the balcony, the event is open to anyone 18 and up.

Players start out with 30,000 in tournament chips with plans to play 15 40-minute levels on Day 1. There is a 45-minute dinner break following Level 10 and registration and unlimited re-entry is available until it is over. Even those bagging chips tonight can try again on Saturday's second starting flight, taking thier best stack forward to Sunday's Day 2, where the levels increase to 50 minutes and the final table will be set.

They will play down to champion Monday inside the poker room on a day featuring 60-minute levels.

PokerNews will be on hand throughout, bringing you live coverage right from the floor of the Main Event, so get your popcorn ready, this is bound to be one action-packed event worth watching.

Tags: Andy Spears Rick Block