Rick Block, a professional poker player from Alden, NY, took down the first event on the 2015 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam schedule Sunday.
The event's four starting flights drew 569 total entries creating a $91,893 prizepool, almost double the event's $50,000 guarantee.
The final day began Sunday with 93 players and Block among five who had above 200,000 in chips. Once they pushed past the 54-player money bubble, Block busted another of those players, cooling off John Stempien in a set-over-set hand to take control of the tournament.
By the time they reached the final table, Block was on top and never gave up that lead. Six-handed, the players agreed to a chip chop giving Block $15,000 in first-place prize money, the title and the trophy.
PokerNews' coverage of the 2015 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam will continue with the first of six starting flights in Event #3, a $50 No-Limit Hold'em tournament with a $25,000 guarantee, beginning at 11 a.m. Monday.
William Ho jammed into a flop heads-up with Joseph Elia.
Elia made the call with having him barely covered. The turn brought Ho the for the set, but the river gave Elia the and a flush to send Ho home seventh.
John Grace open shoved from early position and Ray Williams followed suit for a little more from late.
Folds all around left them heads-up with Grace's tournament life on the line holding . Williams held and jacks did more than just hold, making a set on the board.
John Stempien made it 50,000 from the cutoff and Rick Block bumped it to 100,000 from the button.
Stempien called and the flop came down . Stempien checked and Block bet 65,000. Stempien called and the turn came the . Stempien checked again, but then shoved when Block bet 85,000.
Block snap-called with and it was a massive karma induced set-over-set cooler as Stempien held . The river was the , Stempien busted, Block increased his massive lead with close to a quarter of the chips in play and the final 12 players headed off on a 45-minute dinner break.
Just before the break, Larry Carney opened under the gun for 37,000. Rick Block made the call and Peter Raimondi defended his big blind.
The flop came and after checks from Raimondi and Carney, Block bet 41,000. Both players called. The turn brought the and it checked around.
Raimondi led the river for 70,000 with heaps in the middle already.
Carney folded, but Block pushed in, having Raimondi covered. Tortured by the decision, Raimondi stood from his chair and mulled it over for several minutes, eventually making the call for his tournament life with for the flush.
This time Block wasn't bluffing as he rolled over for the boat, busting Raimondi and leaping into the chip lead.
Carmine Santoro ran into Doug Zimmerman's all in preflop.
After a board of bricks, he hit the rail, Zimmerman chipped up to half a million and they are redrawing for seats at the final three tables with just 30 players remaining.
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
into a 
flop heads-up with Joseph Elia.
having him barely covered. The turn brought Ho the 
for the set, but the river gave Elia the 
and a flush to send Ho home seventh.
. Williams held 
and jacks did more than just hold, making a set on the 
board.
.
before the 
when John Grace shoved 
, but a three on the flop did him in.
flop with 
, but Blake Napierala looked him up with 
. Stempien checked and Block bet 65,000. Stempien called and the turn came the 
and it was a massive karma induced set-over-set cooler as Stempien held 
. The river was the 
and Stempien sheepishly showed 
river for 70,000 with heaps in the middle already.
all in preflop.
flop with