Event 1: $200 No-Limit Hold'em | 2015 Western New York Poker Challenge

Event 1: $200 No-Limit Hold'em

Day 1 Started

03-06-2015 11:21 UTC-4

The 2015 Western New York Poker Challenge Starts Now!

[user127999]

Just a stone's throw from the wonder that is Niagara Falls, the Seneca Niagara Casino is set to host the 2015 edition of the Western New York Poker Challenge beginning today.

The annual series will run through March 15th with eight major events culminating in the $200,000 Guaranteed $1,000 Main Event and the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on the floor providing coverage of it all.

Things will get going at 11 a.m. with Event #1, a $200 buy-in No Limit Hold'em tournament featuring 30-minute levels and 15,000-chip starting stacks. Registration is open until the start of Level 5 and there is unlimited re-entries for the first 8 levels.

In 2014, University of Buffalo students and friends Kevin Mathias and Thomas Hawthorne made the trip together, then ended up heads-up for the first event on the Western New York Poker Challenge schedule.

Mathias took down the title and $6,514 first-place prize besting a total field of 144. About the same are expected today.

Bitter Western New York winters have helped mold this local poker community into a group of savvy veteran rounders with game spiced as hot as the famous chicken wings from nearby Buffalo and cunning as cold as the weather itself.

There promises to be tons of skilled action on display as the area's best take up the challenge and PokerNews will keep you up to speed on all of it.

Tags: Western New York Poker Challenge

Level: 1

Blinds: 25/50

Ante: 0

03-06-2015 12:26 UTC-4

A Hot Start

[user127999]

Level 1 : 25/50, 0 ante

Jim Edwards is off to a hot start having won a few early pots. But when he made mention of the fact he'd rather go on a winning streak a little later in the tournament, several tablemates joked he's not likely to be here then.

Regardless, he raked in a nice pot after calling a David Conron reraise to 600 chips preflop. The flop fell and after Conron checked, Edwards fired in a bet of 600 himself. Conron called and the turn came the .

After another Conron check, Edwards sent 1,000 in the middle and Conron called. The river saw another check from Conron and when Edwards bet the paltry sum of 100 chips, Conron called again. Edwards turned over and it was good enough to give him the pot and the early chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jim Edwards	18,300	18,300

Tags: Jim Edwards

Level: 2

Blinds: 50/100

Ante: 0

03-06-2015 12:47 UTC-4

A Little Run Good

[user127999]

Level 2 : 50/100, 0 ante

Having already booked a seat in next week's $1,000 Main Event through one of the $145 Qualifier Events here at the 2015 Western New York Poker Challenge, Alicia Pachla is running pretty good.

Flopping a set of threes and getting paid off in an early pot here in this event is simply icing on the cake and Pachla has to be hoping this good run will continue throughout the series.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alicia LaPorte Pachla	17,000

Tags: Alicia Pachla

03-06-2015 13:06 UTC-4

He Can Afford It

[user127999]

Level 2 : 50/100, 0 ante

Georgetown, Ontario's Dan Ayotte built a massive early stack busting one player by making a nut flush and nearly taking all the chips of another turning two pair and filling up on the river.

In fact, the stack was so big he could afford to double up Jeffery Hobrecker putting him all in on a board with about 7,000 chips already in the pot. Hobrecker made the call with and doubled up after Ayotte sheepishly showed .

"I knew I couldn't win the pot without a bet," he said, still holding what has to be considered the early lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Ayotte	36,500	36,500
Jeffery Hobrecker	21,000	21,000

Tags: Dan Ayotte

Level: 3

Blinds: 75/150

Ante: 0

03-06-2015 13:19 UTC-4

Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown April 6-22 with $5M Guar. Championship

Chad Holloway

Level 3 : 75/150, 0 ante

The $3,500 buy-in, $5 million guaranteed World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Championship will take place starting Thursday, April 16, 2015.

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., announced that the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, now in its fifth year, will return April 6-22, 2015. Held in the resort ballrooms, the 17-day series will feature the $3,500 buy-in, $5 million guaranteed WPT Seminole Hard Rock Championship with three starting flights beginning Thursday, April 16 at 12 p.m. local time.

Last year's Championship was the largest WPT playing field in history with 1,795 entries. Players may play any or all starting flights and choose their best stack. Reentry will be allowed for six levels, and the televised final table will be take place on Wednesday, April 22 in Hard Rock Live located in Seminole Paradise, with live coverage available on www.SHRPO.com.

The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown will open with a $250 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed no-limit hold'em tournament with six starting flights starting at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m. on April 6 and April 7. The poker action will continue with a $570 buy-in, $1 million guaranteed deep-stack no-limit hold'em event with six starting flights April 9-12.

The WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship final table will be aired on Fox Sports. Broadcast schedule will be released at a later date. On-site registration for all Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown events is available 24/7 at the poker room. To participate, players must obtain a free "Wild Card" at the player's club or in the resort’s poker room located in Seminole Paradise. Visit www.SHRPO.com.

Enter to win a seat in to the $5 million WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship by visiting www.SHRPO.com/winaseat. Satellite events for the Championship will be held at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood starting February 22, 2015. To review the entire series and satellite schedule, please visit www.SHRPO.com; follow the event on Twitter at @SHRPO, hashtag #SHRPO.

Tags: Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown