The second starting flight of the 2015 Western New York Poker Challenge Event #5: $50 No-Limit Hold'em event is done with 17 players pushing through to Day 2.
Jeremy O'Brien built a big stack early and kept stacking on the way to a chip count of 182,000 and the end-of-day chip lead.
The flight drew a total 136 entries, dwarfing the 113 from the Day 1a session that saw 13 players go through. With a total of 249 entries so far, the event is well on it's way to making the $25,000 Guarantee.
Survivors from both flights will return for Day 2 Thursday at 12 p.m. local time to play down to a winner.
In the meantime, Tuesday and Wednesday will see four more starting flights beginning with Day 1c tomorrow at 11 a.m. local time.
As usual, the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be here to keep you up to date on all the action as it happens.
One hand after getting it in with a set against an under-pair then chopping when the board flushed, Kimlong Trieu moved into chip boss position getting the same player to pay him off after making trip aces.
Now down to 28 players and three tables remaining Trieu has over 80,000.
Buffalo's own Sam DeSabio picked up kings early on and managed to pick off one player bluffing three streets with a gutshot.
Since then he's picked up pot after pot on the way to building a stack three times what he started with and good enough for a spot among the early leaders.
With cashes in tournaments all over the map adding up to more than $450,000 in earnings, including two ring wins on the WSOP Circuit, Travell Thomas is widely considered one of the best tournament players in the Buffalo, NY area.
The boisterous Thomas would be the first to tell you that too.
Grinding it out here in this $25,000 Guaranteed event, Thomas is off to his usually quick start having doubled up already. He ran into and managed to fill up to stack the player on his left.
Kim Tipton was one of the 13 survivors through to Day 2 from the Day 1a flight earlier today.
However, since he bagged a relatively short stack of under 40,000, he figured he'd fire another bullet this evening. Well, he's off to a pretty good start after doubling up early.
He bet 1,200 chips into a board before his heads-up opponent shipped in her entire stack. Tipton made the call with and was right as she held .
The river ensured his double up and quick start to this second flight.
Day 1b of Event #5, a $25,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold'em tournament with a $50 buy-in, will kick off just moments from now.
This is second of six starting flights that will play out over the next three days. The first wrapped up just after 4 p.m. local time this afternoon with 113 total entries and just 13 survivors.
Players get 10,000 in tournament chips and will play 15 20-minute levels or until just 12 percent of the total entries remain.
Players are allowed unlimited re-entries up until the start of the 13th level and can jump in as many starting flights as they like, carrying the biggest stack forward to Thursday's second and final day.
The affordable buy-in and re-entry format is designed to attract both veteran rounders and recreational players and should be a fun ride throughout as players try to build a contending stack.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team promises keep you updated on all the action throughout the evening.
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with 
board before his heads-up opponent shipped in her entire stack. Tipton made the call with 
and was right as she held 
.
river ensured his double up and quick start to this second flight.