Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2015 Western New York Poker Challenge
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2015 Western New York Poker Challenge
Buy-in
$910
Prize Pool
$241,491
Entries
275
Level
26
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
5,000
Damian Baird Dominates on Day 1a of Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event
![[user153906]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 200 ante
After a week of preliminary events at the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino, the Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event kicked off Friday morning in Niagara Falls, NY. The $1,000 buy-in event features a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool and two Day 1 starting flights, and Friday's flight saw a total of 92 entries hit the felt. Only 25 made it through the day, with Damian Baird finishing with the biggest stack after dominating play late in the evening.
Baird stormed to the top of the leaderboard after eliminating Jacob Ostrander, but the lion's share of his chips came during a confrontation against Dave Grana when he turned a Royal Flush with the 
on a 
board. Grana moved all in with the 
and Baird snap-called, and the rest was history. Baird bagged more than double the stack of his next closest competitor, Jonathan Botier.
The Top 10 of the leaderboard is filled with the top players in the region. Andy Spears, a two-time Main Event winner at Seneca Niagara, finished third in chips, while Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event runner-up Veerab Zakarian finished third. Zakarian, a 19-year-old from Canada, was allowed to play in this event because it takes place on Native American soil.
Zakarian showed his creativity late in the day against Adam Foster. Zakarian led out on a 
flop only to be raised by Foster. Zakarian called and they both checked the 
turn. Then on the river, with about 30,000 sitting in the middle, Zakarian checked. Foster made it 17,000 and without hesitation, and Zakarian check-raised all in. Foster gave it some thought before giving it up. Foster rebounded later on by eliminating two players in the same hand to finish with 127,200.
Defending WNY Poker Challenge champion Nick Walker was among the casualties on Friday. Walker was short stacked after dinner and made his last stand with 
, but was unable to improve against the pocket eights of Budwey Salhab. Others hitting the rail were Josh Knight, Travell Thomas, Jason Nablo, Jeremy Joseph and DJ MacKinnon.
The WNY Poker Challenge Main Event continues Saturday at 11 a.m. with Flight 1b, and a bigger field is expected for the weekend. We’ll have complete coverage of the tournament until a champion is crowned so keep your browsers locked to PokerNews.com until the conclusion!
End-of-Day 1a Chip Counts (full)
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 200 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
443,700 | 33,700 |
|
198,800 | 198,800 |
|
179,300 | -700 |
|
177,800 | 67,800 |
|
170,700 | 116,700 |
|
163,900 | |
|
|
143,500 | -11,500 |
|
131,300 | 131,300 |
|
127,200 | -14,800 |
|
123,500 | -500 |
|
107,300 | 107,300 |
|
92,600 | 92,600 |
|
91,000 | 91,000 |
|
89,900 | 89,900 |
|
70,800 | 70,800 |
|
64,900 | 23,900 |
|
61,400 | -3,600 |
|
|
57,400 | 57,400 |
|
55,800 | 3,600 |
|
|
55,600 | 35,600 |
|
45,900 | 45,900 |
|
32,300 | -32,700 |
|
31,000 | 6,000 |
|
25,400 | -8,600 |
|
|
19,100 | 19,100 |
Nearing The End
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 200 ante
The remaining 25 players will play seven more hands before calling it a day. We'll have a full chip count list and a recap of Day 1a following the completion of play.
Raimondi Looks Up Olshan
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 200 ante
Peter Raimondi opened to 4,500 from early position, Sharman Olshan called from middle position and the player on the button called. The flop rolled out 
and all three players checked. The hit the turn and Raimondi led out for 6,000. Only Olshan called, bringing the 
on the river. Raimondi checked, Olshan, bet 10,000 and Raimondi pondered his options for about 30 seconds before tossing in a red 10,000 chip.
Olshan showed 
for a pair of tens, but Raimondi tabled 
for top pair and the win.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
165,000 | |
|
|
65,000 | -7,000 |
Baird Claims Biggest Pot of Day 1a With Royal Flush
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 200 ante
We were waiting to catch chip leader Damian Baird in a big hand at some point this evening. Boy, did we find one.
Baird and Dave Grana saw a flop of and Grana checked to Baird, who bet 22,000. Grana check-raised to 82,000, and Baird went into the tank for more than a minute. He asked for a count on Grana's remaining stack — 70,000 — and then thought a bit longer before tossing in a call.
The hit the turn and the action was quick. Grana shoved and Baird called.
Baird turned over the for a royal flush, and Grana walked away from the table without even showing his dead hand. A floorperson did the deed for him, tabling for a flopped two pair.
Baird now has the overwhelming chip lead with more than 400,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
410,000 | 185,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 13
Blinds: 1,000/2,000
Ante: 200
How The Mighty Have Fallen
Level 12
: 800/1,600, 200 ante
Pat Moeller boasted the early chip lead in today's Day 1a Main Event flight getting off to a hot start.
But oh how the mighty have fallen, with Moeller now holding less than a 30,000-chip starting stack and dwindling fast.
Moments ago he made it 4,000 from under the gun, getting one caller, then checking down all the way on an 
board. His opponent showed 
and Moeller mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
20,000 | -2,000 |
Big Stack Play
Level 12
: 800/1,600, 200 ante
Veerab Zakarian made it 3,300, getting called in three spots, including Vic Adams in the big blind.
The flop came 
and it checked around before the 
turn was revealed.
Adams checked, and a 5,000-chip bet from Zakarian forced everyone to fold except him. Adams checked again on the river and Zakarian fired again, making it 13,300.
Adams folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
180,000 | 10,000 |
|
|
155,000 | 155,000 |
Foster Busts Two
Level 12
: 800/1,600, 200 ante
Justin Hare (
) and another player (
) committed their short stacks preflop and Adam Foster had them both at risk and in trouble with his 
. The 
board provided a small sweat, but Foster's kings held to push him above 140,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
142,000 | 42,000 |
|
|
Busted |