$1,000 Main Event
Day 1b Completed
$1,000 Main Event
Day 1b Completed
The second of two starting flights for the $1,000 buy-in 2016 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event drew 179 entries on the hotel balcony at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York on Saturday.
That brought the total up to 300 entries and reentries, creating a $264,810 prize pool that will pay the top 27. The winner will earn a $64,882 top prize, Seneca Niagara poker glory and a spot on the cover of CardPlayer Magazine. A min-cash is worth a few dollars more than double the buy-in at $2,013 and the top six payouts are all five-figure prizes.
They played through 15 total 40-minute levels, and when it was all said and done, 33 players pushed through to tomorrow's Day 2.
Added to the 24 survivors from the first flight, that makes 57 coming back.
It was another local star bagging the chip lead on Saturday, with Jefferey Hobrecker contending all day, then winning a massive side pot in a huge hand to take the lead late. In the end, he grabbed the overall lead by just a handful of chips over first flight leader Alex Visbisky.
Entries and reentries poured in throughout a busy day and Michigan's Vinnie Ho seemed to chew through them all, running super hot to take the chip lead and run away with it until the lest level of the night, where he ended up finally missing a draw and losing the aforementioned huge pot to Hobrecker.
Ho hung in there, and remains in contention headed to Day 2. He'll be joined by Toronto Canada's Veerab Zakarian, who finished runner up here two years ago, contended all day as well, and bagged big.
A late rush from defending champion Kurtis Boutelle will also see him return Sunday with a shot at a second Fall Classic crown.
They will get back at it at 11 a.m. Sunday with the money bubble clearly in sight and plans to play down to a 2016 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event final table.
Keep it locked here on PokerNews to follow all the action.
A huge pot has shifted the balance of power now into the last level of the night.
There was a limp before Jeffrey Hobrecker made it 7,500. Two people called, including Tony Angora and Kurtis Boutelle in the small blind, before Vinnie Ho made it 22,000 to go from the big blind.
The limper folded, Hobrecker called, as did Angora and Boutelle. Boutelle then jammed for 17,400 on the ![]()
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flop. Ho made it 80,000 and Hobrecker pushed in for almost 200,000 total. Angora let it go and after a minute in the tank, Ho called with the ![]()
, holding a gutter and a flush draw.
Hobrecker had the ![]()
two pair and Boutelle the ![]()
ope- ender. Boutelle got there on the
turn to take the 135,000-chip main pot with his straight. Ho bricked the
river to hand Hobrecker the massive side pot and the chip lead.
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 400
Seneca Summer Slam champ Russ Campanella had been nursing a short stack all day, handcuffed by having Vinnie Ho on his direct right.
He finally doubled it up with two kings, but picked up two aces a hand later and is now out.
'Scottish' Alan Findlay finished him off, cracking the aces with ![]()
, going runner-runner Broadway on a ![]()
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board.
'Little' Chris Gras is sometimes hard to pick out in a crowd, but certainly easier to spot now with 225,000 in chips sitting in front of him.
He came out of nowhere to hit middle set in a big pot somewhere along the way and is among the leaders now.
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 300
After raising under the gun with tens and getting one caller in Sean Bartlett, Veerab Zakarian flopped a set on ![]()
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. He check-called bets on the flop and
turn, then check-shoved after filling up on the
river.
Bartlett called it off with the ![]()
flush, and with that 200,000-chip pot, Zakarian is now up to 300,000 in chips and closing in on Vinnie Ho at the top of the counts with the final break of the evening coming up.
Jeffrey Hobrecker made it 4,500 and Blake Napierala shoved behind for 32,000.
Vinnie Ho flatted on the button and the small blind moved in for 54,000 total.
Hobrecker mulled it over and folded, later claiming big slick.
Ho called the extra 24,000 with the ![]()
and was ahead. Napierala had the ![]()
, the small blind had the ![]()
and only Ho improved on the ![]()
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board.
The double knock out has Ho nearing the 500,000-chip mark now, feeling invincible and most agreeing he might be.