Dietrich Kuhlmann called a 750-chip open with the and another player came along for the ride.
The raiser led for 3,000 on a flop and after Kuhlmann made it 9,000, the third player in the hand pushed in for 25,000 with the . The raiser called with the , Kuhlmann called all in for less and then hit a six to fill up.
When the dust settled, Kuhlmann had 50,000 and the Level 4 lead heading into the day's first break.
There was close to 50,000 in the pot already on a board to the turn when Toronto, Ontario, Canada's Jeff Thibideau jammed for 53,500, heads-up with David Battaglia.
Battaglia made the call with the and was right, Thibideau had a gutshot and two overs with the . The river came the , making Thibideau the nut straight.
Battaglia was left stunned as Thibideau moved into a spot at the top of the counts heading into the last two levels of the flight.
The third of four starting flights in the 2016 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam Event #2: $200 No-Limit Hold'em with a $50,000 guarantee drew 154 entries Saturday morning.
That brought the total to 412 so far, obliterating the guarantee already with what is expected to be the biggest flight still to come at 6 p.m. this evening.
By the time 14 levels of play were through, a total of 22 players pushed through to Day 2 Sunday, where the survivors of all four flights, including 42 from the first two, will combine and play down to a winner.
Steven Chepurny (219,000) bagged the chip lead after flopping a boat and trapping John Stempien for heaps in the late levels. Chepurny is now the leader in the clubhouse.
Aaron Olshan (181,200), Jeffrey Tibideau (180,100), Matt Shanahan (179,900), and Kyle Haberman (176,300) also bagged contending stacks.
As previously mentioned, the fourth and final starting flight goes off at 6 p.m. tonight with a chance they get $100,000 in the prize pool before it's over and double the guarantee.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as the 2016 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam continues.