Alden, New York pro Rick Block took down the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino on Monday.
Block, who picked up his second major Seneca Niagara title, following up on his 2014 Seneca Fall Classic win, came into Monday's final six as the chip leader and never really looked back on the way to a $52,768 score.
The first elimination of the day came quickly when Joseph Reichenbacher ran a small pair into Dan Wagner's trips to say goodbye in sixth. Wagner then continued to do all the heavy lifting, busting Ray LaRouech in fifth and Newton Graziono in fourth, taking the chip lead into three-handed play.
But that's when Block put his foot on the gas, taking a series of mid-sized pots outpipping Wagner's pairs and snatching the lead away. Ultimately, Block four-bet shoved a set and Wagner called off with two pair to end his solid run in third.
Heads-up play did not last long, with Block shoving two pair in just the first few hands this time, pumping his fist when Charles Johnson called it off with jacks on an ace-high board. Two pair held and Block was suddenly and decisively the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event champion.
Another successful poker series now comes to a close inside the Niagara Falls Poker Room, with Block proving his mettle against a field of 244 entries that once again smashed the event's $200,000 guarantee.
It's goodbye for now from Niagara Falls, but look for PokerNews to be back in the Western New York area for the 2016 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam coming up in July.
Rick Block made it 100,000 from the button, then called when Charles Johnson bumped it to 350,000. Johnson bet the flop and Block called. The turn came the , Johnson checked and Block ripped it in.
Johnson took a second or two, then called with the . He was behind against Block's two pair, and stayed there after the river, making Block the 2106 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event champion and relegating Johnson to second place.
It was a family pot after Dan Wagner made it 100,000 and Charles Johnson and Rick Block both called. The flop came and when it checked to Wagner, he bet 160,000. Johnson folded and Block raised it up to 365,000.
Wagner raised it up to 740,000 and Block four-bet shoved. Wagner called it off with the but was on the wrong side of a classic cooler with Block holding the set.
The board finished up taking Wagner out third and sending Block into heads-up play with a big lead over Johnson.
It was a family pot limped into Charles Johnson's big blind that checked to the turn on a board. It checked around to Newton Graziano and after he bet 200,000, Dan Wagner made it 420,000.
Graziano was the only caller, and after the river fell, Wagner pushed in. Graziano called it off with the , but Wagner had it, making a flush out of the .
Play now moves three-handed now after a short break,
Some early fireworks have seen Joseph Reichenbacher dispatched to the rail.
Dan Wagner made it 52,000 from the cutoff and Reichenbacher called from the button. Charles Johnson came along for the ride and they went three-handed to the flop. Johnson checked and Wagner continued for 81,000. Both players called and the turn came the .
Johnson and Wagner checked, but Reichenbacher moved in for 489,000. Johnson took his time, but eventually called before Wagner moved all in over the top.
Johnson let it go and the hands were revealed:
Wagner:
Reichenbacher:
Reichenbacher was crushed by Wagner's trip sevens with an ace and with Johnson claiming pocket nines and happy to still be here, Reichenbacher hit the rail.
On over three million now, Wagner is firmly in control five-handed.
One of the hottest players in the Western New York poker scene over the past two years will look to go wire-to-wire in the final six and win his second Seneca Niagara major when the third and final day of the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event goes off inside the Niagara Falls Poker Room beginning at 12 p.m. local time today.
Alden, NY's Rick Block will bring his championship pedigree, having won the 2014 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event, and the chip lead, into the $1,000 buy-in event's final day today. But closing this one out will be no easy feat.
Dan Wagner, whose career best score was the $109,114 he earned finishing runner-up in the $1,100 event at the 2015 Fallsview Poker Classic on the other side of the falls last year, is trailing by just a few chips, and this end-game boss will not go away quietly.
Plus, although they trail, the rest of the final six, including Ray LaRouech, Charles Johnson, Joseph Reichenbacher, and Newton Graziano, are still stacked deep enough to do some damage.
Each of these players will come into play guaranteed at least the $9,907 reserved for sixth, but five-figure scores await each of the final five, and along with Seneca Niagara poker glory, there's a hefty $52,768 up top.
PokerNews will be on the scene from the call to shuffle up and deal until the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event champion is crowned and you are welcome to follow all the action right here in this space.
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop and Block called. The turn came the 
, Johnson checked and Block ripped it in.
. He was behind against Block's 
two pair, and stayed there after the 
river, making Block the 2106 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event champion and relegating Johnson to second place.
and when it checked to Wagner, he bet 160,000. Johnson folded and Block raised it up to 365,000.
but was on the wrong side of a classic cooler with Block holding the 
set.
board. It checked around to Newton Graziano and after he bet 200,000, Dan Wagner made it 420,000.
, but Wagner had it, making a flush out of the 
.
and although ace-high held through the 
board to the turn, Wagner filled up on the 
.
