$1,000 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2016 Western New York Poker Challenge
$1,000 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2016 Western New York Poker Challenge
Buy-in
$910
Prize Pool
$215,379
Entries
244
Level
27
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000
Just 20 of 103 Remain After Day 1a of the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event; Alex Visbisky Leads
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
The 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event drew 103 entries for its first of two starting flights at the Seneca Niagara Casino on Friday.
This marked the first time a Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event Day 1a had drawn over 100, and after 15 levels of play, exactly 20 players survived through to Sunday's Day 2.
Greg Miller built a huge chip lead in the day's 11th level after a hot run of cards and at least one gift, cruising towards bagging a 291,500-chip stack when it was all said and done.
As the day wore on, James Morin appeared to be a contender before he got cooled off, six-bet shoving kings into Alex Visbisky's aces. The aces held and when the dust settled Morin hit the rail and Visbisky moved into a dead heat for the lead with Miller.
In the end, Visbisky, who led the final table of of the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event this past November before ultimately finishing third, bagged the healthy chip lead again with 358,500.
Other local heroes who will return for Day 2 include Dan Wagner, Rick Block, Bob Keihl, Pat Tighe, and Andy Ranaletti, while perennial threats including defending champ Buck Ramsay, Cameron Bartolotta, Blake Napierala, and Alex Rivera were all felted.
While today's survivors will all return Sunday to contend for the title and big stacks of cash, another group will get going when the second and final starting flight for the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event kicks off Saturday at 11 a.m. local time. And this one's expected to be even bigger as the event appears poised to smash its $200,000 guarantee.
Tune in then to follow all the action live, right here, on PokerNews.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
358,500 | 30,500 |
|
291,500 | 16,500 |
|
276,500 | 56,500 |
|
198,500 | 98,500 |
|
|
194,500 | 49,500 |
|
176,000 | 176,000 |
|
170,000 | 40,000 |
|
169,500 | -40,500 |
|
152,000 | -38,000 |
|
147,500 | 147,500 |
|
|
141,000 | 141,000 |
|
|
135,500 | 5,500 |
|
123,000 | 3,000 |
|
|
105,000 | 105,000 |
|
|
99,000 | 99,000 |
|
87,500 | 87,500 |
|
81,500 | -88,500 |
|
|
75,000 | 75,000 |
|
58,000 | 58,000 |
|
50,000 | -60,000 |
Five More Hands!
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
The clock was stopped with ten minutes left in the level and a 'Brian Bartoe'-style draw was conducted to determine the number of hands left to play at each of the final three tables. They drew a five.
The 130,000 Club
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
Alex Rivera's run from shorty to contender is over. He ran it up from 10,000 to 70,000 after the dinner break. But quickly dusted those chips off running 
into Manoi Saysamone aces preflop and failing to improve at all.
The hand left Saysamone with 130,000, the very same number Rick Block is now on, after getting it in with jacks against nines and holding for the full double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
130,000 | |
|
|
130,000 | |
|
Busted |
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 400
Ricky on the Block; Batman in the Gut
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 300 ante
The Rick Block Death Watch was on until his table broke on his big blind and he woke up with a raising hand in the first one at his new seat.
He made it 6,000 in early position and got four callers. They all folded when he shoved 26,000 into the 
flop and he's now off life support.
In the meantime, it has been a swingy day for Dennis Fleig, who is now peaking at 110,000 after getting it in with a gutshot, two overs and a back door flush draw versus Bob Keihl.
Fleig hit the gutterball and moved up the ladder a little.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,000 | 44,000 |
|
|
65,000 | -68,000 |
Visbisky Gets Bartolotta
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 300 ante
The Alex Visbisky train keeps on running down the track, crushing the Cameron Bartolotta dream moments ago, and putting him into the chip lead all alone.
He opened to 5,400 and Bartolotta ripped what looked like 11 bigs into him from the large blind. Visbisky wished him luck, making the call with the 
and Bartolotta would need it, holding the 
.
The board ran out 
busting Bartolotta.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,000 | 45,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 300
Break!
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
The tournament's final 31 players now head into the final break of the night with the final two levels still to come. Play finally resumes in roughly 10 minutes.