The second of two starting flights for the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event drew 141 entries to the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino on Saturday.
This brought the grand total of entries up to 244 and ensured the $200,000 prize pool guarantee would be more than met. By the time 15 levels of play were through, just 30 players survived the carnage, meaning a total of 50 are now through to Sunday's Day 2.
Jim Burkett grabbed the chip lead early and appeared to be running away with the day until his hot run cooled off. He still bagged a respectable 324,000, but was leapfrogged by two players.
Mike "The Mayor" Rellinger switched gears successfully several times on Day 1b on the way to bagging 332,500, and thanks to a huge set-over-set pot right near the end of play between "Jersey" Chris Meyers and Jeff Kandefer, it was Kandefer that bagged both the Day 1b and overall lead, ending with a massive 425,500-chip stack.
Several local heroes also bagged big, including perennial contender Joseph Elia and 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic champ Kurtis Boutelle. Others that did not fare so well and busted included Cameron Bartolotta, Kristan Mackiewicz, Nick Walker, Silvio DeRubeis, and Jason Stockfish.
The 50 survivors from both starting days combined will play together for the first time on Day 2, kicking things off at 11 a.m. local time Sunday in the hunt for a seat at the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event final table.
Of course, PokerNews will be here for all the action from the call to shuffle up and deal until the final table is set and you are welcome to follow along right here in this space.
Jeff Kandefer just cooled off a red hot Chris Meyers, grabbing the chip lead in the process.
He flopped a set of kings on a board. It checked to the turn, where he check-min-raised a 10,000-chip lead from Meyers. Meyers called, then hit a set of tens on the river. Kandefer led for 50,000 with about 60,000 in the middle and Meyers ripped it in.
Kandefer snapped it and showed Meyers the bad news. The 420,000-chip pot was pushed to Kandefer and immediately after, the clock was stopped with 10 minutes left in the level and a 'Brian Bartoe'-style draw was conducted to determine the number of hands left to play. They drew a three and it looks like Kandefer is going to bag the big lead.
Jim Burkett's heater continues here and he's now firmly in the lead as the first player above 300,000. Day 1a chip leader Alex Visbisky was the only player to bag 300,000 or more yesterday.
Burkett crested the 300,000 mark moments ago when he three-bet a 2,500 open from under the gun, making it 6,000. The under the gun player called, then checked the flop. Burkett checked as well, but when the turn was revealed and UTG checked again, he led for 10,000.
UTG called and they both checked the river. Burkett turned over and it was good.
Jason Stockfish has moved into a dead heat with Jim Burkett for the lead now, thanks to one opponent who refused to believe his five-betting range preflop is two aces and the other two aces.
This opponent beat him to the pot with a call for his tournament life holding big slick. No surprises on the board left Stockfish with 125,000 and counting.
The second and final starting flight for the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event will get going just steps from Niagara Falls on the Hotel Balcony of the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino beginning at 11 a.m. local time this morning.
The tournament features a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool and is already well on its to surpassing that, drawing 103 entries for the first starting flight Friday.
An even bigger field of players is expected to pony up the $1,000 buy-in today, for which they will receive a 30,000-chip starting stack.
As it was yesterday, the plan is to play through 15 40-minute levels. The levels will increase to 50 minutes on Day 2, and 60 minutes on Day 3. There will be a 45-minute dinner break at the end of Level 10 today and registration and reentry will be open until it ends with the start of the 11th level.
On Friday, just 20 players pushed through to tomorrow's Day 2 with a familiar face grabbing the overnight lead. Alex Visbisky, who led the final table of of the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event this past November before posting a third-place finish, set the pace, bagging 358,500. In fact, he was the only player over the 300,000 mark when play wrapped up.
Poker events at Seneca consistently draw the top rounders from in and around Western New York and a tough field is expected today.
Canadian Buck Ramsay, who also won the 2014 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam Main Event and made a final table appearance in the Fall finale in November, comes in as defending Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event Champion. He took two kicks at the can yesterday, but ran bad both times, getting aces cracked and losing a race, although chances are he'll take at least one more shot today.
PokerNews will be on hand from start to finish today, and you can follow all the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event action right here in this space.
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board. It checked to the 
turn, where he check-min-raised a 10,000-chip lead from Meyers. Meyers called, then hit a set of tens on the river. Kandefer led for 50,000 with about 60,000 in the middle and Meyers ripped it in.
flop. Burkett checked as well, but when the 
turn was revealed and UTG checked again, he led for 10,000.
river. Burkett turned over 
and it was good.
