$1,000 Main Event
Day 2 Started
2016 Western New York Poker Challenge
$1,000 Main Event
Day: 2
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
Day 2 of the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event Starst Now!
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Day 2 of the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event will go off inside the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino just a few blocks from Niagara Falls, beginning at 11 a.m. this morning.
After two starting days drew a total of 244 entries, just 50 players pushed through and will battle it out on the felt today, looking to book a seat at the area's most prestigious final table.
Following up on his third-place finish on the 2015 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event this past November, top local tourney grinder Alex Visbisky made quads twice and was on the right side of an aces-over-kings cooler to set the pace on Day 1a, becoming the only player to bag over 300,000.
However, a bigger field on Day 1b produced three others with as much or more. In fact, thanks to a set-over-set debacle late in the day that saw Chris Meyers give away heaps with an ill-advised river shove, Orchard Park, NY's own Jeff Kandefer will bring the chip lead into the start of Day 2 on a massive 425,500.
Mike Rellinger also played the field like a fiddle, switching gears constantly on the way to bagging 300,000-plus, and Jim Burkett ran hot longer than even he expected, hanging on to 324,000 by the time play ended.
The group just under also includes several venerable Seneca grinders like Jeff Wells, Joseph Elia, Andy Ranaletti, World Series of Poker bracelet winner Greg Ostrander and multiple Seneca Niagara title holder Rick Block, who are all expected to have at least some say in how this thing shakes out today.
Plus, 2015 Seneca Fall Classic Main Event champ Kurtis Boutelle, local cash king Dan Wagner and the always dangerous Pat Tighe and Blake Napierala are among those who still have chips and chairs.
It should be an exciting day of poker here as they play into the money and beyond and PokerNews will be on hand for all the action.
Stay tuned right here to see how the 2016 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event contenders separate themselves from the pretenders.
Level: 16
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 500
Rellinger Bluffs Some Off
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
The day begins with a few short stacks hitting the rail out of the gate and Mike Rellinger coming back down to earth.
He ran a triple-barrel bluff, but could not get Hassan Jamil to fold ace high on a ten-high board with two sixes. They're both now mired in the pack just below the leaders.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
260,000 | 107,500 |
|
220,000 | -112,500 |
The Money Matters
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Prize pool information has now been updated for this event. With 244 entries, a $215,379 prize pool was created that will pay the top 27 players.
A min-cash rings in at $1,637, while the winner will earn $52,768. Five figure scores are guaranteed for the top five. Full payout information is available through the tab above.
Mader Makes It
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Thomas Mader has joined the group at the top of the counts, bringing chip leader Jeff Kandefer down to earth in the process.
First, Mader busted one short stack with about 45,000, who ran 
into his pocket tens. Then, he snatched a 160,000-chip pot off of Kandefer, making two pair aces and queens on the river, and forcing a fold after heaps went in on the turn.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
350,000 | -75,500 |
|
300,000 | 124,000 |
Visbisky Moves Ahead
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Alex Visbisky has moved firmly into the lead now after taking a chunk out of Andy Ranaletti.
Visbisky opened for 9,000 from early position, and after Rick Block called, Ranaletti defended his big blind. They all checked the 
flop, but Ranaletti fired 15,000 at the turn. Only Visbisky called and when Ranaletti checked the 
river, Visbisky bet 48,000.
Ranaletti called with two pair aces and jacks, but Visbisky had two queens, taking the pot with a rivered set.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
430,000 | |
|
140,000 | -58,500 |
Level: 17
Blinds: 2,500/5,000
Ante: 500
Elia's Stack Up, Blinds Go With It
Level 17
: 2,500/5,000, 500 ante
Joseph Elia dragged a 75,000-chip pot, turning suited rags into a flush to bust one player and take a chunk out of another eager to do the same.
A few small pots later and he's joined the 300,000-plus club as Level 17 kicks off.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
330,000 | 130,000 |
Wagner Through Shanahan
Level 17
: 2,500/5,000, 500 ante
Dan Wagner shoved over a Matt Shanahan 12,000-chip open and Shanahan called with jacks.
They went off to the races with Wagner on 
and he made a flush on a 
run out.
The double made Wagner healthy again on over 200,000 and left Shanahan with about one big. He got it in and rivered Broadway versus two pair soon after, but remains on life support.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
220,000 | 97,000 |
|
6,000 | -199,000 |