Main Event | 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic

11-13-2017 14:58 UTC

The 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event Final Table Starts Now!

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A 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event champion will be crowned inside the Niagara Falls Poker Room at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino today.

Nine poker players will vie for the title and the $58,608 first-place prize it comes with when the final table kicks off at 12 p.m. local time in Niagara Falls, NY. Plus, the winner's photo will also grace the cover of an upcoming issue of CardPlayer Magazine.

The event's two starting flights drew 271 entries and reentries creating a $239,212 prize pool. The lion's share of that cash will be distributed to the finalists today. In fact, the top six will all earn over $10,000 and all the players are guaranteed at least $5,382.

They played from 57 starting flight survivors, past the 27-player money bubble, and down to the final nine on Sunday, with Ernie Guardarramas taking hold of the chip lead. Here's how the final table will look when things get started:

Seat	Player	Chips
1	Bradley Girdler	213,000
2	Ernie Guardarramas	1,855,000
3	Jason Sagle	1,290,000
4	Mark Roberts	1,048,000
5	Tommy Tomasello	746,000
6	Guy Klass	139,000
7	Rob Bourkney	435,000
8	Hassan Jamil	1,297,000
9	Lou Procopio	1,110,000

2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic prelim winner Bradley Girdler and 2017 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event champion Guy Klass are the shortest stacks coming in, but anything can happen at a poker table, and these two are certainly hoping it does.

Local standout Mark Roberts has been using the Seneca poker room as his personal ATM for years and starts play within a double up of the lead. Jason Sagle, Hassan Jamil, and Lou Procopio are all in a similar position as well, each with more than one million in chips.

Cleveland, OH's Tommy Tomasello and local short stack ninja Rob Bourkney round out the final nine after miraculously surviving several near tournament death experiences throughout Day 2.

Play will kick off with blinds at 12,000-24,000 with a 3,000-chip ante and there is bound to be heavy action right from the start.

Keep it locked on PokerNews to see who can crawl through the poker carnage and come out 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event champion on the other side.

11-13-2017 17:47 UTC

Tommy Tomasello Eliminated in 9th Place ($5,382)

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Level 24 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante

Cleveland, OH's Tommy Tomasello shoved the and Jason Sagle made a reluctant call with the .

Sagle's pair was slightly ahead and stayed there on the board. Tomasello took ninth becoming the first player to bust today.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jason Sagle	1,490,000 200,000	200,000
Tommy Tomasello	Busted

11-13-2017 19:26 UTC

Rob Bourkney Eliminated in 8th Place ($6,698)

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Level 25 : 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante

North Collins, NY's own Rob Bourkney held on as long as he could with the short stack. Then he got it in preflop with the versus Ernie Guardarramas' dominating .

Guardarramas held on a board to move back into the chip lead and send Bourkney home early.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ernie Guardarramas	1,800,000 200,000	200,000
Rob Bourkney	Busted

11-13-2017 19:51 UTC

Bradley Girdler Eliminated in 7th Place ($8,612)

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Level 25 : 15,000/30,000, 4,000 ante

Bradley Girdler open-shoved under the gun for 128,000 and only Hassan Jamil called.

Girdler:
Jamil:

It was less-than classic, but still a race and Jamil took control of it on an flop. Girdler got out of his chair for the turn and left after the river.

They are now down to six with just minutes left in Level 25.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hassan Jamil	1,900,000 200,000	200,000
Bradley Girdler	Busted

11-13-2017 20:25 UTC

Lou Procopio Eliminated in 6th Place ($11,004)

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Level 26 : 20,000/40,000, 4,000 ante

Guy Klass made it 105,000 from the cutoff and Lou Procopio shoved the small blind for 443,000. It folded back to Klass and he called with the .

Procopio, who was a 2012 DeepStacks Poker Tour Western New York Poker Championship finalist as well, was at risk with the .

The gave Klass a set, but Procopio did have a gutshot. He missed that on the turn and river to say goodbye sixth.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guy Klass	1,600,000 467,000	467,000
Lou Procopio	Busted

11-13-2017 22:15 UTC

Ernie Guardarramas Eliminated in 5th Place ($14,592)

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Level 27 : 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante

Ernie Guardarramas open jammed the cutoff for under one million and Mark Roberts went all in for a little less from the small blind.

Guardarramas was caught with the against Roberts' timely . Aces held and Guardarramas had 125,000 left.

Those chips went in with queen-high the next hand and Guy Klass and Hassan Jamil called. Klass made a straight to end Guardarramas' run.

There's four left and chop negotiations have begun.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mark Roberts	1,300,000 280,000	280,000
Ernie Guardarramas	Busted

11-13-2017 23:06 UTC

Jason Sagle Eliminated in 4th Place ($19,615)

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Level 27 : 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante

Jason Sagle got his last half million in super good with jacks versus Mark Roberts' .

Roberts spiked an ace and the very dangerous Canadian, who has over $1 million in tournament cashes, is now out.

Three handed, Roberts is now the closest to Guy Klass with Hassan Jamil on the short stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guy Klass	5,000,000 300,000	300,000
Mark Roberts	2,100,000 700,000	700,000
Hassan Jamil	800,000 -200,000	-200,000
Jason Sagle	Busted

11-14-2017 01:02 UTC

Hassan Jamil Eliminated in 3rd Place ($26,553)

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Level 28 : 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante

Hassan Jamil shoved and picked up the blinds. Then he shoved 390,000 and Mark Roberts and Guy Klass both called.

Roberts and Klass checked down the board and it ran out . Klass' made two pair and Jamil showed on the way out third. Roberts had the .

It's now heads up, Roberts versus Klass, with Klass holding a better than 3:1 chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guy Klass	6,400,000 1,300,000	1,300,000
Mark Roberts	1,700,000 -300,000	-300,000
Hassan Jamil	Busted

11-14-2017 01:22 UTC

Mark Roberts Eliminated in 2nd Place ($36,839)

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Level 28 : 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante

Mark Roberts bet 300,000 on an flop and Guy Klass called.

The turn came the and Roberts bet 900,000. Klass shoved in and Roberts made the call for his last one million with the . It was good at the time as Klass had the .

Suddenly and decisively, the river came the , and Klass made the better two pair. Roberts took second while Guy Klass went from almost zero to start the day, to hero ending it, winning the 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event.

A recap will follow.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guy Klass	8,130,000 1,730,000	1,730,000
Mark Roberts	Busted

11-14-2017 02:01 UTC

Guy Klass Wins The 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic For $58,608

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Level 28 : 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante

2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Champion Guy Klass

Nine months after winning the 2017 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event, Buffalo, NY's own Guy Klass took down the 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event in dramatic fashion inside the Niagara Falls Poker Room at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Resort Monday.

Klass, a 46-year-old heavy-duty truck salesman, actually started the final nine on Monday last in chips. He tripled up early, and ran good all day to make a miraculous comeback and earn the event's $58,608 first-place prize. His winner photo will now grace the cover of an upcoming issue of CardPlayer Magazine.

The tournament drew 271 entries over two starting flights, creating a $239,212 prize pool. The top 27 players got paid. A total of 57 started Day 2 Sunday and they played into the money and down to the final nine.

Middletown, NY's Ernie Guardarramas came into Monday's final table with the chip lead, but it didn't last. All the short stacks doubled up early, and by the time Cleveland, OH's Tommy Tomasello busted ninth, Canadian Jason Sagle had moved into the lead.

Guardarramas chipped his way back on top and busted North Collins, NY's Rob Bourkney eighth to extend the lead. However, after British expat Bradley Girdler was eliminated in seventh, and Klass busted Syracuse, NY's Lou Procopio sixth, Guardarramas was no longer in the lead.

Rochester, NY's Hassan Jamil held it for a while, but Klass just kept on coming, moving over the two-million-chip mark in the event's 26th level to take the lead. He really never looked back.

Klass busted Guardarramas fifth to extend the lead, and kept his foot on the gas the rest of the way. By the time Sagle busted fourth he had come from five big blinds to start to more than half the chips in play and was running away with the title.

Fellow Buffalonian Mark Roberts had played a controlled game throughout, laddering up until he doubled through Jamil in a classic race to leave Jamil short. Ultimately Jamil busted third to Klass, giving Klass a 3:1 lead heads up.

It looked like Roberts was going to snatch that lead away when he got it in with aces up versus Klass' ace, but in a day, or perhaps a year, where Klass can do no wrong, he hit the better two pair on the river to win it all.

Place	Winner	Payout
1	Guy Klass	$58,608
2	Mark Roberts	$36,839
3	Hassan Jamil	$26,553
4	Jason Sagle	$19,615
5	Ernie Guardarramas	$14,592
6	Lou Procopio	$11,004
7	Bradley Girdler	$8,612
8	Rob Bourkney	$6,698
9	Tommy Tomasello	$5,382

That wrapped up the 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic, another well attended event at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Resort that was first Klass all the way. Pardon the pun.

Look for PokerNews to return to Niagara Falls in the Spring, when Klass will have the chance to defend one of his two Seneca Niagara titles in the 2018 Western New York Poker Challenge.