After the final four players chopped up the remaining prize money, the 2017 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam $125 No-Limit Hold'em Reentry title and trophy went to 55-year-old retired Niagara Falls Medical Center employee Arthur Gates in his hometown of Niagara Falls, NY Thursday night.
The chip leader at the time the deal was made, consistent local rounder David Battaglia ($7,294) earned his second five-figure score of the series, and the most money. However, Gates still collected $4,679 for the win. Tom Babiarz ($6,756) and Steve Roberts ($4,703) were also part of the chop.
The event's six starting flights drew 456 entries this week and 58 survivors returned to play down to a champion Thursday. The top 45 finishers were paid and they reached the money rather quickly to start the day.
The lion's share of the massive $43,320 prizepool sat at the final table, and when they reached the final ten, Babiarz had built a big lead. Patience paid off for Battaglia, however, and as the first six players to bust from the final table took their leave, he built a slight lead over Babiarz.
Both Roberts and Gates led at one point or another, but by the time a decision to chop was made, they were the shorter stacks of the four.
In the end, they all chose not to gamble in the face of escalating blinds and these four players enjoyed a huge return on investment for their $125 buy in.
That ends the $125 Reentry event, however, PokerNews' coverage of the 2017 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam continues with the first of two starting flights for the $600 Main Event beginning at 11 a.m. local time Friday. Tune in then.
After six starting flights for the 2017 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam $125 No-Limit Hold'em Reentry event drew 456 entries over the past three days, they will play down to a winner inside the Niagara Falls Poker Room at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino Thursday.
The 58 survivors from those flights will battle for pieces of a massive $43,320 prizepool. The top 45 finishers will get paid, and while an unlucky 13 will miss out on a payday, the rest will continue to fight for an estimated first-place prize of $10,320. No matter how you slice it, there's an opportunity for a huge return on investment in this $125 event.
Prizepool and payout details will be updated before play begins.
The top half of the chip counts is filled with some of the best local players in Western New York and local legend Jason Nablo leads them all. However, Seneca's most consistent star David Battaglia, 'Poker Queen' Maria Parlatore and psychological warfare expert 'Big Lucky' John Abraham are stacked and within striking distance.
Plus, each and every player who pushed through the starting flights are running good and capable of big things.
Since that's where the shortest flight ended, play will resume with ten minutes left in Level 11 and blinds at 800/1600. However, the price of poker will be going up fast and they should reach the money bubble relatively quickly as a result.
Play will begin at 12 p.m. local time and the action should be hot all day. Stay tuned to find out who can outwit, outlast, and outplay the rest to become the 2017 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam $125 No-Limit Hold'em Reentry champion.
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for his last 300,000.
and got there on the 
board to bust Ozimek.
and Ozimek snapped him off with big slick.
flop and Paul McLean moved in for 260,000.
. McLean had two eights and said goodbye after a 
run out gave Gates a flush to go with his trips.
.
flop, but Battaglia made a set. Gray said his goodbyes as the 
river were revealed.
board was all McMahon.
flop. Steve Roberts called with the 
.
river changed nothing, but the 
