$600 Main Event | 2017 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam

07-30-2017 23:22 UTC-4

Blake Napierala Wins 2017 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam Main Event

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Level 31 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante

Niagara Falls, NY nurse and top-notch local rounder Blake Napierala won the 2017 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam Main Event for $23,316 inside the Niagara Falls Poker Room at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino Sunday.

The $600 buy-in reentry event drew 414 entries over two starting flights Friday and Saturday, creating a $100,000 guarantee-smashing $220,869 prize pool that paid the top 45.

A total of 88 survivors pushed through to Sunday’s final day and they moved into the money fairly quickly.

Overnight leader Scott Hosbach dominated play throughout and held on to bring the lead into the final table of ten. However, Kristan Mackiewicz went on a huge heater in the final nine, and by the time they got down to five-handed play, she had more than a third of the chips in play.

They struck a deal, giving Mackiewicz $30,000 and leaving $1,316, the trophy and title to play for.

Short stacked Blake Napierala took the least amount of money in the chop, then went on a heater of his own, knocking out 2015 Summer Slam Main Event champ William Liang, upstart Canadian Sahar Khajavi, and Hosbach in short order to take a 2:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Mackiewicz.

Mackiewicz doubled up with a dominating ace to flip the script, but Napierala endured, and ultimately got deuces to hold for the win.

That’s all from the 2017 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam series, where the players and staff at Seneca Niagara put on another great show, crushing all the event guarantees and having a great time doing it.

Next up is the 2017 Seneca Fall Poker Classic coming up sometime in November. Keep it locked on PokerNews for all the details.

07-30-2017 21:56 UTC-4

Frank Dellaria Eliminated in 6th Place ($8,393)

[user127999]

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

Frank Dellaria shoved some 450,000 over a Scott Hosbach open and Hosbach made the reluctant call with the .

He was ahead versus Dellaria's , and flopped him dead making a wheel when the was turned over.

Dellaria went runner-runner two pair, but it was too little too late. He takes sixth and then there were five.

Player	Chips	Progress
Scott Hosbach	2,300,000	1,000,000
Frank Dellaria	Busted

07-30-2017 21:48 UTC-4

Omar El-Nasrallah Eliminated in 7th Place ($7,267)

[user127999]

Level 29 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

It's all coming up Kristan Mackiewicz right now.

Omar El-Nasrallah got it in for 700,000 with the versus Mackiewicz' and hit the flop. He looked good for the double up after the turn. However, Mackiewicz spiked a set on the river to send him packing.

It's six handed now and she's got about a third of the chips in play.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kristan Mackiewicz	4,200,000	900,000
Omar El-Nasrallah	Busted

07-30-2017 21:13 UTC-4

John McCauley Eliminated in 8th Place ($5,963)

[user127999]

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

John McCauley got it in for 500,000 with the and Omar El-Nasrallah looked him up with the .

The board bricked out and McCauley busted eighth.

Player	Chips	Progress
Omar El-Nasrallah	1,700,000	500,000
John McCauley	Busted

07-30-2017 20:15 UTC-4

Joseph Elia Eliminated in 9th Place ($4,589)

[user127999]

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

Scott Hosbach made it 115,000 and Joseph Elia defended his big blind.

Elia then shipped the flop for his last 400,000. Hosbach called with the and Elia looked good to double with the .

However, the turn hit Hosbach and the river could not save Elia.

Elia's exit brings them down to eight and Hosbach leads.

Player	Chips	Progress
Scott Hosbach	3,000,000	600,000
Joseph Elia	Busted

07-30-2017 19:03 UTC-4

Jason Clark Eliminated in 10th Place ($3,865)

[user127999]

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

Jason Clark got it in with two jacks, but could not get by William Liang's .

The money went in preflop and Liang turned an ace.

Clark's elimination brings the final table down to nine.

Player	Chips	Progress
William Liang	2,200,000	700,000
Jason Clark	Busted

07-30-2017 09:13 UTC-4

The 2017 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam Main Event Final Starts Now!

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A champion will be crowned in the 2017 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam Main Event today.

After two starting flights Friday and Saturday drew a field of 414 entries, creating a guarantee-crushing $220,869 prizepool, just 88 players remain in the hunt for that title and the $51,904 first-place prize it comes with.

First comes the fight for the money, as only the top 45 finishers will get paid. Then, a battle for seats at the final table, where the top nine will guarantee themselves close to $5,000 each. After that, it's time to ladder up, with the top five looking at five-figure scores and more than just Seneca poker glory awaiting the winner.

Play will begin at 11 a.m. local time with skyrocketing blinds already at 2000/4000 with a 500 ante.

Fairport, NY’s Scott Hosbach ran hotter than the Bethlehem Steel fire at the end of the second starting flight, putting over 500,000 in the bag once the smoke plume cleared. He'll take a massive lead into play today with no one even within 100,000.

However, there is a group of former Seneca champs and local standouts sitting over 200,000, and within one double of contention, including no less than Chris Meyers, William Liang, Hayden Glassman, Vince Palma, Jason Clark, Bruce Pace, Adam Foster, James DiPasquale, and, of course, Blake Napierala.

Plus, the list of names in the remaining 88 looks like local who's who with several Seneca winners and local legends among them.

No matter how big it gets, no chip lead is ever safe, or anything but a massive prizepool guaranteed inside the Niagara Falls Poker Room, and so the 2017 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam Main Event is up for grabs on this sunny summer Sunday, just blocks from the eighth wonder of the world.

Stay tuned to PokerNews to find out who will claim this crown.