Rochester, NY's Chris Graham will take the chip lead into the second break of the day.
He made sixes full and picked off a bluff in a 40,000 chip pot to climb the counts. Then Graham took it to that next level, getting over 100,000 when he flopped top set against top and bottom pair and all the chips went in the middle. The set held.
In the meantime, locals Budwey Salhab and William Balcom have continued to chip up. They join Graham as the only six-figure stacks in the room heading towards the mid-point of the flight..
The Whale in front of Budwey Salhab limped in. Salhab looked down at the before making it it 800. Two players called, including the unluckiest man in the room, and The Whale upped it to 3,400.
Salhab flatted and the other two came along for the ride. The Whale fired out 3,000 at the flop and all three players called.
The turn brought the to the board and The Whale ripped it all in for 22,000. Salhab called with a little left behind, and after one fold, Mr. Unlucky got it in for 3,000 more. Salhab called and The Whale simply mucked when the other hands were turned over, even with one card to come.
Salhab had a pair and a club draw, but things looked like they were about to turn around for our sad sack and his two pair.
However, the heart was ripped out of his tournament life and the cosmos put back in order when the river came down, making Salhab's flush.
The Whale and perennial underdog Mr. Unlucky went home unfortunately early and Salhab now has enough chips to put in the bag in just the fourth level of the day.
Plucky local Billy Balcom has done it again, grabbing the Level 3 chip lead for a Seneca Niagara record 13th tournament in a row.
Only time will tell if this will be lucky number 13 for old Billy boy, who called a big turn raise, made his flush and got it all in on the river in a more than 60,000-chip pot against top two aces and queens.
Balcom has started 2017 on fire as well. In fact, he's booked seven Seneca tournament cashes already this year, riding hot starts to a Freezout win in January and five other final tables in the first two months of the year.
Now he's looking to make his mark on more than just the third level in a Main Event at Seneca as he takes the lead into the first break of the day.
Main Event registration always starts slow and finishes with a bang here at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino.
But it may be particularly slow here this morning due to inclement weather. It's snowing sideways outside. It's a real mess with snow and slush all over the roads and that could be slowing down some people driving in from a distance.
Things should pick up soon, but for now they move through Level 2 with 25 entries in and counting.
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before making it it 800. Two players called, including the unluckiest man in the room, and The Whale upped it to 3,400.
flop and all three players called.
to the board and The Whale ripped it all in for 22,000. Salhab called with a little left behind, and after one fold, Mr. Unlucky got it in for 3,000 more. Salhab called and The Whale simply mucked when the other hands were turned over, even with one card to come.
two pair.
river came down, making Salhab's flush. 
