Main Event
Day 1a Started
2017 Western New York Poker Challenge
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 Western New York Poker Challenge
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$235,681
Entries
267
Level
26
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
4,000
The 2017 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event Starts Now!
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
A thick blanket of snow covering Niagara Falls won't stop the 2017 Western New York Poker Challenge.
Today we plow on to the 2017 WNYPC Main Event and the first of two starting days in this $200,000 Guaranteed tournament.
The buy-in is $1,000, but there's still plenty of chances to get in for cheap, as live satellites will be running all day at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino.
Those who do hop in the Main Event today will start with 30,000 chips and plans to play through 15 40-minute levels. Registration and unlimited reentry is available through the 45-minute dinner break, or before the start of Level 11.
Plus there's another kick at the can Saturday when the second and final starting flight begins at 11 a.m. local time.
The event is being held on the hotel balcony, so it is open to players 18 and up.
Last year semi-pro bowler and full-time poker enthusiast Rick Block outlasted a field of 244 entries to win the title, trophy and a $52,768 first place prize.
Despite the weather, the turnout should be decent today and PokerNews will be on hand to cover a day filled with poker action hot enough to melt all that snow starting at 11 a.m.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Keep Your Friends and Family Updated With My Stack
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
PokerNews has activated the My Stack App for the 2017 WNYPC Main Event, allowing you to directly adjust your chip counts in our live reporting blog using your iPhone or Android phone!
You can download the app for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in. It's that easy.
Click here to download the My Stack app for iPhone, or click here to download the My Stack app for Android.
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
Snow Day!
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
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.
Level: 3
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0
Locals Only
Level 3
: 100/200, 0 ante
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.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
70,000 |
Level: 4
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 25
Salhab Slays the Whale and Mr. Unlucky
Level 4
: 100/200, 25 ante
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.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
110,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted |