Main Event
Day 1b Started
2017 Western New York Poker Challenge
Main Event
Day: 1b
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
Day 1b of the 2017 WNYPC Main Event Starts Now!
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
It's clear skies and sunshine outside as the 2017 Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event continues today inside the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, NY.
Today marks the second of two starting days in this $200,000 Guaranteed tournament and it should be a big one.
The first of two starting flights drew 84 entries on Friday. Just 17 survived the flight with Budwey Salhab grabbing the lead.
A bit of a snow day kept entry to a minimum Friday, but all that is expected to turn around now.
The buy-in is $1,000 and players will start with 30,000 chips. The plan is 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.
The event is being held on the hotel balcony, so it is open to players 18 and up.
Last year pro poker player/bowler hybrid Rick Block outlasted a field of 244 entries to win the title, trophy and a $52,768 first place prize. A pretty big crowd will have to show up today if they are going to match those numbers, but that's not out of the realm of possibilities.
PokerNews will be on hand from the call to shuffle up and deal until they bag and tag starting at 11 a.m. local time, so keep it locked right here.
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.
Click here to download the My Stack app for iPhone, or click here to download the My Stack app for Android.
Take A Walk On The Wild Side
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Local realtor, top quality poker player, and all around nice guy Nick Walker won the 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge for $37,061.
Now, after winning the opening event on the 2017 WNYPC schedule last Sunday night for $17,404, he wants his old title back.
Want to challenge Walker for the title? Registration and reentry for the event is available for the first ten levels and a 45-minute dinner break. Can't make it? Challenge Walker on Twitter, join the conversation and keep it going using the hashtag #WNYPC. All Twitter posts using the hashtag will show up on the PokerNews Live Updates Blog - even the trolls calling for MartyDerby's head.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
Who Loves It More?
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
You'd be hard pressed to find anyone that loves it more than David Olshan.
As has now become tradition in Seneca Main Events, Olshan survived the first starting flight here at the Western New York Poker Challenge, but he's also in the field for the second one.
The reentry format here allows Olshan, and anyone else who bagged chips on Day 1a for that matter, to try and run up a bigger stack in this second flight. The rule is you carry the best stack forward.
Olshan simply enjoys the thrill of the fight and loves the competition. But if he can put any more in the bag heading into Sunday's Day 2, it'll be that much more fun for him.
Sharman Olshan has a great affinity for the game as well, but stopped short of describing yesterday's first flight as fun for her. She played all 15 levels Friday, busting right before they bagged. She's also in the field today and obviously hoping for a slightly better result.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
The $1,000 Danish
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
The following past event winners and final table participants are in the mix today:
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Level: 3
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0
The Daily Double
Level 3
: 100/200, 0 ante
Middletown, NY's Ernie Guardarramas suddenly has twice what he started the day with and appears to be the chip leader heading into the day's first break.
Guardarramas managed to turn the 
into a Broadway straight and in addition to the pot, he's also won the Simply Broadway 4 CD Box Set of Essential Show Tunes*, featuring more than 100 Broadway hits.
Remember - There's no business like show business at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino.
*Actual prize may vary, or simply not exist at all
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
60,000 | 60,000 |