After four qualifying flights in Event #1: $200 No-Limit Hold'em $50,000 guarantee at the 2018 Western New York Poker Challenge, a field of 798 entries has been reduced to just 104 hopefuls with Daniel Wagner at the helm.
Wagner's mark of 325,000 set back on Day 1a was not matched through the rest of the Day 1 flights giving the former Seneca Niagara Poker room champion an early advantage heading into Day 2. Wagner is chased most closely by Day 1b top stack Tim Campbell with 304,300, Day 1d chipleader Chris Babula and his 302,700, and Mike Rellinger with 284,800.
The payout structure has yet to be released but with all four flights combined, a total of 798 entries were accumulated creating a prize pool worth $128,877, smashing the $50,000 guarantee by more than 150%.
Day 2 will resume with about 20 minutes left on Level 14 playing blinds of 1,500/3000 and an ante of 400.
On just the third hand of hand-for-hand play on the direct money bubble, Chris Babula has put the rest of the field in the money. The player to Babula's immediate right shoved all-in with pocket nines but Babula had woke up with pocket tens and a clean board sent the bubble boy to the rail.
Babula is now the clear chipleader with around 535,000.
Erik Klis is back on top of the counts after busting two players in a recent big pot.
With a board reading , Klis bet 37,000, enough to put Jason Nablo all in, Nablo made the call, but then Anthony Koch check-shoved for about 125,000.
Klis took a moment before announcing a call.
Erik Klis:
Jason Nablo:
Anthony Koch:
Koch had the best of it at the time but Klis had a big draw. Nablo was most in trouble needing a miracle. Klis would make his flush on the river to scoop another sizeable pot.
We didn't catch the action but were able to gather some details about Matt Heiligenthaler's elimination. Heiligenthaler moved all-in preflop with pocket tens and Chris Gras put him at risk with king-queen. Gras caught a king on the board and Heiligenthaler fell in ninth place making $2,578.
Anthony Soluri open-shoved preflop with and Budwey Salhab put him at risk, calling with the . The board ran out and Soluri lost the race to bust in eighth place but due to the deal walks away with $7,000.
Chris Damick claimed yet another victim as he has eliminated Michelle Caldwell. The two were racing with Damick's slightly ahead of Caldwell's . Caldwell received no aid with a run out and collected $8,500 as part of the eight-way deal.
Andrew Miller moved all-in on the turn of a board and Chris Gras called to put Miller at risk. Miller was behind holding the but had outs to flush and straight draws while Gras flopped two pair with the .
The landed on the river and Miller departed in fifth taking home $7,500.
Budwey Salhab had Chris Damick all in and at risk preflop. Damick was in trouble and way behind holding the to Salhab's . Damick picked up some hope on the flop of the board but it quickly swept away with Salhab making a full house on the turn.
![[user270022]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, Klis bet 37,000, enough to put Jason Nablo all in, Nablo made the call, but then Anthony Koch check-shoved for about 125,000.
and Babula fell in 10th place earning $1,972.
and Budwey Salhab put him at risk, calling with the 
run out and collected $8,500 as part of the eight-way deal.
board and Chris Gras called to put Miller at risk. Miller was behind holding the 
board but it quickly swept away with Salhab making a full house on the turn.