The 2018 Western New York Poker Challenge got underway this morning at the Seneca Niagra Resort & Casino as Event #1: $200 No-Limit Hold'em kicked off at 10 A.M. The first of four Day 1 flights attracted a total of 146 entries with just 22 securing a seat on Day 2.
After 14 30-minute levels former Niagra Falls Poker champion Daniel Wagner bagged the largest stack carrying a healthy 325,000 towards Sunday's Day 2. Wagner steamrolled his competition en route to the chip lead. Wagner busted one player after another.
Wagner's closest competitor was Jeremy Hoeltke with 195,300 while Matt Heiligenthaler (179,100), Rob Zaenglein (173,900), and Erik Klis (129,000) round out the top five.
Any Day 1a casualties or players not able to make it before registration closed still has three more shots to earn a seat on Sunday. Their next opportunity begins at 6 P.M. local time with two more flights at the same times on Saturday
After an open to 3,000, Kristan Mackiewicz three-bet to 7,000 and found a call from the original raiser. The flop fell and with her opponent checking the action, Mackiewicz bet 8,000. Her opponent check-shoved and Mackiewicz snap-called putting herself at risk.
Kristan Mackiewicz:
Opponent:
Mackiewicz was best and held through an run out leaving her opponent drawing dead on the turn when she made a set with her aces.
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The 2018 Western New York Poker Challenge (WNYPC) kicks off this morning at the Seneca Niagra Resort & Casino with the first of eight events played over the course of the next 11 days. Running through April 6-16, poker fans in the area will be treated to some low buy-in, big value events culminating with a $200,000 guaranteed Main Event set to get underway on April 13.
The first event of the series features a buy-in of $200 and a guaranteed prize pool of $50,000. Players will have four shots to qualify for Day 2 with starting flights scheduled at 10:00 A.M and 6:00 P.M local time today and tomorrow with the survivors returning on Sunday to play down to a champion.
Players will start with 15,000 in tournament chips and play either 14 30-minute blind levels or until the field gets down to 12% remaining. Registration will remain open until the end of the eighth level and players are permitted to play any of the Day 1 flights with only their top stack carrying forward to Day 2.
In 2017, Nick Walker claimed the victory in the kickoff event topping a field of 638 entries en route to a cash prize worth $17,404. Though, with a deal made between the final four players, Matt Heiligenthaler actually banked the top prize walking away with $23,000.
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and with her opponent checking the action, Mackiewicz bet 8,000. Her opponent check-shoved and Mackiewicz snap-called putting herself at risk.
run out leaving her opponent drawing dead on the turn when she made a set with her aces.
