$500 No-Limit Hold'em Reentry
Day 1 Completed
2013 Seneca Niagara Fall Poker Classic
$500 No-Limit Hold'em Reentry
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2013 Seneca Niagara Fall Poker Classic
Buy-in
$450
Prize Pool
$36,765
Entries
86
Level
20
Blinds
6,000 / 12,000
Ante
1,000
![[user196676]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 20
: 6,000/12,000, 1,000 ante
It was an intense, 16-hour day of poker at Seneca Resort and Casino where a total of 86 entries participated in the Seneca Niagara Fall Poker Classic $500 Re-Entry. At the end of it all, it was Rick Block who rose above the field and took home the biggest prize of anyone thanks to a four-handed deal. Block earned himself the winner's trophy as well as a payday of $9,127.
The tournament, which began at a fairly tame pace, gathered more and more entries as the day progressed. Once the re-entry period was closed at the end of Level 8, players began dropping like flies and the field was eventually whittled down to the unofficial final table of ten.
As the event paid the top nine finishers, the ten-handed final table made for the tournament's bubble period. The final ten players seemed to recognize that their stacks were fairly deep in relation to the blinds and antes, and thus the short stacks were able to pick their spots wisely and keep themselves alive in the tournament. The bubble finally burst just over two-hours into ten-handed play when Eric Liu found himself all in and at risk before the flop with 
. Liu was crushing Budway Salhab's 
, but a queen on the turn flipped Liu's game on its head. Liu was not able to improve and he was sent home as the bubble boy.
Leon Halat was the first player from the field to be sent home with cash in his pocket. A short-stacked Halat moved all in before the flop and his ace-jack failed to improve against Salhab's pocket kings. Halat collected $1,397 for his ninth place finish.
Following Halat out the door was one-time chip leader Chris Myers. At 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante, Myers found himself all in for his last roughly 100,000 against Art Demmerley. The flop read 
and Myers held 
for the nut flush draw. Demmerley was winning at the time the money went in with his 
for top pair and was looking to dodge a club to score the elimination. Myers found no help in the final community cards and he was forced to settle for a eighth place finish.
Last woman standing Sharman Olshan also fell when she moved all in with 
. In Olshan's case, however, she put the last of her money in before the flop and ran into Block's . An eight-high board spelled disaster for Olshan and she was eliminated in seventh place.
Six-handed play lasted for another hour and the tournament finally came to a hand during a confrontation between Block and Jeff Joseph. At 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante, Block opened with a raise to 24,000. Action folded to Joseph's small blind and he moved all in for 201,000. Block called and the hands were tabled.
Block:
Joseph: 
Block paired up on the 
flop and never released his grip on the hand as the turn and river completed the board with the 
and the , respectively. Joseph fell in sixth place and pocketed $2,547 for his efforts. Event 1 winner Demmerley quickly followed Joseph out of the room with a fifth-place finish, and that's where the final four began discussing a deal.
The deal was based on chips the amount of chips that each player held at that time. Since Block held a commanding chip lead, he was awarded the most money as well as the trophy. Here's a look at how the final table payouts stacked up:
Seneca Niagara Fall Poker Classic Event 7
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick Block | $9,127* |
| 2 | Budway Salhab | $7,500* |
| 3 | Tom Urbanski | $5,400* |
| 4 | Eric Gierlinger | $5,400* |
| 5 | Art Demmerley | $3,493 |
| 6 | Jeff Joseph | $2,574 |
| 7 | Sharman Olshan | $1,765 |
| 8 | Chris Myers | $1,581 |
| 9 | Leon Halat | $1,397 |
*denotes four-handed deal
That does it for our coverage of the this preliminary event! Be sure to tune in on Saturday, November 23 for the latest updates from the Seneca Niagara Falls Fall Poker Classic $1,500 Main Event!
Level 20
: 6,000/12,000, 1,000 ante
The final four players have come to an agreement, and this tournament is over! Since he held a massive chip lead at the time of the deal, Rick Block is the official winner of Event #7, the $500 No-Limit Hold'em Re-entry Event. Block eliminated three players at the final table, two of them with pocket aces, en route to the win. Here's a look at the numbers of the deal:
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick Block | $9,127 |
| 2 | Budway Salhab | $7,500 |
| 3 | Tom Urbanski | $5,400 |
| 4 | Eric Gierlinger | $5,400 |
We'll have a full recap of today's event up shorty. Also, be sure to tune in on Saturday for our coverage of the $1,500 Main Event! See you then!
Level 20
: 6,000/12,000, 1,000 ante
It has turned into the Rick Block show. One hand after he eliminated Joseph, Block sent Art Demmerley to the rail in fifth place. With the board reading 
Demmerley bet 60,000 and Block called. On the 
river, Demmerley checked and Block moved all in. Demmerley called off the rest of his stack and showed a nine, but he had been rivered by Block who showed 
. Demmerley was denied his second win of the series but still picked up $3,493.
The remaining four players are discussing a deal. We'll let you know how it turns out.
Level 20
: 6,000/12,000, 1,000 ante
Rick Block opened to 24,000 from early position and it folded to Jeff Joseph who moved all in for 201,000 from the small blind. Action folded back to Block who thought for a moment before calling.
Block:
Joseph:
Block jumped out to the lead on the flop and suddenly Joseph was two cards away from seeing his tournament life come to an end. The hit the turn and gave Joseph outs to make a diamond flush, but it did not come to fruition as the completed the board on the river. Joseph was eliminated in sixth place for $2,574.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,180,000
465,000
|
465,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 20
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 1,000
Level 19
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Eric Gierlinger opened to 25,000 from under the gun, and Tom Urbanski raised to 70,000 from middle position. Gierlinger moved all in, and Urbanski called off his remaining 66,000.
Gierlinger: 
Urbanski:
Aces found their way to this final table again, and this time Urbanski used them to double up after the 
board gave him a full house. Gierlinger dropped to 155,000 and is now the short stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
296,000
116,000
|
116,000 |
|
155,000
-55,000
|
-55,000 |
Level 19
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Tom Urbanski moved all in for 81,000 before the flop and Rick Block called.
Urbanski showed 
and was racing with Block's 
. A run out of 
ensured that Urbanski would double.
He is now sitting around 180,000 while Block still holds the chip lead with 715,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
715,000
-65,000
|
-65,000 |
|
|
180,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
Level 19
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Art Demmerley opened to 45,000 from under the gun, and Eric Gierlinger three-bet to 100,000 from the button. Action folded back to Demmerley and he quickly pushed his stack into the middle. Gierlinger asked for a total, and the dealer counted down a stack of 299,000 for Demmerley. Gierlinger mucked after some thought, and Demmerley picked up a nice pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
420,000
215,000
|
215,000 |
|
|
210,000
-10,000
|
-10,000 |
Level 19
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Art Demmerley raised to 35,000 before the flop and ran into a three-bet from Rick Block to 65,000. Demmerley called.
The two saw a flop of 
and Demmerley checked. Block moved out a tower of 100,000 and Demmerley snap-raised him to 300,000 total. Block took a deep breath and called for his tournament life of 275,000.
Block:
Demmerley: 
Block was in a dominating position with his pocket aces and secured a double into the chip lead after the 
and the 
completed the board. Block is now flirting with 700,000 in tournament chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
695,000
384,000
|
384,000 |
|
|
205,000
-310,000
|
-310,000 |