Rick Block Wins 2014 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event
The $1,000 2014 Seneca Fall Poker Classic Main Event came to a close on Monday afternoon. The tournament attracted 263 total entries across two starting days, easily surpassing the $200,000 guaranteed prize pool. When it was all over, Rick Block was named the official champion after agreeing to a three-way deal at the final table with Veerab Zakarian and Dave Grana.
Block entered the day as the massive chip leader and eliminated two of the first three players at the final table to take total command. However, Zakarian and Grana made up some ground and the three players negotiated an even chop to bring the tournament to a close.
Main Event Final Table
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick Block | $40,050* |
| 2 | Veerab Zakarian | $40,000* |
| 3 | Dave Grana | $39,445* |
| 4 | Anthony Sgroi | $19,123 |
| 5 | Andre Smith | $14,319 |
| 6 | Joseph [Removed:340] | $10,855 |
| 7 | Joe Ciffa | $8,314 |
| 8 | Thomas MacKenzie | $6,698 |
| 9 | Randy Lingenfelter | $5,312 |
*Reflects three-handed deal
Randy Lingenfelter was the first to exit at the final table. After losing a big pot to Block, he three-bet shoved for 222,000 with the K♣9♦ and couldn't come from behind against Zakaria's A♥9♥.
Block then sent two players packing. First, Block called Thomas MacKenzie's three-bet shove with the K♠Q♠ and outran MacKenzie's A♥J♣. Minutes later, Block's A♠10♣ held up against Joe Ciffa's A♦5♦ to eliminate Ciffa in seventh place.
Anthony Sgroi eliminated Joseph [Removed:340] in sixth place, but Sgroi took an ugly beat to Zakarian that knocked him out in fourth. Block opened to 100,000 from under the gun and got calls from Zakarian (small blind) and Sgroi (big blind). The flop rolled out 5♦J♦3♠ and Sgroi shipped it all in for 815,000. Block quickly folded, and Zakarian asked for a count before spending a couple minutes in the tank. He eventually called and was way behind.
Sgroi: J♠2♥
Zakarian: 9♦9♠
Sgroi was an 87% favorite to win the hand, but his odds dropped with the A♦ hit the turn, giving Zakarian a flush draw. And sure enough the 10♦ arrived on the river to complete the flush, sending Sgroi to the rail
The final three players then agree to a chop, thereby ending the tournament. This marks the second Seneca Fall Poker Classic title for Block, as well as the largest score of his career. Zakarian, the 19-year-old from Toronto, picks up the first cash of his bright and promising poker career, and Grana capped off a great series that also included a final table in Event #3.
That does it for our coverage of the 2014 Seneca Fall Poker Classic. See you next time in Niagara Falls!
Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!
