2014 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam

$200 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 1
Event Info

2014 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam

Final Results
Winner
Prize
$4,078
Event Info
Buy-in
$170
Entries
131
Level Info
Level
19
Blinds
5,000 / 10,000
Ante
1,000

$200 No-Limit Hold'em

Day 1 Completed

Congratulations to Joe Ciffa, Winner of the Seneca Niagara Summer Slam Event #3 ($4,078)

Level 19 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Bruce Pace, Joe Ciffa and Aaron Obstein
Bruce Pace, Joe Ciffa and Aaron Obstein

Joe Ciffa is going to need a new shelf for all the hardware he’s collecting in Niagara Falls this week.

For the second straight day, Ciffa claimed victory in the Seneca Niagara Summer Slam series. On Saturday he won Event #2 outright for more than $10,000, and on Sunday he pocketed another $4,000 by chopping Event #3 three ways and going on to win his second trophy in as many days.

Bruce Pace and Aaron Obstein were also part of the even three-handed deal on Sunday. The three players agreed that the title would go to whomever had the chip lead at the end of Level 20, and moments later Ciffa won a massive three-way all in for 95% of the chips in play. He wisely folded out the rest of the level to secure the win.

Event #3 was a $200 no-limit hold’em event which attracted 131 total entries, creating a prize pool of $21,157. The top 15 spots were guaranteed a payday, and Sunday's money bubble certainly created some excitement between two of the bigger stacks in the room.

On a flop of {6-Spades}{10-Clubs}{9-Hearts} Peter Raimondi led out for 12,000 and Pierre Geatreau called to see the {10-Hearts} on the turn. Raimondi led again, this time for 17,000, and Geatreau called. The river was the {K-Hearts} and Raimondi bet 70,000. Geatreau moved all in and Raimondi snap called, saying he had the nuts with {K-}{10-} for a full house.

But he didn't have the nuts — Geatreau tabled the {Q-Hearts}{J-Hearts} for a straight flush to win a massive pot and send Raimondi to the rail just short of the money.

From there, Scott Aitchison, Cameron Bartolotta, Jason Nablo, Dave Olshan and Ken Lilley were eliminated to create the ten-handed final table. Travell Thomas, who locked up his third top-20 finish of the series, failed to place in the top nine again when he lost a flip to chip leader Scott Hosbach.

Thomas’ friend Maurice Sessum busted to Hosbach in ninth, and then Ciffa got active when he busted Jonathan Revere (8th place), Brian Bowen (7th place), and Geatreau (6th place).

It was during that time that Hosbach’s stack began dwindling, and the rest of it went to Pace. After losing a big pot when Pace two-outted him on the river, Hosbach completed from the small blind and Pace raised to 40,000 from the big blind. Hosbach moved all in and Pace went into the tank.

"You've got me steaming," Hosbach said from across the table.

"Well I have a big hand," said Pace. "I call."

Pace: {K-Spades}{Q-Clubs}
Hosbach: {A-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}

Hosbach had the lead but Pace came from behind when the board ran out {3-Hearts}{Q-Hearts}{2-Hearts}{J-Clubs}{K-Diamonds}.

Jim Burkett was severely short stacked and was eliminated by Ciffa a short time later, leaving the final three competing for a $6,000 top prize. They eventually agreed on an even split and Ciffa went on to claim the title.

Summer Slam Event #3 Final Table Results

PlacePlayerPrize
1Joe Ciffa$4,078*
2Bruce Pace$4,078*
3Aaron Obstein$4,078*
4Jim Burkett$1,978
5Scott Hosbach$1,439
6Pierre Gautreau$1,100
7Brian Bowen$846
8Jonathan Revere$656
9Maurice Sessum$529
10Travell Thomas$434

*Denotes three-handed deal

Coming up on Monday at the Summer Slam is Event #5, a $125 buy-in no-limit hold'em event with six starting flights and a $50,000 prize pool. We’ll be covering each flight from start to finish, so be sure to follow PokerNews for complete coverage of the 2014 Summer Slam series in Niagara Falls!

Tags: Aaron ObsteinBruce PaceJoe CiffaPeter RaimondiScott HosbachSummer Slam

Bruce Pace Eliminated in 2nd Place ($4,078); Joe Ciffa Wins Back-to-Back Titles!

Level 19 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

Joe Ciffa still had an overwhelming chip lead at the end of Level 20 and therefore he is deemed the winner of back-to-back events here in the 2014 Seneca Niagara Summer Slam. We'll have official deal information and a full recap as soon as possible.

Thanks for following along to our coverage from the Seneca Poker Room! We'll be back tomorrow for the start of the $125 no-limit hold'em event which features six starting flights and a $50,000 guaranteed prize pool!

Tags: Joe CiffaSummer Slam

Aaron Obstein Eliminated in 3rd Place ($4,078)

Level 19 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

Bruce Pace raised to 40,000 from the button, Joe Ciffa called from the small blind, and Aaron Obstein moved all in. Burkett quickly re-shoved, and Ciffa let out a laugh.

"What the hell?!" Then he called.

Obstein: {A-Clubs}{Q-Spades}
Pace: {A-Hearts}{Q-Diamonds}
Ciffa: {6-Clubs}{6-Hearts}

Ciffa was in excellent shape to collect the majority of the chips in play he did just that when the board rolled out {6-Spades}{3-Hearts}{8-Hearts}{3-Clubs}{10-Diamonds}.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Joe Ciffa us
Joe Ciffa
1,850,000
1,100,000
1,100,000
Profile photo of Bruce Pace us
Bruce Pace
100,000
-700,000
-700,000
Profile photo of Aaron Obstein us
Aaron Obstein
Busted

We Have a Deal!

Level 19 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

The final three players have agreed to split the remaining price money evenly. We'll have those offical amounts for you shortly.

As for the trophy and the title, they've decided to give it to whomever has the most chips at the end of this level. The race is on.

Tags: Joe Ciffa

Scott Hosbach Eliminated in 5th Place ($1,439)

Level 19 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

After losing a big pot when Bruce Pace two-outted him on the river, Scott Hosbach completed from the small blind and Pace raised to 40,000 from the big blind. Hosbach moved all in and Pace went into the tank.

"You've got me steaming," Hosbach said from across the table.

"Well I have a big hand," said Pace. "I call."

Pace: {K-Spades}{Q-Clubs}
Hosbach: {A-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}

Hosbach had the lead but Pace came from behind when the board ran out {3-Hearts}{Q-Hearts}{2-Hearts}{J-Clubs}{K-Diamonds}. Hosbach had control of the tournament for much of the final table but lost the big pots when it mattered, resulting in a fifth-place finish.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Bruce Pace us
Bruce Pace
1,010,000
420,000
420,000
Profile photo of Scott Hosbach us
Scott Hosbach
Busted

Tags: Scott HosbachSummer Slam

Obstein Cracks Kings

Level 19 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

Scott Hosbach opened from under the gun and Aaron Obstein shoved from the small blind. Hosbach snapped him off with {K-Clubs}{K-Spades} and was ahead of Obstein's {A-Hearts}{Q-Spades}, but Obstein came from behind again when the board ran out {Q-Clubs}{Q-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{10-Clubs}{7-Spades}.

Obstein doubled through Pace on the very next hand and has officially dug himself out of the ground and into contention here in Event #3.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Bruce Pace us
Bruce Pace
590,000
10,000
10,000
Profile photo of Joe Ciffa us
Joe Ciffa
580,000
40,000
40,000
Profile photo of Scott Hosbach us
Scott Hosbach
455,000
-15,000
-15,000
Profile photo of Aaron Obstein us
Aaron Obstein
340,000
190,000
190,000
Profile photo of Jim Burkett
Jim Burkett
110,000
-65,000
-65,000

Level: 19

Blinds: 5,000/10,000

Ante: 1,000

Pierre Gautreau Eliminated in 6th Place ($1,100)

Level 18 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante

Joe Ciffa limped from under the gun, Aaron Obstein moved all in for 66,000 from directly behind and Pierre Gautreau reshoved for 71,000 from the small blind. Ciffa tossed his hand into the muck and the cards were tabled.

Gautreau: {9-Hearts}{9-Diamonds}
Obstein: {A-Diamonds}{7-Spades}

Obstein was at risk and in danger but he vaulted into the lead on the {A-Hearts}{K-Clubs}{3-Clubs} flop. The {2-Spades} turn and {10-Hearts} river changed nothing and Obstein doubled, crippling Gautreau.

Gautreau committed his last 5,000 on the next hand and lost to Joe Ciffa's Broadway.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Aaron Obstein us
Aaron Obstein
150,000
57,000
57,000
Profile photo of Pierre Gautreau
Pierre Gautreau
Busted

Tags: Joe CiffaPierre GautreauAaron Obstein