2014 Western New York Poker Challenge

Event 10: $300 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 1
Event Info

2014 Western New York Poker Challenge

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
kq
Prize
$4,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$265
Prize Pool
$29,958
Entries
119
Level Info
Level
26
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000

"Back In It, Baby!"

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

"All in and a call," we heard a dealer yell. We made our way over just in time to see the entertaining Travell Thomas get his last 8,600 all in on a flop of {9-Clubs}{4-Hearts}{q-Clubs}.

Thomas had moved all in after his opponent in the small blind had checked. The call was made and the cards were turned up.

Thomas: {k-Spades}{k-Diamonds}
Small Blind: {q-Hearts}{k-Clubs}

The small blind had flopped top pair, but it was second best to Thomas' pocket kings. The {6-Clubs} turn made things interesting as it gave the small blind a flush draw, but the {2-Diamonds} river proved a safe card for Thomas.

"Back in it, baby," Thomas shouted as he giddily collected the chips.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Travell Thomas
Travell Thomas
25,000
8,500
8,500

Tags: Travell Thomas

Level: 9

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 100

Meyers & McFarlane Have History

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

With around 22,000 already in the pot and a flop of {j-Clubs}{q-Spades}{8-Diamonds}, Mike McFarlane checked from the small blind and Chris Meyers bet 7,000 from the big. McFarlane then sprung to life with a big check-raise to 35,000 or so, though Meyers didn't have that much.

Meyers thought for a bit before folding his hand, prompting McFarlane to flash the {a-Diamonds}{a-Spades}.

"I remember you felted me with aces the last time I played with you," Meyers said flatly.

"Good fold," was McFarlane's response.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mike McFarlane
Mike McFarlane
70,000
Profile photo of Chris Meyers us
Chris Meyers
23,000

Tags: Chris MeyersMike McFarlane

Fish Hooks for Luchese

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

An under-the-gun player opened for 2,000 and Joe Mundier and Anthony Luchese called from the hijack and small blind respectively. All three players then checked the {q-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}{k-Hearts} flop as well as the {6-Spades} turn.

When the {10-Spades} completed the board on the river, all three players repeated the action and Mundier tabled the {a-Clubs}{10-Clubs} for a rivered pair of tens. The under-the-gun player mucked, and then Luchese rolled over {j-}{j-} to claim the small pot.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Joe Mundier
Joe Mundier
51,000
Profile photo of Anthony Luchese
Anthony Luchese
40,000

Tags: Anthony LucheseJoe Mundier

Level: 8

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 100

Ryan Rivers Wins the Bad Beat Jackpot for $72,000

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante
Ryan Rivers
Ryan Rivers

The Seneca Poker Room has been lively for several weeks as players looked to cash in on the massive Bad Beat Jackpot which was the largest the room had seen since 2010. It had gone several months without hitting — until last night.

Ryan Rivers, who is playing in this tournament, scooped the lion's share of the jackpot last night for $72,000. It happened at a $1/2 no-limit hold'em table when Rivers ran quad threes into a queen-high straight flush. Rivers got half of the $144,000 prize, while the winner of the pot collected 25% ($36,000), and the other players at the table split the other 25%.

Congratulations to Ryan and everyone else at the table who got a piece of the jackpot.

Tags: 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge

Two Hands Results in Two Eliminations Over at Table 7

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante

Two seats just opened up over at Table 7 in back-to-back hands.

In the first, an unknown player got his stack all in on a flop of {9-Clubs}{j-Clubs}{5-Spades} holding the {7-Clubs}{6-Clubs} against the {9-Hearts}{9-Spades} of Sharman Olshan. The at-risk player had plenty of outs, but he came up empty as the {J-Hearts} blanked on the turn followed by the {Q-Hearts} on the river.

In the very next hand, another player got his last 10,000 or so all in preflop holding {10-Diamonds}{10-Clubs} and was racing against the {a-Diamonds}{k-Hearts} of Robert Petronnio, who was sitting on a big stack. The {j-Hearts}{2-Clubs}{a-Hearts} flop delivered Petronnio the lead with a pair of aces, and he never relinquished it as the {2-Diamonds} and {Q-Hearts} appeared on the turn and river respectively.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Robert Petronnio
Robert Petronnio
80,000
80,000
80,000
Profile photo of Sharman Olshan us
Sharman Olshan
45,000
23,000
23,000

Tags: Robert PetronnioSharman Olshan

"That's Disgusting"

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante

We missed the action as it unfolded, but we do know that Paul Defrank and another player, who we only know as Mustapha, got their stacks all in on a {3-Spades}{9-Spades}{7-Clubs} flop.

Defrank: {a-Hearts}{q-Hearts}
Mustapha: {k-Clubs}{k-Hearts}

Mustapha was the player at risk, though most of Defrank's chips were in the pot too. The {Q-Clubs} turn managed to give Defrank a pair of queens. However, he needed either another or an ace to win the pot. Wouldn't you know it, the {A-Diamonds} spiked on the river to give him a winning two pair.

"That's disgusting," someone at the table said in disbelief. Meanwhile, a shell-shocked Mustapha wandered out of the tournament area.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Paul Defrank
Paul Defrank
40,000
40,000
40,000

Tags: Paul Defrank