The 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge kicked off its $1,100 Main Event yesterday at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, New York. The flagship event of the series smashed the $100,000 guaranteed prize pool as the 183 entries created a prize pool of $176,595.
After 13 50-minute levels of player, just 34 players remained with Jerry Calvaneso emerging as the chip leader with 398,800, nearly double the amount of his next closest competitor. There's still a long way to go, but clearly he is the favorite to claim the $45,915 first-place prize, or at least make the top 21 and secure a minimum $2,119 payday.
Calvaneso told us that he played a satellite to the Main Event with the intention of selling it if he won. However, when he found out that he couldn't sell it, he attempted to negotiate a deal to get cash instead of the seat. He ended up winning the seat after another satellite player rejected his offer, and now he looks to parlay his satellite success into a much bigger payday.
Others who will be returning to action today include Johannes Mueller, Blake Napierala, Joseph Elia and the defending that of this event, Matthew Sande. Mueller was actually one of PokerNews' Players to Watch entering the series, so we have high expectations for him as he enters the day with a decent stack.
Action is set to kick off at Noon ET, which is a little over an hour from now. We'll be bringing you live updates every step of the way until a champion is crowned, plus addition coverage of the last tournament in the series, Event #16 $300 No Limit Hold'em, which you can follow by clicking here.
Who will be the last two winners of a great and action-packed series? Stay tuned to find out!
A short-stacked Todd Saffron moved all in for 46,400 under the gun and Joseph Elia isolated with a big three-bet from the cutoff. The button and both blinds folded, and the cards were turned up.
Elia:
Saffron:
The flop delivered Elia a set, which meant Saffron needed to catch perfect running eights to stay alive. It was an incredibly long shot, but the turn made it possible. Saffron paused for a moment to watch the river, which ended up being the useless .
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We picked up the action on a flop when Blake Napierala checked and Jerry Calvaneso put out a bet. Pete Kaemmerlen then raised to 44,000, and Napierala sprung to life with an all-in check-raise to 107,000. Calvaneso quickly folded and then Kaemmerlen thought for a moment before calling.
Napierala:
Kaemmerlen:
Napierala was in a prime spot to double, but all of a sudden the rug was pulled out from under him when the dealer burned and turned the . Kaemmerlen hit his two outer and Napierala was left drawing to two of his own. The river wasn't it, and a volatile Napierala was eliminated from the tournament.
Meanwhile, Andrew Cicatello has also been eliminated from the tournament.
After the bubble burst, Mathias got his last 33,500 all in preflop and was racing against chip leader Jerry Calvaneso.
Mathias:
Calvaneso:
Mathias was on his feet and watched the flop come down . Calvaneso flopped a set to take a commanding lead. The turn actually left Mathias drawing dead, and after the was run out on the river, he made his way to the payout desk in 21st place to collect $2,119.
The defending champ of the Western New York Poker Challenge is gone.
Matthew Sande, who won this event last year for $44,582, moved all in for 102,000 from the cutoff and Mike Shavensky called off for 92,500 from the button. The blinds both folded and Sande discovered the bad news.
Sande:
Shavensky:
Sande had some kicker issues, but he perked up a bit when the flop gave him chop outs.
"Deuce," he said. The dealer instead put out the to give him even more chop outs.
"Six?" he asked one last time. It fell on deaf ears though as the blanked on the river. Sande was left with just 8,500, and it went in the very next hand. Unfortunately he wasn't able to win that one, and his run came to an end in 20th place.
The jovial Jerry Calvaneso has been all smiles the majority, with good reason too as he began Day 2 as a big chip leader. Unfortunately Calvaneso doesn't have anything to smile about now as he has been eliminated from the tournament.
Calvaneso has had a rough go of it in the last hour or so and watched his chips be spread about the table. In what would be his final hand, he got his last 110,000 all in preflop and was up against Ray Snell, who had the bigger stack by just 3,000 in chips.
Calvaneso:
Snell:
"Good luck, Jerry," Snell offered. Calvaneso returned the courtesy. Of course luck would only be on one player's side, and on this particular hand she favored Snell. That's because the board ran out to allow Snell's walking sticks to hold.
Calvaneso finishes in 15th place and will take home $2,649.
After losing more than half his chips when his was cracked by the of Andre Smith, Ray Snell was looking for a spot.
He found it when Pete Kaemmerlen opened for 31,000 and Snell moved all in for 68,000 more. Kaemmerlen made the call and it was off to the races.
Kaemmerlen:
Snell:
Snell got it in good, but he was not rewarded as the flop gave Kaemmerlen the lead with queens. Neither the turn nor river helped Snell, and he was sent packing in 14th place.
"GG," he said after the hand. Not "good game" mind you, but rather "GG."
Bob De Wolfe limped under the gun and action folded to Leon Halat, who stacked his chips and moved all in for 163,000 from the button. The blinds both folded and De Wolfe simply said, "Call."
De Wolfe:
Halat:
"Chop," Travell Thomas shouted when the flop put that possibility out there. Indeed, another six would do it, but the turn wasn't helpful. The ended up blanking on the river, and that would be the last card Halat would see here in the Western New York Poker Challenge Main Event.
"I didn't expect him to have that kind of hand," Halat admitted before taking his leave.
Pete Kaemmerlen opened for 31,000 under the gun and cleared the field all the way around to Thomas Babiarz, who moved all in for 124,000 from the big blind. Kaemmerlen snap-called and the cards were turned up.
Kaemmerlen:
Babiarz:
Both players shared a jack, and since Kaemmerlen's ace kicker was best, Babiarz was looking for some big-time help. The flop was disaster as Kaemmerlen paired his king, which left Babiarz in need of running cards. The turn made it so a deuce on the river would result in a chop, but that didn't happen as the peeled off.
Babiarz was eliminated in 11th place, which means the final ten players will now combine to the final table.
flop delivered Elia a set, which meant Saffron needed to catch perfect running eights to stay alive. It was an incredibly long shot, but the 
turn made it possible. Saffron paused for a moment to watch the river, which ended up being the useless 
.
flop when Blake Napierala checked and Jerry Calvaneso put out a bet. Pete Kaemmerlen then raised to 44,000, and Napierala sprung to life with an all-in check-raise to 107,000. Calvaneso quickly folded and then Kaemmerlen thought for a moment before calling.
. Kaemmerlen hit his two outer and Napierala was left drawing to two of his own. The 
river wasn't it, and a volatile Napierala was eliminated from the tournament.
. Calvaneso flopped a set to take a commanding lead. The 
turn actually left Mathias drawing dead, and after the 
was run out on the river, he made his way to the payout desk in 21st place to collect $2,119.
to give him even more chop outs.
blanked on the river. Sande was left with just 8,500, and it went in the very next hand. Unfortunately he wasn't able to win that one, and his run came to an end in 20th place.
to allow Snell's walking sticks to hold.
peeled off.
