2018 Western New York Poker Challenge

$120 No-Limit Hold'em II
Day: 1
Event Info

2018 Western New York Poker Challenge

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a8
Prize
$4,026
Event Info
Buy-in
$120
Prize Pool
$14,915
Entries
157
Level Info
Level
25
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000

$120 No-Limit Hold'em II

Day 1 Completed

Joe King Crowned Champion of Event #5 Winning $4,026

Level 25 : 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Event #5 Champion Joe King
Event #5 Champion Joe King

Joe King has a new crown after taking down Event #5: $120 No-Limit Hold'em $10,000 Guarantee at the 2018 Western New York Poker Challenge (WNYPC). King bested a field of 157 entries to take the top honors and a cash prize of $4,026.

There will be a new player added to the HendonMob.com after the result's of Wednesday night's event gets posted as this is King's first-ever live recorded tournament cash. King jumped to the top of the counts early on in the day and continued to add to his stack, reaching the final table with the third best stack. With eight players left, King got into a massive pot with fellow big stack Scott Murawa collecting more than half of the chips in play which ultimately propelled him to victory.

Final Table Results:

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Joe KingUnited States$4,026
2Keith GrayUnited States$2,521
3Joe CatalanoUnited States$1,790
4Jeremy DrummUnited States$1,268
5Bob LiebeckUnited States$969
6Victor ReaUnited States$761
7Scott MurawaUnited States$582
8Ken WongUnited States$447
9Lou ScottUnited States$358
10James MillerUnited States$283

Just edging Tuesdays Event #4, Wednesday's event drew a total of 157 entries, creating a guarantee-smashing prize pool worth $14,915. Like Event #4, the top 18 spots were to be paid but once again, the field came to an agreement to pay the bubble and avoid hand-for-hand play.

Moments after the final table was the formed, the blinds swallowed up the short stacks of James Miller and Lou Scott.Ken Wong soon joined them finding himself paying the big blind with all his chips and unable to make a hand.

It was a shock to the entire table when the two biggest stacks collided in a massive pot that King busted Murawa in. Murawa turned top pair but King had flopped a set and all the chips went in the middle, literally more than half of the chips in play.

Victor Rea was the next to depart shoving with an up and down straight draw but failed to improve, falling to Joe Catalano's flopped top pair. Just a couple hands later, Bob Liebeck lost most of his chips to Jeremy Drumm and bowed out the very next hand.

The final four players played for the better part of three levels with very little chip movement until Keith Gray took control of the chip lead from King and collected the rest of Drumm's sub five big blind stack. Catalano had also slid to just a few big blinds when he got his stack in the middle. Catalano was racing with pocket threes against King's ace-jack but a broadway straight for King would seal Catalano's fate.

King started the heads-up battle with a massive chip lead but a quick double up for Gray narrowed it slightly. Just a hand later, the two got it in again. It was ace-eight for King and king-three for Gray. Gray let out a big cheer when he spiked a king on the turn to take the lead but an ace peeled off right behind it to secure the title for King.

Featured on Thursday at the WNYPC is Event #6: $300 Pot-Limit Omaha with a $15,000 guaranteed prize pool. The action kicks off at 1 PM.

PokerNews will be here throughout the festival, bringing you all the news and live updates. Follow @pokernews on Twitter, on Facebook, and Instagram.

Tags: Joe KingKeith GrayJoe CatalanoJeremy DrummBob LiebeckVictor ReaScott MurawaKen WongLou ScottJames Miller

Keith Gray Eliminated in 2nd Place ($2,521)

Level 25 : 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Keith Gray
Keith Gray

Keith Gray was able to close the gap slightly with a double up during the start of the heads-up match but just a hand later, it was all over.

Gray open-jammed and Joe King put him at risk.

Keith Gray: {k-Diamonds}{3-Spades}
Joe King: {a-Spades}{8-Clubs}

Gray needed some help and would find some on the turn as the board swept out {2-Clubs}{2-Spades}{6-Spades}{k-Hearts}. Unfortunately, the {a-Diamonds} followed directly behind it and Gray's comeback was squandered, finishing runner-up for $2,521.

King takes home the trophy and a top prize of $4,026.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Joe King us
Joe King
1,570,000
270,000
270,000
Profile photo of Keith Gray us
Keith Gray
Busted

Tags: Keith GrayJoe King

Level: 25

Blinds: 25,000/50,000

Ante: 5,000

Joe Catalano Eliminated in 3rd Place ($1,790)

Level 24 : 20,000/40,000, 4,000 ante
Joe Catalano
Joe Catalano

Joe King opened to 200,000 from the small blind and called a three-bet shove from Joe Catalano for not much more. Catalano was racing with the {3-Clubs}{3-Diamonds} to King's {a-Spades}{j-Diamonds}.

A {k-Hearts}{5-Clubs}{10-Clubs}{q-Hearts}{9-Hearts} board fanned out giving King a straight on the turn and Catalano was sent to the payout desk in third place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Joe King us
Joe King
1,300,000
795,000
795,000
Profile photo of Joe Catalano us
Joe Catalano
Busted

Tags: Joe CatalanoJoe King

Jeremy Drumm Eliminated in 4th Place ($1,268)

Level 24 : 20,000/40,000, 4,000 ante
Jeremy Drumm
Jeremy Drumm

Jeremy Drumm limped from the small blind and called a shove from Keith Gray in the big blind to put himself at risk.

Keith Gray: {10-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}
Jeremy Drumm: {7-Hearts}{6-Diamonds}

The board ran out {5-Spades}{6-Clubs}{q-Clubs}{4-Hearts}{q-Diamonds} and Drumm was eliminated in fourth place banking $1,268.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Keith Gray us
Keith Gray
780,000
265,000
265,000
Profile photo of Jeremy Drumm us
Jeremy Drumm
Busted

Tags: Jeremy DrummKeith Gray

Level: 24

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 4,000

Level: 23

Blinds: 15,000/30,000

Ante: 3,000