Event 10: $300 No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1 Completed
2014 Western New York Poker Challenge
Event 10: $300 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Western New York Poker Challenge
Buy-in
$265
Prize Pool
$29,958
Entries
119
Level
26
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
The 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge Event #10 $300 No Limit Hold’em attracted 119 entries to the Seneca Niagara Falls Casino & Hotel – which created a prize pool of $29,958 — and after more than 12 hours of play, Thomas Keeper emerged victorious to captured a $4,500 prize and the tournament trophy.
The top 12 finishers of Event #10 each locked up $629 after Dave Grana was eliminated on the money bubble. It happened in Level 18 (4,000/8,000/1,000) when action folded to Travell Thomas on the button and he raised to 20,000, which Grana called from the big blind. When the flop came down 
, Grana moved all in for 77,000 and Thomas shifted in his chair. He thought long and hard before finally declaring, "I can't fold top pair."
Thomas: 
Grana: 
Grana decided to go with his open-ended straight draw, but it proved an unwise investment as both the 
turn and 
river failed to help him. Grana was eliminated as the bubble boy while the remaining 12 players are guaranteed at least $629.
From the eliminations continued and included George Johnson (12th - $629), Mike Feldmeyer (11th - $629), Mark Archer (10th - $629), Chris Myers (9th - $809), and Thomas.
In the first hand back from the break, Thomas got his short stack all in and was up against the red-hot Keeper.
Keeper: 
Thomas: 
Thomas was looking for a king, but the 
flop failed to produce. The 
turn gave Keeper a full house, and that left Thomas drawing dead headed to the 
river. Thomas lamented his bust and then made his way to the payout desk in eighth place to collect $1,019.
After the eliminations of Maurice Sessum (7th - $1,258), Alex Visbisky (6th - $1,558), and Anish Bedhia (5th - $2,097), the final four players struck a deal. They split up the prize money with the two chip leaders taking $6,000 each and the two shorter stacks $4,500. They also agreed to leave the extra $330 to the dealers while playing for the trophy.
That ultimately led to a wild four-handed match that saw the chips rotate among all four players. It also saw them agree to skip levels to finish the match in a timely manner. Kevin Reyes, one of the shorter stacks, was the first to go, and then Scott Aitchison, one of the bigger ones, followed him out the door in third. That left Keeper and Ryan Rivers, who hit the bad beat jackpot at the casino for roughly $72,000 the night before, to battle it out heads up, and as you know Keeper ultimately walked away with the trophy.
WNY Poker Challenge Event #10 Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Thomas Keeper | $4,500* |
| 2nd | Ryan Rivers | $6,000* |
| 3rd | Scott Aitchison | $6,000* |
| 4th | Kevin Reyes | $4,500* |
| 5th | Anish Bedhia | $2,097 |
| 6th | Alex Visbisky | $1,558 |
| 7th | Maurice Sessum | $1,258 |
| 8th | Travell Thomas | $1,019 |
| 9th | Chris Myers | $809 |
| 10th | Mark Archer | $629 |
| 11th | Mike Feldmeyer | $629 |
| 12th | George Johnson | $629 |
*Reflects four-handed deal
Congratulations to Thomas Keeper, winner of the Western New York Poker Challenge Event #10! The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be at Seneca Niagara Casino all weekend long to bring you live updates from the 2014 Western New York Poker Challenge, so be sure to tune in.
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Well, it didn't take long for the heads-up play to conclude. Amazingly, it came to an end when just a single blue T1,000 chip separated the two.
In the final hand, Ryan Rivers opened for 125,000 from the button and Thomas Keeper announced that he was all in. Rivers opted to call, and as it turned out he got it in good.
Keeper: 
Rivers: 
Despite the good call, Rivers was not rewarded as the 
flop gave Keeper the lead with a pair of kings. The 
turn meant Rivers needed an ace on the river to capture the trophy, but it was not meant to be as the 
blanked. The stacks were counted down, and indeed Rivers was the short man by one chip.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,380,000
1,180,000
|
1,180,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 26
Blinds: 25,000/50,000
Ante: 5,000
Level 24
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
After skipping Level 23, the final two players have decided to jump again, this time to Level 26 (25,000/50,000/5,000).
Level 24
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
The chips have been flying nearly every hand, which has made it hard to keep up. During that time Scott Aitchison grew quite short, and he ended up getting his last 250K in against Ryan Rivers.
Rivers: 
Aitchison:
"Pretty standard," Rivers said, to which Aitchison agreed. The latter then watched helplessly as the board ran out 
. Aitchison missed and was sent home in third place, though thanks to the deal he'll take home $6,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Level 24
: 15,000/30,000, 3,000 ante
After getting his aces cracked by Ryan Rivers, Kevin Reyes fell to the same player in a similar bad beat.
It happened when Reyes got his chips in holding the 
and was in great shape to double against the of Rivers.
The 
flop left Rivers asking for a ten, which was a request he repeated when the 
turn gave him a gutshot straight draw. The dealer obliged and put out the 
on the river to give Rivers the winning hand.
"That's alright," Reyes said, "I've got my money."
Indeed he did. Thanks to the four-handed deal he'll take home $4,500, but not the trophy.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,400,000
975,000
|
975,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 24
Blinds: 15,000/30,000
Ante: 3,000
Level 22
: 10,000/20,000, 2,000 ante
After Scott Aitchison opened for 50,000 on the button, Thomas Keeper moved all in for roughly 280,000 from the small blind. Ryan Rivers then moved all in over the top from the big and Aitchison folded.
Keeper: 
Rivers:
"That's not a good flop," Keeper said when the flop fell 
. "That is though," he added when the dealer burned and turned the . It seemed so as it gave Keeper a flush draw, but it was a mute point as Rivers had made a full house.
At that moment the slammed down on the river. It took a moment for everyone to realize what happened — quads was on the board and Keeper's ace played!
"That is an insane beat," Keeper exclaimed. "That's why you do a deal."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
600,000
278,000
|
278,000 |
|
|
425,000
-435,000
|
-435,000 |
Level 22
: 10,000/20,000, 2,000 ante
The final four players have come to a deal. They're splitting up the prize money as laid out below, while leaving the extra $330 to the dealers. They will also continue to play for the trophy.
| Player | Chip Count | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Rivers | 860,000 | $6,000 |
| Scott Aitchison | 850,000 | $6,000 |
| Kevin Reyes | 370,000 | $4,500 |
| Thomas Keeper | 322,000 | $4,500 |