$150 No Limit Hold’em II
Day 1 Completed
2017 Western New York Poker Challenge
$150 No Limit Hold’em II
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 Western New York Poker Challenge
Buy-in
$150
Prize Pool
$11,282
Entries
95
Level
20
Blinds
8,000 / 16,000
Ante
2,000
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 20
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Border crossing Niagara Falls Poker Room regular Cameron Bartolotta took down the fifth event on the 2017 Western New York Poker Challenge schedule at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino Tuesday night.
The Canadian rounder was a part of a four-way even chop, winning the title and trophy in a flip for all the glory.
The reentry tournament drew 95 entries, creating an $11,282 prize pool that paid 12 spots.
Bartolotta actually bought in three times and sat on the brink of elimination several times throughout the late levels before making a comeback for the ages at the final table.
| Position | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cameron Bartolotta | $2,007 |
| 2 | Chuck Friedman | $2,007 |
| 3 | Patrick Fernandez | $2007 |
| 4 | Chris Harker | $2,007 |
| 5 | Joe Litz | $670 |
| 6 | Geno Pessecow | $587 |
| 7 | Todd Anthony | $474 |
| 8 | Carol Leonardi | $384 |
| 9 | Goran Velimirovic | $305 |
Once the final table started, short stacks Carol Leonardi and Goran Velimirovic held on for a while, but ultimately could not beat the odds.
Making his second final table in two nights, Todd Anthony busted seventh before Geno Pessecow essentially blinded out sixth. When Joe Lutz busted fifth, 2016 Seneca Summer Slam runner-up Chris Harker had a big lead, but could not hold onto it.
Picking his spots carefully, Bartolotta came back from short stack to big stack and ultimately all the stacks evened out. That's when a deal was struck.
PokerNews' coverage of the 2017 WNYPC will continue tomorrow with the Niagara Falls Poker Room's First Wednesday of the Month tournament beginning at 7 p.m.
Level 20
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
The stacks evened up even further and the four remaining players chopped up the prize money.
They each take home $2,007 and after a flip for the trophy, Cameron Bartolotta will carry that back across the border to Canada as well.
A recap will follow.
Level 20
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Things have evened up at the top and bottom of the counts.
Chuck Friedman doubled up with aces against Chris Harker's sixes. Harker then doubled through Cameron Bartolotta coming from behind to make a straight.
As a result, here's how things stand now:
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
350,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
|
350,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
120,000
-240,000
|
-240,000 |
|
120,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
Level: 20
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 2,000
Level 19
: 6,000/12,000, 1,000 ante
Joe Litz shoved 70,000 and Cameron Bartolotta came over the top all in to isolate.
The rest folded and Litz' 
had Bartolotta's 
dominated. However, the 
board gave Bartolotta the best hand and sent Litz out fifth.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 19
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 1,000
Level 18
: 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Below are updated counts for the final five:
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
360,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
|
230,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
|
205,000
78,500
|
78,500 |
|
|
100,000
-20,000
|
-20,000 |
|
|
100,000
-20,000
|
-20,000 |
Level: 18
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 1,000
Level 17
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Geno Pessecow was super short, but folded his big blind to a raise. The next hand he ended up all in for 4,000 in the small blind.
Although he somehow failed to recognize it until it was all over, Chuck Friedman made a wheel to bust Pessecow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |