Alex Rivera just got here, but he's already doubled his stack. Shortly before the break, with the board reading , Rivera shoved his last 17,475 into a pot of around 15,000. His opponent in Seat 1 asked for a count, and upon hearing how much Rivera had, he called.
Rivera:
Seat 1:
Rivera was ahead with top pair and an open-ender, but he still had some outs to fade to win the pot. The on the river rang true for Rivera and he doubled up to 49,100.
Travell Thomas opened with a raise to 800 from the hijack. Johannes Mueller looked down at his cards in the next seat over and announced a three-bet to 2,800. Carm De Ciantis quickly announced a four-bet all in for what looked to be around 8,000 from the button. Action folded back to Thomas who ditched his hand as well. Mueller called and the hands were turned over.
De Ciantis:
Mueller:
The board fell and De Ciantis was sent to the rail for the second time today.
"I'll be back," she was heard saying as she exited the tournament area, keen to take advantage of the rebuy period that is open until the end of Level 8.
We just walked past Table 13 to find Andrew Spears, a 25-year-old law school graduate from Buffalo who is having a great year on the tournament circuit. In August, Spears won the Summer Slam Series Main Event here at Seneca Niagara for $23,700. Less than two months later, Spears won his first World Series of Poker Circuit ring in Cincinnati along with a $10,801 top prize.
Another WSOP Circuit ring winner, Travell Thomas, just sat down at Table 2. Thomas has more than $325,000 in live tournament cashes under his belt and is always one of the more active — and talkative — players at the table.
We'll be keeping an eye on both players as the day progresses.
Picking up with the action on fourth street, the board read and Dale Deckyler was heads up with Daniel Graves in the hand. Decklyer checked over to Graves who moved all in for what looked to be around his last 4,500.
"Alright, I'll call," said Decklyer, tabling in the process.
Graves turned up and was ahead with his pair of aces. Graves looked prime to score a double up on this hand, but the deck had a different idea as the drilled the river, giving Decklyer a winning two pair. Graves made an exit from the tournament area and Decklyer scooped up a pot that brings his stack to around 63,000.
Robert "Hoss" Colao is one of the many Seneca Niagara poker room regulars in attendance today. We recently walked up to Calao raising to 500 from early position, and Dale Decklyer (middle position) and Kim Mantey (small blind) called. The flop came down and Mantey checked. Colao bet 1,200, Decklyer called, and Mantey folded, bringing the on the turn. Calao fired again, this time for 1,600. Decklyer called. The river was the and Colao continued the aggression by firing 2,000 into the pot. Decklyer thought for a few seconds before tossing in a call.
Colao announced that he had two pair, but he learned that Decklyer's two pair with the was better. Colao took a small hit down to 32,000.
Mantey, meanwhile, was eliminated two hands later.
The Seneca Niagara Fall Poker Classic has been going strong since Monday. The series kicked off with Event #1, a $125 no-limit hold'em event that attracted more than 100 players. After a heads-up deal at the final table, the official winner was Art Demmerley, who just so happens to be in the field today.
Demmerley received $2,422 for Monday's win and is looking to collect another cash today at Seneca Niagara. Last year, Demmerley finished sixth in the Fall Poker Classic Main Event for $7,772. His biggest career cash came at the 2010 Bellagio Cup VI where he took second place in a prelim event for $26,790.