The first ever Western New York Poker Championship was held recently at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara, NY as part of the DeepStacks Poker Tour and, after attracting a field of 217 eager poker players, the winner was one 27-year-old William Vogel. For that win he collected the championship trophy and a $71,827 cash prize.
This was a particularly fortuitous win for Vogel as Day 1 of the event was actually his birthday. In Day 2, Vogel shot into the chip lead by knocking out Nachman Berlin from the running, and along with the eventual runner-up, Lou Procopio, maintained the top position all the way through until the final table was set.
And when that final table whittled down to the top two in heads-up play, Vogel and Procopio were neck-and-neck in chips. But in just the first two hands of heads-up competition, Vogel shot up to a 7:1 lead over Procopio in chips. Procopio claimed $43,928 for his runner-up finish.
Not only was this event the first Western New York Poker Championship ever to take place in the DeepStacks Poker Tour, but this is also inaugural running of the DeepStacks Poker Tour.
The other four players in the final table at this event were (in order of finish, worst to best): Steve Przybyl ($13,359), Tom Krol ($17,802), Mike Wachowski ($22,245), Nick Goetz ($31,161).
This inaugural season of the DeepStacks Poker Tour will also make stops in Quebec, Canada and up and down the U.S. West, including California, Nevada and Oregon.