Steven Filipovic Takes Down 2018 Seneca Niagra Falls Summer Slam $600 NLHE Main Event For $53,508

The 10-day long 2018 Seneca Niagra Falls Summer Slam tournament series that ran from July 19 to July 29 has concluded, with Canadian pro Steven Filipovic (cover image) winning the $600 NLHE Main Event for the top prize of $53,508.

The series opened with the $1,000 NLH Deep Stack High Roller on July 19 and eight other tournaments were part of the roster, including the $600 NLHE Main Event, three $120 NLHE events, $300 PLO, $300 NLHE and $150 NLHE.

Apart from the Main Event, the other headline event at the series was the $200 NLHE that kicked off with four starting flights from July 20 onwards and attracted 670 entries building up a prize pool of $108,205. The event was eventually won by Rob Bourkney, who made a heads-up deal with Tyler Dietz, with both players chopping the prize money equally. Both players opted for a seven card stud flip and Bourkney won the trophy, while the duo pocketed $19,691 each.

The Main Event registered a total 532 entries from three starting flights, the first of which i.e. Day 1A was held on July 26, followed by flight Day 1B on July 27 and flight Day 1C on July 28. The huge participation generated a prize pool of $283,823. The top 54 spots were paid a minimum $1,200 and with their eyes on the grand prize and the title, 109 runners advanced to Day 2.

Player of Indian origin, Amandeep Singh entered through Day 1C flight and progressed to Day 2 with a stack of 19,500 chips. However, Singh couldn’t make it further and exited empty-handed from the tournament.

Two former Summer Slam Main Event champions, Blake Napierala and Buck Ramsay were also seen in the field. Both reached the final table but failed to repeat their feats.

After his third place finish in the High Roller event where he earned a payday of $12,800, Filipovic entered the Main Event through Day 1B flight and advanced to Day 2 as the chip leader with 666,500. In the final moments of the tournament, he defeated fellow Canadian Matthew Paplyk in the heads-up after a chop-up deal.

Day 2 Recap

Twelve hands into the Day 2 play and the bubble burst when Tyler Dietz open jammed for less than ten big blinds with ace-ten and was called off by Anthony Carbone who held pocket queens. Carbone’s hand held and Dietz ended up as the unfortunate bubble boy.

The notables who failed to reach the final table include Anthony Carbone (12^th for $4,598), Matt Shanahan (13^th for $3,434), Nate Kross (18^th for $2,640), Nick Walker (36^th for $1,646), DJ MacKinnon (38^th for $1,419), Carol Leonardi (49^th for $1,220), Andy Fitting (52^nd for $1,220) and Jeff Thibideau (54^th for $1,220).

The last player to leave for the rail before action moved to the final table was Adam Caciotti (10^th for $4,598).

Final Table Recap

Ten players reached the final table and it took one entire hour before the first elimination came through. Chris Damick raised from the button and called off Buck Ramsay’s 3-bet jam. Damick who held queen-eight found a queen on the turn, cracking Ramsay’s ace-king, sending the 2014 Summer Slam Main Event champion out in 10^th place.

Soon, Mike LaTour was left severely short stacked after losing a big pot to Jeff Mahoney and he failed to find his way back. He was eliminated in ninth place.

Eliminations came quick and Vasco Morgado was railed out in eighth place when he flopped two pair and was called by Paplyk with middle pair and a royal flush draw that further improved to trips on the turn and a flush on the river.

Dave Melman was the next to leave, in seventh place and was followed by Jeff Mahoney who was shown the door by Filipovic in sixth place.

In two back-to-back hands thereafter, Paplyk took out Chris Damick and RJ Mineo who were eliminated in fifth and fourth place respectively.

The three finalists discussed possibilities for a chop but couldn’t reach an agreeable decision and the play resumed.

Blake Napierala, who was gunning for his third Summer Slam Main Event title, next open-jammed from the small blind for 12 big blinds and was put at risk by Filipovic who called from the big blind. Napierala’s king-nine were inferior to Filipovic’s ace-five and though both players flopped a pair, Filipovic had a stronger hand and Napierala left for the rail in third place.

The two finalists agreed to an ICM based chop, leaving $5,000 and the event trophy to fight for. Heads-up began with Matthew Paplyk in the lead but Filipovic didn’t waste time to command his way to the top. The final hand saw him picking jacks against Paplyk’s eights and the duo got it in preflop. Filipovic reigned superior through the runout and won the event, relegating Paplyk to a runner-up finish.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Steven Filipovic – $53,508*

2. Matthew Paplyk – $51,681*

3. Blake Napierala – $26,452

4. RJ Mineo – $18,392

5. Chris Damick – $13,765

6. Jeff Mahoney – $10,360

7. Dave Melman – $8,657

8. Vasco Morgado – $7,096

9. Mike LaTour – $5,960

10. Buck Ramsay – $4,598

*denotes heads-up deal

Related Articles:

1. Russ Campanella Wins 2016 Seneca Niagara Falls Summer Slam Main Event For $26,500, After Multiple Deals

2. Kurtis Boutelle Claims 2016 Seneca Summer Slam High Roller Title