The inaugural DeepStacks Poker Tour Western New York Poker Championship came to a close Sunday evening in Niagara Falls, New York. After three days of play, William Vogel outlasted a field of 217 players to collect the top prize of $71,827 and the honor of being the first winner of the brand new DeepStacks Poker Tour.
Vogel began the six-handed final table with a slight lead over Lou Procopio, but Procopio took the pole position on the second hand of the day. With the blinds at 10,000/20,000, Procopio raised to 46,000 from the cutoff and action folded to short stack Steve Przybyl, who moved all-in for 173,000 from the big blind with 
. Procopio made the call with 
, and a queen-high board sent Przybyl to the rail in sixth place for $13,359.
Vogel then made his presence known by eliminating Tom Krol in fifth place. The two players saw a flop of 
and some furious action ensued. Krol led for 50,000 before Vogel pushed all-in, having Krol covered.
Krol took his time, but eventually made the call for his last 193,000. He was ahead, holding 
for top pair against Vogel’s 
. However, the 
came down on the turn and completed Vogel’s straight. Drawing dead, Krol was already out of his chair and shaking hands with the other players as the 
river was revealed. He collected $17,802 for fifth place.
Procopio still held the lead up to that point, but Vogel took control after sending Buffalo, New York, native Michael Wachowski home in fourth place. Wachowski made a bold all-in bluff with 
on a 
board. Vogel called with 
for two pair, and the 
on the river ended Wachowski’s tournament.
Vogel continued rolling by sending Nick Goetz to the rail in third place. With the blinds at 15,000/30,000, Goetz moved all-in for his last 425,000 on the button. Vogel called from the small blind, and the action shifted over to Procopio, who tanked before finally letting his hand go.
Goetz: 
Vogel: 
The flop brought 
, and Goetz needed a lot help to stay alive. He picked up several more outs when the fell on the turn, but the 
river gave the pot to Vogel. Goetz exited with $31,161 and a huge smile on his face.
That set up a heads-up battle between the two behemoths to start the final table. Vogel and Procopio began their match with nearly identical stacks, but Vogel got out to a quick lead and never looked back. After winning two big pots to take a 7-to-1 lead, Vogel called Procopio’s three-bet shove with and was slightly ahead of Procopio’s 
.
"This is exciting," Vogel said to his friends and family in attendance. He turned around to watch the dealer reveal the 
flop. Vogel remained out in front, but the 
on the turn gave Procopio some additional outs for a chop. However, the 
on the river sealed the deal for Vogel, whose friends and family applauded the first DeepStacks Poker Tour Champion. Procopio, meanwhile, took $43,928 back to his home in Liverpool, New York.
Western New York Poker Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | William Vogel | $71,827 |
| 2nd | Lou Procopio | $43,928 |
| 3rd | Nick Goetz | $31,161 |
| 4th | Mike Wachowski | $22,245 |
| 5th | Tom Krol | $17,802 |
| 6th | Steve Przybyl | $13,359 |
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