HPT Ameristar East Chicago Main Event Kicks Off Tomorrow
Table Of Contents
Season XV of the Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) continues this weekend at Ameristar East Chicago. The stop, which kicked off last weekend, will with a $1,650 buy-in Main Event.
That tournament, which will be live reported by PokerNews, will feature three starting flights beginning with Day 1a at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29. Day 1b will be at the same time on Friday, Aug. 30, while Day 1c will kick off at noon on Saturday. The survivors from all three flights will return for Day 2 action at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1. Then, on Monday, Sept. 2, the final table will play out starting at noon.
Side Event Winners
The stop began with Event #1: $350 Monster Stack, a tournament that drew 957 runners and created a $287,100 prize pool.
Among those to cash it were Mike Younan (3rd - $27,572), Greg Koutelidakis (14th - $2,957), Howard Hankin (18th - $2,125), Mike Shin (26th - $1,701), Abraham Montenegro (34th - $1,462), and Bob Chow (47th - $1,160).
The tournament came to an end with the final six players working a deal that resulted in Michael Tullia of Lombard, Illinois taking the title and $30,435 in prize money, while Matthew Porter finished second for $30,283.
Here’s a look at the HPT Ameristar East Chicago side event winners thus far:
| Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $350 Monster Stack | 957 | $287,100 | Michael Tullia | $30,435 |
| Event #2: $300 Seniors 50+ | 194 | $48,470 | David Stoneburner | $8,031 |
| Event #3: $200 NLH Deep Stack | 165 | $26,895 | John Tobias | $3,763 |
| Event #4: $200 Short Deck | 44 | $7,172 | Bala Iyer | $2,511 |
| Event #5: $300 Deepstack Bounty | 140 | $21,700 | Yuryi Moskovoy | $5,000 |
| Event #6: $200 NLH 7-Game Mix | 64 | $10,432 | Scott Brooks | $3,137 |
Main Event Structure
| Level | Length | Small Blind | Big Blind | BB Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 minutes | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| 2 | 40 minutes | 100 | 200 | 0 |
| 3 | 40 minutes | 100 | 300 | 0 |
| 4 | 40 minutes | 100 | 300 | 300 |
| 5 | 40 minutes | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 6 | 40 minutes | 200 | 500 | 500 |
| 7 | 40 minutes | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 8 | 40 minutes | 400 | 800 | 800 |
| 9 | 40 minutes | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 10 | 40 minutes | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 |
| 11 | 40 minutes | 800 | 1,600 | 1,600 |
| 12 | 40 minutes | 1,000 | 2.000 | 2.000 |
| 13 | 40 minutes | 1,500 | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| 14 | 40 minutes | 1,500 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| 15 | 40 minutes | 2,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
Player of the Year Standing
The HPT Player of the Year race is always competitive, and right now Nick Pupillo leads by a wide margin with 301.20 points. His closest competition right now is Nick Davidson in second place with 176.80 points, while Mike Shin sits third with 160 points.
Sitting in fourth thanks to back-to-back final tables and winning the HPT Lawrenceburg for $119,101 is Greg Wood with 152.5 points.
Whoever wins the POY title will claim more than bragging rights. The POY earns a $10,000 package to use next season as well as complimentary hotel accommodations at those six stops. In case of a tie, all winning players will split the POY prize package evenly.
Here's a look at the current top 10 headed into the HPT Ameristar East Chicago stop:
| Place | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Pupillo | 301.20 |
| 2 | Nick Davidson | 176.80 |
| 3 | Mike Shin | 160.00 |
| 4 | Greg Wood | 152.50 |
| 5 | Chris Moon | 146.50 |
| 6 | Mike Sabbia | 146.40 |
| 7 | Spenser Cramer | 140.00 |
| 8 | Bill Byrnes | 160.00 |
| 9 | Shawn "Reginald" Roberts | 132 |
| 10 | Austin Peck | 130 |
Upcoming HPT Stops
PokerNews and the HPT plan to continue their live reporting relationship for stops throughout 2019.
Here’s a look at the remaining Season XV schedule. For more information, visit hptpoker.com and follow them on Twitter @HPTPoker.
| Series Dates | Venue | Location | Main Event Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 22-September 2 | Ameristar East Chicago | Gary, Indiana | $1,650 |
| September 9-15 | Mini Series at Hollywood Casino Toledo | Toledo, Ohio | $350 |
| September 11-23 | Golden Gates Casino & Poker Parlour | Black Hawk, CO | $1,650 |
| September 26 - October 7 | The Meadows Casino | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,100 |
| October 17-28 | Daytona Beach Racing & Card Club | Daytona Beach, Florida | $1,100 |
| November 14-26 | HPT Championship Hollywood Casino & Hotel | St. Louis, Missouri | $2,500 |
| December 5-16 | M Resort Spa Casino | Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| January 25-February 1, 2020 | HPT on the High Sears | Western Caribbean | $1,100 |
An earlier version of this article erroneously referenced a $1 million guarantee.
Images courtesy of HPT.
PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
