$1,450 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2021 Colorado Poker Championship
$1,450 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2021 Colorado Poker Championship
Buy-in
$1,450
Prize Pool
$389,276
Entries
307
Level
27
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Jason Dennis Wins the Bally's Black Hawk Colorado Poker Championship $1,450 Main Event ($89,534)
Level 27
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Jason Dennis has won the Bally's Black Hawk Colorado Poker Championship (CPC) $1,450 Main Event, outlasting a field of 307 entries to earn the top prize of $89,534.
Dennis claimed victory just 15 minutes into Day 3, emerging victorious in a heads-up match against poker pro Justin Liberto that spanned two days and lasted over 90 minutes. The win more than doubles Dennis' previous lifetime earnings of $72,905 and tramples his previous career-best score of $26,640, which came when he took down the $2,000 CPC High Roller in March 2019.
After making a self-proclaimed punt on the final table bubble, Dennis almost fell short of reaching the final nine and entered with just five-and-a-half big blinds, less than half of anybody else still in contention. However, he found heat at the right time and was eventually able to ascend all the way to the top, continuing to ride the momentum he found earlier in the series when he took third place in last Sunday's 6-Max event.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Dennis | $89,534 |
| 2 | Justin Liberto | $57,244 |
| 3 | Steve Wilkie | $38,344 |
| 4 | Dwane Collard | $27,055 |
| 5 | Jason Remshardt | $20,242 |
| 6 | Chris Quackenbush | $16,350 |
| 7 | Josh Saltz | $13,625 |
| 8 | Rocco Palumbo | $11,289 |
| 9 | Jay Teel | $9,771 |
Day 2 Action
The 307 entries from three initial starting flights brought 47 players back Sunday for Day 2, 31 of which made the money. Dennis was one of just eight to enter the day with less than 100,000, but quickly ascended to an above-average stack, thanks in part to his pocket aces knocking out Ryan Dodson as play neared the money. By the time the bubble burst, he had dipped below the average, and once again found himself near the bottom of the counts when 27 remained for the three-table redraw.
Dennis' roller coaster ride continued from there, hitting a flush with jack-ten of clubs to crack Jorden Helstern's (14th - $5,567) pocket aces to find a double and gain some breathing room, only to once again enter the final table as the shortest stack in play.
Elsewhere around the room, Steve Wilkie and Dwane Collard experienced two of the quickest starts of the day, and the pair made the most of them to enter the final table with the top two stacks. Liberto had also begun to build his stack by that point in the tournament and came into the final table third in chips, while Day 1 chip leader Rocco Palumbo also maintained an above-average stack most of the way to the final table and found himself in the middle of the pack for the beginning of the final table.
Final Table Recap
Jay Teel was the first to fall at the final table, shoving ace-ten into ace-king against Collard, who built on his chip lead as a result. Palumbo then went out at Liberto's expense, with the tournament going on break and returning with a different trajectory as doubles became the theme: Dennis found multiple of his own, with Jason Remshardt and Wilkie also doubling their stack over the course of the next hour-and-a-half. It was then Josh Saltz's turn to race for his tournament life, shoving king-jack into Wilkie's pocket tens, where he wound up on the wrong end of the coin flip to finish in seventh.
Dennis was once again then on the short stack and open-jammed queen-ten in the cutoff, finding a call from Liberto's sevens in the small blind. He hit two pair on the flop to stay alive, and moments later Liberto was involved in another preflop all-in situation where he opened and saw Chris Quackenbush and Remshardt both re-jam. Liberto called with ace-queen and hit a queen on the river to make the best hand against Crackenbush's pocket jacks and Remshardt's ace-jack of hearts, sending both home in a single runout.
Nearly a full level of four-handed play then went by as Liberto chipped his way up to the top of the counts. Liberto and Collard played several pots throughout that time with Liberto collecting the majority of them, and he delivered the final blow after calling a re-shove with king-queen and holding against Collard's ace-jack. Then, Liberto knocked out Wilkie a couple of hands later when his ace-king held on an ace-high board against Wilkie's inferior pair and combo draw.
Liberto then entered heads-up play with the majority of the chips and all the momentum, but Dennis turned things around quickly, and over the course of the next 80 minutes the two wound up with nearly identical stacks to put into bags with the intent on settling the score Monday.
Dennis picked up where he left off Sunday evening, admitting to making two straights within the first 10 minutes of the day to take a commanding chip lead. He then opened with ace-jack on the button and called a re-jam for Liberto's remaining stack, hitting a jack on the flop to best Liberto's fives and claim the title.
Coverage has concluded for the CPC Main Event, but PokerNews will be back Wednesday to cover the $3,000 CPC High Roller, a single-day tourney that will begin at 11 a.m. local time. See you then.
Justin Liberto Eliminated in 2nd Place ($57,224)
Level 27
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Jason Dennis opened to 160,000 on the button and Justin Liberto announced he was all in. Dennis immediately called.
Justin Liberto: 
Jason Dennis: 
"Win a coin flip, one time," said Dennis under his breath. The flop 
fell in his favor, giving him top pair, top kicker and leaving Liberto in need of hitting a two outer to stay alive. The turn came 
, with the dealer giving both players a long second or two of a sweat before burning and turning the river 
to complete the runout, with Dennis' jacks remaining best.
"On the flop!" Dennis said to himself, confirming he had indeed won the coin flip. The two then stood up and met midway around the table to exchange a fist bump before Dennis sat back down to take his winner's photo.
Liberto has earned $57,224 for his runner-up finish. Stay tuned for a winner's story and tournament recap.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
9,215,000 | 2,505,000 |
|
Busted |
Dennis Draws First Blood
Level 27
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
After the first five minutes of the afternoon produced no hands of note, Jason Dennis has just taken down two back-to-back pots without showdown.
On the first hand, Justin Liberto opened to 160,000 on the button and Dennis defended. The flop came 
and Dennis checked. Liberto continuation-bet 100,000 and was met with a check-raise to 350,000, which he called.
Dennis continued for 800,000 on the turn 
and Liberto called again. The river fell 
and Dennis thought for over half a minute before announcing he was all in. Liberto folded.
The very next hand saw a single-raised pot go to 
, where both players put in 200,000 and the river came 
. Liberto bet 280,000 and Dennis once again announced he was all in. Liberto folded after about five seconds, and Dennis is off to a fast start.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,710,000 | 2,050,000 |
|
|
2,505,000 | -2,050,000 |
Play Resumes
Level 27
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Day 3 is underway.
Level: 27
Blinds: 40,000/80,000
Ante: 10,000
Who Will Win the 2021 Colorado Poker Championship Main Event?
The Bally's Black Hawk 2021 Colorado Poker Championship $1,450 Main Event drew 307 entries, and after two full days of poker, just two players remain.
Either Justin Liberto or Jason Dennis will walk away with a $89,534 first-place prize when all is said and done, with the pair having already dueled for around 80 minutes of heads-up play before wrapping up play for the night at 1 a.m. Over the course of that time period, Dennis chipped away at a sizeable chip disadvantage, overtaking Liberto for a few moments before stacks got in with Liberto doubling back into the chip lead.
Back in familiar territory, Dennis went to work and once again brought stacks to nearly identical figures, setting the table for what is sure to be an exciting finale. Play will resume at the beginning of Level 27 (40,000/80,000/10,000) with Dennis holding the slight chip advantage over Liberto: 4.66 million to 4.555 million.
Final Table Results So Far
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $89,534 | |
| 2 | $57,244 | |
| 3 | Steve Wilkie | $38,344 |
| 4 | Dwane Collard | $27,055 |
| 5 | Jason Remshardt | $20,242 |
| 6 | Chris Quackenbush | $16,350 |
| 7 | Josh Saltz | $13,625 |
| 8 | Rocco Palumbo | $11,289 |
| 9 | Jay Teel | $9,771 |
Heads-up action resumes at 2 p.m. local time and PokerNews will be on hand to bring you all the updates from the conclusion of the event, so keep it here and follow along to find out who becomes the next CPC Main Event champion.
$1,450 Main Event
Day 3 Started