Regional Main Event
Day 2 Completed
Hollywood Poker Open Season 3 Columbus Regional Main Event
Regional Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Hollywood Poker Open Season 3 Columbus Regional Main Event
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$294,000
Entries
294
Level
29
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
5,000
Daniel Swartz Wins HPO Regional Columbus Main Event for $70,560
![[user269680]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 29
: 40,000/80,000, 5,000 ante
After a grueling heads-up battle and plenty of Day 2 swings, Daniel Swartz waded his way through 46 returning players and held on to win the Hollywood Poker Open Columbus Regional $1,115 Main Event, a tournament that attracted 294 entries and created a prize pool of $294,000. Swartz came in as the chip leader — having bagged a huge stack at the end of Saturday's Day 1a – and used it to navigate his way to the winner's circle for $70,560 and a $2,500 seat to next month's HPO Championship Main Event in Las Vegas.
Swartz's victory came after defeating the red-hot Nick Pupillo in heads-up play. Earlier in the month Pupillo, an Mid-States Poker Tour Team Pro, took down the Heartland Poker Tour Chicago for $120,537, and then followed that up a week later with a sixth-place finish in the MSPT FireKeepers for $27,031.
Swartz weathered large swings and fatigue to outlast the likes of Doug Holland (15th) and Ken Moore (12th) on his way to the final table. The stacked final table was pared down to five somewhat quickly, and then play slowed as stacks got deep and players picked their spots.
Once chip leader Stephen Siska busted in fifth – the result of losing a big pot to Swartz — Ryan Austin fell in fourth place, again shortly after dumping significant chips to Swartz. Ivan "Cotton Snuffer" was next to exit in third, and that set up a long heads-up battle between Swartz and Pupillo.
Pupillo, who has been crushing all kinds of souls on the circuit as of late, wanted the title, money and trophy badly, but could not finish the job this time around. In what would be the last hand of the tournament, which happened in Level 29 (40,000/80,000/5,000), Swartz limped and then snap-called when Pupillo moved all in.
Swartz: 
Pupillo: 
Pupillo, who was recently the subject of a PokerNews feature piece, had some major kicker issues, and they didn't get resolved on the 
flop. The 
turn actually gave both players tens and fours with a king kicker, but the chop disappeared when the 
completed the board on the river. Both players made kings and tens, but of course the jack kicker of Swartz was best.
While victory eluded Pupillo in the Main Event, it's worth noting that he did take down Event #22 $235 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack while in Columbus, good for $6,435.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Swartz | $70,560 |
| 2 | Nick Pupillo | $43,512 |
| 3 | Iverson "Cotton" Snuffer | $29,400 |
| 4 | Ryan Austin | $20,874 |
| 5 | Stephen Siska | $16,170 |
| 6 | Jeff Russell | $13,230 |
| 7 | David Ross | $11,025 |
| 8 | Patrick Smith | $9,261 |
| 9 | Dean Schultz | $7,644 |
Congratulations to Swartz on becoming the latest HPO champion. We'll see him next month from June 26-28 for the HPO $2,500 Championship Event at the M Resort in Las Vegas. Rest assured the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be providing live updates from that event.
Nick Pupillo Eliminated in 2nd Place ($43,512)
Level 29
: 40,000/80,000, 5,000 ante
Daniel Swartz limped and Nick Pupillo moved all in. Swartz snap-called and tabled . "One time", Pupillo said, as he turned over .
The flop came and Pupillo begged for a four. The came on the turn and a chop seemed imminent, but a river made Swartz's kicker good and Pupillo was sent to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
5,700,000 | 2,450,000 |
|
Busted |
Swartz Takes Back Over
Level 29
: 40,000/80,000, 5,000 ante
The swings are aplenty and Swartz is back in the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,250,000 | 1,450,000 |
|
|
2,450,000 | -1,450,000 |
Pupillo Takes One
Level 29
: 40,000/80,000, 5,000 ante
Daniel Swartz limped and Nick Pupillo checked his option. The flop came 
and Pupillo bet 100,000. Swartz called and the turn was the 
. Pupillo bet 260,000 and Swartz called. The 
hit the river and Pupillo bet 460,000. Swartz called, tabling jack-five for two pair, but Pupillo was better with 
for a higher two pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,900,000 | 1,100,000 |
|
|
1,800,000 | -1,100,000 |
Level: 29
Blinds: 40,000/80,000
Ante: 5,000
Break Time
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante
Players are on a 15-minute break
Pupillo Pulls Even with Double
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante
Daniel Swartz limped and Nick Pupillo moved all in. Swartz made the call, but was well behind with 
versus the 
of Pupillo.
The 
flop nearly ended it, but the 
turn gave Swartz hope for grabbing the title. The 
river was a blank, though and the players are nearly even in chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,900,000 | -900,000 |
|
|
2,800,000 | 900,000 |
Swartz Back in the Lead
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante
Pupillo had taken control of heads-up play and had Swartz as low as 1.2 million, but the tides have turned back to Swartz after they got all of the chips in the middle.
Swartz: 
Pupillo: 
The 
flop was huge for Swartz and the 
completed the board, giving Swartz the double and control.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,800,000 | 1,600,000 |
|
|
1,900,000 | -1,600,000 |
Heads-Up Play
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 5,000 ante
Not a ton of action early in heads-up play, but they have switched stacks since starting.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,500,000 | 1,300,000 |
|
|
2,200,000 | -1,300,000 |