McEuen Talks His Way to HPO Lawrenceburg Regional Main Event Title
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He was quiet for most of the day but as Jesse McEuen accumulated chips he found himself talking more to his opponents. "I wanted to get in their heads a bit," McEuen said after emerging as the winner of the Hollywood Poker Open Season 3 Lawrenceburg Regional Main Event.
McEuen turned a short stack into a big one over the course of a grueling final two tables and used a series of all in moves to keep the pressure on once he did have chips. "I had a better idea of what the other players were doing," explained McEuen when asked about his late tournament strategy. "I knew John Moe wanted to win and wouldn't call so I started moving all in any time it was just the two of us."
McEuen is no stranger to success at the felt. He won a World Series of Poker bracelet this past summer in the $1,500 No Limit Hold 'Em Ante Up tournament collecting $212,093 for that victory. He also took third in a $1,000 No Limit tournament at the 2013 WSOP for another six figure payday. The 35 year old professional poker player added his second major tournament win and $49,676 for his win here today. In addition, he was awarded a seat to the HPO Championship Event at the M Resort in June of 2015.
McEuen outlasted a record-setting HPO field of 207 players that created a prize pool of $207,000, which was also an HPO record. The 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion, Chris Moneymaker, would be among those who would play but the HPO Ambassador would fail to advance to the second day of play which saw 43 players make the cut. Only 27 would make the money and the unfortunate bubble would be Shane Delaney whose 
could not catch against his bigger stacked opponent's 
.
Eventual third place finisher John Moe would grab the headlines early when he made a "sick" call that garnered the respect and admiration of his table mates. Moe came into this tournament fresh off of three wins in preliminary events over the past two weeks. Coupled with his finish today he cruised to a win of the Leader Board promotion and was awarded a seat into the 2015 HPO Championship Event at the M Resort in Las Vegas.
The day 1 chip leader was Tim Chocklett who entered play with more than twice the chips of his nearest competitor. Chocklett would struggle to gain any momentum however and would be eliminated short of the final table in tenth place ($4,244).
It was at the final table where McEuen started to emerge as a force to be reckoned with. In one hand, he four-bet shove against eventual runner-up Michael Hahn and after a long tank by Hahn called the clock. A perturbed Hahn eventually folded and the tone had been set for play between those two for the rest of the tournament.
The final hand saw McEuen talk his opponent into an all-in call with McEuen holding two pair, jacks and deuces, with his 
to Hahn's lone pair of jacks holdng 
on a flop of 
. Hahn would be unable to improve and McEuen was the winner of the first event of Season 3 for the HPO.
"I actually came here to test my skills in tournaments before going to Florida since I mainly play cash games," said McEuen afterwards. "I love the place, staff, dealers here. Everyone was great. It was the coolest staff I've ever dealt with as a poker player."
Next up for the Hollywood Poker Open is another Regional Main Event in Toledo, Ohio in February of 2015. PokerNews will be there to bring you all the exciting poker action, so make sure to tune in!
and the river was the 
and Hahn was eliminated in second place. He'll collect an impressive pay out of $30,636 for his runner-up finish.
to eliminate him in third place for $20,700.
. McEwen had woken up with a legitimate hand as he held 
. The board would run out 
and Armstrong would be eliminated in fourth place for $14,697.
and would be unable to improve against Hahn's 
to be eliminated in fifth place. Jeffrey collected $11,385 for his top five finish.
, and when Wilson was unable to improve she was eliminated in seventh place. She will take home $7,763 for her excellent finish.
and Mills shook her head as she had a chance to triple up with her 
but the jack on the turn was her undoing. She was eliminated in eight place for $6,521.
and Smith was eliminated in ninth place for $5,382.
with Chocklett having flopped top two pair with 
. He was going to need help, however, as Armstrong had flopped a flush with 