Alan Smith has moved into the lead after dragging a sizable pot moments ago.
He joined four others limping into a pot, but when the big blind led for 700 into a flop and two others called, he jacked it up to 4,000.
Only the big blind called and the turn was revealed. The big blind checked, but then check-raised to 10,000 total when Smith bet 5,000. Smith called and when the big blind checked the river, he fired out 5,000.
The big blind folded and Smith moved into the chip lead with close to 70,000.
St. Charles, Missouri's Wendy Horton has shot up into the chip lead after a friendly river card.
After chipping up early in the day with kings versus queens, she got it all in having flopped top set.
Unfortunately for Horton, her opponent had flopped a straight. Things got better for Horton when she rivered a boat to sink her opponent and move up close to 50,000 and into the lead.
Skylar Henshaw has emerged as the early chip leader after getting it in bad and finding a way out.
He got into a preflop raising war with two others that saw him eventually get in in with pocket queens versus pocket aces. A third player in the hand claimed to have folded pocket kings.
Henshaw binked a queen and although a king came it did not hurt him. He is on almost 50,000 now.
The $1,115 Hollywood Poker Open St. Louis Regional Main Event kicks off at 12 p.m. today inside the Hollywood Casino in St. Louis, Missouri.
The last time the HPO came to St. Louis it was HPO ambassador and 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Chris Moneymaker who bested a field of 67 to take home the $36,259 first-place prize.
Coming off a final table appearance at HPO Grantville, Moneymaker is expected to return and defend his title from March 2014.
This marks the fifth Regional Main Event of the HPO season, with all previous winners having booked seats in the season-ending $2,500 Championship Event at M Resort Casino and Spa in Las Vegas this June.
Today, players will start with 20,000 in tournament chips and plans to play 14 levels of 50 minutes each. Late entry and re-entry is available for the first six levels.
There will be a 15-minute break every two levels and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 6.
The survivors of the day will return Sunday at 12 p.m. Local time where the levels jump to 60 minutes and they will play down to a winner, who will book a seat in the Championship Event in addition to taking home a big chunk of the prizepool.
Stay tuned as the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand from start to finish covering all the action.
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop and two others called, he jacked it up to 4,000.
turn was revealed. The big blind checked, but then check-raised to 10,000 total when Smith bet 5,000. Smith called and when the big blind checked the 
river, he fired out 5,000.
.
