The final day of play at the 2014 HPO Championship Main Event is set to start in less than an hour and 23 players are returning with their eye squarely on the $351,097 first place prize. It's a tightly contested group at the top of the chip counts with seven players starting the day with more than a million in chips.
Leading the way is Simon Deadman with 1,768,000 in chips. The other member of the Millionaires Club are Garrett Beckham (1,417,000), Christopher DeMaci (1,344,000), Elliott Zaydman (1,065,000), Martin Godsk (1,065,000), Kitty Kuo (1,000,000), and Mike Sowers (1,000,000). Lurking in the distance are the always dangerous Jorn Walthaus (466,000), Brian Hastings (692,000), and Jack Schanbacher (585,000). Also in contention is one of the HPO Regional Championship Event winners, Bradley Yazici, who enters play with 555,000 in chips.
Cards will be in the air at 12 p.m. local time and the tournament will play until there is a winner. PokerNews will be there until someone is walking away with the HPO Championship Main Event title. Follow along to find out who comes up short and who brings it home!
Tommie Janssen was the chip leader after the first day and already had reason to cheer earlier today when the Netherlands won 2-1 at the very last minute to advance to the quarter finals of the World Cup in Brazil.
However, his poker day ended within the first five minutes of play. He got it in with against the of over-night chip leader Simon Deadman and was unable to improve.
We got to the table and Alex Goulder was all in and at risk against Martin Godsk and in need of a lot of help as he was dominated. Goulder held and Godsk . The board would run out and Godsk would deliver the knock out blow to Goulder who was eliminated in 22nd place for $10,299.
We didn't catch the preflop and flop action, but on the turn, Andy Spears bet 140,000 and Damian Salas moved all in. Spears had less than 350,000 chips behind and eventually made the call with . Once he saw the of his opponent, he let go a deep sigh and the words "what is that for a turn."
Only an ace on the river could save him but the wasn't any help to see him depart in 21st place.
Matt Sundberg raised to 40,000 preflop and Simon Deadman three-bet to 84,000. On the flop, the Brit check-called 130,000 and put his best Hollywood performance in to get his opponent all in after checking the turn.
Sundberg walked into the trap with and was crushed by the "aces magnet" Deadman, as the Brit turned over . The meaningless river completed the board and Deadman is our by far chip leader at the moment.
A short-stacked Mal Hagan got the last of his chips in with and was up against Martin Godsk and his . The board would run out and Godsk would manage to avoid the diamond flush draw that Hagan picked up to eliminate him in 19th place.
Martin Godsk started it off with a raise to 50,000 and would find three takers in Brian Hastings, Richard Miller, and Simon Deadman. The flop came and Deadman who had called from the big blind checked. Hastings followed suit but Miller would not as he would push his last 300,000 or so in chips into the middle. After getting a good look at how much it was, Deadman announced a call and Godsk and Hastings quickly folded.
"Good call," said Miller as he turned over for two overcards. Deadman had for a pair of nines. The turn was the and Miller would need an ace or jack on the river to stay alive. The river was the and Deadman added to his chip lead and eliminated Miller in 18th place in the process. Miller won his seat via the Hollywood Casino in Joliet, Illinois and turned that into a $13,732 payday.
From early position, Steve Nguyen moved all in for 280,000 and the action folded all the way to Martin Godsk in the big blind. He peeked at his cards and then immediately called.
Nguyen:
Godsk:
After the flop, Nguyen was wishing his opponent to hit a queen as that would have given him a straight. The turn improved the hand of Godsk to a straight and the river saw Nguyen hit the rail in 17th place for $13,732.
Jack Schanbacher moved all in for slightly more than 200,000 in chips and one seat to his left Robbie Bakker moved all in. Everyone folded and Schanbacher's was in bad shape against the that Bakker held.
The flop came to give Bakker a set of kings and the on the turn changed that to a full house and Schanbacher was drawing dead. The river was an inconsequential and Schanbacher was eliminated in 16th place for $13,732.
It was folded to Kitty Kuo on the button who raised it to 55,000. Garrett Beckman moved all in from the small blind and after a few moments of thought Michael Wynn followed suit and moved all in as well.
"What is going on here guys," said Kuo, who then asked for a count of Wynn's stack. Once she found out the amount, she said "I call" and the hands were turned over:
Kuo:
Beckman:
Wynn:
The flop came keeping Kuo in the lead but giving Beckman a straight draw. The turn was the which changed nothing. Beckman would need a three, seven, or eight and Wynn would need an ace if either was to survive. The river was the giving Kuo an unneeded full house.
"Yes," said Kuo. "Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm so nervous." She shook the hands of Beckman, who finished in 15th place for $17,945 and Wynn, who finished in 14th place for $17,945 as well.
![[user272102]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
against the 
of over-night chip leader Simon Deadman and was unable to improve.
and Godsk 
. The board would run out 
and Godsk would deliver the knock out blow to Goulder who was eliminated in 22nd place for $10,299.
turn, Andy Spears bet 140,000 and Damian Salas moved all in. Spears had less than 350,000 chips behind and eventually made the call with 
. Once he saw the 
of his opponent, he let go a deep sigh and the words "what is that for a turn."
wasn't any help to see him depart in 21st place.
and was crushed by the "aces magnet" Deadman, as the Brit turned over 
. The meaningless 
river completed the board and Deadman is our by far chip leader at the moment.
and Godsk would manage to avoid the diamond flush draw that Hagan picked up to eliminate him in 19th place.
and Deadman who had called from the big blind checked. Hastings followed suit but Miller would not as he would push his last 300,000 or so in chips into the middle. After getting a good look at how much it was, Deadman announced a call and Godsk and Hastings quickly folded.
for two overcards. Deadman had 
and Miller would need an ace or jack on the river to stay alive. The river was the 
was in bad shape against the 
on the turn changed that to a full house and Schanbacher was drawing dead. The river was an inconsequential 
which changed nothing. Beckman would need a three, seven, or eight and Wynn would need an ace if either was to survive. The river was the 
