HPO Charles Town Regional Championship
Day 1 Completed
2014 Hollywood Poker Open Charles Town Regional Event
HPO Charles Town Regional Championship
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Hollywood Poker Open Charles Town Regional Event
Buy-in
$1,629
Prize Pool
$116,928
Entries
72
Level
23
Blinds
10,000 / 20,000
Ante
3,000
Day 1 of the HPO Charles Town Regional Championship is in the Books
![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 11
: 600/1,200, 100 ante
Today the Hollywood Poker Open continued its encouraging second season of operation at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in West Virginia.
When the registration information was tallied up midway through the 11-level marathon, a total of 72 entries had been recorded - setting a record in terms of turnout for an HPO $1,800 Main Event. The previous high of 67 was set two weeks ago at the St. Louis stop, proving that the new tour on the block is making waves in the poker world.
After the final hand was dealt only 22 survivors remained in contention for the title, with Brian Cavaliere bagging by far the biggest stack in the room with 181,600 chips. That number put Cavaliere well out in front of his closest competitor in Paul McCaffree, who managed to accumulate 121,600 by the end of play. Other big stacks in play include Mike Summers (106,300), David Lackey (96,500), James Boyd (95,000), Mark Castaldo (88,400), Joseph Stiers (77,100) and Michaelann Moser (76,500), and Timothy Little (71,700).
Along the way we watched 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker attempt to win back-to-back titles, as the man who started the fabled "Boom" took top honors at the HPO St. Louis Regional Championship. Despite surging to an early lead and becoming the first player to crack the 100,000 plateau, Moneymaker's fortunes turned for the worse midway through the day, and despite a miraculous one-out win to stay alive, he eventually hit the rail late in the night.
Fellow pro Lee Childs managed to avoid elimination, patiently grinding a short stack for much of the day before chipping up to his current count of 50,000 even. As the most experienced player left in the field, the 2007 WSOP Main Event final table member will be looking to win his second event of this HPO series stop, while also wrapping up the points title for the HPO Charles Town stop.
Check back with PokerNews tomorrow afternoon at 12:15 pm local time, as the remaining 22 players round the corner and sprint to the final table finish line. A champion will be crowned and seven fortunate players will make the money, with a $39,756 first-prize payout waiting for the eventual winner.
Official End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 11
: 600/1,200, 100 ante
After 11 grueling levels of play here at Holloywood Casino at Charles Town Races, just 22 players survived the gauntlet to bag and tag their stack.
Here is a rundown of the remaining players and their chip counts entering tomorrow's climactic Day 2, when the next HPO Regional Championship will be decided.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
181,600 | 67,600 |
|
|
121,600 | 80,600 |
|
106,300 | -11,700 |
|
96,500 | 96,500 |
|
95,000 | 95,000 |
|
88,400 | 88,400 |
|
|
77,100 | 77,100 |
|
|
76,500 | 500 |
|
71,700 | 19,200 |
|
|
69,300 | 69,300 |
|
52,800 | 52,800 |
|
50,100 | 50,100 |
|
50,000 | 20,800 |
|
|
47,800 | 47,800 |
|
|
46,500 | 46,500 |
|
46,300 | 46,300 |
|
|
37,200 | 37,200 |
|
36,700 | 36,700 |
|
|
28,300 | -4,500 |
|
|
27,300 | 27,300 |
|
|
19,300 | 19,300 |
|
|
13,800 | -9,600 |
Three Hands Left
Level 11
: 600/1,200, 100 ante
The tournament staff has just announced that there are three hands left in the night. Chip counts and a recap to follow.
Slowing Down
Level 11
: 600/1,200, 100 ante
With a little over 10 minutes left in the field, the players have all slowed down a bit, no doubt seeing the survival to Day 2 in the midst.
Cullen the Field
Level 11
: 600/1,200, 100 ante
After registering one of the latest reentries of the day, Valerie Novak managed to work her second 20,000 stack into a reasonable holding late here tonight. Unfortunately for Novak, however, her slow and steady grind just came to a screeching halt.
Squaring off against Frank Cullen and holding 
, Novak was ready to double up or die trying, and it happened to be the latter. On a 
flop Novak called off her last 12,000 or so when Cullen bet enough to force her all in.
“You have a jack?,” asked Novak, disappointed to see Cullen’s 
hit the felt. “Jack-ten huh… nice hand.”
“Short stack ma’am, just like you…” replied Cullen. “Nothing I could do there.”
The turn (
) and river (
) changed nothing and Novak was left with just a single purple T500 chip – and despite having a chair to go along with her chip, her tournament ended on the next deal.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
32,800 |
Stiers Surging
Level 11
: 600/1,200, 100 ante
After dusting off a former world champion in Chris Moneymaker, young semi-pro Joseph Stiers is riding that elusive beast known as momentum.
We watched Stiers pad his stack once again after his ace kicker managed to give him a leg up in a major pot. Here’s what we saw:
A player who had just notched a knockout with 
to move above 135,000 in chips decided to punish the limpers in the next pot, raising an indeterminate amount and receiving a lone call from Stiers.
The flop came down 
and the big stack check-raised Stiers’ continuation bet of 3,200, making it 8,500 to play and exuding confidence after winning a huge hand just moments before. Stiers took a minute to ponder before ultimately making the call, and when his opponent checked the 
on the turn, Stiers pounced with a bet of 12,000. The big stack could certainly afford to see the river, and he called without much hesitation, checking nearly in the dark as the 
completed the board.
Stiers checked the scare card back and watched as the man tabled 
for top pair and a good kicker, but the young grinder with more than $300,000 in live earnings happily rolled over 
for the winner.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
73,500 | 39,000 |
No Back-To-Back Titles for Moneymaker
Level 11
: 600/1,200, 100 ante
Chris Moneymaker’s final hand of the night went down just before the recent break, and the last Hollywood Poker Open Regional Championship winner was kind enough to inform us about the details as he headed out the door.
According to Moneymaker, his descent began when he made an overcall with 
looking to bust two shorter stacks who had moved all in before him. Moneymaker was well in front of the severe shorty’s 
desperation push, but Joseph Stiers had a decent enough holding with his 
.
Alas, the flop came down 
to put Stiers out in front with a pair of aces, and when Moneymaker failed to find a set or a straight, he shipped about 12,500 over to the young semi-pro.
Just a few hands later it was Moneymaker’s turn to ship all in before the flop, and Stiers’ turn to make the call, with the champ’s crushed by Stier’s . No help arrived through five board cards, and Moneymaker headed out with a disappointing finish after surging to more than 100,000 early in the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
34,500 | |
|
Busted |
Last Level of the Night
Level 11
: 600/1,200, 100 ante
The title says it all, this will be the last level of the night for the players. After this 60 minutes, the survivors will bag and tag their chips before returning for tomorrow's Day 2.
Level: 11
Blinds: 600/1,200
Ante: 100