Joey Couden Rallies to Win HPO Columbus Regional Championship ($60,827)!
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Facing a 7-1 chip disadvantage during heads-up play, Joey Couden never panicked. "You can't ever let losing enter your mind," Couden said after emerging victorious at the 2014 Hollywood Poker Open Columbus Regional Main Event.
"It's a poison," he continued. "I was born to win this tournament. I've been playing in the Columbus area since I was 15," the Columbus native added.
With the $60,827 he collected for the win, Couden moved above the half-million dollar mark in career live tournament earnings. "I'll be playing some at the World Series," he said about his immediate future plans.
Couden outlasted a record-setting HPO field of 126 players that created a prize pool of $202,754. The 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion, Chris Moneymaker, would be among those who would play. Moneymaker was looking to win his second HPO Regional title of the year, but would be eliminated early on in Day 1 and ultimately that would be enough for the HPO Ambassador.
At the end of play on the first day, there were 29 players who would make the cut and return to try and make the money on Day 2. Only 13 would get paid so there was work aplenty for those still in the field. Nick Guagenti would surge to the top of the leader board early on by knocking out two players in one hand.
Local top poker professional Shawn Cunix would make a deep run, but he would end up falling just short of making the money when he was eliminated in 17th place.
The bubble was quick and painless, and it was David Westfall who would get the dubious honors of finishing one short of the money. After the bubble burst, Nick Guagenti would get his chips in on a draw and would not improve to finish in 13th place for $4,055.
Couden would start his run to the final two when he hit runner-runner nut flush to take down a big pot. Not to be outdone, his heads-up foe, John Michalak, would top the one-million chip mark by hitting a flush of his own to eliminate PJ Grace in seventh place ($9,124).
Scott Dehm ended Day 1 as the chip leader, and he would make good use of those chips for most of Day 2 before being eliminated in sixth place ($11,151). There would be some tension between the eventual final two in a hand that saw the elimination of Jimmie Adams in fifth place ($13,483).
Couden eliminated Christopher Collins in third place ($24,330) with two pair and heads-up play started with him holding a slight chip advantage over Michalak. That wouldn't last long as Michalak would take control of the match. Nearly three hours in, however, things would change and Couden would double with the 
against Michalak's 
. Couden would never look back and Michalak would make his last stand eventually. When he did, he was dominated with the 
against Couden's 
. Michalak would not improve and was eliminated in second place for $36,496.
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and Couden was two cards away from securing victory.
giving Michalak a few more outs. The river, however, was the 
and Michalak was eliminated in 2nd place for an impressive $36,496 - his best tournament score ever. "I was just tired there at the end," Michalak said.
. Couden led out for 65,000 and was called by Collins.
and Couden bet 118,000 this time. Collins again made the call.
and Couden didn't think too long before announcing that he was all in. He was snap-called by Collins who turned over 
. Collins was eliminated in 3rd place and Couden goes into heads up play with a slight chip advantage over John Michalak.
to give Couden the pot and move him over the million chip mark. Funderburg was eliminated in 4th place.
. Collins would win the race when the board ran out 
and Adams was left with 27,000 in chips.
.
flop with 
. The 
that Michalak had. The turn changed that, however, as it was the 
to give Michalak a flush.
. The turn was the 
and the river was the 
flop with 
. A nine would give Birtcher more than five times what he started the hand with but the turn was the 
and the river was the 
