HPO St. Louis Regional Championship
Day 2 Completed
HPO St. Louis Regional Championship
Day 2 Completed
There will be another title placed in Chris Moneymaker’s trophy case when he returns to Tennessee, as the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion is the winner of the Hollywood Poker Open St. Louis Regional Championship.
Moneymaker defeated Frank Wyville in a very short heads-up match. Wyville earned $22,395 for his efforts.
The Team PokerStars Pro entered the day fifth in chips, and quickly ascended into the chip lead. At the start of the final table, Moneymaker accrued nearly half of the chips in play, and no one was able to challenge him. He eliminated seven of his nine opponents at the final table, en route to capturing the $36,295 first-place prize, and a seat to the $2,500 HPO Championship Event at The M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas in June.
James Bartlett nearly made things interesting during four-handed play, getting all of his chips in the middle with against Moneymaker’s , but Moneymaker ran out a straight to send him packing.
Finish | Player | Prize |
---|---|---|
1 | Chris Moneymaker | $36,259 |
2 | Frank Wyville | $22,395 |
3 | James Basham | $17,063 |
4 | Todd Bartlett | $10,664 |
5 | Shabtai Moria | $8,531 |
6 | Jovan Sudar | $6,399 |
7 | Todd Metheny | $5,332 |
Day 2 started with 15 players, but five players hit the rail in a little over an hour. Derek Shroeder lost a race to James Basham; Jason Bliven was unable to improve with bottom pair against Bartlett; Michael Belken unsuccessfully shoved on Moneymaker with a nine-high flush draw; Lance Dorsey dealt a cooler, running queens into aces; and Kyle Cartwright turned two pair against Bartlett’s top two pair.
Damjan Radanov was the first player to exit from the final table, running a pair of aces into Moneymaker’s turned two pair, and there wasn’t another elimination for a full hour.
Mark Fledderman, the chip leader entering the day, called a four-bet shove from Moneymaker with , but Moneymaker had him crushed with . The board didn’t improve Fledderman’s hand, and he hit the rail empty-handed.
The bubble lasted nearly two hours, allowing Moneymaker to continue to build his stack, and eventually Matthew Kingston was eliminated. Kingston moved all in out of the small blind for less than 20 big blinds with , and Wyville called with in the big blind. Wyville’s hand held up, and the bubble burst.
Todd Metheny gave Moneymaker the toughest time on Day 2, but he lost a big hand against Wyville in Level 16 and was eliminated by Moneymaker in seventh place shortly thereafter. Jovan Sudar followed Metheny out the door in sixth place, earning $6,399. Basham cracked Shabtai Moria’s aces in Level 17, and Moneymaker busted him in fifth place less than an orbit later.
The four remaining players went on an hour dinner break, and upon returning, Moneymaker cracked Bartlett’s aces, eliminating him in fourth place. The on the river not only gave the HPO Tour Ambassador a straight, but it also secured him nearly 80 percent of the chips in play. Basham and Wyville tried to scrap their way back into the fight, but neither player could get the ball rolling.
Basham ultimately lost a race to Moneymaker, and on the final hand, Wyville shoved with only to be called by . The dominant hand held up, and Moneymaker was the winner.
The HPO Regional Series continues on March 20 at Hollywood Charles Town Races, in Charles Town, West Virginia. PokerNews will be on hand for the Main Event on March 29, where another Regional Champion will be crowned.
Frank Wyville open-shoved on the button for 100,000 or so, Chris Moneymaker called, and the cards were on their backs.
Wyville:
Moneymaker:
Wyville was dominated, and failed to improve as the board came . He exited in second place, earning $22,395, while Chris Moneymaker is your champion.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Chris Moneymaker |
1,340,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
Frank Wyville | Busted |
Frank Wyville raised to 18,000 with the button, Chris Moneymaker defended, and the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champ check-called a bet of 21,000 on a flop of . The turn was the , both players checked, and the completed the board.
Moneymaker fired out 80,000, Wyville called, and Moneymaker showed for a full house.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Chris Moneymaker |
1,220,000
170,000
|
170,000 |
Frank Wyville |
120,000
-170,000
|
-170,000 |
After losing a few small pots, Chris Moneymaker three-bet to 58,000 over an open to 19,000 from Frank Wyville. Wyville called.
Both players checked on a flop of , the turn was the , and Moneymaker led out for 50,000. Wyville folded.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Chris Moneymaker |
1,050,000
-30,000
|
-30,000 |
Frank Wyville |
290,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
Chris Moneymaker raised to 17,000 with the button, Frank Wyville called in the big blind, and the flop came down . Wyville check-called a bet of 20,000, the turn was the , and Wyville checked again.
Moneymaker slid out 40,000, Wyville check-raised to 80,000, and Moneymaker moved all in. Wyville instantly folded.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Chris Moneymaker |
1,080,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
Frank Wyville |
260,000
-160,000
|
-160,000 |
Frank Wyville called a preflop raise and check-called a bet on a flop of . Both players checked after the came on the turn, and the completed the board. Wyville led out for 25,000, Moneymaker called, and Wyville took down the pot with for a full house.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Chris Moneymaker |
920,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
Frank Wyville |
420,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
James Basham raised on the button, Chris Moneymaker re-raised in the small blind, Basham moved all in for 202,000, and Moneymaker called.
Basham:
Moneymaker:
The poked through the window of the flop, and Basham was unable to find a jack on the turn () or the river ().
Basham is off to collect $17,063, while Moneymaker and Frank Wyville are set to play heads up.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Chris Moneymaker |
970,000
240,000
|
240,000 |
Frank Wyville |
370,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
James Basham | Busted |
Frank Wyville raised to 20,500 on the button, Chris Moneymaker re-raised to 100,000 in the big blind, and Wyville moved all in for 181,000 or so. Moneymaker snap-called.
Wyville:
Moneymaker:
"I'm supposed to have live cards there," Moneymaker sighed.
Moneymaker's odds to win the hand improved on a flop of , and he added nine outs to make a flush when the turn brought the , but the bricked off on the river.
"Come on now!" Wyville said excitedly after the hand, trying to get a rouse out of the crowd.
Wyville doubled to 368,000 chips, while Moneymaker fell to 730,000.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Chris Moneymaker |
730,000
-290,000
|
-290,000 |
Frank Wyville |
368,000
152,000
|
152,000 |
Level: 19
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 500