HPO St. Louis Regional Championship | 2014 Hollywood Poker Open St. Louis Regional Event

03-16-2014 22:53 UTC-5

Tour Ambassador Chris Moneymaker Wins the Hollywood Poker Open St. Louis Regional Championship

[user101598]

Level 19 : 4,000/8,000, 500 ante

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.

HPO St. Louis Payouts

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.

Tags: Chris Moneymaker

03-16-2014 21:53 UTC-5

Frank Wyville Eliminated in 2nd Place ($22,395)

[user101598]

Level 19 : 4,000/8,000, 500 ante

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
Frank Wyville	Busted

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Frank Wyville

03-16-2014 21:50 UTC-5

Moneymaker Can Taste It

[user101598]

Level 19 : 4,000/8,000, 500 ante

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
Frank Wyville	120,000	-170,000

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Frank Wyville

03-16-2014 21:07 UTC-5

James Basham Eliminated in 3rd Place ($17,063)

[user101598]

Level 19 : 4,000/8,000, 500 ante

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
Frank Wyville	370,000	2,000
James Basham	Busted

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Frank Wyville James Basham

03-16-2014 20:33 UTC-5

Todd Bartlett Eliminated in 4th Place ($10,664)

[user101598]

Level 18 : 3,000/6,000, 0 ante

Todd Bartlett raised to 15,000 on the button, James Basham called in the small blind, and Chris Moneymaker re-raised to 50,000 in the big blind. Bartlett moved all in for 237,000, Basham folded, and Moneymaker called.

Bartlett:
Moneymaker:

Bartlett was in great shape to double, and Moneymaker assembled the chips he would need to pay off the all in as the flop fell .

"Red eight," Frank Wyville said, grinning. Moneymaker echoed him.

The turn was indeed a red eight - the - and Moneymaker picked up an open-ended straight draw. Any nine, five or ten would send Wyville packing.

The room fell silent for a millisecond, then exploded into a chorus of groans when the spiked on the river, giving Moneymaker the straight.

"Unlucky, man," Moneymaker said softly.

Bartlett hits the rail in fourth place, earning $10,664, while Moneymaker has over a million chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Moneymaker	1,050,000	320,000
Frank Wyville	216,000	16,000
James Basham	74,000	-37,500
Todd Bartlett	Busted

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Frank Wyville James Basham Todd Bartlett

03-16-2014 20:06 UTC-5

Wyville Doubles

[user101598]

Level 18 : 3,000/6,000, 0 ante

Chris Moneymaker and Frank Wyville took a flop of . Wyville checked out of the small blind, Moneymaker fired a bet of 15,000, and Wyville check-raised to 43,000. Moneymaker called.

The turn was the , Wyville moved all in for 105,500, and Moneymaker called.

Wyville:
Moneymaker:

The river was the , and Wyville doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Moneymaker	680,000	-138,000
Frank Wyville	270,000	142,000

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Frank Wyville

03-16-2014 18:22 UTC-5

Shabtai Moria Eliminated in 5th Place ($8,531)

[user101598]

Level 17 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

Chris Moneymaker opened for a raise from under the gun, Shabtai Moria defended his big blind, and the flop fell . Moria checked, Moneymaker fired out a continuation bet, and Moria moved all in for 100,000 or so. Moneymaker called.

Moneymaker:
Moria:

The turn and river both produced nines - the and - counterfeiting Moria's two pair. He was eliminated in fifth place, while Moneymaker is up over 700,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Moneymaker	750,000	150,000
Shabtai Moria	Busted

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Shabtai Moria

03-16-2014 18:13 UTC-5

Case Deuce in the Window

[user101598]

Level 17 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

James Basham open-shoved for 58,500 from under the gun, Shabtai Moria re-shoved on his direct left, and the rest of the players folded.

Basham tabled , shrugging, and Moria revealed . Moria's rail surrounded the table, gleefully cheering, and Basham himself had a laugh.

The mood changed drastically when the peaked through the window of the flop, giving Basham a leading set of deuces. Suddenly, Moria needed an ace to knock out Basham, but he received no help as the turn and river bricked off , respectively.

Basham shipped the fortunate double up, while Moria plummeted to 47,000 chips.

Frank Wyville told the table that he folded , meaning the was the fourth and final deuce in the deck.

Player	Chips	Progress
James Basham	127,000	56,000
Shabtai Moria	47,000	-78,000

Tags: James Basham Shabtai Moria

03-16-2014 17:57 UTC-5

Jovan Sudar Eliminated in 6th Place ($6,399)

[user101598]

Level 17 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

Shabtai Moria moved all in for effectively 30,000 or so in the small blind, and Jovan Sudar called, putting himself at risk.

Moria:
Sudar:

The flop (), turn (), and river () all produced bricks, and Sudar was eliminated in sixth place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Shabtai Moria	125,000	50,000
Jovan Sudar	Busted

Tags: Jovan Sudar Shabtai Moria

03-16-2014 17:52 UTC-5

Basham Getting Shorter

[user101598]

Level 17 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

James Basham raised to 10,000 from under the gun, Todd Bartlett called on the button, and both blinds released. The flop fell , Bartlett check-called a bet of 15,000, and the duo checked after the turn brought the .