HPO Tunica Regional Championship | 2014 Hollywood Poker Open Tunica Regional Event

02-16-2014 12:39 UTC-5

Moneymaker With Half of the Chips in Play

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Good morning and welcome back for Day 2 coverage of the Hollywood Poker Open Tunica Regional Championship. Four of the 20 entrants remain, including our chip leader Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker. The 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion has over half of the chips in play on the money bubble, and has to be considered a favorite to win.

Moneymaker eliminated four of the six players who exited the 10-handed final table, including BJ McBrayer and Ryan Stevenson in the same hand.

Joining him on day two are 2013 WSOP bracelet winner Jonathan Taylor, 2007 WSOP Main Event finalist Lee Childs, and Toby Mathews:

Seat	Player	Chips	Big Blinds
1	Jonathan Taylor	91,800	76.5
2	Chris Moneymaker	201,700	168
3	Toby Mathews	90,400	75
4	Lee Childs	16,100	13

The four players will be competing for a top prize of $15,040 and a $2,500 seat into the Hollywood Poker Open Championship at The M Resort Spa Casino Las Vegas in June.

The cards will be in the air shortly, so be sure to stay tuned for updates straight from the final table.

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Jonathan Taylor Lee Childs Toby Mathews

02-16-2014 13:25 UTC-5

Lee Childs Eliminated on the Bubble

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Level 12 : 600/1,200, 100 ante

Lee Childs open-shoved for around 10 big blinds on the button, Chris Moneymaker called in the big blind, and the hands were tabled.

Childs:
Moneymaker:

The 2003 WSOP Main Event champ surged into the lead on a flop of , the turn was a meaningless , and just for overkill, Moneymaker made quads when the case tre completed the board.

Childs is eliminated just shy of the money, while Moneymaker added to his chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lee Childs	Busted

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Lee Childs

02-16-2014 14:06 UTC-5

Taylor Takes a Big One

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Level 12 : 600/1,200, 100 ante

Chris Moneymaker raised to 2,500 on the button, Jonathan Taylor three-bet to 7,000 out of the big blind, and Moneymaker called.

The flop came down , Moneymaker called a bet of 6,000, and the turn was the suicide king (). Taylor slowed down, check-calling a bet of 13,000 from Moneymaker, and the completed the board.

Taylor checked, Moneymaker bombed 30,000 into the pot, and Taylor went into the tank. He cut out enough chips to make the call, examined what would be left if he incorrectly committed them, then flipped them forward.

"Ace-high," Moneymaker said.

Taylor showed for tens and eights, and raked in a big pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Moneymaker	215,000 -55,000	-55,000

Jonathan Taylor	155,000 68,000	68,000
Toby Mathews	30,000 -13,000	-13,000

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Jonathan Taylor

02-16-2014 15:54 UTC-5

Chris Moneymaker Eliminated in 3rd Place ($6,016)

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Level 14 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Toby Mathews raised on the button, Chris Moneymaker defended, and the 2003 WSOP Main Event champ check-jammed on a flop of . Mathews quickly called.

Mathews:
Moneymaker:

Moneymaker received no help from the turn () or the river (), and was eliminated in third place. Jonathan Taylor and Toby Mathews will now begin heads-up play.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonathan Taylor	260,000 -10,000	-10,000
Toby Mathews	140,000 45,000	45,000
Chris Moneymaker	Busted

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Jonathan Taylor Toby Mathews

02-16-2014 16:28 UTC-5

Mathews Doubles on Massive Cooler

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Level 15 : 1,000/2,000, 300 ante

Jonathan Taylor raised to 4,000, Toby Mathews called, and both players checked on a flop of .

The turn was the , Mathews led out for 6,000, and Taylor raised to 15,000. Mathews called.

The river was the , Mathews checked again, and Taylor tossed out four grey T5,000 chips. Mathews moved all in for 55,000, and Taylor asked for a count before announcing a call.

Mathews ripped over for a straight, and Taylor mucked his hand just high enough to show that he had for a flopped set of nines.

"Nines?" Mathews asked, raking in the pot. "Nothing you can do about that."

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonathan Taylor	251,200 -68,800	-68,800
Toby Mathews	148,800 68,800	68,800

Tags: Jonathan Taylor Toby Mathews

02-16-2014 17:47 UTC-5

Mathews Takes the Lead

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Level 16 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante

Toby Mathews opened to 5,500, Jonathan Taylor three-bet to 14,000, and Mathews called.

Taylor led out for 11,000 on a flop of , Mathews called, and the turn brought the . Taylor led out for another 21,000, Mathews moved all in, and Taylor folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Toby Mathews	226,000 46,000	46,000
Jonathan Taylor	174,000 -46,000	-46,000

Tags: Jonathan Taylor Toby Mathews

02-16-2014 18:03 UTC-5

Even Steven

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Level 16 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante

Toby Mathews opened to 5,200, Jonathan Taylor re-raised to 14,500, and Mathews called.

The flop was , Taylor led out for 11,500, and Mathews folded.

The two players are now relatively even in chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonathan Taylor	203,400 29,400	29,400
Toby Mathews	196,600 -29,400	-29,400

Tags: Jonathan Taylor Toby Mathews

02-16-2014 18:22 UTC-5

Jonathan Taylor Eliminated in 2nd Place ($9,024)

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Level 16 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante

Jonathan Taylor raised to 5,200 on the button, Toby Mathews three-bet to 17,500, and Taylor went deep into the tank. The 2013 WSOP bracelet winner eventually put in a four-bet making it 40,000 or so to go, and Mathews immediately announced that he as all in.

Taylor plopped forward a handful of T5,000 chips, signifying a call, and the hands were tabled.

Taylor:
Mathews:

Mathew's pocket kings dominated Taylor's wired fives, and held up as the board came out .

Taylor is off to collect $9,024 in prize money, while Mathews is your champion!

Player	Chips	Progress
Toby Mathews	400,000 203,400	203,400
Jonathan Taylor	Busted

Tags: Jonathan Taylor Toby Mathews

02-16-2014 19:00 UTC-5

Toby Mathews Wins the Hollywood Poker Open Tunica Regional Championship ($15,040)

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Level 16 : 1,200/2,400, 400 ante

Toby Mathews started Day 2 third in chips, and was very short during three-handed play, but thanks to a few coin flips and a bit of persistence he is the winner of the Hollywood Poker Open Tunica Regional Championship.

Mathews reached heads-up play against Jonathan Taylor with a significant chip disadvantage, and the 2013 World Series of Poker bracelet winner extended the lead. Mathews was able to double, flopping a straight against Taylor's middle set, and brought the stacks back to even.

On the final hand, Mathews five-bet shoved with pocket kings and Taylor called with pocket fives. The dominant hand held up, and Mathews was crowned the champion.

"I've got to call my wife," Mathews said excitedly while the staff was preparing for pictures. "This is so cool."

Mathews earned $15,040 for first place along with a $2,500 seat to the Hollywood Poker Open Championship at The M Resort Spa Casino Las Vegas in June. Ironically, the event takes place near his wife's birthday.

"We were thinking about going to Vegas anyway," Mathews said in a post-win interview.

Team PokerStars Pro and HPO ambassador Chris Moneymaker entered the day as the chip leader, and eliminated Lee Childs on the bubble. Childs was very short and open-jammed for around 10 big blind with pocket tens. Moneymaker made the call in the big blind with , and ended up making quad threes.

During three-handed play, Moneymaker struggled.

"I didn't win a pot," Moneymaker said afterwards.

The 2003 WSOP Main Event winner quickly went from first to last in chips, then tried to make a move on Mathews. He check-raised all in on a flop of with , and Mathews called with . The pocket queens held up, and Moneymaker hit the rail.

Mathews credits both the deep structure and the lucky tiger his nephew Nicholas gave to him for the victory, and is exited to play in the Hollywood Poker Open Championship.

That's it for our coverage of the HPO Tunica Regional Championship. We will be back for the next regional championship event on March 1 in Grantville, Pennsylvania. Until then, goodnight from Tunica!

Tags: Toby Mathews