Main Event Day 1c | 2019 Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar East Chicago

08-31-2019 14:52 UTC

Welcome to Day 1c of 2019 HPT Ameristar East Chicago Main Event

Anthony Thompson

The final point has been reached out of the starting days at Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar East Chicago $1,650 Main Event. With two starting flights down this means it's last chance for any players who have yet to find a bag to do so and advance to Sunday's Day 2.

Through the first two flights, 44 players are in the bag and set for the Sunday restart. Two familiar faces lead the way thus far in Mike O'Neill and Josh Reichard as the previous HPT Champions bagged identical stacks over 500,000 putting on a clinic in Day 1b.

As for who will join them, that's to be determined in part of the course of the 15 40-minute levels scheduled for Day 1c. Once again, it will be unlimited reentry with levels rising from 100/100 at the beginning to 2,000/4,000 at the end with a 4,000 big blind ante.

Players will receive a 60-minute dinner break after the ninth level of play. Registration will again close after said dinner break, with players allowed unlimited reentry.

All players that manage to make their way to Day 2 will return on Sunday, September, 1st at 11 am to play down to the televised Final Table of nine Monday, September 2nd at Noon which will be played down to a winner.

“HPT is excited to have PokerNews providing additional event coverage in 2019,” said Korey Stewart, HPT Marketing Manager. “Season XV is shaping up to be another record-breaking year for the tour. We’ve already added several new venues to the schedule and we’re hoping to announce a few more new additions soon. There will be plenty of opportunities for poker enthusiasts across the country to take a shot at winning life-changing money at nationally televised final tables. We’re looking forward to having an industry leader like PokerNews there to report on it every step of the way.”

Main Event Structure

Level	Length	Small Blind	Big Blind	BB Ante
1	40 minutes	100	100	0
2	40 minutes	100	200	0
3	40 minutes	100	300	0
4	40 minutes	100	300	300
5	40 minutes	200	400	400
6	40 minutes	200	500	500
7	40 minutes	300	600	600
8	40 minutes	400	800	800
9	40 minutes	500	1,000	1,000
10	40 minutes	600	1,200	1,200
11	40 minutes	800	1,600	1,600
12	40 minutes	1,000	2.000	2.000
13	40 minutes	1,500	2,500	2,500
14	40 minutes	1,500	3,000	3,000
15	40 minutes	2,000	4,000	4,000

PokerNews will be on the floor providing live updates from the time of the first card pitched to the time of the last bag being sealed up.

08-31-2019 18:12 UTC

Rogowski Wins With Aggression

Anthony Thompson

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Andy Rogowski opened for 800 from middle position and Jerold Saeman called sitting directly to his left. Action was on the small blind player who three-bet to 3,100 getting called by both Rogowski and Saeman.

The flop was checked to Rogowski who bet 2,900 and was called by both opponents.

Rogowski continued with a 5,500 bet after the small blind player checked his option when the fell on the turn. Saeman called while the small blind player mucked his hand.

The river brought the that was checked by both players and Rogowski tabled for the winner with a pair of sevens.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andy Rogowski	50,000 50,000	50,000
Jerold Saeman	10,000 -10,000	-10,000

Tags: Andy Rogowski Jerold Saeman

08-31-2019 19:28 UTC

Zhao's Set is Better

Anthony Thompson

Level 4 : 100/300, 300 ante

There was heads-up action between Xueying Zhao and Jacob Connelly on a board that shoed .

Connelly tossed out a 13,000 bet into a 10,000 pot form middle position and Zhao called from the cutoff.

Jacob Connelly:
Xueying Zhao:

Both players flopped a set but Zhao's was better as she raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jacob Connelly	60,000 -12,300	-12,300
Xueying Zhao	50,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Jacob Connelly Xueying Zhao

08-31-2019 21:45 UTC

Rajanala Flushes Aces for Double

Anthony Thompson

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

Pratap Golla opened for 1,800 from middle position and Raman Rajanala called from late position.

The flop came and Golla lead out with 2,200 getting a 12,000 jam from Rajanala, Golla called.

Pratap Golla:
Raman Rajanala:

Golla was ahead with rockets but it didn't last long as the dealer turned the giving Rajanala the flush and he doubled up after the board completed with the river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raman Rajanala	30,000
Pratap Golla	16,000

Tags: Pratap Golla Raman Rajanala

08-31-2019 21:48 UTC

Morford Sends Opponent Packing

Anthony Thompson

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

Leon Morford opened for 1,500 from early position and the button player three-bet jammed for 8,000 getting a call from Morford.

Leon Morford:
Opponent:

Morford was behind until the flop fell pairing his jack.

The turn gave Morford's opponent a gutterball but Morford would trip up with river to eliminate his opponent.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leon Morford	45,000 -25,000	-25,000

Tags: Leon Morford

08-31-2019 22:27 UTC

Raghavan Doubles with Tens

Anthony Thompson

Level 8 : 400/800, 800 ante

A player from late position opened action and Ravi Raghavan jammed for 12,600 on the button getting a call from the initial raiser.

Ravi Raghavan:
Opponent:

Raghavan was ahead but had to dodge two overcards as the flop fell .

The dealer turned the and Raghavan doubled up after the board paired with the river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ravi Raghavan	28,000 -4,000	-4,000

Tags: Ravi Raghavan

08-31-2019 23:14 UTC

Vazanellis Rivers Broadway and Gets Paid

Anthony Thompson

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

There was heads up action between George Vazanellis who sat under the gun and his opponent from middle position.

The board read and with 25,000 already in the middle, Vazanellis raised his opponents 20,000 bet to 40,000.

Vazanellis's opponent went into the tank for sometime before talking himself into making the call.

Vazanellis tabled and his opponent tossed his hand into the muck exposing .

Player	Chips	Progress
George Vazanellis	220,000 220,000	220,000

Tags: George Vazanellis

09-01-2019 01:05 UTC

Vazanellis Dusts Another

Anthony Thompson

Level 10 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

There was heads up action after the flop between Vazanellis from the big blind and a middle position player.

The board read and Vazanellis checked his option to his opponent who bet 13,000. Vazanellis raised to 40,000 putting his opponent all in and was called.

George Vazanellis:
Opponent:

Vazanellis turned trips leaving his opponent drawing to a tree or six.

The river fell the improving Vazanellis to a full boat eliminating his opponent from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
George Vazanellis	260,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: George Vazanellis

09-01-2019 01:32 UTC

Prize Pool Information Released

Anthony Thompson

Level 11 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante

The 579 entries created a prize pool of $833,760. There will be 63 places paid. The winner of the event will claim $186,812 along with a $3,500 HPT Championship package. A min-cash in 63rd will be worth $2,989 .

Payout information has been released to PokerNews. It's unofficial until the start of Day 2.

Place	Prize Money
1	$186,812
2	$115,406
3	$75,637
4	$52,555
5	$38.192
6	$29,640
7	$24,908
8	$20,757
9	$16,605
10-12	$12,786
13-15	$9,548
16-18	$7,306
19-27	$5,480
28-36	$4,566
37-45	$3,819
46-54	$3,238
55-63	$2,989

09-01-2019 02:05 UTC

Former HPT Champ Shepsky Eliminated by Vassios

Anthony Thompson

Level 12 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Ted Vassios opened for 4,000 from middle position and was called by a player from late position. Action was on Matt Shepsky who moved all in for from the big blind and was called by Vassios.

Matt Shepsky:
Ted Vassios: