Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2019 Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar Vicksburg
Main Event
Day: 3
Yousef Saleh Goes Wire-To-Wire To Take Down HPT Ameristar Vicksburg and $36,895!
Level 26
: 20,000/50,000, 20,000 ante
Yousef Saleh outlasted a field of 146 runners to become the champion of Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar Vicksburg $1,100 Main Event, good for $36,895 and a $3,500 HPT Season XV Championship package. The vast majority of Saleh's $89,576 in Hendon Mob reported tournament earnings have been accrued all in 2019, and this latest bounty pushes him above the six-figure mark in lifetime earnings.
Saleh, who already picked up a mid-major title earlier in the year when he took down the RunGood Poker Series Tunica Main Event in March, kept his aggressive style of play on full display for the duration of the final table, constantly putting maximum pressure on his foes with his huge chip stack. It seemed like the few times that anyone would play back at Saleh, he would wake up with a monster, a plan that Saleh said he had in motion before the day even began.
"That was my plan; if you stay on top, you stay on top the whole way," Saleh told HPT's Tournament Director Jeremy Smith after his victory. "Everybody thinks I'm lucky; you need luck, I know that. I folded a lot of good hands, I played my spots where I had it."
Saleh, who went wire-to-wire as he held the chip lead for the entirety of the final table, had a premonition that he was going to win this tournament before he even arrived: "I've been saying this before I come here; my sister's wedding is Wednesday. If I win this, I'm going to the wedding. It's in Jordan, so, I might be on the airplane tomorrow."
As for his newfound windfall, Saleh said simply, "Poker money stays poker money, I play tournaments all over; I played in the Main Event in Vegas, cashed in it for the first time. I was proud."
Now Saleh has his first HPT Main Event title to add to the growing list of accolades in his poker career.
HPT Ameristar Vicksburg Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yousef Saleh | $36,895 |
| 2 | Jaron Bailey | $22,959 |
| 3 | CT Hoffecker | $13,939 |
| 4 | Shomari Williams | $10,250 |
| 5 | Sley Sanchez | $7,653 |
| 6 | Kip Jones | $6,286 |
| 7 | Judge Leo Boothe | $5,535 |
| 8 | BJ McBrayer | $4,851 |
| 9 | JW Carter | $4,100 |
Final Table Recap
JW Carter's stay at the final table lasted exactly one hand, as his flopped two pair were no match for the flopped straight of Judge Leo Boothe, sending him home in ninth place. The defending HPT Ameristar Vicksburg Main Event champ BJ McBrayer ground a short stack for two hours, but was never able to gain any ground and finally succumbed in eighth place when he lost a flip to Sley Sanchez.
Another flip would spell the end of Boothe's run in seventh place, as his ace-ten couldn't catch up to the pocket fives of Saleh, and Kip Jones followed Boothe out the door in sixth a short time later when his ace-deuce was outkicked by the ace-nine of Shomari Williams. Sanchez fell victim to a bad beat one level later, when his pocket tens were bested by CT Hoffecker's ace-nine after Hoffecker managed to make nines-full. Sanchez was ousted one hand later.
Williams would be next to fall, his king-queen failing to improve against the ace-jack of Jaron Bailey. Bailey then took out Hoffecker one level later, leaving Bailey and Saleh separated by just a few big blinds at the start of heads-up action. As had been the case for most of the day, however, Saleh turned up the heat and ground Bailey down to just under twelve big blinds before the final hand of the tournament commenced.
Bailey found himself all in and at risk with queen-three with a queen-king-five-ace board on the felt, but Saleh had the best of it with his king-four. The ten of clubs on the river was a brick for Bailey and Saleh secured the victory.
"On the first day, we said we were gonna be together at the final table, and here we are!" Saleh told Bailey moments after the river fell to seal Saleh's victory, and the two shared a handshake and were in good spirits after a hard-fought heads up battle.
Season XV of the HPT continues at Ameristar East Chicago August 22 through September 2. PokerNews will once again be there to live report the Main Event. Visit hptpoker.com for more details.
Jaron Bailey Eliminated in 2nd Place ($22,959)
Level 26
: 20,000/50,000, 20,000 ante
Yousef Saleh limped in from the button, and Jaron Bailey checked his option in the big blind.
Both players checked the 
flop, and Bailey bet 90,000 on the 
turn. Saleh raised to 290,000, and Bailey tanked for a minute before three-bet shoving for 525,000, which Saleh called.
Jaron Bailey: 
Yousef Saleh: 
Bailey needed a queen or three to survive and continue this heads up duel, but the 
river left Bailey as our runner-up, while Saleh will take home the HPT Ameristar Vicksburg Main Event title!
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,380,000 | 1,480,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 26
Blinds: 20,000/50,000
Ante: 20,000
Chop Pot for Bailey and Saleh
Level 25
: 20,000/40,000, 20,000 ante
Bailey limped in from the button, then called a raise to 200,000 from Saleh.
The 
flop saw Saleh bet 475,000, and Bailey called.
Saleh jammed before the 
could fall on the turn, and Bailey tanked for a minute before calling off his last 735,000.
Jaron Bailey: 
Yousef Saleh: 
Both players had top pair, but neither player's kicker played. Saleh could hit a six or five to claim the title, while Bailey needed a deuce to double up. The 
on the river was a blank, and they chopped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,900,000 | -300,000 |
|
|
1,400,000 | 200,000 |
Aggression Pays Dividends For Saleh
Level 25
: 20,000/40,000, 20,000 ante
Jaron Bailey raised to 125,000 from the button, and Yousef Saleh three-bet to 540,000 in the big blind. Bailey thought for half a minute, then folded.
Saleh limped in from the button on the next hand, and Bailey raised to 140,000 from the big blind. Saleh called.
On the 
flop, Bailey checked, and Saleh bet 60,000. Bailey quickly called.
The fell on the turn, and Bailey bet 180,000. Saleh jammed to put Bailey at risk for his last 1.4 million, and Bailey folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,200,000 | 800,000 |
|
|
1,200,000 | -800,000 |
Saleh Tries to Barrel Bailey
Level 25
: 20,000/40,000, 20,000 ante
Yousef Saleh raised to 120,000 on the button, and Jaron Bailey called in the big blind.
The 
flop was checked by Bailey, and Saleh bet 60,000. Bailey called.
The fell on the turn, and Bailey checked again. Saleh bet 80,000, and Bailey called again.
Bailey checked a third time on the 
river, and Saleh bet 150,000. Bailey called, and Saleh said, "Jack," later showing the . Bailey tabled for a pair of eights, and won the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,400,000 | -500,000 |
|
|
2,000,000 | 700,000 |
Bailey Jams on Saleh
Level 25
: 20,000/40,000, 20,000 ante
Jaron Bailey limped in on the button, then called when Yousef Saleh raised to 165,000 in the big blind.
Saleh bet 200,000 on the 
flop, and Bailey jammed for 975,000.
Saleh pulled his sunglasses off his face, then asked, "How much is it?" After confirming the amount, Saleh tanked for a few minutes, then folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,900,000 | -400,000 |
|
|
1,300,000 | 200,000 |
Saleh Wearing Down Bailey
Level 25
: 20,000/40,000, 20,000 ante
Jaron Bailey raised to 120,000 on the button, and Yousef Saleh called in the big blind.
Saleh checked the flop to Bailey, who bet 160,000. Saleh check-raised to 400,000 after a minute in the tank, and Bailey folded.
"Good fold. I had a jack and a flush draw," Saleh told Bailey after the hand.
On the next hand, Saleh raised to 80,000 on the button, and Bailey called in the big blind.
The 
flop was checked by Bailey, and Saleh bet 120,000. Bailey quickly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,300,000 | 400,000 |
|
|
1,100,000 | -400,000 |
Saleh Tries to Lay a Trap
Level 25
: 20,000/40,000, 20,000 ante
Jaron Bailey limped in on the button, and Yousef Saleh checked his option in the big blind.
Saleh checked the 
flop over to Bailey, who bet 55,000. Saleh called.
Both players checked the 
turn and 
river, and Saleh said, "Dammit, boy!" before turning over for two pair.
"Good play," Saleh told Bailey in regards to him checking back both streets.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,900,000 | 100,000 |
|
|
1,500,000 | -100,000 |