Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2019 Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar Vicksburg
Main Event
Day: 2
Yousef Saleh Leads, BJ McBrayer Looking to Go Back-To-Back at HPT Ameristar Vicksburg as Nine Advance to Final Day
Level 19
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
A whirlwind Day 2 here at the HPT Ameristar Vicksburg $1,100 Main Event saw a starting field of twenty-one players, from the original 146 entrants that began the tournament, zip down to the final table of nine in just under three hours time.
Yousef Saleh will return for Monday's Day 3 as the chip leader, bagging up 1.02 million. Saleh, who started the day fifth in chips, began by busting inaugural HPT Ameristar Vicksburg champ Jay Bishop in a flip.
However, the pot that helped catapult him to the top of the counts came when he flopped a jack-high flush on Jimbo Hughes, who had flopped an eight-high flush of his own. Hughes couldn't escape, and Saleh took over as chip leader from that point all the way through the end of the day.
Second in chips is Jaron Bailey (806,000), who managed to hit quads twice in a three-hour period to help propel him up the counts in a hurry. Start-of-Day 2 chip leader Sley Sanchez (604,000) held steady throughout to secure third-place going into the final table.
Joining them there are CT Hoffecker (546,000), Kip Jones (322,000), Shomari Williams (309,000), Judge Leo Boothe (281,000), and JW Carter (255,000), while defending champ BJ McBrayer (234,000) also managed to make it to the final day, but he'll have his work cut out for him as he sits on the short stack.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Name | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kip Jones | 322,000 |
| 2 | Shomari Williams | 309,000 |
| 3 | BJ McBrayer | 234,000 |
| 4 | Jaron Bailey | 806,000 |
| 5 | Yousef Saleh | 1,020,000 |
| 6 | CT Hoffecker | 546,000 |
| 7 | Judge Leo Boothe | 281,000 |
| 8 | Sley Sanchez | 604,000 |
| 9 | JW Carter | 255,000 |
Three players were unfortunate enough to walk away short of a cash after making it to Day 2 - Chad Chisolm, Joseph Imarata, and bubble boy Doug Segers were the trio to leave without a payday. Once the bubble burst, a flurry of eliminations followed including Sam Ho (10th - $3,280), Nolan Burton (11th - $3,280), Wyatt Boothe (12th - $3,280), Hannah Guthrie (13th - $2,579), Jimbo Hughes (14th - $2,579), Morgan McBrayer (15th - $2,597), Jason Riesenberg (16th - $2,187), Corey Harrison (17th - $2,187), and Jay Bishop (18th - $2,187).
Play will resume Monday at Noon local time with 28:00 remaining in Level 19 (5,000/10,000/10,000) and the final table will be live-streamed and televised.
Come back to PokerNews for live updates and be sure to visit HPT’s Twitch channel to watch all the action unfold in real-time as a champion is crowned and presented with the HPT trophy along with a first-place prize of $36,895 and a $3,500 Championship package.
End of Day 2 Chip Counts
Level 19
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,020,000 | -30,000 |
|
806,000 | 106,000 |
|
604,000 | -46,000 |
|
546,000 | -44,000 |
|
322,000 | -28,000 |
|
309,000 | 89,000 |
|
281,000 | 1,000 |
|
255,000 | -63,000 |
|
234,000 |
Sam Ho Eliminated in 10th Place ($3,280)
Level 19
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Jaron Bailey raised to 23,000 from middle position, and Sam Ho three-bet shoved for 101,000 in the small blind. Bailey called.
Sam Ho: 
Jaron Bailey: 
Bailey's ace-high held on the 
flop, and after the 
turn, Ho needed a king or queen to avoid bubbling the televised Final Table. The 
instead improved Bailey to aces-up, and Ho exits in tenth.
Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action, including the final table seat draw and chip counts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Hoffecker's Straight Gets Paid
Level 19
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Sley Sanchez checked a 
flop from the big blind, and CT Hoffecker bet 32,000 into a pot of 60,000 from the button. Sanchez called.
Sanchez checked again on the turn, and Hoffecker bet 104,000. Sanchez called again.
Both players checked the river, and Hoffecker turned over 
for a straight. Sanchez raised a brow in surprise, asking Hoffecker, "You afraid of queen-jack?" before mucking.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
650,000 | -60,000 |
|
|
590,000 | 155,000 |
Saleh Cracks a Milly
Level 19
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Kip Jones raised to 22,000 from middle position, and was called by Yousef Saleh on the button.
Jones bet 20,000 on the 
flop, and Saleh called.
The turn saw Jones bet 30,000, and Saleh called again.
Both players checked the 
river, and Saleh tabled 
. Jones mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,050,000 | 107,000 |
|
|
350,000 | -64,000 |
Level: 19
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 10,000
Break Time
Level 18
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
The final ten players are off on a fifteen-minute break. Play will continue until we reach the final nine players.
Defending Champ McBrayer Doubles Through Sanchez
Level 18
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Sley Sanchez raised to 18,000 from middle position, and Shomari Williams called on the button. BJ McBrayer three-bet shoved for 100,000 in the small blind, and Sanchez four-bet jammed to put Williams at risk for his last 220,000. Williams folded.
BJ McBrayer: 
Sley Sanchez: 
Sanchez held on the 
flop, but McBrayer found the 
on the turn to jump in the lead.
"Yeah, baby!" BJ's wife Morgan said after the 
bricked off on the river to secure the double up for McBrayer.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
710,000 | -115,000 |
|
|
234,000 | 118,000 |
|
|
220,000 | -24,000 |
Quads Again For Bailey
Level 18
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Jaron Bailey raised to 21,000 from middle position, and Judge Leo Boothe three-bet to 71,000 from the hijack. Bailey called.
Both players checked the 
flop, and Bailey checked the 
turn. Boothe bet 35,000 and Bailey called.
Both players checked the 
river, and Boothe tabled 
. Bailey was trying to lay a trap, however, and tabled 
for his second set of quads of the day and the winner.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
700,000 | 122,000 |
|
|
280,000 | -90,000 |