Welcome to Day 1a of 2019 HPT East Chicago
One of the Heartland Poker Tour's flagship events is set to kick off as it is time once again for HPT Ameristar East Chicago $1,650 Main Event after a solid week of preliminary action here just outside of the Windy City.
The Main Event gets rolling with Day 1a, the first of four starting flights. Cards and chips are scheduled to start flying at 2 p.m. local time.
The plan for Day 1a is to play 15 levels, lasting 40 minutes apiece, with breaks after every three levels including a 60-minute dinner break after Level 9. Alternately, play may end if 13 percent of the field — rounded down — is left at some point.
Everyone will receive 30,000 chips to start with blinds beginning at 100/100 and progressing to 2,000/4,000/4,000 with a big blind ante. Players can reenter as many times as they wish, should they go bust.
While the tournament doesn't carry a guarantee, it has typically gone well north of a $500,000 guarantee in the past, with the prize pool often reaching around $1 million. Past champions of the event include the likes of Josh Reichard, Aaron Massey and Nick Pupillo.
Stay tuned to PokerNews to follow the updates throughout the day here on Day 1a.