Main Event
Day 1a Started
2019 Heartland Poker Tour East Chicago
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 Heartland Poker Tour East Chicago
Prize Pool
$820,800
Entries
570
Level
28
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
80,000
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.
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/100
Ante: 0
Vang Among Level 1 Entries
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
There are a handful of recognizable players present here at HPT Ameristar East Chicago in the first level, with just shy of 40 entries on the board. One of them is Kou Vang, a Minnesota pro who mixes in mid-major regional events with trips to bigger stuff under banners like the WPT.
Vang's been having a great 2019 thus far with over $200,000 in cashes, and one of the largest of those was from a final table appearance just months ago at HPT St. Louis. There, Vang wound up with a fifth-place finish for $31,978, and he'll try to better that by adding to his trophy case with a win here at Ameristar East Chicago.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
|
30,000 |
Vang Folds to Baird's Blast
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
On a completed board of 
, big blind Kou Vang checked with around 18,000 in the pot. Greg Baird was in middle position and piled in 15,000, leaving only a few thousands back. Vang took about 30 seconds and then released.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
35,400 | |
|
|
21,000 | -9,000 |
Trezzo Gets River Value
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
With 
on the felt in a three-bet pot, Joseph Trezzo fired in 5,000 on the river. His opponent, who had checked under the gun, tanked awhile and made what was clearly a reluctant call.
Trezzo's 
was a winner.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
37,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0
More Early Runners
Level 2
: 100/200, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Update Your Own Chip Count Using the PokerNews MyStack App!
Level 2
: 100/200, 0 ante
PokerNews has activated the MyStack App for this event, allowing you to directly adjust your chip counts in our live reporting blog using your iPhone or Android phone.
You can download the app for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in.
Click here to download the My Stack app for iPhone, or click here to download the My Stack app for Android.
Hergott Sliding Early
Level 2
: 100/200, 0 ante
On a completed board of 
, Josh Hergott checked to an opponent who fired in 7,000. Hergott tanked briefly, staring at his opponent, before putting in a call.
"Top set," his opponent announced.
"It's good," Hergott acknowledged, mucking to 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,700 | -19,300 |