The Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) is at the Hollywood Casino Columbus for the second of three starting flights in the $1,650 buy-in, $500,000 GTD Main Event.
That tournament, which will be live reported right here on PokerNews, began yesterday with Day 1a. Tomorrow on Saturday at Noon local time Day 1c will take place. The survivors from all three flights will return for Day 2 action at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 29. Then, on Monday, April 29, the final table will play out starting at Noon.
Speaking of that final table, it will not only be live streamed but also filmed for television. This is notable as the state of Ohio has never held a nationally televised poker tournament. That will change thanks to the HPT, which has awarded more than $100 million to poker enthusiasts over 15 seasons.
"We have been looking forward to the Hollywood Columbus event for quite some time," said HPT marketing manager Korey Stewart. "There has been quite a bit of chatter about the event within the poker community since we announced it a few months back. Ohio has a great poker scene and we're anticipating a big turnout."
In yesterday's Day 1a flight, 103 runners took to the felt and after 15 levels of play, just 14 remained with Brian Frye and his stack of 537,000 leading the pack. Others to bag big stacks were Abdul Amer (469,500), Nick Guagenti (433,500), Keith Thurman (260,000), and Vitaliy Neymar (220,500).
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 |
About the Hollywood Columbus Casino
Hollywood Columbus is the only Vegas-style casino in town. The casino floor has 160,000 square feet of gaming space with over 2,100 slots, more than 60 big-action table games, and 34 live poker tables. There are five dining options scattered throughout the property. Whether guests are in the mood for a quick sandwich at Take 2 Grill or a full-service meal at the award-winning Final Cut Steakhouse, no one will go hungry.
The nearby Holiday Inn is offering players exclusive hotel rates starting at $109 per night. A limited number of rooms are available at that price. To book, call 614-335-1150 and mention Hollywood Casino Columbus.
For more information visit hollywoodcolumbus.com.
Upcoming HPT Stops
PokerNews and the HPT plan to continue their live reporting relationship for stops throughout 2019.
“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.”
Here’s a look at the current Season XV schedule with more stops expected to be announced in the near future. For more information, visit hptpoker.com and follow them on Twitter @HPTPoker.
Remaining HPT Season XV Schedule
| Series Dates | Venue | Location | Main Event Buy-In |
|---|
| April 18-29 | Hollywood Casino Columbus | Columbus, Ohio | $1,650 |
| May 2-14 | Ameristar East Chicago | Gary, Indiana | $1,650 |
| July 10-22 | Golden Gates Casino & Poker Parlour | Black Hawk, CO | $1,100 |
| July 25 - August 5 | Hollywood St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | $1,650 |
| August 1-12 | Ameristar Vicksburg | Vicksburg, Mississippi | $1,100 |
| August 22-September 2 | Ameristar East Chicago | Gary, Indiana | $1,650 |
| September 26 - October 7 | The Meadows Casino | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,100 |
| October 17-28 | Daytona Beach Racing & Card Club | Daytona Beach, Florida | $1,100 |
to give Friedman a winning two pair.
flop gave his foe top set.
turn nor 
river helped Carbone and he made a sudden exit in the penultimate level of the night while Friedman added to his chip lead.
. 
which was no help to Rossitto. 
.
