Main Event
Day 1a Started
2019 Heartland Poker Tour St. Louis
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 Heartland Poker Tour St. Louis
Buy-in
$1,650
Prize Pool
$646,020
Entries
444
Level
29
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
50,000
Welcome to Day 1a of the HPT Hollywood St. Louis Main Event!
Season XV of the Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) continues today at Hollywood Casino in St. Louis, Missouri. The $1,650 buy-in Main Event, which will be live reported in its entirety right here on PokerNews, kicks off with Day 1a at 2 p.m. local time.
Players will start with 30,000 in chips and play 40-minute levels. Day 1b will take place at noon on Saturday, March 16 with the surviving players from both flights returning for Day 2 action at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The final table will then be live-streamed at noon on Monday, March 18.
“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.”
The stop actually kicked off last weekend with Event #1: $350 No-Limit Hold'em, a tournament that drew 1,283 entries and set the Missouri state record for the largest poker tournament. Among the top 130 players to get paid were Rodney Crum (15th - $3,632), Jerod Smith (25th - $2,451), Courtney Pipitone (42nd - $2,082), Arthur Combs (64th - $1,280), and Mark Braman (101st - $835).
In the end, the final six players struck an ICM deal ensuring them each five-figure paydays.
HPT St. Louis Event #1 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Craig Welko | Ballwin, Missouri | $37,402* |
| 2 | Virgil Mullen | Benton, Illinois | $33,399* |
| 3 | Mark Pearse | Taylorville, Illinois | $29,993* |
| 4 | Robert Johnson | St. Louis, Missouri | $27,446* |
| 5 | Mike Rieck | Louisiana, Missouri | $24,557* |
| 6 | Michael Esquivel | Clarendon Hills, Illinois | $22,986* |
| 7 | Andrew Echele | St. Peters, Missouri | $8,467 |
| 8 | Josh Thatcher | Gwinn, Missouri | $7,112 |
| 9 | Alexander Hill | Madison, Wisconsin | $6,010 |
*Denotes six-handed deal.
In other prelim news, Event #2: $300 Seniors (50+) drew 264 players and created a $67,320 total prize pool. A four-way deal was struck that saw Daniel Kloepper of Chesterfield, Missouri claim the title and $13,000 in prize money, while Thomas Lunch, William Sinnard, and Martin Warren all locked up $8,209.
Meanwhile, Event #3: $200 7-Game Mix had 87 runners and a $13,920 prize pool that was paid out to the final nine. In the end it was John Struges of Rolla, Missouri prevailing to win the title and accompanying $4,454 first-place prize.
Upcoming HPT Stops
PokerNews and the HPT plan to continue their live reporting relationship for stops throughout 2019. Those include visits to the Cincinnati area (Lawrenceburg, Indiana), The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Pittsburgh, and Ameristar East Chicago.
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.
HPT Season XV Schedule
| Series Dates | Venue | Location | Main Event Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 21-April 1 | Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg | Lawrenceburg, Indiana | $1,100 |
| April 4-15 | The Meadows Racetrack & Casino | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | $1,100 |
| April 18-29 | Hollywood Casino Columbus | Columbus, Ohio | $1,650 |
| Mary 2-14 | Ameristar East Chicago | Gary, Indiana | $1,650 |
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/100
Ante: 0
Notable Faces in the Crowd
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Early Pot for Koeln
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
After the player in the small blind limped, Mark Koeln checked his option and the flop came down 
.
The small blind check-called a bet of 300 and then led out for 700 on the 
turn.
Koeln called and then action went check-check on the 
river.
Koeln tabled the 
and it was good as his opponent mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
31,000 | 31,000 |
Welcome to the Party
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
Boat Over Boat Cooler
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
We caught the action on a board reading 
and about 3,000 in the pot.
Dustin Helm bet 2,100 from the hijack and the player on the button raised to 5,700.
The player in middle position folded and Helm then reraised to 15,000, getting a quick call from the player on the button.
The players then tabled their hands, with both showing full houses.
Helm: 
Button: 
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
41,500 | 41,500 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0
Keith Heine Looking for an HPT Title
Level 2
: 100/200, 0 ante
Whenever the HPT rolls into St. Louis you can count on Keith Heine being in the field.
Heine, who won the MSPT Season 7 MSPT Meskwaki for a career-high $100,981, has $318,971 in lifetime earnings. Other highlights on his poker résumé include $48,042 for finishing third in the HPT St. Charles last August, $45,232 for placing third in the MSPT Potawatomi, and $37,988 for finishing runner-up to Paul Cross in the 2017 MSPT Canterbury Park $350 Regional Event.
Heine, who has five young boys, is in action today seeking his first HPT title.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
33,000 | 3,000 |
Action on Table #47
Level 2
: 100/200, 0 ante
The players on Table 47 have shown that they came to play and aren't afraid to get the chips in early.
In the first hand we joined the five-handed action with 5,000 already in the pot.
The flop landed 
and the player in the small blind led out for 1,100, which got a call from Bobby Johnson in middle position and folds from the other three players.
On the 
turn the small blind continued for 3,900, and Johnson again made the call.
The small blind then bet 4,000 on the 
river, at which time Johnson announced "All in," which prompted a quick fold from the small blind.
In the very next hand Johnson limped from middle position and Kathleen McNeal, one of two ladies currently in the field, raised to 400 from the next seat over, getting calls from two players and Johnson.
On the flop, action folded around to the button, who bet 900. McNeal was the only caller.
After both players checked the 
turn, McNeal bet 1,500 on the 
river, which got the button to send his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
42,700 | 42,700 |
|
|
32,600 | 32,600 |