Main Event
Day 1b Started
2019 Heartland Poker Tour The Meadows
Main Event
Day: 1b
Top
Chip Counts
Chip Counts
4
199,500
9
149,000
10
113,500
Welcome to Day 1b of the HPT The Meadows Main Event
Season XV of the Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) resumes today with the second of three initial flights to the $1,100 buy-in Main Event Day 1b flight at The Meadows Casino just south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Yesterday’s Day 1a flight drew only 53 players for this $250,000 guarantee tournament, with eight advancing to Day 2 after a 12-hour day. Upon completion of play, Jason Pickup found himself with a massive chip lead. He eliminated two players at the end of the night and found himself with 387,500 chips to take with him into Sunday’s Day 2, well clear of the next two closest stacks from Chuck Scaglione (252,000) and Doug Krency (234,500).
Players will receive 30,000 in chips and play 15 levels of 40 minutes each. Unlimited reentries are available until the end of the dinner break after Level 9.
Today’s flight is the second of three. Players who do not survive today’s heat will have the option to return tomorrow for the last flight of the tournament. All players who advance will return for Day 2 action at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Players will play down to the final table, which will then be live streamed on Monday.
Cards are in the air at noon local time. The PokerNews live reporting team will be on the floor bringing you updates on the action through the duration of the tournament.
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/100
Ante: 0
HPT Veterans Battling Early
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
There was a big pot at an early table between two HPT veterans, Penny Banhidy and 2018 HPT The Meadows champion Mike O'Neill. Action was joined on the turn with a board of 
. A player from under the gun had bet 1,000 and O'Neill raised to 2,500. Banhidy then three-bet to 6,000. The player from under the gun folded, and O'Neill four-bet to 17,500. Banhidy called, and the river brought a 
.
O'Neill began stacking chips as if he was looking to make a bet, and Banhidy instantly threw in a chip and verbally announced she called. She turned over 
for the second-nut flush. However, action was still on O'Neill. The floor was called and it was ruled that Banhidy's hand was still in play, but that action was on O'Neill. Seeing his opponent's flush, he checked and turned over 
before sending his cards into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
51,000 | 51,000 |
|
15,500 | 15,500 |
Rubinberg Firing Day 1b
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
It's still early in Day 1b of HPT The Meadows, but the field already appears certain to surpass Thursday's lukewarm turnout, as there are already over 40 players sitting in.
One of those is Andy Rubinberg, a player from the Chicago area who has been one of the more successful players in mid-major events around the Midwest.
Rubinberg has been particularly successful in the MSPT, where he's booked two wins and a runner-up finish for about $360,000 in prize money. He also won the WSOP Warm-Up Main Event at Horseshoe Hammond in 2016 for over $50,000. On the HPT, he finished third in the season-ending HPT Championship back in 2008 for $31,849.
In total, Rubinberg has over $650,000 in cashes and will certainly be a player to watch here at HPT The Meadows.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
30,000 |
Kennedy Flops Set
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
A player raised from under the gun to 300. James Kennedy called from middle position and the big blind joined the action. The flop came 
and action was checked to Kennedy. He bet 500 and the big blind called. The original raiser folded, and play was heads up to the 
turn. The big blind checked, and Kennedy bet 1,500, which was called. The river was a 
and the big blind checked again. Kennedy fired 1,500 into the pot again, and the big blind called and showed 
for two pair.
Kennedy turned over 
and took down the pot with a set. Kennedy appeared to have lost a few chips from his starting stack early on, but has since recovered back to near starting stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
28,000 | 28,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0
Cowell Rivers Set
Level 2
: 100/200, 0 ante
There was four-way action on a flop reading 
and action was on Doug Cowell in the small blind. Both he and the big blind had checked, and there was a bet for 1,500 and a call. Cowell raised to 4,000 and one player called. The turn was a 
and both players checked. On the 
river, Cowell fired in a bet of 6,000 and his opponent called.
Cowell tabled for the rivered set. His opponent shook his head and looked at his cards for a second before revealing his 
to the table.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
38,000 | 38,000 |
Early Chip Counts
Level 2
: 100/200, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
51,000 | |
|
|
48,000 | 48,000 |
|
40,000 | 40,000 |
|
|
34,000 | -4,000 |
|
33,000 | 33,000 |
|
31,000 | 31,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
|
30,000 | |
|
|
25,000 | 25,000 |
|
|
16,000 | 16,000 |
|
|
13,000 | -2,500 |
Level: 3
Blinds: 100/300
Ante: 0