Welcome to Day 3 of HPT Ameristar East Chicago
The HPT Ameristar East Chicago $1,650 Main Event started with 520 entrants, but today, the final table of nine will converge at Noon local time in the ballroom inside the beautiful Ameristar East Chicago Casino. The final table, which will be filmed for future television broadcast, will also be streamed on the HPT's Twitch channel on a short delay, with the PokerNews blog coverage syncing with the stream.
All nine players have already locked up a five-figure payday of $14,906, but they'll all be vying for the top prize of $171,411. To go along with that whopping sum of money, the victor will also receive a $3,500 Championship Package towards the HPT Season XVI Championship Event, and 140 Player of the Year Points, giving whoever takes this final table down an early lead in the HPT's Player of the Year Leaderboard.
Final Table Payouts
| Position | Prize Money | POY Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $171,411 | 140 |
| 2 | $104,789 | 105 |
| 3 | $69,462 | 84 |
| 4 | $48,295 | 70 |
| 5 | $36,147 | 63 |
| 6 | $27,949 | 56 |
| 7 | $22,732 | 49 |
| 8 | $18,633 | 42 |
| 9 | $14,906 | 35 |
Greg Raymer already owns four HPT Main Event titles, all in 2012 when he won the HPT's Player of the Year race. A win in today's event would propel him into third on the HPT's All-Time Money list, with Craig Casino and Reginald "Shawn" Roberts the only left to top. With the second-biggest chip count at 2,275,000, he's put himself in prime position to add another notch to an already remarkable poker career.
Even Bethyo comes into play with the chip lead at 3,355,000, and will be looking to ride to momentum from an outstanding Day 2 to earn his first HPT title. David "The Maven" Gutfreund, who has an HPT title of his own from 2014's HPT Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort Main Event, sits with 1,520,000 and will be looking to cross the $1 million marker in lifetime tournament earnings today, which he would achieve with a runner-up or better performance.
Rounding out the field are a mix of locals to the region, as six of the final table members are from Illinois, while a seventh, Dale Hackney, hails from nearby Michigan. The average stack sits at a hair over 57 big blinds, meaning these nine players should have plenty of play as they grind their way down to a champion.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Table | Seat | Name | Hometown | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final | 1 | Greg Raymer | Raleigh, North Carolina | 2,275,000 | 76 |
| Final | 2 | Marc Yofon | Rolling Meadows, Illinois | 1,950,000 | 65 |
| Final | 3 | Dale Hackney | Durand, Michigan | 1,125,000 | 38 |
| Final | 4 | David Gutfreund | Las Vegas, Nevada | 1,520,000 | 51 |
| Final | 5 | Tim Barany | Chicago, Illinois | 1,375,000 | 46 |
| Final | 6 | Bohdan Slyvinskyi | Chicago, Illinois | 2,010,000 | 67 |
| Final | 7 | Evan Bethyo | Vernon Hills, Illinois | 3,355,000 | 112 |
| Final | 8 | Matt Schurter | Crystal Lake, Illinois | 1,615,000 | 54 |
| Final | 9 | Benjamin Craig | Chicago, Illinois | 315,000 | 11 |
Stay tuned to the PokerNews blog throughout the day, as we crown a champion here at the HPT Season XVI's opening event here in East Chicago, Indiana!
, and Evan Bethyo called in the cutoff. Benjamin Craig three-bet shoved for 195,000 from the small blind, and Slyvinskyi four-bet to 400,000. Bethyo five-bet jammed, and Slyvinskyi folded, saving his last 1.1 million.
flop gave Bethyo a set. The 
turn and 
river couldn't deliver Craig a running straight, and the start-of-the-day short stack exits the final table, while Bethyo hits the four-million chip marker.
river would fail to give Hackney an ace or king, and Gutfreund scored the elimination.
flop and 
turn, and improved to kings-full on the 
river gave Bethyo the nut flush, and Schurter, who started in 86th out of 89 Day 2 entrants, makes his exit in seventh.
, and Bohdan Slyvinskyi three-bet shoved for 415,000 in the big blind with 
. Yofon made the call, and a dry runout left Slyvinskyi out the door in sixth.
, and Tim Barany three-bet shoved for 1.1 million in the small blind. Evan Bethyo called in the big blind, and Raymer tanked for a minute before folding.
flop. Barany needed running cards to survive, and while the 
gave him a gutshot, the 
turn and 
flop left him seeking a deuce to survive. He would be left wanting after the 
river, and he exits in third.