Nick Pupillo Wins HPT Season XV Player of the Year Race
The Heartland Poker Tour has had many prestigious names claim the title of player of the year since its inception, including heavy hitters such as Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, Ari Engel, Shawn Roberts, Aaron Massey and Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler.
Season XV saw a new phenom join the ranks, as Nick Pupillo put together a dominating season to take the title of Player of the Year, finishing the year with 324.70 POY points, more than 100 points ahead of second-place finisher Eric Salazar.
Pupillo notched six cashes totaling $330,646 in HPT events, or about a third of what he’s won in 2019. He got off to a good start when he topped a 588-entry field to win February’s HPT Golden Gates in Colorado for $194,479, which marked his second HPT title after winning the HPT East Chicago in 2015. The tour returned later in the year and Pupillo cashed twice more at the venue. He also had a runner-up finish in St. Louis for $98,810.
For his efforts, Pupillo earns $10,000 in buy-ins at HPT stops throughout the year, as well as hotel accommodations at those stops. The Season XVI Player of the Year race will surely be another hotly contested affair, and we'll be keeping track of Pupillo all season long as he looks to defend his crown.
Season XV POY Final Standings
| Place | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Pupillo | 324.70 |
| 2 | Eric Salazar | 217.80 |
| 3 | Nick Davidson | 204.80 |
| 4 | Mike O'Neill | 189.00 |
| 5 | Mike Shin | 175.40 |
| 6 | Chris Moon | 166.10 |
| 7 | Spenser Cramer | 154.00 |
| 8 | Greg Wood | 152.50 |
| 9 | Mike Sabbia | 146.40 |
| 10 | Dan Wagner | 143.40 |
flop over to Koral, who bet 1,800. Bunce raised to 5,000, which chased Dewindt out. Koral didn't take long to follow suit, and Bunce took down the pot.
flop, and the big blind secured a triple up after the 
turn and 
river bricked off. Zou was jubilant, however, as he was the beneficiary of a massive side pot, scoring him a tidy profit while leaving Marlow short.
for the nuts. 
board, Elwood Whitney bet 11,000 into a pot of 16,000 from middle position, and Craig Casino made the call in the cutoff.
for a set of fours, and Casino's 
for top two pair was second-best, and Casino sent the majority of his stack over to Whitney.
flop, but the 
turn gave Koral top set, leaving Dewindt searching for an ace to survive. The 
board, and Dukate was left with just 5,000 in chips.
