2020 Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar East Chicago

$1,650 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2020 Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar East Chicago

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
83
Prize
$171,411
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,650
Entries
520
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
160,000
Players Info - Day 1a
Entries
97
Players Left
15

Dewindt Flips His Way to a Dub

Level 6 : 200/500, 500 ante

Brian Dewindt three-bet shoved for 12,700 from the small blind over an open from Tom Koral from under the gun, and Koral made the call to put Dewindt at risk.

Brian Dewindt: {j-Spades}{j-Hearts}
Tom Koral: {a-Diamonds}{q-Clubs}

Dewindt faded the {3-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{6-Diamonds} flop, and locked up the hand after the {j-Diamonds} turn gave him a set, rendering the {q-Hearts} river useless for Koral.

Player Chips Progress
Tom Koral us
Tom Koral
66,000
-6,000
-6,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Brian Dewindt us
Brian Dewindt
26,000

Tags: Brian DewindtTom Koral

Casino Cracks 100k With the Goods

Level 6 : 200/500, 500 ante
Craig Casino
Craig Casino

On a {7-Spades}{j-Diamonds}{9-Hearts}{q-Spades} board, Craig Casino raised a 6,000 bet from his under-the-gun opponent to 30,000, enough to put the under-the-gun player at risk for his last 18,000 total. The under-the-gun player tanked for a minute, then elected to fold.

"Flopped it," Casino said, tabling {10-Hearts}{8-Spades} for a flopped straight, and he cracked a grin as he pulled in the pot to hit the six-figure marker.

Player Chips Progress
Craig Casino us
Craig Casino
110,000
20,000
20,000

Tags: Craig Casino

Nick Pupillo Wins HPT Season XV Player of the Year Race

Level 6 : 200/500, 500 ante
Nick Pupillo
Nick Pupillo

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

PlaceNamePoints
1Nick Pupillo324.70
2Eric Salazar217.80
3Nick Davidson204.80
4Mike O'Neill189.00
5Mike Shin175.40
6Chris Moon166.10
7Spenser Cramer154.00
8Greg Wood152.50
9Mike Sabbia146.40
10Dan Wagner143.40

Tags: Aaron MasseyAri EngelEric SalazarNick PupilloShawn Roberts

Level: 7

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

Assorted Chip Counts

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante
Player Chips Progress
Michael Banducci us
Michael Banducci
125,000
-25,000
-25,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Craig Casino us
Craig Casino
96,000
-14,000
-14,000
Richard Bai us
Richard Bai
81,000
Jeffrey Orlowski us
Jeffrey Orlowski
70,000
37,800
37,800
Andres Garcia us
Andres Garcia
69,000
11,000
11,000
Tom Koral us
Tom Koral
65,000
-1,000
-1,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Bekr Ali us
Bekr Ali
55,000
10,000
10,000
Andy Ernstein us
Andy Ernstein
54,000
25,000
25,000
Joe Trezzo us
Joe Trezzo
48,500
13,500
13,500
Donald Carlton us
Donald Carlton
48,000
-8,000
-8,000
Mike Shanahan us
Mike Shanahan
47,000
-5,000
-5,000
Henry Zou us
Henry Zou
44,000
18,000
18,000
Michael VanderWoude us
Michael VanderWoude
37,200
-10,800
-10,800
Brian Dewindt us
Brian Dewindt
34,000
8,000
8,000
Brian Senie us
Brian Senie
32,700
-37,300
-37,300
Dan Bunce us
Dan Bunce
32,500
-10,100
-10,100
Kevin Maahs us
Kevin Maahs
22,100
Sam Vizza us
Sam Vizza
21,500
7,900
7,900
Michael Younan us
Michael Younan
18,500
-3,500
-3,500
Keith Thurman us
Keith Thurman
18,000
1,600
1,600
Daniel Hummer us
Daniel Hummer
16,000
-34,000
-34,000
Daniel Sepiol us
Daniel Sepiol
16,000
-2,800
-2,800

Trezzo Takes From Vizza

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

Sam Vizza raised to 1,300 from middle position, and Joe Trezzo made the call in the big blind.

Trezzo checked the {3-Spades}{5-Spades}{a-Hearts} flop over to Vizza, who bet 1,600. Trezzo called.

The {k-Hearts} turn and {5-Hearts} river were both checked down, and Trezzo tabled {a-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds}. Vizza mucked.

Player Chips Progress
Joe Trezzo us
Joe Trezzo
60,000
11,500
11,500
Sam Vizza us
Sam Vizza
14,000
-7,500
-7,500

Tags: Joe TrezzoSam Vizza

Zou Rips it In

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

A player bet 7,000 from the small blind on a {7-Diamonds}{8-Spades}{10-Spades} flop, and Henry Zou raised to 19,500 from the button. The small blind thought for a minute before making the call.

The small blind checked the {q-Diamonds} turn to Zou, who quickly announced, "All in," for his last 32,400. The small blind spent a short stint in the tank, then elected to muck.

Player Chips Progress
Henry Zou us
Henry Zou
77,000
33,000
33,000

Tags: Henry Zou

Bunce Raises and Takes it

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante
Dan Bunce
Dan Bunce

Tom Koral raised to 1,400 from early position, and Dan Bunce made the call in the cutoff, as did Brian Dewindt in the big blind.

Dewindt checked the {5-Hearts}{q-Spades}{2-Spades} 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.

Player Chips Progress
Tom Koral us
Tom Koral
50,900
-14,100
-14,100
WSOP 2X Winner
Dan Bunce us
Dan Bunce
38,000
5,500
5,500
Brian Dewindt us
Brian Dewindt
30,500
-3,500
-3,500

Tags: Brian DewindtDan BunceTom Koral

Maahs Finds a Double

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

The under-the-gun player checked an {a-Clubs}{10-Clubs}{4-Diamonds} flop over to Kevin Maahs, who finished in fifth-place in the 2019 WSOP Main Event. Maahs bet 6,500 into a pot of around 9,000, and after the button folded, the under-the-gun player called.

On the {3-Spades} turn, the under-the-gun player checked, and Maahs bet 11,500. The under-the-gun player check-raised all in, and Maahs snapped it off for 37,000 total.

Kevin Maahs: {10-Hearts}{10-Spades}
Opponent: {a-Hearts}{q-Clubs}

Maahs had his opponent drawing dead before the {7-Diamonds} could fall on the river, and he doubled up.

Player Chips Progress
Kevin Maahs us
Kevin Maahs
98,000
75,900
75,900
Sam Vizza us
Sam Vizza
Busted

Tags: Kevin Maahs