$1,650 Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2020 Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar East Chicago
$1,650 Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
2020 Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar East Chicago
Buy-in
$1,650
Entries
520
Level
31
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
160,000
Entries
172
Players Left
29
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Day 1b of the HPT Ameristar East Chicago $1,650 Main Event brought 172 more entrants out for a full day of poker action. Combined with the 97 entrants in yesterday's Day 1a flight, a total of 269 entrants have participated in the Main Event, with the projected biggest flight, Day 1c, slated for tomorrow.
After fifteen levels of play, Edward Blazer put 463,000 chips in the bag for Day 2, giving him the overall chip lead after two flights. Blazer, who spent much of the day at or near the top of the counts, was a constant force in the tournament, but his surge truly began in Level 7 (200/500/500), when he rivered a six-high straight and won a six-figure pot off an opponent with an inferior straight. Blazer kept his name in the top two or three in chips for most of the rest of the day, and ended up as the man to beat in the standings.
Right on his tail is last year's champ Nick Davidson (430,000), who had a mini heater of his own in the later levels, catching hand after hand and sending scores of foes to the rail. "We're on fire," he said at one point, and with the second largest stack after two flights, it's hard to argue against Davidson, who will be looking to go back to back and notch another HPT Ameristar East Chicago trophy for his coffers.
The rest of the top five include Peter Palanca (359,000), Roger Campbell (347,000), and Brian Dewindt (344,000). Joining them to Day 2 are Bradley Beetz (191,000), Donald Shaver (141,000), Mike Shin (116,000), and former HPT Player of the Year and WSOP Main Event champ Greg Raymer (82,000).
Paul Bianchi, who won the Season XV HPT $2,500 Championship last month in St. Louis, was unable to hit a big draw against Todd Ivens to bust. Chicago pro Ravi Raghavan succumbed to Davidson in Level 14 when Raghavan's king-queen couldn't catch up to Davidson's ace-jack.
Others who were unable to end the day with chips include Mike O'Neill, Hamid Izadi, former HPT Player of the Year Aaron Johnson, Event #1: $350 NLH Monster Stack champ Nicola Ditrapani, and Rich Alsup.
The final starting flight for the Main Event will kick off at Noon local time on Saturday. Players will receive 30,000 in tournament chips, and registration and a single re-entry option are available for players until after the dinner break after Level 9, or approximately 7:30 p.m. local time.
Be sure to tune in to PokerNews tomorrow, as we finalize the field for Sunday's Day 2 here at Ameristar East Chicago.
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
463,000
53,000
|
53,000 |
|
430,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
359,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
347,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
344,000
208,000
|
208,000 |
|
327,000
197,000
|
197,000 |
|
319,000
319,000
|
319,000 |
|
241,000
91,000
|
91,000 |
|
191,000
19,000
|
19,000 |
|
170,000
170,000
|
170,000 |
|
169,000
169,000
|
169,000 |
|
143,000
143,000
|
143,000 |
|
142,000
98,000
|
98,000 |
|
141,000 | |
|
139,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
|
134,000
134,000
|
134,000 |
|
|
130,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
126,000
126,000
|
126,000 |
|
120,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
|
116,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
97,000
97,000
|
97,000 |
|
94,000
94,000
|
94,000 |
|
90,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
82,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
||
|
77,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
The remaining 30 players will play five more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. Stay tuned for full chip counts and a full recap of the day's action.
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Brad Sailor raised to 9,000 on the button, and Roger Campbell called in the small blind.
Campbell checked the 
flop to Sailor, who bet 12,000. Campbell called.
The 
turn was checked again by Campbell, and Sailor bet 21,500. Campbell check-raised to 60,000, and Sailor folded. Campbell flashed Sailor 
and said, "Saw a flop, what a flop!"
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
340,000
205,000
|
205,000 |
|
|
64,000
54,000
|
54,000 |
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Edward Blazer limped in from early position, and Bradley Beetz raised to 12,000 from the hijack. Blazer called.
Blazer checked the 
flop to Beetz, who bet 13,000. Blazer called.
The 
fell on the turn, and Blazer checked again. Beetz bet 28,000, and Blazer didn't take long to put out a raise to 65,000. Beetz paused for a moment, then released his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
410,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
|
210,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Level 15
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
A player jammed his last 17,000 in from middle position, and was called by the hijack, as well as Todd Ivens in the big blind.
The 
flop was checked through to the turn, and Ivens bet 12,000. The hijack folded.
Opponent:
Todd Ivens: 
Ivens had a lock on the hand before the could fall on the river, and he earned the knockout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
130,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
Level: 15
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Brandt Atkins bet 21,000 on a 
flop from the big blind, and Nikola Budzakoski raised to 55,000. Atkins thought that Bidzakoski was all in, and threw in calling chips, tabling 
as he did. The dealer informed him that it was just a raise, and Atkins called, leaving himself 40,000 in chips and his hand face-up.
Those chips went in on the 
turn, and Budzakoski quickly called.
Brandt Atkins:
Nikola Budzakoski: 
Atkins couldn't find any help on the 
river and was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
240,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Ravi Raghavan had his last 43,500 all in preflop and was at risk against his nemesis from a previous hand, Nick Davidson.
Ravi Raghavan: 
Nick Davidson: 
Davidson continued his domination of Day 1b, as the 
board left Raghavan dead by the turn.
"He can't keep winning, the odds aren't in his favor!" Robert Lay exclaimed. Davidson simply replied, "Long ways to go."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
470,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
