$1,650 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
$1,650 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
Day 2 of the Heartland Poker Tour Golden Gates $1,650 Main Event saw 72 players return with their eyes set on playing a full day and advancing to the final table. The day lasted eight and one-half hours, with Tan Hoang leading the way at the end of the day with a total chip count of 3.875 million.
Hoang entered the day with 331,000 in chips, a stack that had him in the top 10 going into Day 2. He had increased that to over 600,000 by the time 45 remained and play reached the money, making him one of the chip leaders, and he never looked back from there, eclipsing 1 million in chips before the redraw at 27 happened for the final three tables.
With two tables remaining, Hoang hit a huge double up against 11th-place finisher Steve Wilkie when his kings proved best against Wilkie’s nines in a blind-on-blind battle. He then found himself with 2.4 million, and used that stack to win a few big pots without showdown to build to his end-of-day total of 3.875 million.
Robert Meglich finished the day in second place after knocking out Syd Masters in 10th place to end the day by winning a huge pot after his king-queen held versus Masters’ king-ten. Stacks got in on a king-high flop and Meglich held to end the day with over 2 million in his stack.
Two other players finished with seven-figure stacks. Jeff Banghart (1.805 million) and John Small (1.415 million) will also take above-average stacks into Monday’s final table.
HPT Golden Gates Final Table
Seat | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
---|---|---|---|
1 | John Small | 1,415,000 | 47 |
2 | Glenda McCall | 775,000 | 26 |
3 | David Levy | 765,000 | 26 |
4 | Tan Hoang | 3,875,000 | 129 |
5 | Jay McVeigh | 445,000 | 15 |
6 | Robert Meglich | 2,175,000 | 73 |
7 | Jeff Banghart | 1,805,000 | 60 |
8 | Corey Williams | 450,000 | 15 |
9 | Jason Su | 660,000 | 22 |
Over one-third of the returning Day 2 field of 72 still needed to be eliminated before play made the money. Eliminations came quicker than anticipated, with the field reaching 47 players after only about 75 minutes of play. However, the first break of the day came and went with only one other elimination occurring. The bubble burst shortly thereafter when Dapo Ajayi (34th place - $3,896) knocked out Nate Zoller. The two HPT Golden Gates final table participants from July, 2019 got it in with ace-king and ace-queen, with Zoller unable to improve to become the bubble boy.
Players who found the rail prior to Zoller’s departure included Ben Keeline, Alex Greenblatt, [Matt Livingston[/b], and John Beauprez.
Others to make their way to the rail, albeit via the payout desk included Danny Gonzales (33rd place - $3,396), Spencer Champlin (26th place - $4,796), Greg Jennings (16th place - $5,815), and Nick Pupillo (13th place - $7,733).
Day 3 will be played Monday with cards in the air at noon local time. Play will resume with 33:12 on the clock in Level 24 (15,000/30,000/30,000). The final table will be played upstairs in the overflow room for all who wish to attend and view live. The tournament will also be live-streamed with a 30-minute delay.
PokerNews will be on hand to provide accompanying coverage. Make sure to follow to see who comes out on top to earn the winning prize of $137,876.
Play has concluded with the final nine players having finished putting chips into bags for the evening. Official chip counts are as follows.
Day 3 will resume Monday at noon local time with the final table being live-streamed on a 30-minute delay. More information on the stream as well as a full recap of the day's action will be provided shortly.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Tan Hoang | 3,875,000 | 5,000 |
Robert Meglich | 2,175,000 | |
Jeff Banghart | 1,805,000 | |
John Small | 1,415,000 | -45,000 |
Glenda McCall | 775,000 | -75,000 |
David Levy | 765,000 | |
Jason Su | 660,000 | 130,000 |
Corey Williams | 450,000 | |
Jay McVeigh | 445,000 | -75,000 |
Robert Meglich raised to 60,000 from early position and received calls from Jeff Banghart in middle position, Syd Masters in the hijack, and David Levy, who defended his big blind. The four went to a flop of and Levy checked. Meglich made a continuation-bet of 100,000 and Banghart folded.
Masters then went all in over the top. Levy folded and Meglich asked for a count, which totaled 760,000. He thought for about a minute and then verbalized a call.
"Do you have ace-king?" asked Masters, tabling his hand. Meglich said he did not and turned up his cards as well.
Syd Masters:
Robert Meglich:
"Okay, I've got outs," said Masters, seeing he was currently outkicked and in need of help to avoid becoming the tenth-place finisher in the tournament. The turn came , giving Masters a few extra outs to a chop. However, the river fell and he found himself eliminated from the tournament, marking the end of play for Day 2.
Stay tuned for official chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Robert Meglich | 2,175,000 | 855,000 |
Jeff Banghart | 1,805,000 | -130,000 |
David Levy | 765,000 | -85,000 |
Syd Masters | Busted |
Glenda McCall was in early position and put in a raise to 60,000. Action folded around to Corey WIlliams, who three-bet to 300,000 from the small blind. McCall called, leaving herself 95,000 behind.
The flop came and Williams checked. McCall put in her remaining chips and Williams reluctantly tossed in a call.
Glenda McCall:
Corey Williams:
McCall needed to fade a ten as well as running Broadway outs to stay alive and further extend Day 2 as a result. She would do just that as the turn and river completed the runout, giving her a full house along the way and leaving Williams as one of the short stacks with 10 still remaining.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Glenda McCall | 850,000 | 455,000 |
Corey Williams | 450,000 | -535,000 |
Syd Masters limped in from early position and saw John Small limp in behind from middle position. David Levy was in the hijack and also limped in, putting action on Tan Hoang in the cutoff. Hoang put out a raise to 130,000 and saw all three limpers call.
"Four players," said the dealer, burning and turning a flop of . Action checked to Hoang and he put out a continuation-bet of 225,000. All three of his opponents folded and he took down the pot, further adding to his stack along the way.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Tan Hoang | 3,870,000 | 505,000 |
John Small | 1,460,000 | -175,000 |
Syd Masters | 900,000 | -120,000 |
David Levy | 850,000 | 100,000 |
Jeff Banghart opened to 65,000 from middle position and was three-bet to 290,000 by Syd Masters, who was in the hijack. Action got back to Banghart and he instantly announced that he was all in.
Masters went into the tank, with Banghart's shove ultimately being a decision for his own stack. He eventually found a fold and the pot was sent Banghart's way.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Jeff Banghart | 1,935,000 | 365,000 |
Syd Masters | 1,020,000 | -310,000 |
Jeff Banghart opened to 65,000 from the hijack and action folded around to John Small, who three-bet to 160,000 out of the big blind. Banghart peeled and the flop came
Small made a continuation-bet of 125,000 and Banghart sent his cards to the muck.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
John Small | 1,635,000 | 175,000 |
Jeff Banghart | 1,570,000 | -130,000 |
Level: 24
Blinds: 15,000/30,000
Ante: 30,000
The final 10 players are on a 10-minute break. Here are official chip counts.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Tan Hoang | 3,365,000 | -170,000 |
Jeff Banghart | 1,700,000 | 50,000 |
John Small | 1,460,000 | -100,000 |
Syd Masters | 1,330,000 | 180,000 |
Robert Meglich | 1,320,000 | 265,000 |
Corey Williams | 985,000 | -665,000 |
David Levy | 750,000 | -260,000 |
Jason Su | 530,000 | -35,000 |
Jay McVeigh | 520,000 | -130,000 |
Glenda McCall | 395,000 |