$1,650 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2020 Heartland Poker Tour Hollywood St. Louis
$1,650 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2020 Heartland Poker Tour Hollywood St. Louis
Buy-in
$1,650
Entries
392
Level
31
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
160,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
Kevin Garosshen Takes Down HPT St. Louis $1,650 Main Event for $131,184
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
"It's still sinking in," Kevin Garosshen told HPT Tournament Director Jeremy Smith after taking down the Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) Hollywood St. Louis $1,650 Main Event, a tournament that drew 392 runners, for $131,184 and a $3,500 Championship Package.
Garosshen bested Brent Cunningham in heads-up action after a lengthy final table, and the Las Vegas, Nevada native said about his victory, "I didn't come in with a top stack, and there were a lot of solid players at the final table. I just ran pretty hot, picked my spots pretty well, and it worked out."
Garosshen, who now boasts over $430,000 in career tournament earnings according to Hendon Mob, was able to overcome a tough final table that included a pair of World Series of Poker bracelet winners in Kyle Cartwright and Brett Apter.
"Once Brett got out, he was the best player with four left. Once I won the flip versus him, it was steadily uphill from there. It would've been really tough if Kyle or Brett made heads-up, because they're some of the best," he explained.
"Potter," as he was affectionately called by guest commentator Jerod Smith throughout the HPT's Twitch stream, thanked his friends and family after his victory in just his second-ever HPT Main Event, and added, "It still feels kinda crazy!"
Final Table Results
| Position | Name | Hometown | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Garosshen | Las Vegas, Nevada | $131,184 |
| 2 | Brent Cunningham | Colorado Springs, Colorado | $80,991 |
| 3 | Laura Hoppe | Houston, Texas | $53,899 |
| 4 | Brett Apter | Treasure Island, Florida | $37,359 |
| 5 | Kyle Cartwright | Arlington, Tennessee | $28,233 |
| 6 | Austin McCormick | Ballwin, Missouri | $21,959 |
| 7 | Brian Reeder | Waterloo, Illinois | $18,252 |
| 8 | Neil Patel | St. Charles, Missouri | $15,115 |
| 9 | Lucas Tae | St. Charles, Missouri | $12,776 |
Final Table Action
Lucas Tae was the first player to exit the final table, finding himself on the wrong end of a flip. Tae's jacks couldn't hold against the Big Slick of chip leader Austin McCormick, who continued his dominating run that started with two tables remaining on Day 2.
His fellow St. Charles, Missouri native Neil Patel left next, his ace-five bested by the ace-eight of Cartwright. Cartwright had a hand in the next bustout as well, as Brian Reeder got his last ten or so big blinds in preflop with pocket sixes. Cartwright was waiting in the big blind with pocket queens, however, and Reeder exited in seventh.
McCormick's hot run finally came to an end in sixth, after a pivotal hand that changed the entire dynamic of the final table. McCormick attempt to run a three-barrel bluff against the start-of-the-day short stack Laura Hoppe, but Hoppe called down with top pair, top kicker, sending her soaring into the chip lead and leaving McCormick as one of the shorter stacks. He managed to find a few ladders up the pay chart before jamming jack-nine into Cartwright's ace-king preflop. McCormick found no help on the board to end his second HPT St. Louis final table two spots shy of his fourth-place showing last August.
From there, the chips bounced back and forth between the quintet for a few hours, with Cartwright, Apter, and Brent Cunningham all spending time as the short stack, while Garosshen and Hoppe stayed near the top of the counts. After the dinner break, Garosshen, Hoppe and Apter all held over 35 big blinds, while Cartwright and Cunningham were down to under fourteen big blinds. The two short stacks found themselves battling soon after play resumed, and Cartwright's ten-nine couldn't overcome Cunningham's ace-eight in a blind-versus-blind confrontation. Cartwright, who won a WSOP Bracelet in 2014 in a $1,000 no-limit hold'em event, lost his last crumbs shortly after to finish in fifth place, leaving him with $28,233 to take home to Tennessee.
The other WSOP Bracelet winner at the table would be the next to exit, as the 2019 WSOP $1,500 Shootout champ fell victim to Hoppe. Apter flopped top pair with ace-king but Hoppe's ace-ten flopped top two. Apter put all but around half a big blind of his stack in on the river. Hoppe called with the best hand, and although Apter managed to spin his stack back up to around seven big blinds, he fell in a flip to Garosshen to exit in fourth.
Hoppe's magical day would be the next to end, however, as Cunningham spiked a three-outer to take a chunk of chips from her. A few hands later, Hoppe tried to bluff Garosshen on a coordinated board, but Garossen made the call with second pair to leave Hoppe short. She got her last five big blinds in with ace-eight, but Cunningham was waiting with kings and sent Hoppe, a NASA Engineer, home short of heads-up action.
Heads-up play was a short-lived affair, as Garosshen steadily ground Cunningham down to around fifteen big blinds. Cunningham tried to steal over a Garosshen button open. Garosshen held ace-ten and called, and Cunningham couldn't hit with his ten-deuce to send the Colorado food truck operator home a little over $80,000 richer.
When asked what his plans for the money where, Garosshen beamed and said, "I'm definitely going to fire a lot more events now; maybe fire some more HPT stuff. It's definitely gone well!"
That concludes our coverage of the HPT St. Louis Main Event. The HPT's next stop is a Mini Series in Toledo, Ohio from March 5th through the 15th. For more information visit HPTpoker.com.
Brent Cunningham Eliminated in 2nd Place ($80,991)
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Kevin Garosshen raised to 320,000 from the button, and Brent Cunningham three-bet shoved for 2.1 million in the big blind. Garosshen snap-called.
Brent Cunningham: 
Kevin Garosshen: 
Garhossen was in dominating position to lock up his first HPT title, and the 
flop was no help for Cunningham. The 
turn added three chop outs for Cunningham, but he had to settle for a runner-up performance after the 
fell on the river.
Stay tuned later for a full recap of the day's action.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
11,760,000 | 2,560,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 31
Blinds: 80,000/160,000
Ante: 160,000
Updated Chip Counts; Cunningham Getting Short
Level 30
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,200,000 | 900,000 |
|
|
2,600,000 | -900,000 |
Garosshen Over Eight Million
Level 30
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Kevin Garosshen raised to 250,000 from the button, and Brent Cunningham called in the big blind.
Cunningham checked the 
flop to Garosshen, who bet 150,000. Cunningham check-raised to 420,000, and Garosshen called.
Both players checked down the 
turn and 
river, and Garosshen said, "I have an eight," before tabling 
. Cunningham mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,300,000 | 700,000 |
|
|
3,500,000 | -700,000 |
Garosshen's Aces-Up Good
Level 30
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Brent Cunningham raised to 260,000 from the button, and Kevin Garosshen called in the big blind.
Garosshen check-called a bet of 325,000 on the 
flop, and check-called 450,000 on the 
turn. Both players checked the 
river, and Garosshen tabled 
. Cunningham mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,600,000 | 400,000 |
|
|
4,200,000 | -400,000 |
Level: 30
Blinds: 60,000/120,000
Ante: 120,000
Garosshen Fights Back
Level 29
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Hand #1:
Kevin Garosshen raised to 200,000 from the button, and Brent Cunningham defended his big blind.
Cunningham check-called a bet of 175,000 on the 
flop, and Cunningham checked the 
turn. Garosshen bet 450,000 and Cunningham folded.
Hand #2:
Cunningham limped in from the button, and Garosshen raised in the big blind, which got a quick fold from Cunningham. Garosshen accidentally tabled his 
as he mucked.
Hand #3:
Garosshen raised to 200,000 on the button, and Cunningham called.
Cunningham check-called a bet of 100,000 on the 
flop, and Cunningham checked the 
turn. Garosshen bet 400,000, and Cunningham called.
The 
fell on the river, and Cunningham checked. Garosshen bet 1.1 million, and Cunningham said, "I've played hands way better than this one," with a smirk, then folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,200,000 | 700,000 |
|
|
4,600,000 | -700,000 |
First Blood to Cunningham
Level 29
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Hand #1:
Kevin Garosshen raised to 200,000 from the button, and Brent Cunningham three-bet to 600,000 from the big blind. Garosshen folded.
Hand #2:
Cunningham raised to 350,000 from the button, and Garosshen called.
The 
flop was checked by Garosshen, and Cunningham bet 325,000. Garosshen called.
Both players checked the turn, and the hit the river. Garosshen checked and Cunningham fired 575,000. Garosshen called and Cunningham said, "I got a five," turning over for a nine-high straight. Garosshen mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,500,000 | -1,540,000 |
|
|
5,300,000 | 1,580,000 |