Season XV HPT $2,500 Championship Event runner-up Christopher Audrain raised to 700 from under the gun, and was called by Michael McKuin in middle position, Cory Bogert in the hijack, Jeffrey Schroeder on the button, and Shawn Powers in the big blind.
Action checked to Bogert on a flop, and he bet 2,200. Schroeder called, and action folded back to McKuin, who check-raised to 6,200. Bogert folded and Schroeder called.
McKuin bet 7,000 on the turn, and Schroeder tanked for a minute, then called.
The fell on the river, and McKuin bet 13,000, leaving himself just 6,000 behind. Schroeder, who had a similar stack, tanked for a few moments before folding.
Nick Pupillo, who won the Heartland Poker Tour's Season XV Player of the Year race to earn a $10,000 package towards buy-ins and accommodations for Season XVI, got off to a slow start here in today's Day 1a flight, but caught a little heat in the last two hands to start climbing back towards starting stack.
Hand #1:
Joseph Brose raised to 800 from the hijack, and Pupillo quickly three-bet to 2,500 from the cutoff. Action folded back to Brose, who took a second before letting his hand go.
Hand #2:
Pupillo opened to 800 from the hijack, and everyone folded.
We'll be keeping an eye on Pupillo throughout the day, as he looks to finish one spot higher than the last time he cashed an HPT Hollywood Casino St. Louis Main Event, August's $1,650 Main Event where he finished runner-up to current MSPT Player of the Year Mike Shin.
A player raised to 600 from the hijack, and Jonathan Williams called in the cutoff. Michael Pilla three-bet to 2,000 from the big blind, and the hijack folded.
"All in," Williams said, putting his last 16,200 in chips in the middle. Pilla went into the tank for a minute, then elected to fold.
Jeffrey Schroeder raised to 300 from the hijack, and Shawn Powers three-bet to 1,200 from the cutoff. Michael McKuin called in the small blind, as did Schroeder.
The flop was checked through to the turn, and McKuin checked again. Schroeder bet 1,000, and only Powers called.
Schroeder bet 1,700 on the river, and Powers called again. Schroeder turned over for kings-up, and Powers mucked.
Gerald Claunch raised to 900 from the hijack, and only Joseph Brose called in the small blind.
Brose checked the flop over to Claunch, who bet 1,600. Brose called.
Brose checked again on the turn, and Claunch bet 3,100. Brose folded.
While Claunch raked in the pot, the reigning HPT Player of the Year Nick Pupillo took the seat next to Brose, adding a dangerous opponent for the table to contend with.
One player seated in today's field already has some recent success in building up a stack on Day 1a of an HPT event, as Joshua Henrichs bagged up the chip lead in the Season XV HPT $2,500 Championship Event here at Hollywood St. Louis in November of last year. Henrichs fell just short of earning a cash, but is already back in action here today.
In one recent hand, Henrichs checked a board from the small blind, as did the big blind and button. The fell on the river, and Henrichs bet 600 into the 2,000 chip pot. Both of his opponent folded, and Henrichs took down the pot.