William Difani Wins HPT Championship Opening Event After Final Table Deal
For the past week, the Heartland Poker Tour has been hosting a slew of side events here at the Hollywood Casino St. Louis.
It kicked off with Event #1: #350 No-Limit Hold’em, a tournament that attracted 912 entries and offered up a $26,930 prize pool.
Among those to finish in the top 93 and get paid were Martin Warren (9th - $5,030), Andrew Echele (15th - $3,017), Nick Watson (21st - $1,875), Larry Zhao (27th - $1,875), Dennis Bohn (36th - $1,525), Craig Welko (42nd - $1,285), Corey Fleming (51st - $1,125), Kelly Rhoades (57th - $1,005), Carl Masters (61st - $1,005), Leif Nelson (74th - $820), Paul Belken (80th - $820), and David Wilkens (93rd - $750).
In the end, the final eight players worked a deal that saw them all lock up a minimum payday of $15,567, while William Difani was crowned the champ, awarded the bling, and took home $23,152 in prize money.
Final Table Deal
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles LeRoi | St. Louis, Missouri | $26,930 |
| 2 | William Difani | Maryland Heights, Missouri | $23,152 |
| 3 | Jason Simon | Ofallon, Missouri | $19,398 |
| 4 | Martin Kinder | Imperial, Missouri | $19,131 |
| 5 | Samuel Doveikis | Ballwin, Missouri | $18,275 |
| 6 | Jeff Copeland | Lake St. Louis, Missouri | $16,515 |
| 7 | Kyle Kinder | Imperial, Missouri | $16,013 |
| 8 | Austin Schaal | St. Louis, Missouri | $15,567 |