$2,500 Championship Event
Day 2 Completed
HPT Season XV Championship
$2,500 Championship Event
Day: 2
Izadi Tops the Final Ten After Day 2 of the HPT Season XV Championship
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Just ten players managed to bag up chips after Day 2 of the HPT Season XV $2,500 Championship Event, and Hamid Izadi managed to navigate his way to the top stack, with 2,585,000 chips in the bag for Day 3. He managed to scoop up a big pot near the end of the night with pocket aces, as Freddy Williams held ace-queen suited, and an ace on the flop spelled doom for Williams.
Izadi, a Georgia native, already has one final table to his credit in Season XV of the HPT, finishing in 6th place at January's HPT Ameristar East Chicago $1,100 Main Event. He'll be looking to go a few steps further to secure his first HPT title, to go along with three WSOPC rings already in his possession.
Rounding out the top three spots are Justin Coliny (2,140,000) and Christopher Audrain (1,480,000), while Paul Bianchi (1,335,000) and John Michalak (865,000) are the only other players above thirty big blinds.
Headlining the shorter-stacked half of the chip counts is none other than reigning HPT Player of the Year Aaron Johnson (385,000), who spun up a start-of-the-day short stack of 45,700 all the way to the unofficial final table of ten. Rounding out the remaining field are Canadian Brad Smith (580,000), James Burns (550,000), Kevin Hopkins (403,000), and Jason Darland (260,000).
Day 3 Seat Draw
| Table | Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1 | Brad Smith | Canada | 580,000 |
| 15 | 2 | Justin Coliny | United States | 2,140,000 |
| 15 | 3 | Kevin Hopkins | United States | 403,000 |
| 15 | 4 | Hamid Izadi | United States | 2,585,000 |
| 15 | 5 | Christopher Audrain | United States | 1,480,000 |
| 15 | 6 | Paul Bianchi | United States | 1,335,000 |
| 15 | 7 | Aaron Johnson | United States | 385,000 |
| 15 | 8 | John Michalak | United States | 865,000 |
| 15 | 9 | James Burns | United States | 550,000 |
| 15 | 10 | Jason Darland | United States | 260,000 |
Day 2 Action
110 players returned to Hollywood Casino St. Louis for Day 2 action, but with only 36 slated to earn a piece of the prize pool, two-thirds of the field would leave empty-handed. Two-time HPT champ Josh Reichard was looking to defend his title from last year's Season Championship, but BJ McBrayer sniffed out a huge bluff from the Wisconsin pro, and Reichard would end up falling short of a cash.
A bevy of former HPT champs also found themselves on the outside looking in of making the money, including Craig Casino, Bill Byrnes, Gary Herstein, Paul Belken, and Aaron Massey. After Dan Lowery fell in 38th place, it would take eleven hands of hand-for-hand play before Season XIV HPT Player of the Year Aaron Johnson got lucky to bust Cory Warner, leaving Warner as the bubble boy while the remaining field was guaranteed a minimum payday of $5,930.
Some of those fortunate enough to walk away with a cash include HPT The Meadows champ Dan Wagner (12th - $15,024), Day 1b chip leader Brent Barfield (16th - $8,856), WSOP Bracelet winner Stephen Song (18th - $8,856), HPT St. Louis champ Mike Shin (22nd - $7,116), and HPT Ameristar East Chicago champ Chris Moon (33rd - $5,930).
Nick Pupillo Wins HPT Season XV Player of the Year Honors
Coming into Day 2 play, Nick Pupillo had just two opponents standing between him and the coveted HPT Player of the Year title. Nick Davidson and Eric Salazar had to win to snatch the lead and the title from Pupillo after Pupillo fell short of the money, but Salazar also failed to cash, leaving Davidson as the last man standing to crash the party.
Davidson managed to make the money, but lost a flip to James Burns to finish 27th, leaving Pupillo as the Season XV HPT Player of the Year. He earns a $10,000 package to use for Season XVI, as well as complimentary hotel accommodations at six stops.
Day 3 will kick off tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time, and one player will need to fall before the televised final table of nine is reached. All remaining players have already locked up $15,024 in prize money, but will be looking to take home the $181,874 top prize and the HPT trophy. Once we reach the final table, the HPT Twitch channel will host the final table (no hole cards will be shown due to Missouri gaming laws) on a fifteen-minute delay.
Be sure to tune in to PokerNews to catch all the exciting Heartland Poker Tour action here at the Hollywood Casino St. Louis, as we crown the final champion of HPT's fifteenth season.
End of Day 2 Chip Counts
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,585,000 | 85,000 |
|
2,140,000 | 290,000 |
|
1,480,000 | -70,000 |
|
1,335,000 | 285,000 |
|
865,000 | 215,000 |
|
580,000 | -170,000 |
|
550,000 | -180,000 |
|
403,000 | -167,000 |
|
385,000 | -75,000 |
|
260,000 | 20,000 |
Neil Patel Eliminated in 11th Place ($15,024)
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
On what would be the final hand of the evening, Paul Bianchi opened it up to 35,000 from under the gun.
At the same time, there was a misunderstanding over change between Bianchi and another player, Bianchi having broken a larger chip and accidentally been shorted 5,000. The cards must go on, though, and Neil Patel ripped in 117,000 next to act. Action folded back to Bianchi.
The player threw Bianchi the 5k he was owed, at which point Patel said, "Great. You gave him more ammo."
Bianchi, rightful ammunition in hand, saw the jam and asked, "How much is that?" but nonetheless, he instantly called.
Neil Patel: 
Paul Bianchi: 
The 
flop brought no assistance for at-risk Patel, but the 
gave chop outs. When the 
landed on the river, the two players shook hands, and play concluded for the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,315,000 | 265,000 |
|
Busted |
Three More Hands
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
The final eleven players will play three more hands before bagging tagging for the night. Stay tuned for full chip counts and a full recap of the day's action.
Darland Getting Short
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
One hand after losing a chunk of his stack to John Michalak's nut straight, Jason Darland raised to 40,000 from the small blind, and Brad Smith three-bet shoved in the big blind.
Darland, who had 240,000 behind, tanked for two minutes before letting his hand go.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
750,000 | 269,000 |
|
|
240,000 | -275,000 |
Chip Leader Chips Up
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
With 11 remaining, fairly deep at an average stack of slightly more than 60 bigs, players are treading lightly for the most part. Chip leader Hamid Izadi and John Michalak had another heads-up hand, though, and it went like this:
Izadi opened to 35,000 in the cutoff, and Michalak flatted on the button. The flop came down 
, and Izadi check-called 45,000.
Both players checked quickly on the 
turn, and Izadi led for 80,000 when the fell on the river, texturizing the board more than any other card in the deck could have. Michalak gave it up, and Izadi pulled even further ahead of the field.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,500,000 | 89,000 |
|
|
650,000 | -150,000 |
Updated Chip Counts From Table 21
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
The last few hands at the table have seen a few shoves by Neil Patel, but no callers, and otherwise a quiet few minutes for Table 21.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,850,000 | -30,000 |
|
|
1,050,000 | 175,000 |
|
|
730,000 | -40,000 |
|
|
570,000 | 27,000 |
|
|
460,000 | 82,000 |
|
|
190,000 | -30,000 |
Dan Wagner Eliminated in 12th Place ($15,024)
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
John Michalak raised to 45,000 from under the gun, then called a three-bet shove for 360,000 from Dan Wagner in the cutoff.
Dan Wagner: 
John Michalak: 
Wagner's sixes got no love on a 
board to send the Season XV HPT The Meadows champ to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
800,000 | 367,000 |
|
Busted |
Burns' Two Pair Bests Patel's Two Pair
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
James Burns raised to 36,000 on the button, and was called by Paul Bianchi in the small blind and Neil Patel in the big blind.
Action checked to Burns on the 
flop, and he bet 60,000. Only Patel called.
Both players checked the 
turn, and Patel bet 125,000 on the 
river. Burns called, and after Patel tabled 
, Burns rolled over and took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
770,000 | 250,000 |
|
|
220,000 | -203,000 |