Day 1 of the Heartland Poker Tour \”Championship Open\” $1500 +$150 Main Event tagged-and-bagged @ around midnight at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, MI with 60 players remaining of the original field of 413 (*huge* for HPT.) This is the finale for season VI of the TV show, and tour regulars comment that it is by far the most star-studded event in their history.
There were five notable pros playing the Main, who attending the PPA-sponsored charity bounty tourney benefiting the Disabled American Veterans on Thursday.
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Tiffany Michelle & Maria Ho = future USO?
@TheScottyNguyen was the first of them to fall on D1, with his aces cracked in Level 6 (see rungood.tv|bustout interview vid.) Darvin Moon\’s 99\’s pre-flop shortshack jam fell to 77\’s set late in Level 11. @TiffnyMichelle and ESPN Poker\’s @BernardLeePoker are healthy; @MariaHo has just over 10BBs.
Play for D2 resumes shortly after 10a EST/7a Vegas today at L13 (40 min levels), playing to 6. The final TV table of the \”HPT Six\” is scheduled to begin taping @ 5p EST/2p Vegas.
POI (person-o-interest) Chip Counts:
Tiffany Michelle: 162.5k
Brandon Dosch: (HPT Champ & POY Contender): 162.5k
Matt Alexander: (HPT Champ & POY Contender): 136.5k
Bernard Lee: 118k
Maria Ho: 68.5k
Average Stack = 103,250
Big Stack ~ 230k
Day 2 -> L13 Antes/Blinds = 500/3k/6k
Cash bubble @ 41 players today, and the winner will take down an estimated ~ $177k. (hey, I\’m not @KevMath y\’all, even *inside* the tourney room.)
Follow @TiffnyMichelle, @BernardLeePoker, @MariaHo for table-twitfeed.
Follow me @scarlet_lv today for live-tweets from the rail.
Kevmath or no, this was a great update. You told me everything I needed to know, and nothing more — perfect.
Thanks, Scarlet!
Yes, Scarlet has done an amazing job getting the necessary info out as well as possible a few fun pics of some shot taking…hehe.
BJ- Why aren’t you here in your home state hanging with us?! =)
I need more advance warning — it takes a very long day for Rhapsody and I to drive back to Michigan. Next time?
Thank you BJ and Maria! You are very kind to the newkid.
Maybe BJ can join us next time for some kamikazes, Maria??
Note: I missed WSOP Bracelet holder Dean Hamrick (who has just finished 4th) in this writeup – as I did not recognize him, but hopefully corrected it with followup post.