On Monday, the Heartland Poker Tour wrapped its latest stop at Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado. The $1,650 Main Event attracted 607 entries and saw Mike Englert, who had finished third in the same event last year, claim the title and $200,762 first-place prize.
From Third to First
Prior to the win, Englert had $66,407 in lifetime earnings, all of which came at Golden Gates Casino. In July of last year, he finished third in a field of 606 entries in a $1,100 buy-in Heartland Poker Tour event, good for a previous high score of $53,550.
In the latest go-round, Englert bagged the chip lead on Day 1A and stayed among the big stacks on Day 2. He made the final table second in chips and had to contend with Day 1C chip leader Matt Bond in heads-up play.
When the match began, Englert was down 2/1 in chips, but over the course of the next hour, he battled back. The chip lead would exchange hands several times before things came to a head nearly three hours in.
The final hand of the tournament, which took place with the blinds at 200,000/400,000/50,000, unfolded when Bond moved all in on an 8♣5♦4♣ flop holding the J♠8♦ and Englert called with the Q♣Q♠. The A♠ and 10♣ bricked on the turn and river respectively, and Bond had to settle for second place and a $124,028 consolation prize.
It was the third-largest score of Bond’s career. Last summer, he finished 35th in the World Series of Poker Main Event for $214,913. In April 2016, he placed second to Joe Cappello in the WSOP Circuit Baltimore $1,675 Main Event for $180,750.
WSOP Bracelet Winner Falls Short
Another player to make a deep run in the tournament was WSOP bracelet winner John “KasinoKrime” Beauprez. In 2013, the Colorado native won the WSOP Event #4: $1,500 NLHE 6-Handed for $324,764.
At Golden Gates, Beauprez made it to three-handed play, which is when he moved all in preflop holding the K♠9♠ and was called by Bond’s 10♥10♣. The 10♥4♠J♥ flop delivered Bond a set, but Beauprez was drawing live as a queen would give him a straight. Unfortunately for him, neither the 7♠ turn nor 2♣ river was the lady he desired. Beauprez had to settle for third place and an $81,288 prize pool.
“Having two big stacks on my direct left made the final table more difficult,” Beauprez told CardsChat. “I could’ve made better adjustments and regret not firing the third barrel on a bluff in a big pot, but of course hindsight always 20/20 in the tourneys you don’t win. Golden Gates Casino is one of my favorite stops so I’ll give it a shot again this fall.”
It was a good showing for Beauprez, but not his best in that particular tournament. Back in 2010, he actually finished runner-up to Mark Dunbar in the HPT Golden Gates for $90,900. For more on Beauprez, check out his exclusive CardsChat interview regarding Chip Leader Coaching.
Others to cash the Heartland Poker Tour Golden Gates Main Event were WSOP Colossus II champ Ben Keeline (12th for $13,741), HPT co-founder Todd Anderson (16th for $7,852), and WPT DeepStacks Season 4 finale champ Jeff Fielder (23rd for $5,885).
Final Table Results
1 Mike Englert (Windsor, CO) $200,762
2 Matt Bond (Dallas, TX) $124,028
3 John Beauprez (Denver, CO) $81,288
4 Steve Klaus (Denver, CO) $56,482
5 Will Berry (Norman, OK) $41,045
6 Nick Pupillo (Gilbert, AZ) $31,855
7 Michael Hinde (Monument, CO) $26,769
8 Chris Denz (Wheat Ridge, CO) $22,307
9 Jacob Phillips (Ozark, MO) $17,846
10 Charisse Case (Sacramento, CA) $13,741
