WSOP Bracelet Winner Adam Friedman Wins Heartland Poker Tour Belterra for $83,439
The Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) visited the Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, Indiana this past weekend. The $1,650 Main Event generated a prize pool of $347,655, and after three long days of play, World Series of Poker bracelet winner Adam Friedman emerged victorious to capture the $83,439 first-place prize and a $3,000 package into the season-ending HPT Championship.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Adam Friedman | $83,439 |
| 2nd | Jason Andrews | $51,453 |
| 3rd | Steve Russell | $34,766 |
| 4th | Adam Bacon | $24,684 |
| 5th | John Michalak | $19,121 |
| 6th | Keven Stammen | $15,644 |
| 7th | Kenneth Zuspan | $13,037 |
| 8th | Iverson Snuffer | $10,951 |
| 9th | Craig Casino | $9,039 |
*Prize includes $3,000 HPT Championship package
According to the HPT Live Blog, Craig Casino of Winfield, Ill. was looking to take over the top spot on the HPT��s all-time money list with an eighth-place finish or better in this event. Unfortunately for him, he ended up falling in ninth place.
It happened of Hand #15 of the final table, which occurred in Level 22 (8,000/16,000/2,000), when Casino moved all in from middle position for his last 47,000. Steve Russell called from the cutoff and it was off to the races.
Casino: Q?9?
Russell: 4?4?
Casino needed to catch one of his overs to extend his tournament life, but he failed to do so after the board ran out K?K?3?7?K?. Despite not becoming the all-time HPT money leader, Casino notched his 11th HPT cash, which is the most in HPT history. ��I don��t play to cash,�� Casino said, ��I play to win.��
Seven hands later, Iverson ��Cotton�� Snuffer was eliminated in eighth place for $10,951, and Kenneth Zuspan followed him out the door in seventh place for $13,037 five hands after that. On Hand #30, which was in Level 23 (10,000/20,000/3,000), well-known pro Keven Stammen opened for 45,000 only to have Friedman three-bet to 96,000. Stammen called, the flop came down 7?5?3?, and Friedman led out for 72,000. Stammen responded by moving all in and Friedman snap-called.
Stammen: 10?8?
Friedman: A?A?
Stammen was looking for a spade to crack Friedman��s pocket rockets, but it wasn��t in the cards as the 6? blanked on the turn followed by the 6? on the river. The professional poker player from Coldwater, Ohio collected $15,644 for his sixth-place finish.
John Michalak, who finished fourth earlier this year at the HPT��s last stop at Belterra, was the next to go on Hand #47 of the final table. It happened when Friedman opened for 41,000 from the cutoff and was met by a three-bet to 117,000 from Michalak in the small blind. Fridman shoved, Michalak called off, and the cards were turned on their backs.
Friedman: A?K?
Michalak: A?9?
The concert promoter from Cleveland was in desperate need of a nine, and he would be left wanting after the board ran out a dry Q?8?7?4?J?. Michalak took home $19,121 for his fifth-place finish.
After Adam Bacon, who finished in fifth-place finish earlier this year at Soaring Eagle Casino Resort, was sent to the rail in fourth place for $24,684 on Hand #64, Russell followed him out the door. It happened in Level 24 (12,000/24,000/3,000) on Hand #75 when Russell opened for 95,000 and then called off when Friedman shoved.
Friedman: 9?9?
Russell: A?K?
It was a classic flip, but in this hand the coin would come down in Friedman��s favor as his pocket pair held up after the board ran out J?6?5?6?7?. Russell was eliminated in third place and took home $34,766 for his efforts.
The heads-up match between Friedman and Jason Andrews was a quick affair �C just four hands �� as Freidman held 85% of the chips in play. On Hand #79, Andrews raised to 87,000 and Friedman called, which brought about a flop of J?10?3?. Friedman check-called a bet of 75,000, both players checked the 2? turn, and the Q? completed the board on the river. Friedman checked for a third time and the moved all in after Andrews bet 175,000. Andrews called off with the A?K? for a straight, but it was no good as Friedman held a flush with the 9?8?.
Andrews took home $51,453 for his runner-up finish while Friedman became the latest HPT Champion and captured the $83,439 first-place prize.
Just beat a great guy @jayandrews0722 Hu, glad to win and joining @FossilMan as winners of @HPTPoker Belterra
— Adam Friedman (@AdamFriedman119)
The HPT��s next event will take place from November 1-11, 2013 at the River City Casino in Missouri.
*Photos courtesy of Heartland Poker Tour.
Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!
