May 23, 2013

High-Stakes Hold’em in Station Casinos $1 Million No-Limit Tournaments


Final Table results from the Championship Round (May 24 & 25)

Pocket 6s was the winning hand for Lars B., the 2011 Grand Champion of Station Casinos’ No-Limit Hold’em Poker Tournaments. Lars outlasted a best-of-the-best field of 120 to take the top cash of $60,000 and a Rolex watch.

Five guaranteed $200,000 tournaments at four our Las Vegas poker rooms in less than one month!

“We paid the million dollars even with some huge overlays. Watch for our next one in the spring of 2012,” Station Casinos Poker Tournament Director Derek Glover said.

  1. Lar B. $60,000
  2. Ran C. $31,040
  3. Jonathan E. $25,220
  4. Sonja J. $19,400
  5. Joshua P. $15,520
  6. Brian L. $11,640
  7. Blake K. $9,700
  8. Jeffrey S. $7,760
  9. Frank T. $5,820
  10. Gary B. $3,880

Thanks to all and see ya next year!

Championship Round down to 10.

If you're sitting this table, you cashed at least $3,880.

Rolex!


Final Table results from Red Rock (May 17-22)

Our pictures of Travis were horrible so here's a shot of the satellite tables at Red Rock. So sorry.

Congratulations Travis F. for becoming our fourth $60,000 winner!

Travis beat the biggest field of our four guaranteed $200,000 tournaments at Red Rock and joins our other three champions (see below) in the Championship Round at Red Rock, where the Grand Champion (we need a better title) will be decided from a field of 120 best-of-the-best on May 24 and 25. The Championship Round is another $200,000 tournament, with the top 12 spots cashing, and the winner getting nearly another $60,000 plus a Rolex watch.

If that “other” Vegas hold’em tournament has bracelet winners…we’re going to have a watch winner!

Can’t wait and good luck to the field!

  1. Travis F. $60,000
  2. Daniel O. $32,000
  3. Daniel C. $24,000
  4. Aaron J. $17,000
  5. Matthew L. $12,000
  6. Anthony N. $9,000
  7. Charles D. $6,500
  8. Tommy A. $5,000
  9. Paul N. $4,500
  10. Peter M. $4,000

Final Table results from Sunset Station (May 10-15)

See ya in the Championship Round Chris!

Two reasons to be super excited about the results from the third Main Table this past weekend at Sunset Station:

  • Christopher P. outlasted our biggest field yet, over 200 entries, to become our third $60,000 winner. Congrats Christopher, who joins Mark I. and Frederick N. as our champs so far.
  • Our “Get Staked” facebook contest winner Jeff J. cashed! As you might remember, we backed one player in each of the four tournaments by paying their $1,100 entry fee into the Main Table. After Nick G. (at GVR) and Karen W. (at Palace) didn’t make it to the money, Jeff found the final table for a $4,000 “free roll” payday … and, no, he doesn’t have to pay us back! Congratulations and great job Jeff!
  1. Christopher P. $60,000
  2. Yehuda Y. $29,000
  3. Thomas K. $22,000
  4. Blake K. $18,000
  5. Simon L. $14,000
  6. Christopher P. $11,000
  7. Ran C. $8,500
  8. Assaf B. $6,000
  9. Jeff J. $4,000 (facebook winner!)
  10. Bryce D. $3,000

Onto The Turn, our fourth (and the last tournament you can buy in) with another guaranteed $200,000 prize pool is this week at Red Rock, followed by the Championship Round, also at Red Rock, on May 24 & 25 when someone is going to win another $60,000 and a sweet watch.

Final Table results from Palace Station (May 3-8)

$60,000 poker face from Mark!

Congratulations to Mark I., the winner of the second (of four) final table in our $1 Million No-Limit Hold’em Tournaments. Mark’s $60,000 first-place cash was part of the $200,000 guaranteed prize pool at Palace Station this weekend. Here’s the rest of the payouts from the Top 10:

  1. Mark I. $60,000
  2. Vincent M. $32,000
  3. Michael S. $24,000
  4. Chance K. $18,000
  5. Paul L. $15,000
  6. Frank A. $13,000
  7. Brian L. $10,000
  8. Frank T. $7,000
  9. Raymond W. $6,000
  10. David B. $4,000

No time to rest, another guaranteed $200,000 prize pool is in play this week at Sunset Station.

Good luck!

Our 2nd “Get Staked” Winner was Karen W., who finished out of the money.

Final Table results from Green Valley Ranch (April 26-May 1)

Frederick took home top cash with a tournament winning hand of KC-QC.

  1. Frederick N. $60,000
  2. Jeffery S. $30,000
  3. Robert W. $16,000
  4. Robert T. $16,000
  5. Christopher B. $12,000
  6. Mark I. $10,000
  7. Matthew L. $8,000
  8. Andrew J. $7,000
  9. Sonja J. $6,000

Our 1st “Get Staked” Winner was Nick G. Unfortunately, Nick only lasted about 45 minutes but reportedly had great fun.


LAS VEGAS – With the first $60,000 winner already decided, Station Casinos $1 Million No-Limit Hold’em Tournaments are ready to shuffle up and deal again this weekend at Palace Station Hotel Casino.

In the event’s first tournament at Green Valley Ranch (April 26 – May 1), Frederick Narciso played KC-QC into the winning hand and cashed the first-place amount of $60,000 from the event’s $200,000 prize pool. The nearly five-week poker event now shifts locations to Palace Station.

“Outside the World Series of Poker, we think it’s the best Hold’em Tournament in Las Vegas and the biggest Station Casinos has ever held,” Station Casinos Poker Tournament Director Derek Glover said. “If you can’t afford the buy-ins for the upcoming WSOP, we have three buy-in options starting at the $85 Single-Table Satellite level. Not bad for a shot at at least $60,000.”

Station Casinos is also awarding a “free roll” in each week’s tournament via a “Get Staked” contest on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/sunsetstation), looked for the “Get Staked” tab, where online contestants answer: Why should you be backed in the tournament? The winner gets the $1,100 Main Table buy-in paid for in that week’s tournament.

The Station Casinos $1 Million No-Limit Hold’em Tournaments’ (www.StationCasinosPoker.com) remaining dates and locations, including the Championship Tournament event, are as follows:

  • At Palace Station: qualifying May 3 – 6 with Main Table May 7 & 8
  • At Sunset Station: qualifying May 10 – 13 with Main Table May 14 & 15
  • At Red Rock Resort: qualifying May 17 – 20 with Main Table May 21 & 22
  • Championship Tournament: May 24 & 25 at Red Rock Resort

Vegas “veeRob” Takes HPT Championship at Red Rock

Ace-Jack held up for Perelman as he took home the HPT Championship Sunday at Red Rock and the first-place cash of $158,755.


LAS VEGAS – HPT’S SEASON LAUNCH at Red Rock Casino Resort Spa drew a diverse field of recognizable Vegas pros and HPT regulars from the Midwest, but the event belonged to local poker insider Rob “veeRob” Perelman. The 32-year-old poker consultant invested just $250, winning his way into the main event through a qualifier event. Perelman, well-known in Vegas poker circles from his behind-the-scenes work on top poker shows, scored $158,755 after two hands heads up.

Although he has a solid resume from work on shows like “Poker After Dark” and “High Stakes Poker”, Perelman has never worked for the nationally-syndicated Heartland Poker Tour. Just weeks ago, he reached out to HPT producers to discuss working on the Red Rock event. When HPT executives passed due to time constraints, Perelman found himself on the show rather than behind the scenes.

HPT’s first tournament of 2011 wrapped up when Perelman’s ace-jack held up with an ace on the flop against mechanic Laszlo Gaspar’s queen-four. Playing his first major tournament, Gaspar fought exhaustion when the cards first hit the felt at the televised final table late Sunday night. At four the next morning, he was wide awake and $79,059 richer.

Among the poker A-listers who played the main event, Annie Duke, Scotty Nguyen, Jennifer Harman, Linda Johnson and Tiffany Michelle failed to make day two. Darvin Moon, 2010’s WSOP Main Event runner up, finished 37th for $1487. The fan favorite raffled half of his action in the main event to benefit the nonprofit organization Poker Gives.

The most recognizable face at the final table was J.J. Liu, the highest-placing female in any World Poker Tour championship event with over $2 million in winnings. Known for her elaborate wardrobe, Liu wore an embellished sweater and eye-catching hat to the televised final table, finishing third for $47,786.

HPT Championship
Red Rock Casino Resort Spa
Las Vegas, NV
January 16, 2011
Buy-in: $1100
Main Event: 558

  • Rob Perelman (Las Vegas, NV) $158,755
  • Laszlo Gaspar (Las Vegas, NV) $79,059
  • JJ. Liu (Las Vegas, NV) $47,786
  • Heath Herring (Las Vegas, NV) $37,167
  • Dick Heidman (Las Vegas, NV) $31,857
  • Bob Garman (Las Vegas, NV) $26,548

Mixed Martial Arts fans will recognize Heath “Crazy Horse” Herring when the HPT episodes produced at Red Rock air this spring. An accomplished heavyweight fighter, Herring’s resume includes high-profile match-ups for UFC and in Japan. Now focusing on acting, Herring has seven movies under his belt. It was acting that cost him the battle at the final table. A bluff against Perelman ended his run with $37,167 in fourth place.

Also prepared for battle, retired army Green Beret Bob Jarman of Las Vegas splits his time between playing poker and teaching combat skills, sometimes combining the two. “The skills needed to be a warrior also apply to poker,” said the father of three who offers instruction on reading poker tells. His skill got him to sixth place in his first HPT event for $26,548.

Another HPT newbie was newly-retired Dick Heidman. The Akron, Ohio man relocated to Vegas five months ago to spend his retirement playing poker after his business interests devalued. “Business wasn’t good,” said Heidman, “If I’m going to lose money, I’m going to enjoy doing it.” Rather than losing money in his first major tournament, Heidman made a $31,857 deposit to his nest egg. Reflecting on all the top pros in the field, Heidman appreciated the opportunity to improve his game. “I’m in the learning process,” said the fifth-place finisher, “I’ll take what I learned to the next tournament.”

Heidman won’t have to go far to get to HPT’s next event. The nationally-syndicated poker show will return to Las Vegas next month for a star-filled charity event co-hosted by Phil Hellmuth and Adrian Peterson. The Golden Nugget event will benefit Starkey Hearing Foundation and promises to attract NFL athletes, A-list pros, and Hollywood celebrities.


About Heartland Poker Tour

Founded by Todd Anderson and Greg Lang in 2005, Heartland Poker Tour is built on a grass-roots strategy, “Real People, Unreal Money”. HPT provides poker enthusiasts a televised “Texas No Limit Hold’em” poker tour with affordable buy-ins. HPT is currently filming Season VII and is available in over 100 million US homes each week, as well as widespread distribution throughout Europe and the Caribbean. For more information and a complete schedule of upcoming events, visit www.HeartlandPokerTour.com.