Heartland Poker Tour Event - Chicago
It all began in October of 2006 when Majestic Star Casinos hosted their first, incredibly successful, Heartland Poker Tour Event shattering all known records with a cash pay out of $450,000 and a playing field of more than 185 players. First place rewarded in excess of $122,000.
This event's success impelled casino to bring HPT back to Chicago in 2007, with not one but three scheduled events. The March 2007 bettered the October tournament with a record of 208 players, and unparalleled cash pay out of more than $500,000, and a first place payout was over $140,000. Records are meant to be broken, and it looks like Majestic Star intends to raise the bar even higher with the next HPT event begining in July.
This highly anticipated event has the potential to shatter the records previously set by the HPT and Majestic Star. There has been a new structure to the tournament put into place, which has in turn sent the cash payout soaring.
Originally Heartland Poker Tour events at the Majestic Star sold out in advance, so the event structure was changed to enable twice as many players to compete in the final event. Accordingly the cash pay out has doubled in the process. The main event has been added to by one day making it a 3-day event.
The flight system will have room for 420 players and create a potential of $1 million dollars or more in cash outs. Because of the team at Majestic Star, HPT events and the Chicago poker scene are catching the attention of the professional poker players from all over the country.
When asked about the new tournament structure the poker manager explained, "We will hold single-table tournaments two weeks prior to the start of each main event, with buy-ins starting at $55 and the winner receiving a $450 satellite seat. At the $100 single table tournaments the top two players will get $450 satellite seats. We will also run $450 single-table tournaments on Friday, July 27 and the top two winners get seats to the $2,200 main event.
"Each $450 satellite will have a maximum of 150 players ... the final 20 percent of the players in each of the satellite tournaments will advance to the main event. The $2,200 main event will be a three-day tournament based on a flight system. There will be two day-one start times of 9:00am and 5:00pm.
The players will play ten rounds and the remaining players will come back on day two. The main event will be limited to 210 players from each flight of 420 player's total." Dates for the satellites and the main event-Registration began Monday, July 2.
Heartland Poker Tour single-table satellites into the HPT $450 qualifiers as follows:
$55 buy-in: One winner gets a seat to a $450 qualifier.
$100 buy-in: Top two winners get seats to a $450 qualifier.
The expected schedule will be:
• Saturday July 21, 11:00am ($450 Satellite)
• Sunday July 22, 11:00am & 7:00pm ($450 Satellite)
• Monday July 23, 7:00pm ($450 Satellite)
• Tuesday July 24, 7:00pm ($450 Satellite)
• Wednesday July 25, 1:00pm & 7:00pm ($450 Satellite)
• Thursday July 26, 11:00am & 7:00pm ($450 Satellite)
• Friday July 27, 10:00am & 5:00pm ($450 Satellite)
• Main Event ($2,200) Saturday July 28, (Flight One) 9:00am; (Flight Two) 5:00pm
Day Two: Sunday July 29, 9:00am (Play down to final 6)
• Televised final table Monday July 30, 2:00pm (Final Table)
If you are interested in getting in on the action of the HPT you can visit their website for all the information and excitement.