Reginald “Shawn” Roberts Takes Down Indigo Sky Casino to Become Two-Time HPT Champion
The Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) visited the Indigo Sky Casino in Wyandotte, Oklahoma this past weekend. The $1,650 Main Event attracted 123 players and created a prize pool of $174,120. After three long days of play, Reginald “Shawn” Roberts of Springfield, Missouri emerged victorious to capture the $52,237 first-place prize. In the process, he became one of the select few to become a two-time HPT champion.
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Reginald Roberts | Springfield, MO | $52,237 |
| 2nd | Bill Donnally | Oklahoma City, OK | $31,342 |
| 3rd | Kris Wagner | Albuquerque, New Mexico | $20,894 |
| 4th | Eric Bishop | Bangs, Missouri | $15,410 |
| 5th | Mark Martin | Dexter, Kansas | $11,579 |
| 6th | Cash Carpenter | Olathe, Kansas | $9,577 |
| 7th | Michael White | Prairie Village, Kansas | $7,835 |
| 8th | Gary Germann | Gillette, Wyoming | $6,094 |
| 9th | Allen Kessler | Las Vegas, Nevada | $4,788 |
According to the HPT live blog, Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler was at an HPT final table for the fourth time this year. Unfortunately, three of those times, including this one at Indigo Sky Casino, he finished in ninth place. Most recently, Kessler’s KxKx was cracked by Roberts’ Ax7x to make him the first final table casualty. That earned Kessler $4,788 and the lead in HPT’s Player of the Year race by 33 points.
Another player making a return to the final table was Gary Germann, a retiree from Gillette, Wyoming. Germann previously finished in eighth place at HPT’s Colorado stop earlier this year, and again he’d be bounced in eighth when his AxQx failed to overcome the 9x9x of Eric Bishop in an all-in preflop situation. Germann earned $6,094 for his efforts.
From there, it was the Roberts show and it started with the elimination of Michael White from Prairie Village, Kansas, who finished in seventh place for $7,835. “It was a very rough road to the final table,” White said after his JxJx fell to Roberts’ KxQx. “Competition was a little bit tougher down here than I thought.”
The next to go was Cash Carpenter of Olathe, Kansas. The construction business owner fell when he got his chips all in with a set of eights against the straight draw of Kris Wagner. Wagner found what he was looking for and straightened out Carpenter in sixth place for $9,577.
Mark Martin had his AxAx cracked by Roberts in the middle stages of the tournament and was never able to recover. Martin, a rancher from Dexter, Kansas making his first HPT cash, took home $11,579 for his fifth-place finish.
After Roberts’ pocket sevens help up against the AxQx of another first-timer, Bishop of Bangs, Missouri, just three players remained. That is when Wagner got all in with Ax8x against the AxQx of Bill Donnally. Wagner failed to find an eight and had to settle for $20,894 for his third-place finish. He also captured 40 POY points, which puts him in third place with five events to go this season.
The heads-up battle between Roberts and Donnally lasted 97 hands and ended up being the longest of Season IX. The chip lead exchanged hands numerous times, but the defining moment happened on Hand #200 in Level 26 (20,000/40,000/5,000).
It began when Roberts limped, Donnally checked his option, and the flop came down A♦7♥5♠. Two checks brought about the 5♣, and Donnally took the opportunity to bet 70,000. Roberts proceeded to raise to 200,000 and then called off when Donnally moved all in. Roberts tabled the 5♥3♦ for trips, but unfortunately for him Donnally had him outkicked with the 10♣5♦. Donnally was one card away from the title, but then the 3♠ spiked on the river! That gave Roberts a double to 3.51 million and left Donnally with just 180,000. Two hands later, Donnally was ousted in second place for $31,342.
Roberts, who previously won an HPT event in Oklahoma back in 2010, took home $52,237 for the win and became a part of an elite group of two-time winners that includes Jeremy Dresch, Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, and Mike Harris.
The next HPT event will be held at Iowa-Prairie Meadows Racetrack Casino Hotel from October 18-28, 2013.
*Photos courtesy of Heartland Poker Tour.
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