Michael Ermie Wins Record-Setting HPO Toledo Regional Main Event
Michael Ermie won the Hollywood Poker Open Toledo $1,115 Regional Main Event. He topped a record-second field of 323 entries for an HPO regional main event and earned $60,017 in first-place prize money.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Ermie | $60,017 |
| 2 | Bruce Peery | $50,000 |
| 3 | Nick DePalma | $46,019 |
| 4 | Jason Orrell | $21,964 |
| 5 | Zach Andrews | $16,473 |
| 6 | Alex Barill | $12,920 |
| 7 | Steven Stout | $10,917 |
| 8 | Wayne Smith | $9,044 |
| 9 | Phung Ngo | $7,752 |
Ermie is now over $200,000 in lifetime tournament earnings and this is his third first-place finish. Normally a cash-game player, Ermie says he plays a few tournament every month. He certainly won't regret taking some time off of his normal grind for this event, as he booked the biggest live tournament win of his career.
With a deal taking place between the final three players, the tournament was over sooner than later. Ermie finished the tournament with more than half the chips in play, which allowed him to get the most money and the win out of the deal.
He earned most of his stack at the final table when he eliminated both Alex Barill in sixth place, then Zach Andrews in fifth place. On both hands, Ermie made a flush. Against Barill, he hit a flush on the river after both players were all in.Then, against Andrews, Ermie shoved all in over the top of a river bet from Andrews. Andrews called with a straight, but that was no good against Ermie's flush.
From there, it was relatively smooth sailing.
"I don't think I necessarily have a had edge three-handed," Ermie said. "But once I got to about half the chips in play, I thought I might win."
He will also earned an HPO $2,500 Championship seat, and the event will take place in Las Vegas this summer at the M Resort.
"It's a great tournament," Ermie concluded, having played the event before and always looking forward to it.
HPO ambassador Chris Moneymaker made yet another deep run, finishing 23rd. He got knocked out by eventual third-place finisher, Nick DePalma. As part of the deal, Palma earned $46,019. Bruce Peery earned second-place honors and $50,000.
This was the second stop of Season 4 of HPO. The next event will be March 10-20 at Hollywood Casino in St. Louis, and PokerNews hopes to see you there.
Miss HPO Toledo? Don't Worry, More Stops To Come!
If you're sitting at home kicking yourself because you're missing out on the Hollywood Poker Open stop in Toledo, don't worry because there are still a few more stops in Season 4 that you've got plenty of time to be a part of.
Next up on the HPO Season 4 schedule is St. Louis, with a 33-event schedule starting March 10 and running through March 20. The HPO St. Louis $1,115 Regional Main Event will take place March 18-20 and comes with a $150,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Click here to view the complete HPO St. Louis schedule.
Following that event, the HPO will head to Columbus for an 18-event series running April 28 through May 8. The HPO Columbus $1,115 Regional Main Event will take place May 6-8 and boast a $200,000 guarantee on the prize pool.
Click here to view the complete HPO Columbus schedule.
After that it will be time for the HPO Regionals to come to a close with the stop in Charles Town from May 12-22. The Charles Town schedule hasn't been released yet, but the dates are out and you can bet you'll get plenty of action coming out of West Virginia.
Stay tuned to the HPO's dedicated page for the Charles Town event here for the latest.
Just like in Toledo, PokerNews will be at each of the HPO's remaining stops, so be sure to come out, say hello, and get your grind on.
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