Regional Main Event
Day 2 Completed
Regional Main Event
Day 2 Completed
He was quiet for most of the day but as Jesse McEuen accumulated chips he found himself talking more to his opponents. "I wanted to get in their heads a bit," McEuen said after emerging as the winner of the Hollywood Poker Open Season 3 Lawrenceburg Regional Main Event.
McEuen turned a short stack into a big one over the course of a grueling final two tables and used a series of all in moves to keep the pressure on once he did have chips. "I had a better idea of what the other players were doing," explained McEuen when asked about his late tournament strategy. "I knew John Moe wanted to win and wouldn't call so I started moving all in any time it was just the two of us."
McEuen is no stranger to success at the felt. He won a World Series of Poker bracelet this past summer in the $1,500 No Limit Hold 'Em Ante Up tournament collecting $212,093 for that victory. He also took third in a $1,000 No Limit tournament at the 2013 WSOP for another six figure payday. The 35 year old professional poker player added his second major tournament win and $49,676 for his win here today. In addition, he was awarded a seat to the HPO Championship Event at the M Resort in June of 2015.
McEuen outlasted a record-setting HPO field of 207 players that created a prize pool of $207,000, which was also an HPO record. The 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion, Chris Moneymaker, would be among those who would play but the HPO Ambassador would fail to advance to the second day of play which saw 43 players make the cut. Only 27 would make the money and the unfortunate bubble would be Shane Delaney whose could not catch against his bigger stacked opponent's .
Eventual third place finisher John Moe would grab the headlines early when he made a "sick" call that garnered the respect and admiration of his table mates. Moe came into this tournament fresh off of three wins in preliminary events over the past two weeks. Coupled with his finish today he cruised to a win of the Leader Board promotion and was awarded a seat into the 2015 HPO Championship Event at the M Resort in Las Vegas.
The day 1 chip leader was Tim Chocklett who entered play with more than twice the chips of his nearest competitor. Chocklett would struggle to gain any momentum however and would be eliminated short of the final table in tenth place ($4,244).
It was at the final table where McEuen started to emerge as a force to be reckoned with. In one hand, he four-bet shove against eventual runner-up Michael Hahn and after a long tank by Hahn called the clock. A perturbed Hahn eventually folded and the tone had been set for play between those two for the rest of the tournament.
The final hand saw McEuen talk his opponent into an all-in call with McEuen holding two pair, jacks and deuces, with his to Hahn's lone pair of jacks holdng on a flop of . Hahn would be unable to improve and McEuen was the winner of the first event of Season 3 for the HPO.
"I actually came here to test my skills in tournaments before going to Florida since I mainly play cash games," said McEuen afterwards. "I love the place, staff, dealers here. Everyone was great. It was the coolest staff I've ever dealt with as a poker player."
Next up for the Hollywood Poker Open is another Regional Main Event in Toledo, Ohio in February of 2015. PokerNews will be there to bring you all the exciting poker action, so make sure to tune in!
The final two would see a flop of and Jesse McEuen led out for 70,000. Michael Hahn raised it up to 185,000 and McEwen asked for a count. Before the dealer could even grab a stack of chips, McEuen announced "all in."
Hahn deliberated for a moment and then looked over at the tournament clock.
"It's a lot of money," said McEuen.
"What?" asked Hahn.
"It's a lot of money," McEuen repeated.
Hahn tossed a chip into the middle indicating a call and McEuen stood up and proudly turned over for two pair. Hahn had for a pair of jacks. The turn was the and the river was the and Hahn was eliminated in second place. He'll collect an impressive pay out of $30,636 for his runner-up finish.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Jesse McEuen |
4,140,000
1,640,000
|
1,640,000 |
|
||
Michael Hahn | Busted |
The first series of hands has gone the way of Jesse McEuen who has utilized several all in bets and raises to induce folds from Michael Hahn. Current chip counts are as follows:
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Jesse McEuen |
2,500,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
||
Michael Hahn |
1,600,000
-600,000
|
-600,000 |
John Moe moved all in first to act and was called by Michael Hahn. Moe held and was behind Hahn's . He would stay behind the whole way as the board came to eliminate him in third place for $20,700.
It was a remarkable series for Moe who in addition to his finish today had three wins over the past two weeks here. That was more than enough to win him the Leaderboard contest which gives him a seat to the 2015 Championship Event at the M Resort in Las Vegas.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Michael Hahn |
2,200,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
John Moe | Busted |
Jesse McEwen had moved all in on consecutive hands and did so again from the button. Perhaps tiring of the shoves, Jeff Armstrong made the call from the big blind with . McEwen had woken up with a legitimate hand as he held . The board would run out and Armstrong would be eliminated in fourth place for $14,697.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Jesse McEuen |
1,900,000
775,000
|
775,000 |
|
||
Michael Hahn | 1,500,000 | |
John Moe |
700,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
Jeff Armstrong | Busted |
John Moe opened for 85,000 and Michael Hahn raised it to 265,000 from the small blind. Jesse McEwen announced he was all in from the big blind for a total of 780,000. Moe jumped out of his chair.
"Stole my move," he muttered while looking at McEwen and then added "think I'm ahead both of you guys."
Moe glared at McEwen for several seconds before letting his hand go. Now the action was on Hahn who exhaled before taking a puff on his e-cig. He exhaled the vapors through his nostrils. In the meantime, McEwen opened a packet of crackers and rubbed them together next to his ears... mimicking the famous scene from John Malkovich as Teddy KGB in Rounders. He cracked a smile and shoved the cracker into his mouth.
Hahn counted out a call, puffed on his e-cig again, and let out another exhale. The room was quiet. Church quiet. Hahn held his cards up. Nearly five minutes had elapsed and McEwen's patience had run out as he called the clock.
"Called the clock?" asked Hahn. The floor confirmed it had been.
"Who?" he asked and McEwen raised his hand and blurted "you got like 30 seconds" to Hahn.
Hahn let the clock expire and McEwen took down the sizable pot.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Michael Hahn |
1,500,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
Jesse McEuen |
1,125,000
265,000
|
265,000 |
|
Level: 26
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 5,000
A short-stacked Andrew Jeffrey moved all in first to act for approximately ten big blinds and was called by Michael Hahn. Jeffrey had and would be unable to improve against Hahn's to be eliminated in fifth place. Jeffrey collected $11,385 for his top five finish.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Michael Hahn |
1,250,000
315,000
|
315,000 |
Andrew Jeffrey | Busted |
John Moe opened the action with a raise from early position and it was folded to Josh Burdick who moved all in. Moe made the call with and was ahead of Burdick and his .
The board ran out and Burdick told Moe "nice hand John" as he gathered his things. Burdick was eliminated in sixth place which was good for $9,315.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
John Moe |
1,200,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
Josh Burdick | Busted |