HPO Columbus Regional Main Event Is Here
Season 4 of the Hollywood Poker Open is coming down the home stretch with just two more regional main events before the Championship Event in Las Vegas.
Today marks the start of HPO's Columbus Regional Main Event. At 11:15 local time, the first of the days 14 levels begins. The regional main event comes at the end of a seven-event schedule at the Hollywood Casino in Columbus. The winner of the Columbus Main Event will win their seat in the $2,500 HPO Championship Event at the M Resort and Spa in Las Vegas.
The defending HPO Columbus Champion is Daniel Swartz, who took home $70,560 and a seat to last year's championship event. He lives in Ohio, and it shouldn't be a surprise if he shows up to defend his title. Joining him will be Mr. Chris Moneymaker, former WSOP Main Event Champion and the HPO Ambassador. Moneymaker has two HPO Main Event cashes already this season, and just missed cashing at the HPO St. Louis Main Event in March. After entering the tournament at the dinner break on Day 1a, Moneymaker built a massive stack before getting aces cracked at the end of the evening. The loss of that hand put him in the middle of the pack and he was unable to cash his third HPO Regional Main of the season. He is expected to be in the first flight today, and has already been playing some of the side events leading up to today's Main Event.
Bruce Perry is also expected to show up to take a shot at his third straight HPO Main Event cash. He and Moneymaker are friends and have a bit of a rivalry when it comes to deep runs in these events. Perry finished second in the HPO Toledo Main and followed that up with a tenth place finish at HPO St. Louis. The two players are sure to create some fireworks in their quest to win the HPO Columbus Main Event, but also to outlast the other.
There will be two Day 1 flights, today and tomorrow at 11:15 local time. Players will play 14 50-minute levels before bagging for Day 2. Stay tuned to pokernews.com for all the updates and photos from the field as the Hollywood Poker Open finds its next champion.