Craig Casino Leads Day 1A of HPT Black Hawk Main Event
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The first of three starting flights for the $1,650 HPT Black Hawk Main Event drew 81 entrants while the rest of the world participated in Valentine's Day. Fifteen levels of action trimmed the field to 13 remaining players with Craig Casino leading the field.
Casino finished the night with 438,000, Nick Pupillo finished second in chips with 389,000, and Pierce McKellar rounded out the top three with 273,000. WSOP bracelet winner John Beauprez lost a big hand on the final hand of the night, leaving him only with a couple of blinds and he elected to surrender his stack and try again.
Casino had a wild day where he was down to just 6,500 at one point. He tangled with two big stacks - Jason Mangold and Daniel Carrales - where he came out on top.
HPT veterans Ed Sebesta and Ossama Estafanous both joined the field but did not make it to Day 2. HPT on the High Seas winner Marty Gorenc played deep into the day but will have to return to make another deep run.
The surviving players return Sunday at 11 a.m. where the field will make the money and play down to a final table. Friday and Saturday will each host a starting flight kicking off at noon, with Saturday's field expected to be huge.