Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2019 Heartland Poker Tour The Meadows
Main Event
Day: 3
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
He went from chip leader to winner but it wasn't exactly a smooth sail for Dan Wagner at the Heartland Poker Tour The Meadows $1,100 Main Event. Wagner won the $76,165 for first place but he had get all the way down under three big blinds five-handed before mounting a big comeback.
It's Wagner's sixth tournament win overall, first on the HPT, and his fourth-biggest cash, putting him a little under $900,000 in lifetime cashes.
"I ran great for the last three hours," he told HPT officials. "They gave me the cards. I didn't have to do anything."
Official Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dan Wagner | $76,165* |
| 2 | Anthony McIe | $48,215 |
| 3 | Lydia Waltonbaugh | $32,287 |
| 4 | Jason Pickup | $22,518 |
| 5 | Andy Spears | $16,889 |
| 6 | Marcus Gaunt | $13,246 |
| 7 | Christopher Lee | $11,193 |
| 8 | Kelly Becker | $9,272 |
| 9 | George Stathers | $7,981 |
*Also wins $3,500 HPT Championship Package
After the first two eliminations of the final table, which happened quickly, seven-handed play stretched on for some time. During that time, local hero Lydia Waltonbaugh, who had by far the most vocal rail, worked up her chip count courtesy of a hot run of cards, including aces twice.
Waltonbaugh then hit a straight blind versus blind to bust Christopher Lee and finished off short stack Marcus Gaunt, setting her up in a virtual tie at the top of the counts and putting her rail into an increasing frenzy.
During this time, Wagner sank down to the shortest stack, with the key pot coming when he double-barreled all in on the turn against fellow New Yorker Andy Spears holding an open-ended straight draw. Spears had slowplayed top two on the flop and snapped off the turn shove, holding to reduce Wagner to 245,000 as blinds bumped to 50,000/100,000/100,000.
Wagner found a double first hand back from break but still had five bigs and was in there with three outs shortly after against Jason Pickup. He flopped a gutter and paired his kicker on the turn to double again.
Pickup was victimized by Wagner again when his king-jack flopped top two all in preflop with another chance to bust the pesky short stack. Wagner was still drawing quite live with queen-ten though, and he turned a straight to find another double.
Anthony McIe then sent Spears packing after raise-calling jacks and fading a flopped two-way straight draw.
Waltonbaugh ran hot one last time to keep the rail rowdy when she coolered Pickup with a set against two pair on the turn. However, the joy was short-lived as Waltonbaugh ran sevens into Wagner's jacks for piles, semi-bluffing all in on the turn with an open-ended straight draw that Wagner had blocked on a ten-high board.
McIe would finish her off and take a large lead into heads-up play. However, it would be all Wagner. After being hammered down to nine big blinds, Wagner doubled up with queen-ten over jack-nine, then got short again.
No matter, this time he doubled with king-six against jack-two. It was the only hand McIe would later say he regretted.
"Maybe could have folded that," he admitted.
McIe again took command but saw Wagner double with live cards for the third straight time. And then a fourth when Wagner's queen-ten — his lucky charm — bested ace-jack. Now, it was "game on" with nearly even stacks as the commentator said but the game didn't last long.
A massive flip developed right away with Wagner picking up jacks and McIe ace-king. A set on the flop and quads on the river meant it was all but over and Wagner finished McIe off the next hand.
McIe said it was "just a little bit of run-bad" but not something he was sweating as he gave thanks to God and his poker coach, PokerNews contributor Carlos Welch.
"I congratulate him," he said of Wagner. "He played well."
As for Wagner, he said the money would simply be rolled over to Las Vegas for the summer as he continues firing away in more poker.
The HPT continues in just a few days' time with HPT Columbus, with prelims scheduled for the coming days and weekend, and the $1,650 Main Event set to begin April 27.
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Anthony McIe opened the button to 500,000 again with 
and Dan Wagner looked down at 
. He announced he was all in, and McIe quickly called. The two turned their cards over in a classic coin flip situation.
The 
flop gave Wagner a set, putting him firmly ahead of McIe's top pair and Broadway draw. The turn was the 
, and the river was the 
to give Wagner quads and the massive pot.
After the hand, McIe found himself short with 1.4 million and got all in preflop the next hand with 
versus Wagner's 
.
The board ran out 
, ending McIe's run with a second-place finish.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
10,350,000
5,950,000
|
5,950,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Dan Wagner moved all in with 
and Anthony McIe was quickly in there with .
The 
board looked for all the world like the tournament was over but the 
hit on the river to keep things going.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,950,000
-2,300,000
|
-2,300,000 |
|
|
4,400,000
2,300,000
|
2,300,000 |
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Anthony McIe raised the button to 500,000 with and Dan Wagner defended his big blind with 
. The two saw a flop of , and Wagner checked to McIe, who bet 550,000. Wagner made the call, bringing the 
turn. Wagner again checked, and McIe made a bet that resulted in Wagner sending his hand to the muck. Wagner now finds himself with around ten big blinds as he continues to grind a short stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,250,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
|
2,100,000
-900,000
|
-900,000 |
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
With a big blind of 200,000 and only 50 big blinds in play, even small pots are resulting in significant stack changes. Dan Wagner again was ground down to 1.4 million and shoved all in from the button with 
. Anthony McIe made the call for seven big blinds with , and the two were off to the races.
The flop came 
, with both players hitting a pair. Wagner's sixes were ahead, and held when the turn and river rolled off to secure yet another double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,350,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
3,000,000
-250,000
|
-250,000 |
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
After a series of small pots in Anthony McIe's favor, Dan Wagner found himself having been ground down to 1,665,000 and announced he was all in. He had 
, and McIe called with 
to put Wagner's tournament life at stake.
The cards were place at the center of the table and the dealer ran out a board of 
, securing a double for Wagner.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,100,000
2,050,000
|
2,050,000 |
|
|
3,250,000
-2,050,000
|
-2,050,000 |
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Anthony McIe announced he was all in from the button with 
, putting Dan Wagner to a decision for his remaining 2.6 million with 
. He announced a call and the two turned their cards over.
The board ran out clean for Wagner, 
and the two are close to even-stacked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,300,000
2,450,000
|
2,450,000 |
|
|
5,050,000
-2,300,000
|
-2,300,000 |
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Dan Wagner completed the button with and Anthony McIe checked his big blind with 
. The flop came and McIe checked to Wagner, who bet 200,000. McIe called with flopped trips, and the turn came . Again, McIe checked and Wagner bet 475,000. McIe made the call, bringing the river to give him a full house. He checked a third time to Wagner, who checked back and McIe took down the pot with his queens full.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,350,000
1,850,000
|
1,850,000 |
|
|
2,850,000
-1,850,000
|
-1,850,000 |
Level 31
: 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
After a few minutes of heads-up play and a handful of small pots, chip counts are currently as follows:
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,500,000
-900,000
|
-900,000 |
|
|
4,850,000
900,000
|
900,000 |