Photo Credit: Bluff.com
Matt Culberson has defeated Michael Ross, in heads-up action, to take the title and first prize of $129,147, in the Heartland Poker Tour Main Event in St. Charles, Missouri.
Matt Culberson has turned his first-ever Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) cash, into a victory, after defeating Michael Ross in a tense heads-up encounter at the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa in St. Charles, Missouri.
Culberson, a former World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) gold ring winner, took charge of a fairly inexperienced final table after ousting Carl Masters in eighth place, to take 40% of the chips, after his QQ dominated the 99 of his opponent.
The final table also housed the HPT regular Reginald Roberts. The two-time HPT champion had already secured victories at Quapaw (2010), and Oklahoma (2013), and a fourth place finish the year Greg Raymer took the Missouri title in 2012. Roberts would fall in sixth position.
Culberson, who qualified for this event through a $375 satellite, was making his first live cash in over four years, and that looked very likely to see a return of $129,147, after he coolered Jeffrey Brin, in third place, boat over boat, to set up a heads-up finale with Ross, holding a 4:1 chip lead.
A formality?
That’s not the way Ross saw things as he fought his way back to take a slight chip lead until another cooler ended proceedings. Ross picking up pocket queens, Culberson picking up pocket aces, and that was the end of that.
The $1,650 buy-in Main Event attracted 383 players, creating a $538,115 prize pool, and 36 players were paid.
The HPT now moves to Las Vegas for the 10-day series at The Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower Nov 7 – 16.
HPT Ameristar Results
1st. Matt Culberson – $129,147
2nd. Michael Ross – $78,350
3rd. Jeffrey Brin – $52,466
4th. Ron Amos – $36,592
5th. Matt Cannella – $27,444
6th. Reginald Roberts – $21,525
7th. Joshua Turner – $18,188
8th. Carl Masters – $15,067
9th. Matthew Mueller – $12,915
Current HPT Player of the Year Leaderboard
1st. Aaron Massey – 302 pts
2nd. Colin York – 162.60 pts
3rd. Jay Bishop – 150.00 pts
4th. Jeff Madsen – 148.80 pts
5th. Stan Jablonski – 148.50 pts
