Poker pro Greg Raymer is no stranger to the Heartland Poker Tour (HTP). Raymer usually takes part in the tour events and after visiting the Ameristar East Chicago to compete in the Main Event, he now has five total HPT Main Event titles under his belt. Raymer put on a show during the tournament, proving he is still a top player to be reckoned with.
Main Event Details
The HPT Main Event at the Ameristar had a buy-in of $1,650 and featured 520 entries. Raymer was able to overcome a chip deficit during heads up play against Evan Bethyo to earn the first-place win. With the title, Raymer earned $171,411 inn prize money as well as a $3,500 Championship Package for the Heartland Poker Tour Season XVI Championship that takes place at the season’s end.
Once heads-up play began, Bethyo would have the chip lead. However, he lost the first hand with jacks against Raymer’s queens, which helped to close the gap. The two would go at it for nine minutes before the final hand would go down.
During that time frame, Bethyo would lose the chip lead only to gain it back again. However, the lead would not be his for long as Raymer used his skill and took on bluffs by Bethyo to earn back this chips. Eventually, Raymer would have a nice lead before the final hand would go down.
On the last hand of the event, Bethyo would flop a middle pair holding Q-2. The flop fell A-3-Q. He would bet and Raymer would call with 8-3, the bottom pair. An eight on the turn gave Raymer the upside and Bethyo would call his all-in. A 9 showed up on the river, which gave Raymer the win and Bethyo would have to settle for second place.
After the win, Raymer spoke about working with a group of investors and how their stake is already tripled in 2020. For many years, Raymer has worked with investors to build a yearly bankroll. With this event, he already tripled his bankroll. The money has to stay in the bankroll, but it gives the poker pro an opportunity to play in bigger events if they fit into his schedule.
Final Table Results of Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar East Chicago Main Event:
| Place | Player | Prize |
| First | Greg Raymer | $171,411 |
| Second | Evan Bethyo | $104,789 |
| Third | David Guthfreund | $69,462 |
| Fourth | Marc Yofon | $48,295 |
| Fifth | Tim Barany | $36,147 |
| Sixth | Bohdan Slyvinskyi | $27,949 |
| Seventh | Matt Schurter | $22,732 |
| Eighth | Dale Hackney | $18,633 |
| Ninth | Benjamin Cragi | $14,906 |
The Heartland Poker Tour continues this week with the highly anticipated HPT on the High Seas. The tour will offer gaming on a cruise ship headed towards the Eastern Caribbean. In February, the tour heads to Black Hawk, Colorado where the Golden Gates Casino & Poker Parlour will play host to a $1,6050 event.
The HPT will continue with additional stops throughout the year, ending with the special championship event.
