The Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) has been on the road this year for a great start to the sixth season of production. They have recently wrapped up two successful back-to-back events with no intention of slowing down. Now seen in more than 100 million homes throughout the US, Europe, and the Caribbean, HPT's rise in success has put them in more than 16 locations a year providing every day people the opportunity to win big on television-and all in the comfort of their favorite local poker room.
In Mahnomen, MN at the Shooting Star Casino, a young Minnesota man made it through a field of 172 to claim his $48,521 prize. Matt Alexander, a 28-yearold restaurant host, took the win from Brian Reisner with pocket aces just after crippling Reisner's stack in a previous hand. Alexander was unsure of what he planned to do with his success but settled on "a nice little vacation and then I'll save the rest for a rainy day and more poker!" Alexander became a star at the Shooting Star but Brian Reisner had not resigned to a second place fate.
Meskwaki Bingo Casino in Tama, IA was the next HPT stop and Brian Reisner was there to fight his way to the top again. "My dad encouraged me to not be content with second place," Reisner told HPT General Manager, Jen Mastrud, "he told me to keep pushing myself." He did just that. On the final all-in, his king-queen was up against Dave Rutledge's pocket nines and a miracle king fell on the river, putting Reisner in first place with a plentiful prize of $75,938.
Reisner's wins weren't limited to the two March HPT events however. He had also scored wins playing two online tournaments bringing his total winnings for the last week of March to more than $140,000. "It's already been the best week ever!" he exclaimed before his last HPT win. Reisner will continue to follow the HPT to Golden Gates Casino in Colorado to see how far his winning streak will take him.
Heartland Poker Tour has been gaining a multitude of dedicated followers every event and each tournament not only has a solid turnout but also camaraderie among players. HPT has captured the attention of millions of viewers who want to see casual players winning big without having to break the bank to buy in, and in the process, won the hearts of millions of poker fans across the nation.
To find out where HPT will be next, log on to www.heartlandpokertour.com and check out the schedule of events and broadcasting schedule. For more interaction, poker news and tips from the pros, click on the Potluck Poker Show link to hear HPT announcer Fred Bevill interview such players as Greg Raymer and Vanessa Rouso, or put your two cents in on the topic of the week by calling in. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook!
