26 Aug
Greg Jennings cashed in over three dozen live poker tournaments over the last four years without winning a title – until Monday when he outplayed 363 runners at the Heartland Poker Tour‘s latest stop at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Kansas.
A flush on the tournament’s final hand allowed Jennings to defeat runner-up Stan Jablonski and add over $118K to his lifetime earnings that now total $289,908. Jablonski had to settle for 2nd place prize money of $73,195, marking the second time the poker pro just missed winning a HPT title.
Also among the final tablists was 2014 HPT Player of the Year Aaron Massey, who finished 4th when his 6-6 in the hole was beaten by Jennings’ A-Q. Massey won two HPT Main Events last year that boosted his bankroll by more than $250,000. This year has not been as profitable for the Elmwood Park, IL native, who snared a payday of $33,763.
Hitting the rail right after Massey was Joey Brown, a poker dealer from Springfield, Missouri. Brown took home $48,711 for his 3rd place finish and believes that his familiarity with HPT players played a part in his success.
“I’ve dealt to a lot of these guys deep in tournaments before,” Brown stated. “I think there’s a little bit of an advantage there.”
The HPT’s next stop will be later this week at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in East Chicago, Indiana. Action gets underway on Thursday, August 27, while the first flight of the $1,650 Main Event kicks off on Thursday, September 3.
Along with first place prize money, HPT Main Event winners are awarded a champion’s bracelet. Jennings proudly displays his in the accompanying photo.
