HPT Westgate’s Shady 50% Buy-In Offer Upsets Players

The Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) has run into fierce criticism after multiple players accused it of favouritism during its Westgate Casino stop this week, a select group of players – dubbed “Matusow’s boys” – were offered a late half-price entry to its $1650 Main Event in order to reduce the event’s overlay.

The now-deleted tweets by ‘Trooper97’ were picked up on by numerous players, but there was a catch, as Ben Yu found out when he went to register his third bullet in the event, on day 1c, after being told the sportsbook had announced a 50% buy-in was available.

"The player directed me to staffperson A, who I saw shaking hands with a couple of guys. I heard another staff member tell this guy 'These are Matusow’s boys'"… after which Yu was told “this offer is not open to you, these guys had a special promotion”.

A Facebook Live video from Darren Lara then made its way to the poker forums, Darren having been promised a ‘special offer’ entry of $825 - although it took some serious waiting and discussion before he got it!

Tournament Director for the HPT, Jeremy Smith, who can be seen in the clip above in earnest discussion with the floor supervisor, wasn’t slow in advertising the fact that some nice overlay awaited those joining late, but was not so quick in replying to a question about the ‘promo offer’ for the select few on the secret list.

…and despite the serious nature of whatever the HPT and/or Westgate were playing at with their ‘select discount’, Chicago Joey Ingram tried to inject a bit of humour into the situation…

…although given Joey’s recent ACR smackdown’s, the HPT might do well to sort this mess out before he takes a similar deep interest in them, given that some players are already talking about boycotting the tour…

…and some well-known names taking to the twittersphere, ensuring the story won’t disappear all on its own…

Quite who was behind the decision to offer the reduced buy-in is unclear, with no official word yet from either HPT or Westgate, although some are saying it was a casino decision rather than a tour one…

The original decision to ‘guarantee’ $500,000 for the Main Event, only to see in the small-print it was based on a minimum of 300 entries has also come in for criticism, Matt Affleck extremely unhappy…

…and the math experts haven’t been slow to pick up on the numbers game, Allen ‘Chainsaw’ Kessler quickly on the case…

PokerTube has reached out to the HPT, its TD Jeremy Smith and the Westgate Resort and casino for comment.