Heartland Poker Tour Crowns Winner in Minnesota

The Heartland Poker Tour stopped in Walker, Minnesota, at the Northern Lights Casino and crowned another winner. Mark Sandness, a self-employed owner and manager of investment real estate, defeated a field of 136 players to win his chunk of the nearly $192,000 prize pool, which amounted to more than $53,000.

Despite having somewhat of a disagreement with his girlfriend about attending the event, Sandness woke up at 4 a.m. to drive from his hometown of Moorhead, Minnesota, to make the 8 a.m. tournament start time. After a 21-hour battle and the pressure of overcoming a televised final table, Sandness was the last man standing.

"The final table was really a grind, but it was fun. They were all good players and really good guys," said Sandness in an HPT interview.

The following are the televised final-table results:

1. Mark Sandness – $53,199
2. Lawrence Barbetta – $26,600
3. Joe Big Bear – $17,100
4. David Baxter – $13,300
5. Ray Babb – $11,400
6. James Mutchler – $9,500

In addition to the money, Sandness was also awarded a $3,000 HPT Championship Open Tournament seat package. The next HPT stop is scheduled for the Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado. The qualifiers begin on Oct. 1 and the main event is Oct. 12-14. Because of Colorado law, players will not be allowed to buy into the main event directly. Players must obtain an entry through a qualifier. For more information on upcoming events, visit the Heartland Poker Tour website.

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