Heartland Poker Tour Crowns First Champion of 2009 Season

The first Heartland Poker Tour main event of 2009 crowned a champion on Feb. 8 in Quapaw, Oklahoma, at the Downstream Casino Resort. The winner was Sean Saninikone, and he took home $127,404 in prize money for topping a field of 457 players in the $1,000 buy-in main event. Saninikone is a factory worker who is facing a layoff in the coming month, and he we ecstatic after the final table.

“This couldn’t have come at a better time for me and my family,” said Saninikone.

The final table was one of the longest in HPT history, playing out as the sun rose Monday morning. The final table was filmed and will air as the 99th and 100th episodes in the show’s history. Here is a look at the final table results:

1: Sean Saninikone — $127,404
2: James Jennings — $63,702
3: Matt Newcombe — $38,221
4: Chad Long — $29,728
5: Daniel Haley — $25,481
6: George Miller — $21,234

The record field of 457 players represents a strong start for the 2009 season, the fifth for the HPT, especially considering that the Downstream Casino was a first time venue for the tour.

“We saw that the people of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas are serious about their poker. We’d never been to this area so we weren’t sure of the outcome. Having over 450 players was unbelievable for a first-time venue,” said HPT co-founder Todd Anderson.

The event in Oklahoma was the first stop on the schedule of 18 events that are lined up for 2009.

2009 HPT Schedule:

Grand Casino Mille Lacs (Onamia, MN): Feb. 15-22
Lucky Nugget Gambling Hall (Deadwood, SD): Mar. 7-15
Golden Gates Casino (Blackhawk, CO): Mar. 20-Apr. 5
Meskwaki Bingo Hotel Casino (Tama, IA): Mar. 22-29
Majestic Star Casinos (Gary, IN): Apr. 15-27
Northern Lights Casino (Walker, MN): May 25-31
Turning Stone Resort & Casino (Verona, NY): June 22-29
Golden Gates Casino: July 6-19
Majestic Star Casinos: July 29-Aug. 3
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort (Mount Pleasant, MI): Aug. 14-24
Grand Casino Mille Lacs: Sept. 13-20
Golden Gates Casino: Sept. 18-Oct. 4
Location TBA: Oct. 11-19
Shooting Star Casino (Mahnomen, MN): Oct. 26-Nov. 1
Meskwaki Bingo Hotel Casino: Nov. 1-8
Downstream Casino (Quapaw, OK): Nov. 9-16
Location TBA: Nov. 12-23

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