Dan Smith Wins Heartland Poker Tour Event at Turning Stone Casino in New York
Dan Smith is 19 years old and attends the University of Maryland. He entered his very first tournament earlier this summer upon the urging of his pals. As he said, “I actually wanted to stay home and go to the beach.” Instead, the diehard Yankees fan took part in the NLHE championship event of the Heartland Poker Tour at the Turning Stone Casino in New York.
Smith outlasted 249 other players to take the title and the $101,960. The college student said he'd use the majority of the money to pay for his education expenses. Dan defeated Nick Tollefson in heads-up play.
Next up for the HPT is a tournament series at the Majestic Star Casino in Gary, Indiana. Qualifiers for the $2,500 main event begin on July 19th.
These are the final results:
1) Dan Smith - $101,960 2) Nicholas Tollefson - $62,710 3) Greg Miller - $39,395 4) Carl Doyon - $28,045 5) Newton Graziano - $20,442 6) Garen Nichaniam - $15,714
For more information on the Heartland Poker Tour, visit http://www.heartlandpokertour.com .