The Heartland Poker Tour Golden Gates Casino & Poker Parlour in Black Hawk, Colorado attracted 721 entrants to its $1,650 Main Event, which created a $1,059,870 prize pool. It marked the ninth consecutive million dollar prize pool at the stop.
The prize pool was distributed to the top 81 finishers, and among the notables to cash were Chris Tryba, Eddy Sabat, Stan Jablonski, David Gutfreund, Reginald "Shawn" Roberts, Kevin Eyster and Ross Bybee each cashed in the event.
However, in the end it was Matthew Shepsky of Skokie, Illinois who emerged victorious to capture the $227,864 first place prize, the biggest score of his burgeoning career.
"It feels unreal, I'm very happy - I don't have the words," Shepsky said. "I thought if I got chips early I had a chance and then doubled up on the first hand - it was a roller coaster."
Prior to the win, Shepsky had $482,438 in live tournament earnings including $77,294 for a win in the 2012 Deepstack Extravaganza III $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em; ninth in the 2012 The River Guaranteed $4 Million Poker Series Main Event for $62,730; and $47,200 for winning the World Series of Poker Circuit Hammond Summer Warm-Up Series Main Event.