Heartland Poker Tour Stops for the First Time in Arizona

TUCSON, ARIZONA– November 20, 2007—The Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) made its first stop in Arizona this past week and crowned a new HPT champion. Andreas Foulias, fifty-three years old from Gilbert, Arizona, won the Texas No Limit Hold’em poker tournament and close to $60,000. Foulias has proven to be the player to beat in Arizona this year. Besides winning this weekend’s Heartland Poker Tour title, Foulias also won the Arizona Poker Championship held in the Phoenix area in August.

“This is very exciting” said Foulias. “I think I’m going to buy a car and then with the rest, nothing but fun stuff.”

Foulias was one of six Arizonians at the HPT final table, despite players from all over the U.S. in the field. In the end, it was he and an old friend playing heads up for the HPT crown.

Foulias battled Don Sjulstad of Phoenix for the title. “I’ve played poker with Don for 14 years,” said Foulias. “We play together a lot at our home casino in Phoenix.”

That experience proved valuable for Foulias. After several swings in the chip count, Foulias faced a re-raise all in by Sjulstad in the pivotal heads up hand when the two players were nearly exactly even in chips. After only a few seconds of deliberation, Foulias called the all in showing Qc9c as Sjulstad turned over 8d6d.

“I knew I had the best hand there,” said Foulias. “I’ve played with him a long time and I know something he doesn’t think I know. He has a tell that I remembered noticing 10 years ago.”

That hand crippled Sjulstad who was only left with $36,000 chips out of over 2 million chips in play. Sjulstad doubled up four times in a row, but lost when Foulias hit a set of deuces on the final deciding hand.

“Maybe I should have been more patient” said Sjulstad. “He’d folded every other time when I went over the top of him like that.”

For Sjulstad, it was still a nice cash for a trip to the HPT that coincided with a visit to his daughter, who’s in medical school at the University of Arizona in Tucson. “I came to Tucson to see my daughter and play some poker,” said Sjulstad. “It all worked out pretty good.”

For the Heartland Poker Tour, there is one stop left on the 2007 schedule, the HPT Championship Open which starts next week at Majestic Star Casino in Gary Indiana. “It’s been a great year for us,” said HPT co-founder Greg Lang. “We’re looking forward to our championship event where we’re expecting our first million dollar prize pool.”

The 2008 HPT season is now set and will get under way in February at Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Minnesota. The entire 2008 schedule of events is available at www.heartlandpokertour.com.

While the Casino Del Sol event was going on for the HPT in Arizona, another HPT veteran was having some success of his own in another part of the West. Mike Banducci, a two time HPT final table player, finished sixth at the WSOP Circuit event in Lake Tahoe, NV. Banducci was eliminated by Chris Ferguson when Ferguson moved in on a draw and hit the river.

Final Results from Tucson, Arizona, Casino Del Sol

Total entries into qualifiers – 350

Total entries into Main Event – 141

Total prize pool – $204,118

1. Andreas Foulias – Gilbert AZ $56,313 (plus $3000 champions package)
2. Don Sjulstad – Phoenix AZ $28,157
3. Todd Lundwall – Scottsdale AZ $18,101
4. Ray Yee – Tucson AZ $14,078
5. Seth Krasne – Tucson AZ $12,067
6. Chuck Weaver: Sahuarita AZ $10,056

Founded by Todd Anderson and Greg Lang in 2005, Heartland Poker Tour is built on a grass roots strategy, “Real People, Unreal Money”. HPT provides poker enthusiasts a televised Texas No Limit Hold’em poker tour with affordable buy-ins. HPT owns and operates the Heartland Poker League where poker players can build their skills through local weekly tournaments. HPT is currently in Season III and is viewed in over 60 million homes throughout the United States. For more information and a complete schedule of upcoming events, visit www.HeartlandPokerTour.com.

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