Welcome to the Hollywood Poker Open Charles Town Main Event!
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Welcome to the fifth in a series of six Hollywood Poker Open Regional Championship, as the $1,800 Main Event capping the HPO's Charles Town, West Virginia stop kicks off.
Now in its second season of play, the HPO has grown by leaps and bounds during the last year, with field sizes growing at each stop and one of poker's premiere stars providing highlights and headlines. Serving as the Ambassador for the Hollywood Poker Open, Chris Moneymaker has dominated the series as of late, winning the Main Event at the St. Louis stop less than two weeks ago for a $36,259 score.
Best known as the man who launched the "Moneymaker Boom" in 2003 - winning the World Series of Poker Main Event as an amateur and parlaying $39 into a $2.5 million by besting the game's greatest players - the former champ has used the up-and-coming tour to prove he still has game. Along with his 1st place finish in St. Louis, Moneymaker dominated the HPO Tunica Main Event, entering the final table as the massive chip leader before ultimately falling in 3rd place. He also finished in 10th place at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana, making it three deep runs in four stops this season.
Moneymaker will be joined by longtime touring pro Lee Childs, who has made an effort to play as many HPO preliminary events and Main Events as possible this season. Childs is hoping to secure one of the tour's coveted $2,500 Season Championship prize packages, which includes a seat in the HPO's season-ending Main Event in Las Vegas.
After a solid series thus far, Childs finds himself atop the HPO Charles Town points leaderboard - but a familiar face is trailing close behind. Bill Childs is currently in 3rd place in the chase for a Season Championship prize package, and with his son sitting on top, we're sure the Childs family will be playing their best in hopes of a 1-2 finish.
The HPO Charles Town Main Event is set to start at 12:15pm local time, so keep it here throughout the day as PokerNews brings you continuous live coverage from the floor.