Shane Faulk - HPT Black Hawk Champion

Confident and chipping up throughout his first day of play, never in trouble throughout Day 2 and the dominant player the entire final table, Shane Faulk is the 200th Main Event Champion in HPT history, winning the $1100 Main Event from Golden Gates Casino Poker Room.

Faulk earns $132,262 for the win, his biggest-ever cash. His top-two cashes are both HPT Black Hawk events, with a $36k Event 1 win back in 2016 as well.

David Charnick worked a 12BB final table starting-stack all the way to a $81,707 second-place finish. He began heads-up play with a 6-1 deficit and extended play with a double-up on the very first hand, and preflop shoving often kept Faulk at bay.

The final hand was KQ of Charnick against the 22 of Faulk. Faulk flopped a set, then had to dodge an open-ended draw for Charnick on the turn.

Mike Englert was 3rd, never seeming to get in a position to gain cards all day long, cashing for $53,550.

Rory Hayes and Jason Tate picked up 4th and 5th, respectfully.

Danny Gonzales moved to more than $200,000 in HPT Black Hawk earnings with his 12th cash here. His 6th place finish - his 5th HPT Black Hawk final table - earned $20,985.

HPT Comes back to Black Hawk in mid-September for a $1,650 Main Event

Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates
Korey Stewart - HPT Photo

David Charnick - 2nd Place - $81,707

David Charnick doubled up on the very first heads-up hand to get to 5.5 million, but Faulk quickly began cutting in to that stack. To counter Faulk, Charnick switched to moving all-in preflop regularly, choosing not to get involved in much postflop play.

Charnick started final table play 6/8 with just 12B. Easily the player having the most fun at the final table, his relaxed demeanor made it easy, it appeared, to put his stack at risk. He doubled three different times before heads-up play began.

In the final hand of the tournament, Charnick is first to act and goes all-in for 5.29 million.  Faulk requests a count and makes the call.

Charnick shows  
Faulk shows  

The    1flop gave Faulk a set and Charnick a backdoor straight draw.

The  made for an open-ended draw but the river  brings the end of the tournament.

- Jessica Parente and Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

Calm Before the Storm

It's going back and forth pretty quickly between chip leader Shane Faulk and onsite-audience-favorite David Charnick.  There hasn't been a flop for a number of hands as the two players continue to pass their blinds around.

Typically, when Shane is first to act, he will raise to 625K. Charnick will either shove or fold.  When Charnick is first to act, he either shoves or folds to Faulk's big blind.

Faulk still has a 3:1 chip lead over Charnick.

Current level: 20k/80k/160k

- Jessica Parente - Hold'em Live Updates

New Strategy, Move All-in Regularly

Not a lot of flops have been seen since David Charnick doubled through Shane Faulk on the first hand of heads-up play.

After doubling up, Charnick has been playing it safe and folding to Faulk's many pre-flop raises.  In the last few hands, however, Charnick has been going all-in when first to act, defending what is now about 6 million in chips.  Faulk continues to have Charnick outchipped about 3-1.

Blinds - 80k/160k
Antes - 20k
Remaining - 2

- Jessica Parente - Hold'em Live Updates

Another Charnick Double

Shane Faulk told @HPTJaymz in the heads-up pregame interview he planned to put opponent David Charnick all in right away ... and that's what he would have done, if Charnick didn't move in first.

In the first hand heads up, Charnick goes all-in for 2.73 million and Faulk calls.

Charnick:  
Faulk:  

Flop:   
Turn: 
River: 

Faulk - 12,500,000
Charnick - 5,500,000

Blinds - 60k/120k
Antes - 15k
Remaining - 2

- Jessica Parente - Hold'em Live Updates

HU4Rollz at @HPTPoker @Gates_Poker

Shane Faulk and David Charnick are on a short break, preparing to play heads-up for the 2017 HPT $1100 Main Event title at Gates Poker Room in Black Hawk, CO.

Faulk holds a huge chiplead - 15,325,000 to the 2,870,000 of Charnick

We'll be back as soon as HU4Rollz gets started

Blinds - 60k/120k
Antes - 15k
Remaining - 2

- Hold'em Live Updates

Mike Englert - 3rd Place - $53,550

Shane Faulk raises to 505,000 and @MoneyFlickaMike Englert goes all-in for 2.495 million and gets the call from Faulk.

Englert shows  
Faulk shows  

Faulk, crushing his competition for the last 30 hands, hits the    flop.

The turn and river go    and Mike Englert is out in 3rd place, cashing for $53,550

Blinds - 60k/120k
Antes - 15k
Remaining - 2

- Jessica Parente - Hold'em Live Updates

Rory Hayes - 4th Place - $37,209

Shane Faulk raises to 510,000 and Rory Hayes shoves all-in for 2,055,000. Faulk makes the call.

Faulk shows  
Hayes shows  

Flop:   
Turn: 
River: 

and Rory Hayes finishes in 4th place, cashing for $37,209

Blinds - 60k/120k
Antes - 15k
Remaining - 3

- Jessica Parente - Hold'em Live Updates

2 Milly More for Faulk

Shane Faulk is really putting the pressure on his challengers now. From the SB he raises to 505,000 and gets a call from Rory Hayes in the BB.

Flop:   

Faulk is first to act and checks.  Hayes checks behind.

Turn: 

Faulk bets out 650,000 and gets a call from Hayes.

River: 

Faulk looks at Hayes' chip stack and bets 800,000. Hayes, with just about 1 million left, folds.

Shane Faulk - 9,000,000

Blinds - 60k/120k
Antes - 15k
Remaining - 4

- Jessica Parente - Hold'em Live Updates