Ari Engel - HPT Season XIII Champion - $162,154

A dominating performance from a few places before the money bubble all the way through the final hand of the event, @AriEngelPoker takes down the Season XIII @HPTPoker Championship at @AmeristarSC - and with it the Player of the Year title as well.

Engel came to the Championship 19th in the Player of the Year standings, only able to win the title with a tournament victory and the players in the top 10 not making the final table.

He hit every benchmark along the way, taking the chiplead right before the money bubble, bursting the bubble and rolling all the way to the final table.

The final table was rough-going for a while, down to 10BB at one point, but he recovered, eventually defeating Jake Bazeley heads-up FTW.

Engel earns $162,154 for first place, and entries in to six HPT Main Events in Season XIV as Player of the Year.

Here are the final results.

	12/8-12/2017	$2,500	Championship
	316	Entries
	$704,996	Prize Pool
	36	Places Paid
Place	Name		City	Payout
1	Ari	Engel	Delray Beach, FL	$162,154
2	Jacob	Bazeley	Cincinnati, OH	$102,647
3	Niel	Mittelman	Chicago, IL	$68,737
4	Neil	Patel	St. Charles, MO	$47,940
5	Gil	George	Desoto TX	$35,955
6	Bill	Byrnes	Wentzville, MO	$28,200
7	Joshua	Turner	St. Louis, MO	$23,829
8	Harold	Evans	Newburgh, IN	$19,740
9	Paul	Belken	HIllsboro, MO	$16,990
10	Steve	Parrish	n/a	$13,395
11	Michael	Scarborough	Lawrenceburg, IN	$13,395
12	Gregory	Jennings	Overland Park, KS	$13,395
13	Phil	Mader	Grand Island, NE	$10,081
14	John	Richards	Roxana, IL	$10,081
15	Keven	Stammen	Celina, OH	$10,081
16	Ronald	Ong	St. Louis, MO	$7,896
17	Jamey	Kramer	S. Lyon, MI	$7,896
18	Ted	Forshey	De Kalb, MO	$7,896
19	Tim	Vance	MIllstadt, IL	$6,345
20	Blair	Hinkle	Lake Waukomis, MO	$6,345
21	Kyle	Parrish	Union, MO	$6,345
22	Chris	George	Ballwin, MO	$6,345
23	Andreas	Ioakimides	St. Louis, MO	$6,345
24	Ravi	Raghavan	Northbrook, IL	$6,345
25	Todd	Hoffman	Tulsa, OK	$6,345
26	Robert	Loechel	Ann Arbor, MI	$6,345
27	Robert	Castoire	Cecilia, KY	$6,345
28	Patrick	Ray	St. Louis, MO	$5,287
29	Allen	Kessler	Las Vegas, NV	$5,287
30	Ryan	Leng	Sun City, AZ	$5,287
31	Bryan	Skreens	Winfiled, IL	$5,287
32	Reginald	Roberts	Ozark, MO	$5,287
33	Timothy	Pirraglia	Penfield, PA	$5,287
34	David	Yingling	Cape Girardeau, MO	$5,287
35	David	Coffman	Bloomington, IL	$5,287
36	Sameer	Al-Dbhany	Frankfurt, KY	$5,287

Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

Jake Bazeley - 2nd Place - $102,647

@AriEngelPoker has a 8.2 million to 1.2 million lead, and he puts pressure on by moving all in preflop to put @JakeBazeley at risk, and Bazeley calls off his stack.

Bazeley -  

Engel -  

Bazeley adds a gutter straight draw on the    flop, but Engel takes the lead on the  turn.

The river  eliminated Bazeley in second place, a $102,647 cash.

Blinds - 60k/120k
Antes - 15k
Remaining - 1/316

Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

Bazeley Doubles Through Engel

@AriEngelPoker has had the best of it in the early goings of the heads-up match against @JakeBazeley (above, file photo) for the Season XIII @HPTPoker Championship, opening a better than 4-1 chiplead.

Bazeley now moves all in preflop for 1,265,000 and Engel makes the call to put Bazeley at risk to bring the tournament to a close.

Engel -  

Bazeley -  

That was all but over pretty quick on the    flop, the board running out   and Engel's chiplead is down to 7.3 million to 2.5 million.

Blinds - 50k/100k
Antes - 10k
Remaining - 2/316

Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

There's a #TeamGary Hashtag Going Around

Gary @MowsPoker Herstein leads the Season XIII @HPTPoker Player of the Year race, and earns the title if @JakeBazeley defeats @AriEngelPoker heads-up now in the final tournament of the season.

Engel claims the title by defeating Bazeley.

There's a #TeamGary hashtag floating around, most likely coming from Chicago where Herstein is sitting with friends, watching the livestream and sweating the result.


Blinds - 40k/80k
Antes - 10k
Remaining - 2/316

Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

Heads-Up for Season XIII Championship

@AriEngelPoker (above) and @JakeBazeley (below) are set to battle it out heads-up for the @HPTPoker season championship. The winner receives $162,154 with $102,647 to the runner-up. 

With a victory, Engel secures the Season XIII Player of the Year award and with it, entries in to six HPT Main Events (plus hotel accommodations) in Season XIV. Engel finishes 4th in the POY if Bazeley wins. Bazeley is not in the running for Player of the Year.

Bazeley has a 5.4 million to 4 million chiplead to start heads-up play.

Blinds - 40k/80k
Antes - 10k
Remaining - /316

Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

Niel Mittelman - 3rd Place - $68,737

Niel @fly4444 Mittelman moves all in preflop for about 1.6 million and @JakeBazeley makes the call to put Mittelman at risk.

Mittelman -   

Bazeley -   

Bazeley takes the lead on the    flop, adds two pair with the  on the turn.

The river  eliminates Mittelman in 3rd place, a $68,737 cash, Bazeley moving to about 5 million.

The heads-up match between Bazeley and Ari Engel starts soon.

Blinds - 40k/80k
Antes - 10k
Remaining - /316

Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

Neil Patel - 4th Place - $47,940

Neil Patel moves all in preflop, @AriEngelPoker asks for a count (705,000) and Engel makes the call

Engel -  

Patel -  

Engel absolutely crushes the    flop, the board running out   and Patel is eliminated in 4th place, cashing for $47,940.

Engel extends his chiplead, moving to 4.8 million

Blinds - 40k/80k
Antes - 10k
Remaining - 3/316

Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates

Engel Doubles Through Patel

Neil Patel opens for 290,000, @AriEngelPoker moves all in and Patel calls, having Engel's 1.875 million covered.

Patel -  

Engel -  

Both players hit their kickers on the    flop, the board running out   and Engel doubles to 3.75 million and the chiplead, leaving Patel with about 700,000.

Blinds - 40k/80k
Antes - 10k
Remaining - /316

Dan Ross - Hold'em Live Updates