Youth is Served at Heartland Tournament at Turning Stone

Vernon, NY – A young Internet poker pro, Tyler Reiman, 19, of Morton IL, demonstrated to doubters that he could win a live contest. Playing in his first live tournament, the young man captured
The Heartland Poker Tour is a big success in the poker world.  the Heartland Poker Tour $1,000 buy-in Championship at the Turning Stone Casino, in upstate New York, May 16.

The Championship event attracted 164 players and a prize pool of $164,000. For his victory, Reiman received $48,335

Tyler got an early boost at the Final Table when his pocket-Aces stood-up against KK and A/K-suited. Heads-up with Jason Somerville, who started the Final Table as the short-stack, Reiman eventually used KK to conquer his foe, holding A/Q-suited.

Reiman recently won a huge online tournament for more than $100,000. When the Internet ace learned the Heartland Poker Tour would make its East Coast debut at Turning Stone, where 18 is the age minimum, he decided to take a reality test.

Tyler Reiman discovered that live poker is a lot more exciting than the virtual. In a live game, they’re trying to eliminate you! Here, a player scores with cash and chips. At the poker table, everybody is face-to-face… and everybody’s a target.

The Heartland Poker Tour was created for poker players in local casinos and neighborhood card rooms around the country. The HPT is like the Minor Leagues. It was designed and developed to give players everywhere a chance to make the Big Time.  

Convinced a lot of local players would like a shot at stardom, Heartland keeps the cost of entry within the reach of most people. Consequently, because there are so many participants the prize money is exciting.

The Championship Final Table at each HPT tournament is televised. With an audience, lights and TV cameras, players in the Championship feel like they’re competing at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

The Heartland Poker Tour, in just its third season, will conduct and broadcast tournaments in more than a dozen locations around the country in 2007. The HPT crew travels to the Majestic Star Casino, in Gary, Indiana for its next tournament July 21-29.