On Monday, Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar St. Charles wrapped up, and the king of the HPT fell just short of his third title. Craig Casino, the all-time HPT money leader with over $700,000 in cashes, made it to heads-up play but fell at the hands of local player Matt Paten, who claimed $110,386 in prize money.
Casino had to settle for padding his lead over Shawn Roberts by adding $69,882 to his total, putting him about $230K clear of his nearest competitor and putting distance between him and players like Cord Garcia, Alex Greenblatt and Greg Raymer, who are all among the top HPT money winners.