Editor’s note: Dean Holzwarth is filling in for regular blogger Josh Slagter.
Money was tight for David Kiss, so the 48-year-old Hopkins resident traveled to Indiana last weekend to play in a Heartland Poker Tour tournament. Lack of money no longer is a problem for Kiss, who pocketed $128,614 for winning the event at Majestic Star Casino in Gary. He also won a spot in the Heartland Poker Tour Championship Open on Nov. 12-23 at Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant. Kiss qualified for the main event through a $250 satellite, and outlasted a field of 453 players. “I play at a lot of local places like Westgate and Woody’s, but I haven’t been playing a lot of poker because, financially, I didn’t want to waste any money when I didn’t have it,” Kiss said. “I needed to get lucky, so I took a chance and played in a qualifier. I still can’t believe that I won.” Kiss, who became interested in poker three years ago after playing in a charity event, had played in two previous HPT events but had failed to cash.
He works in the concrete business and had a remodeling job in Vernon Hills, Ill., the same weekend as the event.