How Do I Play in the HPL?

You must play in a designated HPL tournament at an official participating HPL casino. Tournament schedules for all participating casino are listed on the official Heartlandpokerleague.com website. You must sign the HPL Payout/Release form when cashing out of the tournament. This allows us to post your results on the website and credit you for your points and cashes. Other than that, you just show up! Normal tournament registration rules for your host casino apply. Please contact your host casino if you have any questions. You do not have to play for the entire season – remember the entire prize pool gets paid out each night.

HPL Rules

1. Awarding of prizes. Heartlandpokerleague.com will be the official medium for tracking HPL results and standings. The host casino is responsible for reporting tournament results on a weekly basis, verifying all player information, and keeping back-up records. Players may make changes/corrections to personal contact information on the website. At the end of the League season, the specified prize will be distributed to the winning player by the host casino. The host casino has the sole authority to award HPL prizes. Any disputes over points or results should be taken up with the host casino, which will work with HPL to verify results and standings.
2. Forfeiting Points. If a player does not sign the payout/release form, player forfeits the points to that tournament and cannot be awarded the points for that tournament at a later time. Points are not transferable to another player.
3. Lost Results. It is the host casino’s responsibility to keep a record of all tournament results. If results are not entered on the HPL website or lost as a result of technical difficulty, the host casino’s records will be used to update the website. If the host casino loses the results of a particular week, the tournament point results will not qualify for HPL and a make-up tournament will be schedule within the specified time frame of that particular League season.
4. Certificates of Entry. In most cases, HPL prizes will involve a “seat” into a Heartland Poker Tour televised event. These seats will be given out in the form of a Certificate of Entry. This certificate will be accepted as payment for registration into the specified event noted on the document and will not be accepted at any other event. It must be presented in person at the time of registration. All normal registration rules of the Heartland Poker Tour tournament and the casino specified on the document apply. This Certificate of Entry is non-refundable, non-exchangeable, and non-replaceable. It holds no cash value. The Certificate of Entry is transferable, but it is the player’s responsibility to ensure that the player attempting to use the Certificate of Entry is eligible to play in the tournament specified. Age or other restrictions may apply. Please review heartlandpokertour.com or contact the tournament casino specified on the Certificate of Entry for details on any restrictions. Heartland Poker Tour Qualifier Seats are accepted at any HPT Event for one calendar year from the date awarded but you must notify HPL 30 days prior to the event you wish to attend. Qualifier Certificates of Entry are not transferrable. Please fill out the HPT Qualifier Seat Certificate of Entry Form that you receive from the awarding casino and e-mail or Fax to Mark Schlader at:

   mark@heartlandpokertour.com
   or
   Fax to 218-227-0361

5. Points and Payout. The top 20% of tournament finishers will cash and receive points in accordance with the official HPL pay out chart and formula located on the HPL website.
6. Tie breakers. In case two or more players tie in points to win a specified prize, the player with the most 1st place tournament finishes will be the winner. If players tie for number of 1st place finishes, the player with the most 2nd place finishes will win and so on until a winner is determined.
7. Chopping. Chopping a prize pool at the final table is allowed at the discretion of the host casino but chopping of points is not allowed. The results given to HPL must have one person awarded 1st place, one for 2nd, and so on. If players decide to “chop” a particular prize pool, the event must be completely played to one winner. Only authentic cashes and points consistent with the chronology of the tournament will be posted.
8. Playing multiple leagues. A player can play in as many Leagues as they wish, but points are not transferable for one league to another. Points for a particular player are combined for State and National listings and awards.
9. Tournament Operation. Host casinos will follow the HPL blind structure and point payout structure located on heartlandpokerleague.com. All other direction, operation, and decisions of the tournaments are the sole authority of the host casino.