The 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion has kept a high-profile in the poker world since his amazing run in 2004 that saw the former patent attorney become one of the most recognizable people in poker. Raymer has acted as one of the faces of PokerStars before parting ways with the company this year, and has also been very active in the fight to legalize online poker, working with both the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) and FairPlay USA.

But recently it has been Raymer’s poker accomplishments that have kept his name in the headlines as “The Fossilman” has won two Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) Main Events in the past three months. Raymer became only the second person in the history of the HPT to have won multiple Main Events and in doing so has shot to the top of the HPT Player of the Year race.

Raymer’s first HPT victory came at the end of July in New Mexico, where he won the HPT Albuquerque Main Event, taking home over $70,000 for the victory. Here is a look at the final table payouts from that tournament:

1. Greg Raymer – $71,875

2. Robert Crawford – $42,500

3. Scott Dougherty – $26,875

4. Benjie Benaviden – $21,550

5. Allan Hedin – $16,250

6. Steven Carruthers – $14,375

7. John Bechard – $11,875

8. Alberto Herrera – $10,625

9. Julian Melancon – $9,375

Raymer’s latest win came at the 2012 Heartland Poker Tour Missouri II No Limit Hold’em Main Event, which was held at the River City Casino in St. Louis, Missouri. The event featured the typical $1,500 buy-in featured at HPT events and attracted a field of 336 players. Joining Raymer at the final table was another man whose fame can be traced to the WSOP Main Event coverage on ESPN, 2008 WSOP Main Event final table participant Dennis Phillips. Phillips nearly won his first WSOP bracelet earlier this year, finishing as the runner-up in the Seniors Championship.

Here is a look at the complete final table payouts from the tournament:

1. Greg Raymer – $121,973

2. Ryan Hickey – $69,034

3. Alona Sushynina – $43,908

4. Shawn Roberts – $37,810

5. Penelope Banhidy – $29,272

6. Stan Jablonski – $23,906

7. Dennis Phillips – $14,636

8. Marvin Glowczewski – $13,904

9. Brad Albrinck – $12,246

Raymer’s recent run has catapulted him to the top of the HPT Player of the Year leader-board, but still has plenty of players within striking distance, and plenty of HPT events to go on the season, as the following table from the HPT website indicates:

 

1.	Greg Raymer	Raleigh, NC	$193,848	100
2.	Gary Lambert	Quincy, IL	$103,971	83
3.	Terry Presley	Huntsville, AR	$91,558	78
4.	Julian Melancon	Farmington, NM	$89,423	60
5.	Cliff Waite	Grand Junction, CO	$22,170	53
6.	Tony Lay	Oklahoma City, OK	$39,802	51
7.	Phil Collins	Las Vegas, NV	$71,556	50
7.	Daniel Acevedo	Belvidere, IL	$133,081	50
7.	William Failla	Smithtown, NY	$119,064	50
7.	Steen Ronlov	Westminster, CO	$270,905	50
7.	Lloyd Marshall	Waianae, HI	$55,565	50
7.	Joeseph Chalbaud	Lake Mary, FL	$105,177	50
7.	Michael Harris	Newcastle, WY	$245,078	50
7.	Naz Al	Mankato, MN	$118,482	50
7.	Michael McCloud	Telluride, CO	$154,604	50

Tags: Alberto Herrera, Dennis Phillips, ESPN, Fossilman, Greg Raymer, Heartland Poker Tour Hpt, John Bechard, Patent Attorney, Poker Main Event, poker players, Poker World, PokerStars, River City Casino, Scott Dougherty, St Louis Missouri, Steven Carruthers, Table Participant, World Series of Poker, World Series of Poker Main Event, WSOP Main Event

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