Pocket Sevens Propel Joseph Ferguson to the RunGood Poker Series Golden Expedition Joplin Main Event Title

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Sep 21, 2026 6 min read

Joseph Ferguson got a new favorite hand today at the final table of the RunGood Poker Series Golden Expedition Joplin $700 Main Event.

Ferguson was all in three times at the final table holding pocket sevens, and he won all three on his way to defeating Robert Little heads-up and emerging from a marathon, turbulent battle to claim the RunGood championship ring and $48,516 top prize. It’s the biggest score of his poker career and second major title after he won a WSOP Circuit ring in 2024.

“Sevens is actually my favorite hand right now, because I hit three sets on it and doubled up each time,” Ferguson said. “It feels good. It’s the second ring I’ve won. First RunGood. They’re always fun when you can win one.”

RGPS Golden Expedition Joplin $700 Main Event Final Table Results

The Oklahoma native began playing poker while going to school in Iowa more than 30 years ago. He now works as an estimator in the electrical field and describes poker as simply a hobby. He’s had success on the RGPS before, making the final table of the Tulsa Main Event ten years ago and finishing 10th here at the Downstream Casino Resort in 2023. “They’re fun. I like the people that run it. They’re just fun events. They’re not as serious as the World Series of Poker or WPT. So it’s more laid back, and I enjoy that,” he said.

Ferguson displayed a playful side after his win. He arranged the cards to read 8-6-7-5-3-0-9 for his winner's photo, paying tribute to the Tommy Tutone 1980s hit song. His win today will move him up past $100,000 in live earnings. It’s a far cry from where he was when he first took up the game. “I’m a luckbox. Shove and pray. When I first started out, I admit I was awful. I was really awful. Just do a little studying here and there, not as much as I should if I wanted to do this more. But, yeah, just watching and learning from other people,” he said.

Daniel Lowery, Cody Hughey Among Early Day 2 Bustouts

Ferguson was one of 49 players who returned at the start of the day after making their way through a field of 400 entries. Among the first bustouts was Day 1a chip leader Mostafa Ashkarkhizani, who had his aces cracked by Daniel Lowery’s two pair. RGPS patriarch Papa Karn (32nd), defending champion Cody Hughey (26th), and Mostafa’s son Evan (21st) also fell short of the final table.

Start-of-day chip leader Heidi Erickson lost a massive pot to Jeff Copeland when she made a set of tens, only to run into Copeland’s set of aces to bust in 17th. Lowery, the all-time leader in RGPS rings, lost two straight all ins to Frederick Roll to see his bid for another title end in 15th, while Little spiked a straight on the river to eliminate Tim Black on the final table bubble.

Copeland led at the start of the final table with 2,300,000, while Ferguson and Landon Mabe were in second place each with 1,400,000. Ferguson scored the first knockout, picking up ace-queen against Josh Hawkins’ queen-jack to send Hawkins out in ninth. Tricia Wu then ran her ace-jack into Mabe’s ace-king to fall in eighth as Mabe moved into the chip lead.

Two quick bustouts followed. First, Michael Varnell shoved for 265,000 and was called by Mabe and Copeland. They checked to the river, where Copeland bet 250,000 to chase away Mabe. Varnell showed a straight, but Copeland had rivered a full house to win the pot and eliminate Varnell in seventh place. Shortly after, Craig Leopard busted in sixth with ace-jack against Ferguson’s ace-queen.

Final Five Settle in For a Marathon

The remaining five players battled for more than two hours without a bustout. Each player seemingly enjoyed a period as chip leader, only to fall to the short stack and back up again in wild swings of momentum. Copeland flopped a straight to double up off Ferguson, while Little, who was down to less than 1,000,000 at one point, seized the chip lead after raising Ferguson on the river.

Three full levels went by before the players were sent off to catch their breath. When they returned, Copeland picked up two aces to double up off Ferguson and drop Ferguson to an extreme short stack. Ferguson was then all in with sevens and racing against Little’s ace-jack as he watched an ace come in the window. It was followed, however, by a seven to give him a set and a double up. Just a few hands later, he was all in again with sevens and racing against Copeland’s king-ten, and he held on once more to survive.

Copeland’s run finally came to an end when Little spiked a set of eights, sending the RunGood ambassador to the rail in fifth place. Little was the chip leader before tangling in a pot with Ferguson who bet 500,000 on the river. Little raised to 1,000,000, and Ferguson shoved for 3,100,000. Little snap-called with sixes full, but Ferguson had sevens full to win the massive pot and take a big chip lead over the final four.

Throughout his tumultuous run through the final table, Ferguson admits he didn’t handle the swings too well but tried not to let the hits to his stack affect him. He knew his luck would change eventually, and pocket sevens proved his salvation.

“Not very well. I got really short, then doubled up, then doubled up again with sevens. It’s just about staying in the moment, you know, deal with the frustration. Take a deep breath and move on. Forget about it and go,” he said.

Mabe’s end was precipitated by a family limped pot. He and Little both made a straight, but Little rivered a flush to double up and leave Mabe with less than two big blinds. Little then spiked a straight on the river to finish off Mabe in fourth. Connor Hayward, the chip leader for much of the final table, had fallen to 1,200,000 and then lost a race with king-queen against Ferguson’s nines to set the heads-up matchup.

Ferguson led Little 9,700,000 to 2,300,000 at the start of heads-up. He was a card away from the title as Little was all in with a flush draw against Ferguson’s pair of nines. The river didn’t give Little a flush, but it did improve him to a pair of queens as he doubled up into the chip lead. Ferguson, though, reclaimed his advantage after snapping off Little on the river with a pair of kings.

The two players continued to tangle in several small pots for nearly an hour before Little called for his last 2,000,000 with six-five. Ferguson had ace-queen, and the board kept Ferguson in the lead to bring the marathon to the finish line at last.

Ferguson admits the win won’t change too much in his poker career. “Not a whole lot. It’s a win in a tournament. I’m not a professional by any stretch of the imagination. I just play the tournaments here in Oklahoma pretty much, maybe go out to Vegas once or twice,” he said.

He may be a self-proclaimed amateur and "luckbox," but three decades of poker experience were put to the test today on the way to Ferguson claiming the ring. And he can think two sevens, a hand he'll think twice before laying down again.

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