Matt Riffel is the RGPS Downstream Casino Main Event Champion, Sam Washburn Takes Casino Champ
Over the weekend, Matt Riffel of Kansas City, Missouri topped a 383-entry field to win the RunGood Poker Series $575 Main Event at the Downstream Casino.
He took home a $35,333 top prize, the All-Stars ring, and a seat in December's All-Stars event at the PokerGO studio in Las Vegas. He defeated Phillip Teel heads up after the players made a deal three-handed. Each player locked up $27,000 and then played for the remaining $8,333.
Riffel topped a record field for the stop to capture the extra money and the All-Stars prizes when both he and Teel flopped top pair. Riffel had the better kicker and held to take down the tournament just before 1 a.m. local time.
RGPS Downstream Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Riffel | $35,333* |
| 2 | Phillip Teel | $27,000* |
| 3 | Jared Ward | $27,000* |
| 4 | Adam Todd | $12,543 |
| 5 | Dustin Messner | $9,479 |
| 6 | Jacob Seale | $7,373 |
| 7 | Matt Johnson | $6,128 |
| 8 | Austin Reilly | $5,075 |
| 9 | Grant Hinkle | $4,290 |
[sub]*Denotes three-handed deal.[/sub]
The final table began with Grant Hinkle being eliminated after a race against Teel with pocket nines. Hinkle had built up a stack after busting his brother Mason "Uncle Ron" Hinkle with pocket kings and going on a bit of a run. He found himself short and eventually shoved into Teel and couldn't out flip him.
The final table moved relatively slow as far as eliminations were concerned and the table played nine-handed for a bit. Eventually, Austin Reilly fell in eighth place. He was eliminated by Dustin Messner when both players flopped an ace. Messner had the better kicker and held on to send Reilly to the rail.
Matt Johnson was the seventh-place finisher. He shoved into Jacob Seale's big blind and found himself with a weaker ace. Seale was next to go after he check-called a shove by Riffel and it was another case of a kicker problem. Seale just missed out on the title of Casino Champion by finishing in sixth place when he needed just one spot better.
Messner hit the rail in fifth place after he check-raised his remaining stack into Jared Ward's trip queens. Messner had hope with a flush draw, but couldn't get there and went home in fifth place.
From there, Adam Todd was left short after doubling up Riffel when the two were all in preflop ace-king versus ace-queen. Todd got his last 160,000 in three ways but Teel would flop quad jacks and send Todd home in fourth place.
The remaining three players eventually struck their deal and then played for the remainder of the prize pool. Ward was eliminated in the next hand after the deal.
The heads-up match didn't take that much longer, and Riffel would come out victorious and take home the All-Stars ring and event seat, along with the extra $8,333.
The players returned for Day 2 at noon on Sunday with 70 players returning for their shot at the title. The top 45 players made the money and it was RGPS Ambassador Michael Lech who was the stone bubble. The record fields are a sign of things to come throughout the rest of the All-Stars season. Each stop is topping its previous numbers and the players are all queuing up for the chance to represent their room in the PokerGO studio later this year.
Sam Washburn Casino Champ
The other player to lock up a Pro-Am qualifier seat at the stop was Sam Washburn, who you might recall won the RGPS Hard Rock Tulsa Main Event late last year. Washburn began the final day of play with 32.5 points, but because he failed to cash the Main Event, nor “The Closer,” he had to sit on the sidelines to see if anyone could pass him.
Seale had a chance in the Main Event and just needed to finish in fifth place, but lady luck was on Washburn’s side as Seale busted in sixth place. Washburn joined Riffel as the two representatives for the Joplin Grinders at the All-Stars event in December.
RGPS Downstream Ring Winners
| Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $135 Pro Bounty | 230 | $24,150 | Vincent Ramirez | $5,918 |
| Event #2: $185 Deepstack | 376 | $54,520 | Lance Ledford | $10,143 |
| Event #3: $200 PLO | 93 | $15,810 | Anthony Huntsman | $4,744 |
| Event #4: $200 Double Green Chip Bounty | 132 | $15,525 | Norman Glueckert | $4,349 |
| Event #5: $575 Main Event | 383 | $191,500 | Matt Riffel | $35,333 |
| Event #6: $165 The Closer | 82 | $10,496 | Preston McEwen | $3,359 |
That will do it for the RGPS Downstream stop. Tuesday night the next RGPS event in Tunica will kickoff and PokerNews.com will be back with Main Event updates and photos next weekend from the Horseshoe in Tunica.