All Eyes On The Star-Studded Field of The Biggest RGPS Tunica Main Event Ever
The RunGood Poker Series is back with the first stop on the The Road Trip leg of the RGPS tour. The RunGood Poker Series $600 Main Event at Horseshoe Casino in Tunica marks the first main event of the second half of the year and has been smashing tour records. Entries all around in the side events were up, with the 718 entrant field in the $600 Main Event being the largest in RGPS Tunica history. A total of $373,360 was collected for the prize pool as the $200,000 guarantee was smashed.
88 players survive into Day 2, all with eyes on the first place prize of $66,208. Leading the way is none other than the Poker Hall of Famer, WSOP 2003 Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker, who bagged a whopping 1,285,000. Despite playing the smallest flight of the three, he accumulated by far the most chips as he raked in pot after pot in his flight. For his numerous accolades over the two decades of his presence on the felt, a RGPS Main Event has eluded him so far. With the only seven-figure stack in the room, he looks to change that with his years of experience aiding him in this battle.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Moneymaker | 1,285,000 |
| 2 | Matthew Higgins | 999,000 |
| 3 | Charles Deatherage | 702,000 |
| 4 | Dawson Darbouze | 560,000 |
| 5 | John Dohn | 560,000 |
| 6 | Forrest Kollar | 518,000 |
| 7 | Shannon Hamblen | 470,000 |
| 8 | Kyle Cartwright | 470,000 |
| 9 | Chance Lawson | 457,000 |
| 10 | Raymond Riley | 421,000 |
The man who Moneymaker knocked out on the bubble of his own flight, ended up bagging the lead in the second one as Dawson Darbouze (560,000) leads the 35 survivors of Day 1b into a guaranteed cash of $1,008. Darbouze’s explosion onto the scene has seen recent success at the WSOPC Tulsa Main, and he has carried momentum into this event. With his ever positive energy at the table and colorful demeanor, he looks to make his first RGPS Main Event cash a big one.
Leading the final flight was Matthew Higgins (999,000). The four-time WSOPC ring winner took his aggressive playing style to the streets and came out as the second biggest stack of the tournament overall. Though his resume is decorated, a RGPS Main Event title has eluded him so far. With a massive stack and years of experience under his belt, a deep run may be in his near future and perhaps a title.
Three players who come into today are all too familiar with that feeling of winning a RunGood Poker Series Tunica Main Event as Tiffany Keathley (281,000), Max Le (144,000), and defending champion Kevin Broadway (202,000) look to do the rare feat of winning two RGPS main events. Kyle Cartwright (470,000) comes into today as the only other player with a WSOP bracelet to their name, while many WSOPC ring winners like Shannon Hamblen (470,000), Joey Gargiulo (411,000), Michael Sanders (359,000), Frank Covich (214,000), Trace Henderson (157,000), and Pam Belote (81,000) are also ready to add to their resumes. RunGood Poker Series Ambassadors Brian “TheGoldenBlazer” Frenzel (197,000) and Emily Berglund (144,000) look to add more RunGood accolades and Mark Davis (240,000) represents the field as the lone WPT champion, looking to add another tour’s title to his resume.
Play ended with 5:40 left in Level 14 in Day 1a with blinds at 3,000/6,000 and a 6,000 big blind ante. Levels will be upped to 40 minutes as the day progresses, with a break occurring after every three levels.
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