PokerNews is not offering live coverage of this RunGood Poker Series event, but we will be keeping readers informed with updates on chip counts, core event statistics and player stories, including entries, prize pool, payouts, and final table hands. Scroll down to see more.
$400 PokerNews PowerStack
Day 2 Completed
Despite playing at Borgata Casino Resort for over twenty years, Mukul Pahuja had never won a tournament at his home casino. Today, he achieved something that has been on his bucket list for a while. Overcoming a field of 981 entries in the $400 PokerNews PowerStack, he laid claim to the first-place prize of $55,165. In addition to that fantastic prize, he also won his first RunGood Poker Series ring and the pretty glass Borgata trophy.
"Happy birthday to Rook! He turned forty today." Pahuja shouted out almost immediately while getting ready for the winner photo and explaining that he wanted to pose with the 4♥6♥ as that was Rook's number.
With over $6.6 million in tournament cashes according to The Hendon Mob, Pahuja is no stranger to success. "I felt good, we played a bit shallow. I felt pretty confident, like, let's do this. You know that there is going to be some gamble involved, and there was. It was a huge coin flip, and that's what it took. I have a good amount of final table experience, but heads-up, anything can happen."
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mukul Pahuja | United States | $55,165 |
| 2 | Alberto Sabogali | United States | $38,105 |
| 3 | John McGuinness | United States | $26,250 |
| 4 | Rajath Tangam | United States | $17,215 |
| 5 | Anthony Cicali | United States | $11,860 |
| 6 | Alex Paredes | Ecuador | $9,205 |
| 7 | Thomas Laessig | United States | $7,300 |
| 8 | Aaron Hendi | United States | $5,825 |
| 9 | Giuseppe Lomuscio | United States | $4,635 |
The 981 entries created a total prize pool of $323,730 over five starting flights. For Day 2, 118 of them returned to the felt to compete. The action was fast and furious at the start of the day with exactly half of the field gone by the time the first break came around. When it was time for the second break of the day, only 25 players were left. Only ten players were sent for their dinner break with Cleiton Junior-Barbosa bubbling the final table about 15 minutes after returning to the tables.
Pahuja started the final table battle third in chips. He first took out Aaron Hendi, then Anthony Cicali, before busting Rajath Tangam. His heads-up opponent, Alberto Sabogali took out the rest in the meantime.
Giuseppe Lomuscio was chip leading the tournament by the time the second break of the day came around but was eliminated in a bit pot against Sabogali where he had rivered trip tens but ran into the latter's full house. Sabogali also took out Alex Paredes with a straight flush.
A deal was shortly discussed twice but not agreed upon. "When we got heads-up, nothing was discussed till then, we said, just chop up the money and stuff, but he had a slight lead on me and he wanted the trophy and everything, so we kept playing."
In the end, he found his demise when his pocket sevens couldn't beat Pahuja's king-queen to be left with just over three big blinds. He called a shove with eight-seven but Pahuja picked up pocket rockets to seal the deal. From bursting the bubble on Day 1d to finishing as the runner-up, overall, he can look back at a great run.
Pahuja was not aware that the Borgata trophy was also part of the package and was excited to see it being rolled in. "You know, you get a piece of the building. It means a lot. I mean, the RunGood stuff is amazing, they put on a great tournament. Borgata is my home casino, I'm from New York. I've been playing here forever, never had a win, twenty years is a long time to play somewhere, and maybe, I'm finally up some money. I don't even know. It might not be, but it still feels really good."
He added: "This is the first event I've played in this tour, I think it's awesome, I am going to play more of them for sure. The ring is very cool, it's a really well run event, great staff, they put together a good series. I'm excited for the Main Event next weekend."
PokerNews will be back with live coverage of the Main Event which kicks off on Friday, March 13 with Day 1a at 11:15 a.m. local time. Make sure to return to follow along with the live updates from the tournament floor.
Blinds: 300,000/600,000:
Mukul Pahuja shoved for Alberto Sabogali to call for the 1,450,000 he had left after paying the ante.
Alberto Sabogali: 8♦7♣ 
Mukul Pahuja: A♠A♥
The board ran out 3♥2♠J♦3♦6♣ for Pahuja to hold with the pocket rockets for two pair, $55,165, the RGPS ring, and the Borgata trophy.
A recap is to follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
39,200,000
1,850,000
|
1,850,000 |
|
Busted |
Blinds: 300,000/600,000:
Alberto Sabogali limped in on the button for Mukul Pahuja to raise to 2,200,000. Sabogali jammed with the bigger stack for Pahuja to call for the 18,325,000 he had behind.
Mukul Pahuja: K♠Q♠
Alberto Sabogali: 7♠7♦
The board ran out K♣5♥2♥A♣3♠ for Pahuja to flop a pair of kings to double up with and leave Sabogali behind with just over two million chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
37,350,000
19,250,000
|
19,250,000 |
|
|
2,050,000
19,050,000
|
19,050,000 |
Blinds: 300,000/600,000:
Alberto Sabogali shoved from the small blind for John McGuinness to call in the big blind for the 2,700,000 he had behind.
John McGuinness: Q♣10♣
Alberto Sabogali: K♥J♦
The board ran out 8♠6♦4♣A♥K♦ for Sabogali to hold with the higher cards and even hit the river for a pair of kings to get the tournament down to the heads-up stage.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,100,000
4,700,000
|
4,700,000 |
|
|
18,100,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
Busted |
Blinds: 300,000/600,000:
Rajath Tangam was all-in and called and covered by Mukul Pahuja.
Rajath Tangam: 9♠9♦
Mukul Pahuja: Q♠10♠
The board ran out 8♣Q♣7♦2♠2♣ for Pahuja to flop top pair and improve to the higher two pair to eliminate Tangam in fourth place for $17,215.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
18,500,000
7,900,000
|
7,900,000 |
|
Busted |
Blinds: 300,000/500,000:
Mukul Pahuja has been putting pressure on the rest and raised once more from the small blind for 10,000,000. Alberto Sabogali called for the 7,950,000 he had behind in the big blind.
Alberto Sabogali: A♦4♠
Mukul Pahuja: K♥9♣
The board ran out Q♥2♥5♣8♣7♥ for Sabogali to hold with the ace-kicker to double up with.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
16,400,000
8,700,000
|
8,700,000 |
|
|
10,600,000
3,400,000
|
3,400,000 |
|
|
8,100,000
1,900,000
|
1,900,000 |
|
|
3,900,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
14,000,000
5,200,000
|
5,200,000 |
|
|
10,000,000
3,325,000
|
3,325,000 |
|
|
7,700,000
8,200,000
|
8,200,000 |
|
|
5,000,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
Blinds: 200,000/400,000:
Mukul Pahuja shoved from the small blind for Anthony Cicali to call for the short stack he had left in the big blind.
Anthony Cicali: 6♣4♥
Mukul Pahuja: K♠9♦
The board ran out 5♥7♠10♣9♠K♦ for Cicali to pick up an open-ended straight draw on the flop but to brick the turn and river while Pahuja made two pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,800,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
Busted |
Blinds: 200,000/400,000:
After Alberto Sabogali doubled up John McGuinness with Q♥J♥ against the A♣K♣ of McGuinness, Alex Paredes shoved for 1,275,000 from the cutoff. Sabogali called from the big blind, having the whole table covered.
Alex Paredes: A♥Q♦
Alberto Sabogali: K♠9♦
The flop came K♦8♦7♦ for Sabogali to flop a pair of kings while both players were sitting on a flush draw.
The turn was the 10♦ for Paredes to hit the higher flush until the J♦ completed the board on the river to give Sabogali the straight flush to reduce the field to five players.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,900,000
1,025,000
|
1,025,000 |
|
|
5,700,000
2,350,000
|
2,350,000 |
|
Busted |
