RGPS Jamul Casino $575 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
RunGood Poker Series All Stars Comeback Tour Jamul Casino
RGPS Jamul Casino $575 Main Event
Day: 2
Level 26
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
As the Poker Shift Manager at the Thunder Valley Casino poker room, Miguel Cardenas frequently sees big name poker players and major tournament wins.
Cardenas found himself playing the role of a poker champion Sunday night, coming away with the victory at the RunGood Poker Series Jamul Casino $575 Main Event. Cardenas made the trip from the Sacramento area down to San Diego's Jamul Casino, and that trip ended with Cardenas posting the biggest poker win of his life.
Cardenas outlasted a field of 425 entries, coming away with the $43,070 first-place prize. Cardenas also scores an RG All-Stars ring and a seat in the RGPS Pro-Am at PokerGO Studio this December.
RGPS Jamul Casino $575 Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miguel Cardenas | $43,070 |
| 2 | Gary Bousquet | $30,205 |
| 3 | Alex Green | $19,420 |
| 4 | Harvey Alegado | $13,060 |
| 5 | Joshua Goldsmith | $10,040 |
| 6 | Nissar Quraishi | $8,330 |
| 7 | Seth Barmes | $6,980 |
| 8 | Brian Fenzel | $5,640 |
| 9 | Quincy Collins | $4,310 |
When asked where the win rates among his poker accomplishments, Cardenas put this weekend's victory at the top of the list.
"Number one, without a doubt," Cardenas said. "I've never had a win like this."
Cardenas said he didn't expect a deep run in the RGPS Jamul Casino Main Event. He entered final table play as one of several players with ample chips for a potential championship effort.
Once Cardenas crossed the three-million chip threshold, his place in the winner's photo almost seemed like destiny.
Day 2 Action
Day 2 started with 96 players vying for 54 money spots. It took nearly ten hours of play for that 96-player field to trim down to the final nine.
Among the final table contenders were RGPS Ambassadors Brian "Golden Blazer" Frenzel (8th - $5,640)and Alex "AlexOptional" Green (3rd - $19,420). The pair of RunGood representatives even ran into each other a couple of times with two tables remaining, including a bluff attempt by Frenzel that was hero called by Green.
The final table slowed down considerably during five-handed play. The elimination of Joshua Goldsmith (5th - $10,040) started a wave of quick eliminations, with Cardenas on the winning end of several big hands.
Harvey Alegado (4th - $13,060) came up three spots short of a second ring win in the RGPS Jamul Casino series. Alegado won the series Casino Championship but bowed out in fourth place in the Main Event at the hands of Cardenas.
Cardenas and Alegado will see each other again in December, with both earning spots in the RGPS Pro-Am at PokerGO Studio in December.
The Main Event drew 425 entries, pushing the prize pool well past the $100,000 guarantee. The 54 money finishers split $212,500 in total prize money.
The next stop for the RGPS goes to Cardenas' home turf, as the tour stops by Thunder Valley for the RunGood Poker Series Golden Ticket event.
RGPS Jamul Ring Winners
| Tournament | Prize Pool | Entries | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior's Ring Event | $10,100 | 101 | Stoney Powers | $2,372 |
| Opening Night Ring Event | $26,040 | 248 | Harvey Alegado | $2,430* |
| DeepStack Ring Event | $42,340 | 292 | Brian Limon | $7,866* |
| Two Green Chip Bounty Ring Event | $20,460 | 124 | Eduardo Palmerin | $2,580* |
| Pot-Limit Omaha Ring Event | $15,080 | 58 | Alex "Optional" Green | $5,425 |
| $575 Main Event | $212,500 | 425 | Miguel Cardenas | $43,070 |
| Black Chip Bounty Ring Event | $21,935 | 107 | George Junak | $3,370 |
*Indicates a chop deal
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Gary Bousquet, on the button, and Miguel Cardenas got all-in preflop, with Bousquet's tournament life at risk.
Gary Bousquet: 
Miguel Cardenas: 
Board: 
Bousquet's runner-up finish earns him $30,205, and Miguel Cardenas is the $575 Main Event champion.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,500,000
2,250,000
|
2,250,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Alex Green and Gary Bousquet got all of the chips in preflop, with Green's stack at risk.
Alex Green: 
Gary Bousquet: 
Board: 
Green pulled ahead on the turn, but Bousquet made a better straight on the river to end the Main Event run of "AlexOptional."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
2,250,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
With 350,000 in the middle and the board reading 
, Alegado checked and Cardenas bet 300,000.
Alegado called and the turn came . Alegado checked again and Cardenas jammed.
Alegado called it off but was sickened to see the 
held by Cardenas. Alegado flashed 
and exited.
Cardenas is now the overwhelming chip leader.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,000,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 26
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 60,000
Level 25
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,800,000
1,800,000
|
1,800,000 |
|
|
1,500,000
-1,350,000
|
-1,350,000 |
|
|
1,200,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
|
840,000
-460,000
|
-460,000 |
Level 25
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Miguel Cardenas opened to 100,000 and Harvey Alegado made it 340,000 to go.
Cardenas called and the flop came 
.
Alegado continued for 300,000 and Cardenas called.
On the turn Alegado bet again to the tune of 575,000.
Cardenas tanked for a moment before raising all-in and Alegado quickly folded.
Cardenas has now crossed 3,000,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,000,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
|
1,300,000
-1,550,000
|
-1,550,000 |
Level 25
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Miguel Cardenas raised to 100,000 and Alex Green moved all-in for 610,000 total. Cardenas called and we were off to the races.
Green: 
Cardenas:
The board ran out 
, clean for Green as he secured the double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,300,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level 25
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Harvey Alegado opened to 100,000 in the cutoff, and Joshua Goldsmith three-bet shoved for 725,000 from the button. Alex Greengado called.
Joshua Goldsmith: 
Harvey Alegado: 
Board: 
Alegado found a pair of nines on the turn, and the river brought no help to Goldsmith.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,850,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
Busted |