button in SafariFour Years After Stroke, Jasper May Wins RGPS Passport Southern Indiana Main Event
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After four exciting days of action on the felt here in Elizabeth, IN, the RunGood Poker Series Passport Season $800 Main Event has officially come to an end, with hometown hero Jasper May claiming victory to capture his first RGPS ring along with the $47,787 first-place prize.
Hosted by Caesars Southern Indiana, the event drew 321 entries, generating a prize pool of $224,700 and beating the guarantee, a solid turnout considering it overlapped with Kentucky Derby weekend. After almost ten hours of play, the poker room erupted with cheers once the final card was dealt, with May defeating Shon Smith after a short heads-up match.
When asked how he was feeling following his big win at his home casino, the Charlestown, IN native said, "It's nice to win one. It's been a while. I try to be a nice guy. Most of the folks that come in like me, so it's nice to win one in front of them and give them a hometown win."
2026 RGPS Passport Season Southern Indiana Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasper May | United States | $47,787 |
| 2 | Shon Smith | United States | $31,858 |
| 3 | Andrew Huberty | United States | $23,290 |
| 4 | Ryan Stone | United States | $17,263 |
| 5 | Craig Carman | United States | $12,975 |
| 6 | Kevin Johnson | United States | $9,890 |
| 7 | Caio Sobral | Brazil | $7,648 |
| 8 | Michael Scarborough | United States | $6,001 |
| 9 | Ian Gillespie | United States | $4,779 |
Comeback Story and Dealing with Obstacles Off the Felt
After taking his winner’s photos, May indicated that it was nice to feel the thrill of victory again, as he hasn’t been able to get out and compete much lately. When asked to elaborate, he shared a personal comeback story.
"Well, I had a stroke back about four years ago and I had to rebuild to the point where I could even compete. And I made a couple of blunders today that I normally wouldn't have made a few years ago, but I overcame them and got here. So it's been a little bit of a climb."
"I'm fortunate that I didn't have more damage from the stroke and I'm fortunate that I was able to rally back from it. So I'm a fortunate man."
How an Unlikely Career Change Helped His Poker Game
During the Day 1c flight, where May bagged the chip lead, he was overhead talking about how it's hard to guess his career background given his unassuming appearance and demeanor. None of his fellow tablemates were able to pinpoint his area of expertise.
"I started roofing when I was 12 years old, so I roofed until I was almost 30. I went to nursing school. I've been a registered nurse for 32 years. Primarily I work ICU and ER and I've done quite a bit of high acuity stuff. But sitting around here in a cap and a pair of overalls, most people are never gonna guess that. Going from roofing to nursing, not too many people make a jump like that."
He was asked if there were any parallels between nursing and poker and whether or not his unique career change may have helped him at the tables over the years.
"You need to keep your head involved in either one. Fortunate for me, I have a good system around me when I do work, that helps me keep my head organized. In poker, I'm on my own and occasionally it drifts."
More Poker on the Horizon After Big Score
In regard to his future plans with the money, May explained, "I'm gonna play a few more tournaments. My game has improved quite a bit. I'll probably never get back to where I was five, six years ago."
"But I do hope to play some more around the Midwest here and start traveling again, which is one of the things I'll do with this win."
