Eric Danis updates the player of the year races from around the world, and the two dive into the global POY race, the GPI Top 300, and a very friendly (and relevant) face in the "Andy FrankenDanger Zone."
Day 1a of the inaugural RunGood Cup Championship at Harrah's in New Orleans, which attracted 90 runners, wrapped up after 13 levels of play, and local player Chris Torres bagged up the chip lead with 244,000. He currently leads the 17 players who advanced to Sunday's Day 2.
Torres found a great spot in Level 8 (500/1,000/100), when a flop hit the felt in a three-way pot that was already swollen by multiple preflop raises. A player in the blinds bet 20,000 and Torres shoved all in with a stack that covered everyone. The third player mucked, and the bettor called off about 10,000 more with the . Torres had it crushed with two kings, and he held through the last two community cards.
Trailing Torres in second is RunGood Pro Ray Henson, who bagged 203,500. The Houston native is having a banner year, having already logged two six-figure cashes. He first won the largest World Series of Poker Circuit event in history, a $365 reentry at the Choctaw stop, for $197,588. This summer, he also made the final table of the massive Colossus, where he finished third for $308,761.
Henson won a key three-way all-in pot when he got his last 64,800 in during Level 13 (1,500/3,000/500) against John Heckenkamp, with a shorter-stacked player already all in. Henson's turned into top pair on an ace-high flop, allowing him to pull into the lead against Heckenkamp's nines and the short stack's . Henson held to scoop the huge pot, much to Heckenkamp's dismay.
RunGood Pros Justin Gardenhire, Ryan Tepen, and Michael Sanders were among the vanquished, as were former RunGood champs Troy Repp and Brandon Fish. Eliminated players still have two more Day 1 flights to attempt to bag stacks, and Day 1b kicks off Friday at noon with more live coverage here on PokerNews.
. Torres had it crushed with two kings, and he held through the last two community cards.
turned into top pair on an ace-high flop, allowing him to pull into the lead against Heckenkamp's nines and the short stack's 
. Henson held to scoop the huge pot, much to Heckenkamp's dismay.