Thornton Dominates Day 1b/c to Take Overall Lead
Day 1b and Day 1c of RunGood Poker Series Hard Rock Tulsa drew 101 and 87 runners respectively, pushing the three-flight total to 281 and generating a prize pool of over $147,000. At the conclusion of the two 12-level flights, Schuyler Thornton, who bagged the lead on Day 1b, sits atop the counts with 301,500. That gives him a wide lead over Day 1c leader Matt Botzer, who finished with 208,000.
Thornton comes into the RunGood series red-hot after chopping Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold'em at River Poker Series in late August, topping a field of 1,558 entrants to bank $77,404.
The Texas native picked up kings in a dream spot in the big blind, seeing a raise to 4,000 in front of him and two calls at Level 10 (800/1,600/300). Thornton made it 16,000 to go and the opener shoved all in for about 50,000. The players in between folded and Thornton called, holding against 
on a runout of 
.
Botzer also had good luck with 
, sitting down and seeing them in the hole on the very first hand he was dealt. He doubled through Robert Harp, who had 
. As the night wound down, he got the best of RunGood Pro Daniel Lowery in a massive pot, making eights full with 
on a board of 
. Botzer checked it back on the end, saying he hadn't realized he made the nut full house, and Lowery mucked what he said was deuces full.
Some of the notables who advanced to Day 2 included RunGood Pros Lowery (156,000), Dan "Wretchy" Martin (130,000), Samantha Abernathy (91,000), Bryan Campanello (41,500), and Ben Reason (36,500), as well as Rodney Spriggs (173,000), Will Berry (136,500), Daniel Hughes (122,500), and Greg Jennings (100,500).
RunGood Pros Ross Bybee and Justin Gardenhire, Horseshoe Council Bluffs poker room manager Andrew Brock, Terry Karn, Mike Tang, and Eric Bunch were among the players taking shots and failing to advance.
The 64 survivors will meet up Sunday at noon to play down to a champion who will claim $33,998 and a $2,000 Blaycation package to the season-ending championship in New Orleans. All final table participants will win packages as well. Be sure to check on the live reporting to see who takes the crown.