While PokerNews is here offering live updates for the $1,000,000 guaranteed Contenders Series Season Finale Main Event, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about some of the side events that awarded RGPS rings over the past week here at the beautiful Thunder Valley Casino Resort.
Event #4: $255 RunGood Fifty-Five NLH saw a field of 429 entries build a prizepool of $92,235, shattering the $55,000 guarantee and seeing the top 55 players making the money.
In the end, it was Richard Troendly who took home $18,355 and the RunGood ring for first place.
Event #4: $255 RunGood Fifty-Five NLH Final Table Results
After Joe Stapleton raised to 1,300 from under the gun, Greg Pincombe, known at Thunder Valley as "Spartacus", moved all in from the small blind for about 29,000.
"Stapes" as he's known by pretty much everyone that's ever met him, called and a classic race involving two great nicknames was underway.
Greg "Spartacus" Pincombe:
Joe "Stapes" Stapleton:
The flop was safe for Stapleton, but the on the turn left the comedian and poker commentator needing a ten on the river.
Instead, the added insult to injury, as Stapleton was left with under half of a starting stack, while Pincombe vaulted over 60,000.
Kulwant Singh, who won the RunGood Graton Main Event back in September, was all in and at risk on a flop of after betting his last 7,600 and getting called by the button.
Kulwant Singh:
Button player:
Singh's top pair and straight draw were crushed by his opponent's flopped Broadway straight.
The on the turn gave him outs to a full house, but instead, the fell on the river, giving Singh a chop with his own Broadway straight.
Maybe the most exciting pot of the day just took place as three players were all in and a fourth made a disciplined fold to keep his tournament alive.
Preflop, David Ong raised to 2,200 in early position and was called by Arthur Tanimoto in middle position, Conrad Bowman in the cutoff, and Mark Egbert in the small blind.
The flop came and Egbert moved in for just under 16,000. Ong made the call, but then Tanimoto moved over top all-in for just under 40,000.
Bowman went into the tank before moving all-in as well for slightly more.
Seeing all the action behind his original jam, Egbert actually left the table and had to be called back by the floor staff who threatened to kill his hand.
He returned to see Ong now in the blender with the two further all-ins behind his original call.
With no further action possible, Ong folded face up to save his last 17,500 chips, which proved to be a wise decision as the hands were revealed.
Mark Egbert:
Conrad Bowman:
Arthur Tanimoto:
Tanimoto's set of eights was ahead versus a pair of flush draws, with Egbert only drawing live to a straight flush.
The dealer completed the board with the on the turn and the on the river to send the huge pot to Tanimoto, while Egbert was instantly eliminated and Bowman was sent packing shortly after as the was left with crumbs.