$1,100 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2023 RGPS Kansas City
$1,100 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2023 RGPS Kansas City
Buy-in
$1,100
Prize Pool
$412,425
Entries
423
Level
25
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Entries
51
Players Left
1
RELEASE THE KRAKEN! William McCracken Wins RGPS Kansas City for $83,099
Level 25
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
After a marathon day of poker, William McCracken has been crowned the winner of the RGPS Kansas City Main Event after defeating Eddie Northcraft heads-up. He was awarded $83,099, the RGPS champions ring, and the Dream Seat in Thunder Valley later this year while Northcraft took home $55,399 for his runner-up finish.
This is the Missouri native’s second-largest career cash after a Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) 1st-place finish here in Kansas City back in 2016. He also came runner-up in the same RGPS Kansas City Main Event back in 2016 for $28,833, so he is definitely not a stranger to tournaments. This latest score will bring his lifetime tournament earnings to over $450,000 which will move him up a few spots on the Missouri all-time money list. When asked what his plans were next, his response was simply,
“Well, can’t really travel too much, as I’m a full-time veterinarian, but this definitely makes it easier to play the Wynn Championship this December.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | William McCracken | $83,099 |
| 2 | Eddie Northcraft | $55,399 |
| 3 | Jesse Jones | $40,754 |
| 4 | Shaun Emery | $30,335 |
| 5 | David Hengen | $22,850 |
| 6 | Blair Hinkle | $17,421 |
| 7 | Shane Fuller | $13,444 |
| 8 | Ron Walker | $10,504 |
| 9 | Spencer Sanchez | $8,310 |
Final Table Action
Throughout the day, it was Emery and Jones who were the forces to be reckoned with, amassing large piles of chips early in the day and keeping it as such all the way to the final table. They were first and second in chips going into the final table, Emery with 2,745,000 and Jones with 1,730,00 after eliminating Matt Snook in 10th place. Jones then drew first blood at the final table when he busted Spencer Sanchez after crippling him the hand before with a straight-over-straight situation.
Next to exit was Ron Walker who fell victim to Blair Hinkle’s five-six suited versus his own ace-queen suited when the board gave Hinkle trip fives to bust him in eighth. That is around the time that Northcraft began to catch fire and started winning pot after pot, and eventually scored the seventh-place knockout when he called Shane Fuller’s turn-shove with the bottom straight versus top-pair and a gutterball. The river bricked the chop-outs Fuller needed and he was sent to the rail while Northcraft began his rise into the chip lead.
After a series of unfortunate hands, Hinkle shoved with king-queen suited and was called by Jones with a superior ace-jack which held to send out the leading player on the Missouri all-time money list in sixth place. Soon after him, short-stacked David Hengen found the door in fifth as his jack-nine was no match for McCracken’s ace-nine. The players were then down to four-handed for quite a while and it seemed like Emery was going on a heater until McCracken coolered him in a massive pot in the classic Kings versus Aces scenario to send him out in fourth place.
McCracken then used this momentum to beat Jesse Jones in a huge flip with his ace-three versus Jones' king-queen and then Northcraft finished him off with queen-ten versus Jones’ queen-nine. Jones was sent out in third place for the second time in a row as he placed third back in May of this year.
At this point, Northcraft held a dominant 2-1 lead, but McCracken scored a huge double-up in the first hand of heads-up play to turn the tides in his favor. After taking down a few more hands, McCracken then moved all in preflop and was called by Northcraft with the title on the line. Northcraft flipped over ace-queen while McCracken tabled an inferior (to most) jack-nine but a nine appeared on the flop and held to secure his victory and Northcraft exited as the runner-up.
McCracken was then crowned the champion of the RGPS Kansas City Main Event and awarded the RunGood ring, the Dreamseat in Thunder Valley, and of course the $83,099 grand prize.
McCracken’s win concludes PokerNews’ coverage of the RGPS Kansas City Series, which has been a tremendous success here at Harrah’s Casino. Be sure to be on the lookout for more stops as the RunGood: Roadtrip series continues!
William McCracken Wins RGPS Kansas City Main Event ($83,099)
Level 25
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
After defeating Eddie Northcraft heads-up, William McCracken has been crowned the RGPS Kamsas City Main Event Champion!
A full recap of the day's events and a winner's interview will be released shortly so stay tuned!
Eddie Northcraft Eliminated in 2nd Place ($55,399)
Level 25
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
After successfully taking down several pots, William McCracken moved all in and Eddie Northcraft quickly made the call for his tournament life.
Eddie Northcraft: A♠Q♥
William McCracken: J♠9♣
Northcraft was a favorite with his ace-queen, but the flop of K♣9♥2♣ provided McCracken with a nine to take the lead. The runout of 6♦8♥ failed to provide Northcraft with an ace or queen and he was eliminated as this tournament's runner-up for $55,399.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
12,690,000 | 4,190,000 |
|
Busted |
McCracken Turns the Tide
Level 25
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
In the first hand of heads-up play, Eddie Northcraft opened to 300,000 and was then raised to 625,000 by William McCracken, which he called to see the flop of Q♠2♦K♦.
McCracken led out for 500,000 and Northcraft made the call to see the 10♣ on the turn, which both players checked.
On the river 2♥, McCracken moved all in for 3,275,000 and Northcrft went deep into the tank. After a solid minute, he made the call to put McCracken at risk but was shown A♦2♠ for trip deuces on the river.
"Ughhh..." Northcraft sighed as he mucked his hand and set out the necessary chips to pay off McCracken in the big double-up to give him a 2-1 lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,500,000 | 3,400,000 |
|
|
4,190,000 | -3,390,000 |
Jesse Jones Eliminated in 3rd Place ($40,754)
Level 25
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
After losing a huge flip with king-queen versus William McCracken's ace-three, Jesse Jones was left with barely a big blind and went all in against Eddie Northcraft for his tournament life.
Jesse Jones: Q♣9♥
Eddie Northcraft: Q♠10♥
The board ran out J♥5♣8♣J♦2♣ for Northcraft's queen-kicker to take the pot, eliminating Jones in third place for the second time as he also finished third place in the same event back in May.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,580,000 | 3,530,000 |
|
|
5,100,000 | 2,700,000 |
|
Busted |
Shaun Emery Eliminated in 4th Place ($30,335)
Level 25
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Shaun Emery open-jammed for around 750,000 and then William McCracken re-shoved for 1,705,000 to isolate. Eddie Northcraft went into the tank for quite a while but ultimately decided to fold and let the two battle it out.
Shaun Emery: K♥K♠
William McCracken: A♣A♠
"Ugh, of course," Emery groaned as he realized his kings were in second place.
The board of 2♠9♠6♥2♦J♠ did not provide him any solace and he was sent to the payout desk in fourth place for $30,335.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,400,000 | 100,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 25
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 100,000
Emery Takes a Bite out of McCracken
Level 24
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
William McCracken had made it 425,000 to go from the small blind and after some thought, Shaun Emery made the call from the button to see a flop of Q♣8♥6♥.
Both players decided to check and went straight to the turn, which came the 5♠ and McCracken led out for 250,000.
Emery made the call to see the 7♣ fall on the river and McCracken decided to check. Emery then quickly moved all in and after some tanking, McCracken surrendered his hand to award him the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,100,000 | 250,000 |
|
|
2,300,000 | -1,100,000 |
David Hengen Eliminated in 5th Place ($22,520)
Level 24
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Short-stacked David Hengen moved all in preflop and was called by William McCracken to put his tournament life at risk.
David Hengen: J♠9♦
William McCracken: A♥9♠
Hengen would have to get a very specific board to stay alive, but the runout of 8♥Q♣K♥5♦8♣ gave neither players a pair and McCracken was awarded the pot with his ace-high while Hengen exited in 5th.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,400,000 | 900,000 |
|
Busted |