2024 RGPS Destination RunGood Joplin

$600 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2024 RGPS Destination RunGood Joplin

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
ak
Prize
$60,972
Event Info
Buy-in
$600
Prize Pool
$316,200
Entries
620
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Players Info - Day 1a
Entries
81
Players Left
10

Jolley Cracks Aces & Bags Chip Lead in Day 1a of RGPS Joplin; Winter & Lowery In the Mix

Level 13 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Daniel Lowery
Daniel Lowery

The first of four starting flights in the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Joplin $600 Main Event has reached an end with Arkansas' Brant Jolley bagging the chip lead with a stack of 741,000. He bagged the chip lead in rather spectacular fashion as he burst the bubble by cracking aces with running cards holding nine-four offsuit.

Jolley will have his work cut out for him when he returns for Day 2 as two of RunGood's biggest crushers, Daniel Lowery and Brian Winter, both found bags after battling it out at the same table. Also among the ten players who bagged Day 1a are Jordan Russell, Mark LaFata and Joseph Gatlin.

End of Day 1a Chip Counts

 RANKPLAYERCHIP COUNT
 1Brant Jolley741,000
 2Daniel Lowery447,000
 3Jordan Russell341,000
 4David McFeely221,000
 5Lucas Hughes181,000
 6Brian Winter164,000
 7Brandon Robinson114,000
 8Mark LaFata104,000
 9Joseph Gatlin72,000
 10Josh Friend52,000

The first of four starting flights kicked off at 6 p.m. and drew 81 runners on the quest for a piece of the $600 prize pool. Some of the players who couldn't find luck on Thursday were Rachel Sawyer, Rodney Spriggs, Deborah Phillips and content creator Ashley Frank, who had a chance to triple with Big Slick but couldn't pull ahead of an opponent's jacks.

Another player who couldn't find a bag, William Willis, had better luck with ace-king against the queens of Mark Martin, but neither player made it to bagging time.

Chris Willis
Chris Willis

Another highlight of the day was Winter, the current RGPS Player of the Year frontrunner, cracking ace-ten with seven-five after getting it in with an open-ended straight draw only to spike a pair on the river to double up.

There are still three more flights to go before Day 2, including Day 1b getting underway on Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. local time. That flight will follow a similar structure as today's flight, with 30-minute blind levels starting with a level of 100/200/200.

Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team is on-site and will be back tomorrow for continued coverage of the RGPS Joplin Main Event.

Tags: Ashley FrankBrandon RobinsonBrant JolleyBrian WinterDaniel LoweryDavid McFeelyJordan RussellJoseph GatlinJosh FriendLucas HughesMark LaFataMark MartinRachel SawyerRodney Spriggs

Top Pair Good for Brower

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Josh Brower
Josh Brower

Josh Brower was in the big blind in a heads-up pot against the button on a board of 3J82.

Brower checked on the turn and his opponent fired a bet of 11,000. Brower called. Brower then checked on the 7 river and his opponent checked back.

The opponent showed 1010 before Brower rolled over J10 to win the pot with a pair of jacks.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Josh Brower
Josh Brower
122,000
122,000
122,000

Tags: Josh Brower

Winter Hits the River to Stay Alive

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Brian Winter
Brian Winter

The under-the-gun player opened to 4,500 and RunGood Player of the Year frontrunner Brian Winter defended out of the big blind.

Winter led out on the flop of 836 to get his remaining 18,500 in against the bigger-stacked opponent.

Brian Winter: 75 All in
Opponent: A10

Winter had an open-ended straight draw against his opponent's flush draw and live cards. The K turn didn't change anything, but the non-spade 7 river gave Winter a pair of sevens to double up with the money bubble looming.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Brian Winter us
Brian Winter
45,000
17,000
17,000

Tags: Brian Winter

Day 1a Information

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Downstream Property Photos
Downstream Property Photos

With registration now closed and 81 runners in Day 1a, the field will play down to ten players. Those ten players will advance to Day 2 and will be in the money.

Phillips Fires Two Streets

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Deborah Phillips
Deborah Phillips

In a heads-up pot on a flop of 8K3, Deborah Phillips checked and her opponent checked back.

Phillips then bet 6,000 on the Q turn and her opponent called. The 7 completed the board and Phillips sized up to 15,500. Her opponent quickly folded.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Deborah Phillips us
Deborah Phillips
55,000
20,000
20,000

Tags: Deborah Phillips

Willis Doubles With Big Slick

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Chris Willis
Chris Willis

William Willis was all in for 18,100 against Mark Martin, who had Willis covered.

William Willis: AK All in
Mark Martin: QQ

Willis was able to win the flip as the board ran out A67J7 to pair his ace as Martin gave a groan after having his queens cracked.

"If you can double on an ace, so can I," Willis said. "Circle of life."

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of William Willis us
William Willis
37,000
-8,000
-8,000
Profile photo of Mark Martin us
Mark Martin
16,000
16,000
16,000

Tags: Mark MartinWilliam Willis

Last Year in Joplin

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante
Dakotah O'Dell
Dakotah O'Dell

The RunGood Poker Series is back in Joplin, where last year’s $600 Main Event saw Dakotah O’Dell defeat Blair Hinkle to claim his second RGPS title and the top prize of $63,647.

The event attracted a total of 683 entrants, creating a prize pool of $348,330 to smash the $100,000 guarantee.

2023 RGPS Joplin Main Event Final Table Results

RankPlayerPrize (USD)
1Dakotah O'Dell$63,647
2Blair Hinkle$42,427
3Jason Darland$31,210
4Richard Hawkins$23,338
5Jared Ward$17,591
6Kevin Unkel$13,411
7Danny Barnes$10,345
8Jael Lewis$8,081
9John Reynolds$6,374

Phillips Leads Turn

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Deborah Phillips
Deborah Phillips

William Willis opened to 900 on the button and Deborah Phillips defended out of the big blind.

Phillips checked on the flop of 6Q9 and Willis continued for 2,000. Phillips called. Phillips then led out for 3,000 on the J turn and Willis called.

The 7 river completed the board and Phillips bet a slightly larger 4,000, leading to Willis to click his metal card protector a few times in thought before finding a fold.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of William Willis us
William Willis
45,000
45,000
45,000
Profile photo of Deborah Phillips us
Deborah Phillips
35,000
35,000
35,000

Tags: Deborah PhillipsWilliam Willis

Life Outside Poker w/ Connor Richards: A New Podcast for PokerNews

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
Life Outside Poker
Life Outside Poker

Life Outside Poker w/ Connor Richards is a new podcast for PokerNews that focuses on poker players with successful careers and lives outside of poker.

For the first episode, Connor Richards spoke with soap opera actress and high-stakes poker player Farah Fath Galfond, who talked about her acting career spanning more than a decade, first discovering poker in Atlantic City and balancing poker with raising a family.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the hourlong interview with Farah Galfond by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Find Out More About Life Outside Poker!

RGPS Joplin Main Event Kicks Off Tonight at 6 p.m. Local Time

Downstream Property Photos
Downstream Property Photos

The RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) has touched down at Downstream Casino for the RGPS Joplin $600 Main Event, which comes with a $100,000 guarantee attached.

The Main Event, which features live coverage from the PokerNews team, starts today with a 6 p.m. flight and there are three more chances. Survivors from all four flights will return on Sunday at 1 p.m. to play for their share of the and a RGPS Destination RunGood ring.

RGPS Joplin
RGPS Joplin

Players in the Main Event will start with 30,000 chips and blinds of 100/200/200. The plan is to play down to the final 12.5% of the flight field, at which point players will be in the money as they return on Day 2.

Levels will last 30 minutes on Day 1 with 15-minute breaks every four levels and the level length will increase to 40 minutes on Day 2.

There are plenty of other highlights left on the schedule, including a $300 PLO Ring Event and a $400 Black Chip Bounty NLH Ring Event.

Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team is on-site and ready to provide coverage of Day 1a of the RGPS Joplin Main Event.