$600 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2024 RGPS Destination RunGood San Diego
$600 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2024 RGPS Destination RunGood San Diego
Buy-in
$600
Prize Pool
$215,800
Entries
415
Level
27
Blinds
75,000 / 125,000
Ante
125,000
Entries
53
Players Left
1
Derrick Yamada Defends RGPS San Diego Title for $41,550!
Level 27
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
San Diego's Derrick Yamada has done it! After playing for two days and navigating through a field of 415 entries, Yamada has successfully defended his RGPS San Diego Main Event title here at Jamul Casino! After returning at noon today for Day 2, he made short work of his opponents and ended the day by defeating Michael Holmes heads-up to claim his prize of $41,550 while Holmes took runner-up for $31,200. This title also included the RGPS ring as well as a seat and travel package to the Dream Seat Invitational in Thunder Valley later this year.
No Asterisk This Time!
“Man, I’m not really one to make a scene or celebrate extravagantly, but I am very happy right now,” the now two-time Jamul champ said. “And I honestly owe it to you (PokerNews), when you came up to me on day one and joked that my last win had an asterisk next to it (because of a chop deal), and that really lit a fire under me…I only play about one tournament a month and it feels really good to take one down again. Between the gym and little league practice, I just haven't had that much time to play.” Yamada explained that there is little time for poker between managing the new gym that he and his wife opened, Earned It, and his eight-year-old son’s little league practice.
The Main Event, which offered three starting flights, attracted 415 entrants to generate a prize pool of $215,800. Only 53 of those players made it to Day 2, all of whom were guaranteed a min-cash of $977.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derrick Yamada | $41,550 |
| 2 | Michael Holmes | $31,200 |
| 3 | Kenneth Douglas | $20,056 |
| 4 | Edward Liu | $13,304 |
| 5 | Andrew Whitmer | $10,240 |
| 6 | Lirio Fontamillas | $8,481 |
| 7 | Luis Pedro | $7,111 |
| 8 | Seth Harmes | $5,781 |
| 9 | Tavish Margers | $4,454 |
The action throughout the day started off fast and only picked up speed until it got down to the final four when it finally slowed down. The initial 53 players that returned were cut to 40 within the first hour and they reached the three-table redraw (half the field) at just under three hours. Some players that fell tp the wayside early included the last standing RunGood ambassador, Corey Paggeot, RGPS PoY frontrunner Brian Winter, and Kyna England.
This was due largely in part to Yamada, Holmes, and Kenneth Douglas, who came into Day 2 as the overall chip leader, knocking out players left and right to quickly diminish the field. Before long the three tables dwindled to two and within 2 hours, the final table was reached, with Holmes and Douglas dead-even with a little over 2,800,000 and Yamada in third with 2,100,000.
Final Table Action
In one of the first hands at the final table, Tavish Margers, who had also been very active throughout the day, moved all in with king-queen but ran right into the ace-queen of Lirio Fontamillas and was sent out in ninth place as the first blood was drawn.
As soon as the players came back from their break, it was Seth Harmes who was felted in eighth when his pocket sixes lost to Yamada’s king-queen when a queen appeared on the river.
It was then Holmes’ turn to take a life whenLuis Pedro moved in with ace-ten and Holmes woke up with pocket aces to show him the door in seventh. Yamada then took back the reins and went on a tear as he knocked out Fontamillas in sixth with a flopped two-pair, followed by Andrew Whitmer in fifth by making Broadway, and then Edward Liu in fourth when he flopped a set of sixes against Liu’s top two-pair.
Yamada then lost a huge chunk of his stack when he doubled up Holmes with a two-pair over two-pair scenario but managed to grind back and eventually retook the lead when he doubled through Douglas when his pocket sevens held against ace-jack. A few hands later, Yamada eliminated Douglas in third when he flopped a set of sixes and Douglas shoved into him with pocket queens.
After Douglas exited in third, heads-up play between Yamada and Holmes began, with Yamada holding over a 3:1 chiplead. The action lasted for a total of five hands before they got it in with Yamda holding ace-deuce and Holmes with king-five. A deuce appeared on the turn and the river bricked to name Holmes the tournament’s runner-up while Yamada was declared the champion for the second time in a row.
That concludes the coverage of the 2024 Destination: RunGood Jamul Main Event but be sure to be on the lookout for future stops as Tunica and Jacksonville are just around the corner! Also, don't forget to use the code RUNGOOD for money off on a PokerGO subscription!
From all of us here at PokerNews, I’m Kirk Brown, you stay classy, San Diego.
Michael Holmes Eliminated in 2nd Place ($31,200)
Level 27
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
On the fifth hand of heads-up play, Derrick Yamada and Michael Holmes got all the chips in the middle, with Holmes needing to double.
Michael Holmes: K♣5♦
Derrick Yamada: A♥2♦
Yamada had the superior holding with his ace-high, and the runout of J♣J♦Q♣2♠8♥ improved him to two pair of deuces and jacks to take down the pot, eliminating Holmes as the runner-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
12,450,000 | 2,750,000 |
|
Busted |
Heads-Up Play Begins
Level 27
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
With the elimination of Kenneth Douglas in third, Derrick Yamada and Michael Holmes have begun their heads-up duel, with Yamada holding over a 3-1 chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,700,000 | |
|
|
2,750,000 | 600,000 |
Kenneth Douglas Eliminated in 3rd Place ($20,056)
Level 27
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Derrick Yamada opened to 250,000 and Michael Holmes called, but then Kenneth Douglas three-bet to 700,000. Yamada made the call while Holmes folded and the two went heads-up to a flop of 6♣5♠4♥.
Douglas then just ripped it all in for 3,000,000 and Yamada Snap-called to put him at risk.
"Did you flop a set??" He asked as he flipped over Q♣Q♠
"Yeah," Yamada replied as he tabled 6♠6♥.
Only a queen could save Douglas, but the turn improved Yamada to a full house and the river 6♦ improved him even more to quads! After it was confirmed that Yamada had him covered, Douglas was sent to the payout desk in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,700,000 | 4,200,000 |
|
Busted |
Yamada Doubles Through Douglas
Level 27
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Kenneth Douglas had made it 800,000 to go preflop when Derrick Yamada moved all in for 2,850,000.
After some reflection, Douglas set out a stack, making the call to put Yamada at risk for the first time today.
Derrick Yamada: 7♣7♠
Kenneth Douglas: A♣J♥
"Alright, LET'S GO!" Yamada shouted and clapped his hands together as the flop came out 10♦4♣2♣ for his sevens to still be in the lead. The turn 8♥ changed nothing and the river was the blank 9♥ to secure his victory in the huge pot for a double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,500,000 | 2,300,000 |
|
|
4,800,000 | 1,700,000 |
|
|
2,150,000 | -3,900,000 |
Kerstetter Wins a Ring
Level 27
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Level: 27
Blinds: 75,000/125,000
Ante: 125,000
Holmes Doubles Through Yamada
Level 26
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
In a family pot with a board of 7♠5♦10♠, Michael Holmes led for 2750,000, Kenneth Douglas folded, and then Derrick Yamada raised to 1,025,000.
After some thought, Holmes then moved all in for 2,600,00, which Yamada quickly called to put him at risk.
"You got a set again?"Holmes asked him as he tabled 10♥7♥ for top two-pair, and was relieved to see Yamada held 5♠7♣ for the bottom two-pair.
The turn 2♠ made it a sweat as Yamada could now hit a spade or a five to win, bit the river was the A♦ and Holmes was awarded the pot for a huge double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,050,000 | 2,950,000 |
|
|
3,200,000 | -3,100,000 |
|
|
3,100,000 | -200,000 |
Douglas Lets the Tiger Out
Level 26
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Derrick Yamada opened to 200,000, then was three-bet by Michael Holmes to 650,000. The action was then on Kenneth Douglas who moved all in for around 2,100,000, which resulted in hasty folds from both players.
"You're an animal, Ken," Yamada smiled, "I love it."
"It was the ham sandwich I ate on break, it brought the tiger out."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,300,000 | -200,000 |
|
|
3,300,000 | 1,125,000 |
|
|
3,100,000 | -175,000 |