Jon Lawson Captures Long-Awaited Ring at RGPS Grand Prix Council Bluffs
Jon Lawson has been a regular at the RunGood Poker Series since the early days of the tour, picking up cashes year after year and building a steady record over the last decade. One achievement that has eluded him this past decade was winning an RGPS ring, something that means more to him than the money. Today, his persistence finally paid off when he captured his first piece of jewelry by taking down the RGPS Grand Prix Council Bluffs Main Event.
The two-day event featured an $800 buy-in and attracted 390 entries, with only 46 players returning to Horseshoe Council Bluffs here in Iowa for the final day of action. Lawson entered the final table with a commanding chip lead and never looked back, going on to defeat Wesley Cannon after a brief heads-up match to earn the lion’s share of the $273,000 prize pool.
When asked how he was feeling following his career-best score, Lawson mentioned, "I feel good, I ran pretty well. I've been playing for quite a while and it's good to get a win. But it's my highest score, so it feels good. That's my first RunGood ring."
2025 RGPS Grand Prix Council Bluffs Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Lawson | United States | $56,865 |
| 2 | Wesley Cannon | United States | $39,967 |
| 3 | Nolan Garrett | United States | $25,689 |
| 4 | Mike Estes | United States | $16,871 |
| 5 | Robert Sherraden | United States | $12,995 |
| 6 | Ryan Ramsdell | United States | $10,756 |
| 7 | Siphonh Tran | United States | $9,009 |
| 8 | Jared Grayson | United States | $7,371 |
| 9 | Richard Terry | United States | $5,706 |
Honoring a Local Legend
Lawson continued to explain what it means to him to win not just any RGPS ring, but a Main Event title - something he's been grinding toward for quite some time.
"It means a lot because, being good friends with Tana [Karn] and just being a part of this RunGood family, you know, it's one of the best tours out there. It is the best tour out there. And yeah it feels good, especially being close to home."
He went on to dedicate his win to a late friend, a poker player from Nebraska who was well-respected amongst the tight-knit tournament community in the Midwest.
"This is for Jeff Banghart, who passed away. He was one of the best around. He's a local legend and you know, this win's for him."
Smooth Road to the Title
Lawson was already leading the pack with 11 players remaining when he found himself in the dream scenario, where he was involved in a massive three-way all in having both of his opponents covered. He spiked a two-outer on the river to score a double knockout, propelling himself further atop the leaderboard and into the final table with a sizable chip lead.
"I showed up, I felt good all day. I did knock two people out going to the final table, so that made me feel better about my chip lead. I felt good at that point."
Lawson had more than double his next closest competitor once the final table commenced and never showed any signs of slowing down. He went on to earn back-to-back eliminations, sending Ryan Ramsdell to the rail in sixth and Robert Sherraden in fifth - flopping a set of tens in both hands.
From there, he didn’t let off the gas, continuing to chip up and extend his lead until heads-up play, where he held a more than 2-to-1 advantage over Cannon. The match proved to be a short one, with Lawson whittling Cannon down to about five big blinds when the final hand took place, Lawson's pocket nines sealing the victory.
As for his future plans, Lawson mentioned, "I'll probably go to the WPT in Florida next week, and then maybe some more RunGood or MSPTs in the region. But yeah, I'm gonna play my run and see how it goes."
That wraps up coverage of the $800 Main Event here at the RGPS Grand Prix Council Bluffs. Be sure to follow PokerNews for future events all around the globe.