button in Safari
$1,700 Main Event
Day 1c Completed
2025 RGPS Grand Prix Maryland
$1,700 Main Event
Day: 1c
Event Info
2025 RGPS Grand Prix Maryland
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1c
Buy-in
$1,700
Prize Pool
$384,030
Total Entries
251
Level
25
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
60,000
Entries
130
Players Left
17
Players Left 1 / 251
Filter
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Seventeen weary but elated players managed to survive 18 levels and a grueling two-hour bubble to make it through Day 1c of the RunGood Poker Series Grand Prix Maryland Main Event.
Roy Kim dominated his table during bubble play to such an extent that the rest of the players erupted in celebration when he finally folded a hand. He ended up bagging 925,000, good enough to make him the overall chip leader going into Day 2. The Washington, DC local has career earnings of $312,000 and is a regular here at MGM National Harbor, and he felt right at home today.
Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roy Kim | United States | 925,000 | 154 |
| 2 | Kai Nicholls | Australia | 543,000 | 91 |
| 3 | Kade Venkatesan | United States | 454,000 | 76 |
| 4 | Christopher Chatman | United States | 413,000 | 69 |
| 5 | Alexander Wiggins | United States | 365,000 | 61 |
| 6 | Tyler Shields | United States | 358,000 | 60 |
| 7 | Kieran Davey | Ireland | 336,000 | 56 |
| 8 | Aaron Pinson | United States | 330,000 | 55 |
| 9 | Lee Sommers | United States | 323,000 | 54 |
| 10 | Arash Asadabadi | United States | 306,000 | 51 |
*- Day 2 begins with blinds of 3,000/6,000
Kai Nicholls ended up in second place with 543,000, but not before he was at risk of being the bubble boy. Nicholls was involved in a three-way all in two spots off the money, where he and Yaser Al-Keliddar got their chips in on the flop against Alexander Wiggins. Nicholls was ahead with two queens, but Wiggins spiked two pair on the turn and was poised to secure the double knockout and burst the bubble until Nicholls improved to a better two pair on the river to scoop the pot.
That left 18 players going hand-for-hand, and it took nearly two hours before Kyle Dishongh shoved with ace-queen, but Kieran Davey woke up with ace-king in the big blind to score the knockout and bring the long night to a close.
Kade Venkatesan (454,000), WSOP bracelet winner Christopher Chatman (413,000), and Wiggins (365,000) round out the top five. Wiggins already has an RGPS ring this week, taking down the $400 DeepStack event a few days ago. Tyler Shields busted a few spots off the money in the WSOP Main Event this summer, but this time he survived the bubble with 358,000. Davey bagged up 336,000, while Aaron Pinson, whose career earnings of $2.3 million include the WSOP Circuit Main Event title in Baltimore a few weeks ago and a runner-up finish in the WPT Prime Championship in 2023, also advanced with 330,000.
The 130 entries recorded today were more than the first two starting flights combined. It brought the total field up to 251, with 33 players returning for Day 2 tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. local time to play down to a champion. Blinds will be rolled back to Level 15 at 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante. The official prize pool should be announced shortly before the start of play.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow providing live updates here at the MGM National Harbor as the RGPS Main Event ring awaits one lucky player
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
925,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
||
|
543,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
454,000
86,000
|
86,000 |
|
413,000
133,000
|
133,000 |
|
||
|
365,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
358,000
78,000
|
78,000 |
|
336,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
|
330,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
323,000
27,000
|
27,000 |
|
306,000
24,000
|
24,000 |
|
243,000
113,000
|
113,000 |
|
157,000
123,000
|
123,000 |
|
111,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
|
105,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
|
90,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
76,000
74,000
|
74,000 |
|
68,000
8,000
|
8,000 |
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Kyle Dishongh moved all in for 54,000 in middle position and Kieran Davey called in the big blind.
Kyle Dishongh: A♦Q♦ 
Kieran Davey: A♥K♠
Both players turned their cards over quickly, but they had to wait for the other table to finish before running out the board.
"Nobody's going to root for me? This is how it happens. Just like the Dodgers, down to one run," Dishongh said.
At the other table, Kade Venkatesan had bet 80,000 from the big blind on a board of J♣9♥5♠7♦ and Kai Nicholls called in the small blind.
The river was the K♠ and Nicholls led out for 70,000. Venkatesan called, and Nicholls showed J♥9♠ for two pair to win the pot.
The board was then run out on the other table, and Davey hit two pair on the A♠K♣10♦ flop. The rest of the board ran out 6♦5♠ and Dishongh quickly left the tournament area as the unfortunate bubble boy.
The remaining 17 players are bagging up their chips for the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
550,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
|
|
450,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
|
350,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
"We're going to be at 50,000/100,000 soon," Lee Sommers joked as hand-for-hand continued to drag on.
Action then folded to Alex Bako in the small blind who moved all in for 39,000, and Roy Kim took a small part of his stack and called in the big blind.
Alex Bako: A♠K♥
Roy Kim: Q♦6♠
Kim couldn't connect with the J♥9♠3♥10♥7♠ board, and Bako took the pot with ace-high to double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
900,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
95,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Aaron Pinson raised to 24,000 in early position and Kade Venkatesan three-bet to 60,000 in the hijack.
Pinson then moved all in for 240,000, and Venkatesan quickly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
720,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
320,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Heads-up on a board of A♠4♠J♥9♦, Roy Kim bet 37,000 from the hijack and William Beer called in the big blind.
The river was the 10♠ and Kim bet another 48,000. Beer again called, and Kim showed A♣9♠ for two pair to win the pot.
Kim's stack approached the 1,000,000-chip milestone with that pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
950,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
130,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
William Beer bet 17,000 from early positon on a flop of 5♥4♣2♥ and was called by Roy Kim on the button and Kieran Davey in the big blind.
Action checked to Kim on the A♠ turn and he bet 42,000. Davey then moved all in for 120,000, and both Beer and Kim quickly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
820,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
240,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
240,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Arash Asadabadi moved all in for 176,000 in the hijack and Tyler Shields called in the small blind.
Arash Asadabadi: Q♠Q♣
Tyler Shields: A♠K♠
It was a classic flip, and Asadabadi's queens stayed in the lead through the J♣9♦10♣4♦8♠ board as he let out a loud yell in celebration of his bubble double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
330,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
280,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level: 18
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 12,000
