Robert Fortuno Among Chip Leaders Entering Day 2
The final day of the RunGood Poker Series San Diego Grand Prix $600 Main Event has arrived at the Jamul Casino Resort, as the final 41 entrants will return to the felt at 12:00 p.m. local time to settle once and for all who will be the RGPS champion. A total of 348 players created a prize pool of $180,960, with first place scheduled to take home a prize of $38,890.
Jose Medina will enter Day 2 as the chip leader after a late push on Day 1c saw his stack grow to 777,000. Medina will enter with a chance to surpass his career live earnings with a win at RGPS Grand Prix San Diego.
Corey Paggeot will enter Day 2 as the second-highest stack in the room as his late-night heater on Day 1a vaulted him to a stack of 600,000. Paggeot boasts over $400,000 in lifetime earnings according to The Hendon Mob, but the RGPS main event title has eluded him. He will aim to change that today as he pursues the title with 42 left.
Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jose Medina | Mexico | 777,000 | 155 |
| 2 | Corey Paggeot | United States | 600,000 | 120 |
| 3 | Robert Fortuno | United States | 509,000 | 102 |
| 4 | Christopher Black | United States | 463,000 | 93 |
| 5 | Barbara Lanese | United States | 436,000 | 87 |
| 6 | Jeff Burquist | United States | 402,000 | 80 |
| 7 | Beau Boasythong | United States | 393,000 | 79 |
| 8 | Kellan Kemp | United States | 365,000 | 73 |
| 9 | Jonathan Fagin | United States | 360,000 | 72 |
| 10 | Gabriel Habbaba | United States | 350,000 | 70 |
Robert Fortuno (509,000) will also enter Day 2 with a healthy stack. Fortuno has been playing poker since as far back as elementary school, but he began playing Texas Hold’em when he came to the United States in the late 1990s. A first-place finish would be the largest cash of his career and his first RGPS main event title. Fortuno flirted with a main event title in February of 2020 when he finished in third place at this same venue, but will now have the opportunity to improve on that result.
Long Hoang was unique in that he achieved the distinction of qualifying for Day 2 twice, as he bagged on both Day 1a and Day 1b. Hoang will take the larger of his two stacks (251,000) and be given a minimum cash for the stack that he forfeits.
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38,890 | 10-12 | $3,275 |
| 2 | $27,250 | 13-15 | $2,787 |
| 3 | $17,520 | 16-18 | $2,316 |
| 4 | $11,229 | 19-21 | $1,909 |
| 5 | $8,659 | 22-24 | $1,556 |
| 6 | $7,155 | 25-27 | $1,348 |
| 7 | $6,017 | 28-36 | $1,140 |
| 8 | $4,940 | 37-42 | $930 |
| 9 | $3,887 |
Play will resume with the blinds at the 3,000/5,000 level. Blind levels will be 40 minutes for the remainder of the tournament. Action will play down to a winner as the champion will be crowned.
Stay tuned here at PokerNews for updates on Day 2 action as a new title winner here at Jamul Casino Resort.