Tucker Makes Quads to Burst the Bubble and Lead after Day 1a of the RGPS Main Event in Joplin
The first of four Day 1 flights for the RunGood Poker Series Main Event at Downstream Casino in Joplin Missouri is in the books. Day 1a drew a modest field of 57 entrants, with seven players advancing to Day 2. Leading the way at the end of the night was Todd Tucker, who bagged 723,000.
Tucker, a high school teacher from Van Buren, Arkansas, has made a significant mark on the RGPS circuit. He currently sits seventh on the Player of the Year leaderboard and secured a RGPS ring along with a $73,242 victory at the RGPS Tulsa Main Event in January 2024. Behind Tucker in second is Victor Harris (315,000), with Timothy Black (290,000) right behind him in third.
RGPS Main Event Day 1a Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Todd Tucker | United States | 723,000 | 121 |
| 2 | Victor Harris | United States | 315,000 | 53 |
| 3 | Timothy Black | United States | 290,000 | 48 |
| 4 | Justin Brevik | United States | 162,000 | 27 |
| 5 | Josh Hawkins | United States | 77,000 | 13 |
| 6 | Cameron Dugan | United States | 75,000 | 13 |
| 7 | Alex Phahurat | United States | 68,000 | 11 |
Some notable players in the field included RGPS Ambassadors Daniel “Donk” Hughes and Daniel Lowery, as well as RGPS Player of the Year leader Michael Johns. All three fell short of the money but have three more Day 1 flights to attempt to bag and advance to Day 2.
However, it wasn't all bad news for 'Donk.' During a break in the tournament, he managed to cash and advance to Day 2 in the $150 Flip N Go tournament—on his twelfth bullet.
Bubble Hand
The seven remaining players secured their spots in the money and advanced to Day 2 after chip leader Tucker turned quads against Bobby Sanoubane, who had flopped top pair. After Sanoubane called a raise from Tucker on the flop, he led out prior to the turn hitting the felt, betting all in for his stack of 120,000, which Tucker snap called. Almost simultaneously to the players turning their cards over, the turn gave Tucker quads to burst the bubble. Already leading at the time, Tucker added approximately 250,000 chips to his stack, further extending his advantage.
Flight 1b of the RGPS Main Event at Downstream Casino is scheduled for Friday, April 11, at 6:00 p.m. local time. Subsequent flights, 1c and 1d, will occur on Saturday, April 12, at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. local time, respectively.
Players will start the event with 30,000 chips, playing 30-minute levels during Day 1 flights before levels increase to 40 minutes on Day 2. Blinds will begin at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. There will be a 15-minute break after every two hours of play.
The Main Event features unlimited reentries, with late registration open until the start of Level 9. Play will continue until only 12.5% of the field remains, at which point players will reach the money, bag their chips, and return for Day 2.
Participants may enter multiple Day 1 flights, but if a player qualifies for Day 2 more than once, only their largest stack will carry forward. Any lower chip stacks will be removed at the start of Day 2 and receive the minimum Day 2 payout. Blinds on Day 2 will begin at the lowest level reached during the Day 1 flights.
Be sure to follow PokerNews for live updates and coverage throughout the entirety of the $800 Main Event in Joplin for the RGPS.