Nick Syrigos Emerges as Chip Leader After Day 1b of the RGPS Main Event in St. Louis
The second of four Day 1 flights in the $800 Main Event at the RunGood Poker Series has wrapped up at Hollywood Casino St. Louis. Day 1b drew a strong turnout with 179 entrants, with 22 players advancing to Day 2 and making the money.
Nick Syrigos emerged as the Day 1b chip leader, bagging 645,000 chips, putting him at the top of the overall leaderboard. Syrigos, who holds over $82,000 in career poker tournament earnings, surged late in the night to finish with a comfortable lead over Corey Nazaruk (525,000) in second, and Josh Hawkins (374,000) in third.
Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Syrigos | United States | 645,000 | |
| 2 | Corey Nazaruk | United States | 525,000 | |
| 3 | Josh Hawkins | United States | 374,000 | |
| 4 | Justin Done | United States | 359,000 | |
| 5 | Eric Bryant | United States | 332,000 | |
| 6 | Josh Martin | United States | 328,000 | |
| 7 | Ron Green | United States | 294,000 | |
| 8 | Chuck Telle | United States | 246,000 | |
| 9 | Cory Aurentz | United States | 241,000 | |
| 10 | Soad Ghamer | United States | 236,000 |
A number of RGPS ambassadors were part of the Day 1b field, including Craig Welko, who was active throughout the day but ultimately came up short of reaching the money or advancing to Day 2. Several other notable players took their shot in the flight, such as Blair Hinkle, Mark LaFata, Michael Johns, Forrest Kollar, legendary bridge player Brian Glubok, and 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion Greg Raymer.
Another RGPS ambassador, Jeff Copeland, was the unfortunate bubble boy after he three-bet all in following an open from the chip leader Syrigos. Syrigos snap-called with ace-king, dominating Copeland’s ace-ten. The board ran clean for Syrigos, offering no help to Copeland and sending him out just shy of the money. With that pot, Syrigos not only secured the elimination but also cemented his position at the top of the leaderboard heading into Day 2, as the final 22 players bagged chips and locked up a payday.
On Saturday April 5, the final two Day 1 flights will take place. First, Day 1c at 11:00 a.m. local time, followed by Day 1d beginning at 5:00 p.m. local time.
Players will begin with 30,000 in chips, playing 30-minute levels, which will increase to 40 minutes once late registration closes. Blinds will start at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante, and players will receive a 15-minute break every two hours of play.
The Main Event allows for unlimited re-entries, with late registration open until the start of Level 9. Each flight will continue until just 12.5% of the field remains, at which point players will reach the money, bag their chips, and advance to Day 2.
Participants may enter multiple Day 1 flights; however, if a player bags more than once, only their largest stack will carry forward. Any smaller stacks will be removed and awarded the minimum Day 2 payout. Day 2 blinds will resume at the lowest level reached across all Day 1 flights.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates and full RGPS Main Event coverage as we march toward crowning another champion in St. Louis.