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$1,200 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2026 RGPS Golden Expedition Jacksonville
$1,200 Main Event
Day: 1a
Players Left 50 / 394
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
1
649,000
6
239,000
8
227,000
9
206,000
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Sean Etheridge is usually sitting on the other side of a poker table as a dealer, but today on Day 1a of the RunGood Golden Expedition Jacksonville $1,200 Main Event, he decided to switch roles.
Etheridge satellited into the event’s opening flight and made the most of his opportunity, building up a massive stack of 649,000 and taking the chip lead over the 18 players who survived the day. Etheridge shared a table during the later stages of the day with WPT champion Blake Ellinghaus, and the two opponents constantly battled in big pots as they jostled for the title of table captain. Etheridge showed Ellinghaus two pair after betting 90,000 on the turn, and he later hit a flush on the river to bust Edward Mroczkowski near the money bubble.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Etheridge | United States | 649,000 | 130 |
| 2 | Mary Darnell | United States | 571,000 | 114 |
| 3 | Sandro Sa | Brazil | 462,000 | 92 |
| 4 | David Greufe | United States | 337,000 | 67 |
| 5 | Andrew Difeo | United States | 285,000 | 57 |
| 6 | Zack Ryan | United States | 239,000 | 48 |
| 7 | Danny Clarkson | United States | 239,000 | 48 |
| 8 | Jamison Burnes | United States | 227,000 | 45 |
| 9 | Mike Scalice | United States | 206,000 | 41 |
| 10 | Blake Ellinghaus | United States | 184,000 | 37 |
Etheridge has been a dealer at bestbet Orange Park for the last few years. His fun-loving, carefree attitude that he displayed today is a reflection of his overall outlook on life. “I just love living life in general, man. Poker’s fun, but I’m just glad to be here and just hanging out, you know?” he said after bagging up for the night.
“I feel great, man. I had a good time. I got some good hands, and I got lucky a couple times. My day was very active and fun. I had a great day.”
Etheridge has just one recorded live cash for $1,200 on his Hendon Mob profile. He describes himself, despite his job as a dealer, as a poker “rookie” and admits he’s played fewer than 10 live tournaments. “I’ve been dealing for five or six years, and I just play every now and then,” he said. “So I’m a rookie, really.”
Etheridge was followed on the leaderboard by Mary Darnell, who got off to a scorching hot start to the day. Darnell admits she busted five players in a span of 30 minutes during the first few levels. She then picked off Ellinghaus in a big pot near the bubble as she finished with 571,00. Sandro Sa won a massive coin flip with David Greufe on his way to 462,000, while Greufe rebounded to end up with 337,000. Andrew Difeo rounded out the top five with 285,000, but his stack could’ve been much larger. Difeo flopped a full house against Etheridge, and Etheridge just called him down with trips. “You could’ve had it all,” Etheridge told him after the hand.
Others through to Day 2 include Ellinghaus (184,000), who won the WPT bestbet Scramble here at bestbet Jacksonville last month, Nick Raio (168,000), and RunGood ambassador Chris Conrad (59,000). Among those who couldn’t make it through the day were Greg Raymer, Christina Gollins, Katerina Lukina, Caleb Powell, Allison Hollander, and the husband-and-wife team of Kelley and Kelly Slay.
A total of 144 players came to bestbet Jacksonville on Day 1a to chase a share of the $300,000 guaranteed prize pool, with nearly 80 players sitting in from the start and taking advantage of the $100 tournament bucks they received for starting on time. Those who made it through the day earned an additional $500 bonus.
The second starting flight kicks off tomorrow at noon local time. There is also Day 1c on October 31 at noon. All surviving players then return for Day 2 on November 1 to play down to a champion. The action on Day 2 picks up at the earliest finishing time from one of the starting flights. Day 1a ended with around four minutes remaining in Level 15 with blinds of 3,000/5,000 and a 5,000 big blind ante. Any player who survived today’s flight can also enter the two later flights. If a player bags on multiple flights, they’ll receive a $3,600 bonus at the start of Day 2.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow following all the action from Day 1b, so be sure to tune in for updates.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Nicholas Chong in middle position and Nick Costa in the cutoff got all their chips in the middle before the flop, each with around 50,000.
Nick Costa: K♥K♣ 
Nicholas Chong: A♦Q♠
Costa remained in the lead on the 6♦J♦8♥ flop, but Chong spiked the A♥ on the turn. The river was the 2♠, and Costa was eliminated on the money bubble.
The remaining 18 players are bagging up their chips for the night.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Blake Ellinghaus raised to 12,000 in middle position, Dustin Bennett moved all in for 48,000 in the hijack, and Ellinghaus called.
Dustin Bennett: A♠Q♠
Blake Ellinghaus: Q♥J♠
Bennett pleaded for spades as the flop came 10♦7♦2♥. Both players hit top pair on the Q♣ turn, and Bennett remained in the lead with his ace-kicker on the 9♥ river to secure the double up.
"Who was rooting for me? Anybody?" Bennett called out to the rest of the room.
Ellinghaus got the chips back the next hand, when he won a race for his last 91,000 with A♥K♥ against an opponent's 9♠9♣. The board ran out 2♦10♦3♥K♦4♠, and Ellinghaus hit top pair on the turn to win the pot and double up.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Sandro Sa got in his last 223,000 from the small blind as David Greufe put him at risk under the gun.
Sandro Sa: Q♠Q♥
David Greufe: A♥K♦
It was a classic flip, and Sa's queens stayed in the lead on the J♠5♥6♠5♣Q♦ board as he ended up with a full house on the river to secure the double up.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Ricardo Eyzaguirre moved all in for 29,000 in the hijack and Dustin Bennett called in the small blind.
Ricardo Eyzaguirre: A♠10♣
Dustin Bennett: 4♥4♠
Eyzaguirre picked up a straight draw on the K♣J♠J♣ flop, while the turn was the 2♥. The Q♦ fell on the river to give Eyzaguirre his straight, and he secured the double up.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Edward Mroczkowski three-bet to 30,000 in the small blind, then called when Kyle Terrell moved all in for 93,000 from the hijack.
Kyle Terrell: K♠K♦
Edward Mroczkowski: J♠J♦
Terrell had Mroczkowski crushed with his kings, and the A♦6♣7♥Q♦4♣ board kept him in the lead to secure the double up.
The next hand, Mroczkowski three-bet to 25,000 on the button after Danny Clarkson opened to 10,000 in the cutoff. Sean Etheridge then moved all in from the big blind, and Mroczowski called for 110,000.
Edward Mroczkowski: 9♦9♥
Sean Etheridge: A♥K♣
Mroczkowski remained in the lead through the turn on a board of 3♥8♥2♠10♥, but Etheridge hit the 2♥ on the river to make a flush and send Mroczkowski to the rail.
At another table, Blake Ellinghaus and Mary Darnell were on the river with the board showing 2♥9♥10♣7♥Q♣. Darnell then bet 20,000 from the big blind, and Ellinghaus raised to 120,000 on the button. Darnell tanked for a minute before calling with Q♥J♣, and Ellinghaus mucked.
With 19 players remaining, action is going hand-for-hand until there is one more elimination.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Jamieson Burnes raised to 15,000 in the small blind, Danny Clarkson moved all in from the big blind, and Burnes snap-called for 112,000.
Jamieson Burnes: A♣A♥
Danny Clarkson: 8♣8♠
Burnes had woken up with aces and was a big favorite to double up as the flop came J♠9♠3♦. Clarkson picked up a flush draw on the 6♠ turn, but Burnes held on through the 6♦ river to earn the double up.
Level: 15
Blinds: 3,000/5,000
Ante: 5,000