$700 Main Event | 2026 RGPS Golden Expedition Joplin

Sep 20, 2026

Lowery Cracks Ashkarkhizani's Aces

David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Mostafa Ashkarkhizani bet 50,000 from early position on a flop of 4♠J♠10♣ before Daniel Lowery raised to 135,000 in middle position. Ashkarkhizani then moved all in for 239,000, and Lowery called.

Mostafa Ashkarkhizani: A♥A♦ All in
Daniel Lowery: J♣10♠

Ashkarkhizani showed two aces, but Lowery had flopped top two pair to take the lead. The turn was the Q♠, while Lowery improved to a flush on the 2♠ river to send the Day 1a chip leader to the rail.

Tags: Daniel Lowery Mostafa Ashkarkhizani

Sep 20, 2026

Perlman Has Mastered the Stand-Up Game

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David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Landon Mabe raised to 16,000 in early position, then snap-called when Matt Perlman shoved for 103,000 on the button.

Matt Perlman: A♦Q♣ All in
Landon Mabe: Q♥Q♠

Perlman was already standing up from his seat as the flop came K♦J♠9♦, but he caught the 10♣ on the turn to make the nut straight. The river was the 5♥, and Perlman sat back down and raked in the double up.

"You're stand-up game is strong," another tablemate told him.

Tags: Landon Mabe Matt Perlman

Sep 20, 2026

Hayward Comes From Behind to Double

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David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Connor Hayward moved all in for 112,000 in middle position, Josh Hawkins reshoved in the cutoff, and the rest of the table got out of the way.

Connor Hayward: A♥8♥ All in
Josh Hawkins: A♦K♣

Hayward found himself dominated but hit a pair on the 9♣8♣7♠ flop to take the lead. He improved to trips on the 8♠ turn, while the river was the 3♠ to secure his double up.

"I thought they werre going to club you like a baby seal," tablemate Shawn Sparks told him.

Tags: Connor Hayward Josh Hawkins Shawn Sparks

Sep 20, 2026

McCaig Picks Off a Bluff

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David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

In a battle between the blinds, Madhukar Virupakshi bet 17,000 on a board of 8♥10♣J♣3♣ and Joseph McCaig called.

Virupakshi then bet 23,000 on the 5♥ river, and McCaig again called. Virupakshi showed A♣7♠ for ace-high, while McCaig had K♥J♠ to win the pot with top pair.

Tags: Joseph McCaig Madhukar Virupakshi

Sep 20, 2026

Wyatt Survives Against Mabe

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David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Joshua Wyatt moved all in for 45,000 in the cutoff and Landon Mabe reraised to 195,000 on the button to chase away the rest of the table.

Joshua Wyatt: 10♠9♥ All in
Landon Mabe: A♣8♦

Wyatt hit two pair on the A♠10♦9♠ flop to take the lead, while the turn came the 2♠. Mabe also made two pair on the 8♠ river, but the same card gave Wyatt a flush to earn the double up.

Bradley Stevens was eliminated shortly after losing the pot to Papa Karn, while Nicholas Hebert was also sent to the rail on another table.

Tags: Bradley Stevens Joshua Wyatt Landon Mabe Nicholas Hebert Papa Karn

Level: 15

Blinds: 4,000/8,000

Ante: 8,000

Sep 20, 2026

Karn Drills the Turn to Double

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David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Papa Karn moved all in from under the gun, Bradley Stevens also shoved on the button, and the rest of the table got out of the way.

Papa Karn: 8♠8♦ All in
Bradley Stevens: J♥J♣

Both players had nearly identical stacks as Stevens had Karn dominated going to the 10♦4♦2♣ flop. The turn, though, came the 8♥ to give Karn a set and the lead. The river was the A♥, and Karn took the pot.

Stevens got up to leave the table, but a count showed he had Karn's remaining 83,000 covered by just 3,000.

Tags: Bradley Stevens Papa Karn

Sep 20, 2026

Courtois Picks Up Aces to Double

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David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Samuel Courtois and Rodney Spriggs went heads-up to a flop of 5♥3♠2♥ where Courtois moved all in for 150,000 in middle position. Spriggs put him at risk in early position.

Samuel Courtois: A♦A♥ All in
Rodney Spriggs: 6♦5♦

Courtois was ahead with his aces, while Spriggs had a pair and straight draw. The 9♥ turn was safe for Courtois, and he secured the double up once the J♥ fell on the river.

Tags: Rodney Spriggs Samuel Courtois

Sep 20, 2026

Erickson Picks Up Where She Left Off

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David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

On the first hand of the day, Dale Whiteside moved all in for 85,000 from the big blind on a flop of 7♥8♥10♠ and Heidi Erickson put him at risk in the hijack.

Dale Whiteside: Q♦7♦ All in
Heidi Erickson: K♣10♦

Erickson was ahead with her top pair, and she improved to two pair as the board ran out 4♣K♥ to send Whiteside to the rail and increase her already-massive stack.

Tags: Dale Whiteside Heidi Erickson

Sep 20, 2026

Prize Pool

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David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

The 400 entries into the event built a prize pool of $240,000. The remaining 49 players are already in the oney and guaranteed $1,236, while the champion earns $48,516.

Payouts

Place	Prize	Place	Prize
1	$48,516	11-12	$3,897
2	$32,348	13-14	$3,171
3	$23,758	15-16	$2,617
4	$17,665	17-20	$2,189
5	$13,298	21-24	$1,857
6	$10,138	25-32	$1,598
7	$7,828	33-40	$1,395
8	$6,123	41-49	$1,236
9-10	$4,852