button in SafariLandon Mabe Catches Lucky River to Take Chip Lead, Daniel Lowery Lurks Close Behind on Day 1c of the RGPS Joplin Main Event
Daniel Lowery is the most accomplished player in RunGood Poker Series history. The all-time leader in RGPS rings and earnings, Lowery is a favorite in whatever field he enters. His full powers were on display today as he chases yet another title after Day 1c of the RGPS Golden Expedition Joplin $700 Main Event .
Lowery bagged up 589,000, putting him second on the leaderboard among the 14 players who survived the event’s third opening flight. Lowery’s RGPS resume includes winning this same event last year, as well as another Main Event ring in Dallas back in March. He’s also won 20 WSOP Circuit rings, putting him second all-time in that category.
Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Landon Mabe | United States | 611,000 | 102 |
| 2 | Daniel Lowery | United States | 589,000 | 98 |
| 3 | Jeff Copeland | United States | 385,000 | 64 |
| 4 | Quintin Sargent | United States | 321,000 | 54 |
| 5 | Frederick Roll | United States | 248,000 | 41 |
| 6 | Kelly Leggett | United States | 231,000 | 39 |
| 7 | Connor Hayward | United States | 174,000 | 29 |
| 8 | Mark Jackson | United States | 170,000 | 28 |
| 9 | Tricia Wu | United States | 169,000 | 28 |
| 10 | Jack Willman | United States | 141,000 | 24 |
But just when it looked like Lowery would end the day as chip leader, Landon Mabe burst the money bubble in style. Mabe was holding two jacks but was dominated by Claude McDowell’s queens as McDowell was all in for 101,000. The river gave McDowell a set, but the same card improved Mabe to a straight to win the pot and bring Day 1c to a close. Mabe moved up to 611,000 and the overall chip lead heading into Day 2.
RunGood ambassador Jeff Copeland rounded out the podium with 385,000, while Quintin Sargent (321,000) and Frederick Roll (248,000) also ended up as big stacks. Connor Hayward, who finished fifth in this event last year, finished with 174,000, while Jack Willman, already with one ring this week after taking down the PLO event yesterday, had 141,000. Among those who didn't make it through the day were 2025 RGPS Tulsa champion Brian Craig, Toran Tate, Jesse Jones, and Tom Fehr.
A total of 114 players came to the Downstream Casino Resort today, bringing the field up to 255 entries through three starting flights. There are also more than 100 players in the final Day 1d flight, with late registration still open until around 7:30 p.m. local time.
Just 31 players have secured their spots for Day 2, and they’ll be joined by Day 1d survivors tomorrow at 11 a.m. The action will pick up at the earliest finishing time from one of the starting flights. Day 1c ended with 19 minutes remaining in Level 14 with blinds of 3,000/6,000 and a 6,000 big blind ante, which currently stands as the quickest flight yet. The official prize pool should be announced tomorrow morning.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow to follow all the action down to the crowning of a champion, so be sure to return for all the live updates.