button in SafariDavid Collins Leads Eventful Opening Flight of $800 Main Event
The first event RunGood Poker Series stop in Kentucky drew an impressive showing on the opening day of the 2026 RGPS Golden Expedition Kentucky $800 Main Event, as 80 entries were recorded in the first of six flights to begin a busy weekend at The Barrel Social Club.
The entry desk maintained a steady line throughout the day, but only the final 10 players survived to earn a place in money for the Labor Day finale. The second flight of the day was slightly larger, as the chase towards the $250,000 guaranteed prize pool is firmly underway.
Topping the list from Day 1a is David Collins, who built up a massive stack after late registration closed and held on to the lead after bagging 388,000 chips. The Alabama native carries a slight lead over James Lyle (360,000), while John Mingus (337,000) rounds out the top three spots.
End of Day 1a Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Collins | United States | 388,000 |
| 2 | James Lyle | United States | 360,000 |
| 3 | John Mingus | United States | 337,000 |
| 4 | Andrew Bucaric | United States | 327,000 |
| 5 | Benjamin Purer | United States | 252,000 |
| 6 | Brandon Artis | United States | 231,000 |
| 7 | Kevin Davis | United States | 226,000 |
| 8 | Heather Alcorn | United States | 101,000 |
| 9 | Brian Durr | United States | 95,000 |
| 10 | Gregory Speed | United States | 83,000 |
Opening Flight Action
The first flight of the week saw four RunGood Ambassadors take a seat, including Carl Masters who registered right at the start of the day. Masters was able to build early thanks to a flopped straight, but could not climb far enough up the leaderboard and bowed out shortly after late registration ended.
Reigning RunGood Player of the Year Craig Welko joined Masters on the rail, as did Preston McEwen. All three took their shot in the second flight of the day, with McEwen the lone ambassador to advance from Day 1b.
Fellow ambassador Heather Alcorn earned her spot in the money, bagging 101,000 chips to return on Monday, September 7.
The early chip leader was Baruch Biniaminov, who seemingly could not lose an important pot through the first several levels of the day before falling just shy of the money. Biniaminov went on to bag the later flight, securing a spot on Day 2.
The night came to an end when Andrew Bucaric had Christina Hicks at risk on the stone bubble, turning two pair to claim the final pot. Hicks was left on the outside looking in, while Bucaric stacked up 327,000 in his bag.
Action will resume at 11:15 a.m. local time with Day 1c on Saturday, September 5, as another pair of flights get set to begin. Players will start with 30,000 chips, seeing opening blinds of 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante.
Late registration is open through the first eight levels, where the clock will count for 30 minutes each. That time extends to 40 minutes once the registration desk closes, remaining that way through for the rest of the tournament.
Each flight features unlimited reentry, and players will get 15-minute breaks after every two hours of action. Play will once again conclude once the top 12.5% of the field has been determined, and all survivors will combine to battle in the money on Day 2.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | 1c | 11:15 a.m. |
| Sept. 5 | 1d | 4:15 p.m. |
| Sept. 6 | 1e | 11:15 a.m. |
| Sept. 6 | 1f | 4:15 p.m. |
| Sept. 7 | 2 | 12:15 p.m. |
Action is just getting started in the $800 Main Event, so don't miss any of the coverage as PokerNews continues to take you inside the ropes at The Barrel Social Club all weekend long.