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$800 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2026 RGPS Golden Expedition New Orleans
$800 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
2026 RGPS Golden Expedition New Orleans
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$800
Prize Pool
$200,000
Total Entries
279
Places Paid
33
Level
26
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Entries
33
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 279
Filter
Level 26
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
The moment had finally come for Grant Hart. Hart is a regular at the RunGood Poker Series, but the title of main event champion had eluded him up until his fateful journey to The Big Easy. Hart no longer has to wonder when his time will come, as he outlasted a field of 279 entries to take down the RGPS New Orleans Golden Expedition $800 Main Event at Caesars New Orleans and be crowned champion for the first time. Hart took home the biggest share of the $200,000 prize pool with a first-place prize of $44,000.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grant Hart | United States | $44,000 |
| 2 | Wess Durocher | United States | $29,327 |
| 3 | David Cocheles | United States | $21,458 |
| 4 | Christopher Savage | United States | $15,911 |
| 5 | Chris Baudean | United States | $11,961 |
| 6 | My Nguyen | United States | $9,118 |
| 7 | Crystal Galyon | United States | $7,050 |
| 8 | Brian Senie | United States | $5,529 |
| 9 | Preston McEwen | United States | $4,400 |
“I’m about as happy as one cowboy could be,” said Hart to PokerNews following his victory. “It feels great. I play a lot of PLO, so to get a win in No Limit Hold’em is a big deal for me.”
This win represents the second-biggest single-event cash of Hart’s career, and the biggest single-event cash at RunGood events, toppling his previous high of $29,091 when he took third in the RGPS Tulsa main event in 2023. Hart will no longer have to think about what it will feel like to close it out, as he can now call himself an RGPS main event champion.
Hart entered the day with less than 20 big blinds, but he arrived at the three-table redraw, improving his standing to 35 big blinds. His steady upward trend continued when he grew to an 85-big-blind stack with 18 to left in the tournament. Hart stayed on the sidelines and maintained a healthy stack, but he had work to do when he got to the final table as he was sixth in chips down the stretch.
The opening portion of the final table saw Hart take a steady approach. He picked his spots, but was not involved in any major pots. That began to change as the final table began to progress. Hart began to gain a grip on the tournament when he eliminated My Nguyen in sixth place.
“When Hamid (Izadi) busted, I knew I really had a chance. When Preston (McEwen) went out, then I put on the gas. I knew that this was mine to win or mine to lose,” said Hart. “I tried to put on as much pressure as I could and at the same time get out of trouble when they were coming back at me with a lot of all-ins to smaller stacks. I folded some pretty good hands because I thought I could outplay them on the back end.”
Hart saw his opportunity, and his ascension to the top of the counts began in earnest when he won a big pot against Christopher Savage to hit nearly four million in chips with four left in the tournament. This proved to be a critical junction for Hart as he rode that momentum down the final stretch. Hart went on to eliminate Savage in fourth and entered his heads-up match with Wess Durocher with the chip lead.
Hart dealt the first significant blow of the heads-up match when he showed a better two pair, but it was only moments later that the match was done for good when Hart caught Durocher bluffing with a missed straight draw to claim his first main event title.
Day 2 Action
A total of 33 players returned to the poker room at Caesars New Orleans with the hopes of becoming the next RunGood main event champion, and the players wasted little time getting to work as the bustouts came quickly.
Notables “Boston” Rob Mariano, Kathryn Lindsay, and Hamid Izadi fell in the opening levels of the day. World Series of Poker bracelet holder Corey Harrison was the next notable to go when he fell in 17th place.
Preston McEwen was the only former main event champion left by the time the field reached the final table, but he stumbled out of the gates at the final nine when Crystal Galyon doubled through McEwen to take a piece of his stack. McEwen’s misfortune continued when Brian Senie coolered him with aces versus jacks to leave McEwen on fumes. McEwen’s was unable to turn it around as the seasoned champion was eliminated in ninth place.
Senie was the next to go in eighth, and Galyon fell in seventh place and Nguyen in sixth place.
Durocher began to make his presence felt at the final table. Durocher took a chunk from Savage when he caught Savage bluffing with queen-high on the river. Durocher would go on to eliminate Chris Baudean in fifth place before dispatching David Cocheles in third to set up a showdown with Hart.
Hart would not take long to dispatch Durocher to finish off the RGPS Golden Expedition New Orleans $800 Main Event.
This concludes the coverage from PokerNews here at the Caesars New Orleans. Check back here at PokerNews for all your live tournament coverage and updates from the poker world.
Level 26
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Grant Hart outlasted 279 entries to take home the first-place prize of $44,000 and the RGPS ring. Stay tuned for a full recap of today's action and a reaction from the winner.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grant Hart | United States | $44,000 |
| 2 | Wess Durocher | United States | $29,327 |
| 3 | David Cocheles | United States | $21,458 |
| 4 | Christopher Savage | United States | $15,911 |
| 5 | Chris Baudean | United States | $11,961 |
| 6 | My Nguyen | United States | $9,118 |
| 7 | Crystal Galyon | United States | $7,050 |
| 8 | Brian Senie | United States | $5,529 |
| 9 | Preston McEwen | United States | $4,400 |
Level 26
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Wess Durocher opened to 250,000 on the button and was called by Grant Hart.
The flop came Q♠10♠7♣ before Hart checked. Durocher continued for 250,000 and was called by Hart.
Both players checked the A♥ turn to usher in the Q♦ river. Hart fired 350,000 on the river before Durocher jammed for 2,390,000.
The jam put Hart into the tank.
"I can't fold," said Hart before he put in the call.
Durocher showed a missed straight draw with 9♦8♣ before Hart showed the tournament-winning hand with Q♣J♦ for trip queens to eliminate Durocher in second place.
Durocher earned $29,327 for his efforts.
Level 26
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Grant Hart opened to 250,000 on the button and was called by Wess Durocher from the big blind.
The Q♣6♥8♣ flop led to a check from Durocher. Hart continued for 300,000 and was called by Durocher.
Both players checked the 6♦ turn to bring the 7♦ river. Durocher led for 300,000 and was quickly called by Hart.
Durocher showed 7♠5♠ sevens and sixes, but it was no good. Hart tabled 9♥9♣ for a better two pair to claim the pot.
Level: 26
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 100,000
Level 25
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Wess Durocher opened on the button before David Cocheles shoved for his final 485,000 from the big blind. Durocher snap-called to put Cocheles at risk.
David Cocheles: Q♦9♥
Wess Durocher: A♦K♦
Durocher had the best hand to start, and the flop was all Durocher when it came K♣K♥3♠ to give him trip kings and a lock on the hand.
Durocher improved to a full house on the 3♣ turn and a higher full house on the A♥ river to eliminate Cocheles in third place.
Cocheles earned $21,458 for his efforts.
Level 25
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Christopher Savage doubled up minutes earlier to set the stage for when he shoved on the button for 805,000. Grant Hart called from the big blind to put Savage at risk for his tournament life.
Christopher Savage: K♣J♠
Grant Hart: A♠9♦
The flop kept Hart's ace-high in front when it fanned out 2♦6♥10♣.
Savage failed to improve on the 3♠ turn or the 8♥ river to fall in fourth place.
Savage earned $15,911 for his finish.
Level 25
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Grant Hart opened to 180,000 from under the gun and was called by Christopher Savage from the small blind.
Savage and Hart both checked the6♠8♦Q♠ flop to bring the 8♠ turn.
Savage bet 225,000 and was called by Hart.
The 2♣ river led to a check from Savage. Hart fired 250,000 and was called by Savage.
Hart had the goods, as he showed Q♦8♣ for a full house. Savage shook his head and showed Q♣J♣ as Hart took down the pot.
Level 25
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Chris Baudean shoved for his final 695,000 from the cutoff and was called by Wess Durocher in the big blind to be at risk.
Chris Baudean: Q♥10♦
Wess Durocher: A♥9♥
Baudean needed to improve to stay alive, but the flop brought little to work with when it came 5♥3♠K♦ to keep Durocher in front.
The 5♦ turn was of no consequence, and the 7♣ river was the final card of Baudean's tournament as he exited in fifth place.
Baudean earned $11,961 for his finish.
