Andrew Nguyen Bags Seven Figures on Day 1a
RunGood Poker Series hosted a total of 124 entries on Day 1a of the RGPS Passport Graton Casino Rohnert Park $1,100 Main Event as players began the chase for a slice of the $300,000 guarantee at the Graton Resort and Casino.
Andrew Nguyen (1,043,000) led all comers, bagging the Day 1a chip lead. Two-time WSOP bracelet winner Marco Johnson (559,000) and Brendan Buckner (557,000) followed to round out the top three finishers after the opening flight.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrew Nguyen | United States | 1,043,000 | 87 |
| 2 | Marco Johnson | United States | 559,000 | 47 |
| 3 | Brendan Buckner | United States | 557,000 | 46 |
| 4 | Jason Stoddard | United States | 525,000 | 44 |
| 5 | Vera Dong | United States | 482,000 | 40 |
| 6 | Han Yan | United States | 389,000 | 32 |
| 7 | Benny Ruiz | United States | 294,000 | 25 |
| 8 | Wo Lin | United States | 225,000 | 19 |
| 9 | Norman Yeung | United States | 218,000 | 18 |
| 10 | Matthew Lee | United States | 156,000 | 13 |
Nguyen had a strong start to Day 1a, busting an opponent with a straight. Two levels later, Nguyen scored another knockout when his jacks held against his opponent’s pocket sixes. The hot streak continued in Level 13 when Nguyen’s aces held as his stack only trended upward since the start. He took advantage of that strong start to ride that wave to the top of the chip counts during the opening flight.
“To be honest, I really just play each hand one at a time. I never looked up and considered myself chip leader,” Nguyen said to PokerNews after he bagged as Day 1a chip leader. “The moment I sat down, I ran it up. Some days are just like that.”
Nguyen has been a poker player for 10 years. Initially, he played cash games, but the birth of his daughter changed his outlook. Since that time, Nguyen has become more of a tournament player for the last seven years. He also shared that he took a break in 2025 to spend more time with his family.
“When you transition to being a dad, cash games don’t fit with a dad schedule,” Nguyen said. “Over the past year, being able to spend time at home with my family, I feel a lot more reset.”
Nguyen will now enter Day 2 with a seven-figure stack, but he shared that he will enter Day 2 the same way he entered Day 1a.
“I’m not trying to get ahead of myself,” Nguyen said. “I’m trying to stay present and in the moment.”
Time will tell what moment awaits a Nguyen on Day 2.
Notables who played and did not bag for Day 1a include Charles Himes, Jeffrey Day, $250 Series Opener winner Ryan Rummonds, and Ryan Awwad.
The 2026 RGPS Passport $1,100 Main Event will feature two more starting flights on Saturday, March 14, beginning at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The remaining players who qualified across the four starting flights will combine on Day 2 on Sunday, March 15, at 12 p.m. All times listed are local time.
RGPS Passport Graton Schedule
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sat. Mar. 14 | 11 a.m. | $1,100 Main Event Flight 1c |
| Sat. Mar. 15 | 5 p.m. | $1,100 Main Event Flight 1d |
| Sun. Mar. 16 | 12 p.m. | $1,100 Main Event Flight Day 2 |
Day 1 will feature 30-minute levels with 40-minute levels scheduled to begin on Day 2. Players will be given a starting stack of 40,000.
Players are entitled to unlimited re-entries. Re-entry is permitted until the beginning of Level 11. Should a player qualify more than once for Day 2, they will take the highest stack into play moving forward and forfeit the other stacks, and will be rewarded a minimum cash prize for their forfeited stacks.
Check back here at PokerNews for all your live coverage needs of the RGPS Passport Graton Casino Rohnert Park $1,100 Main Event.