Rigby Tops the Charts on Day 1a
The opening flight of the RunGood Poker Series Passport Joplin $600 Main Event is in the books with a total of 108 entries putting their hat in the ring. This meant that 13 players were permitted to advance to Day 2 at the Downstream Casino Resort, as players who bagged will continue their journey and get a slice of the $100,000 guarantee on Sunday.
Nicholas Rigby (404,000) ended Day 1a as the chip leader. Charles Deatherage (395,000) and Todd Tucker (375,000) finished with the second and third most, respectively.
Top Ten Chip Counts Day 1a
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicholas Rigby | United States | 404,000 | 81 |
| 2 | Charles Deatherage | United States | 389,000 | 78 |
| 3 | Todd Tucker | United States | 375,000 | 75 |
| 4 | Michael Hopkins | United States | 356,000 | 71 |
| 5 | Christopher Self | United States | 320,000 | 64 |
| 6 | Kenny Baggett | United States | 282,000 | 56 |
| 7 | Lucas Drummonds | United States | 233,000 | 47 |
| 8 | Joseph Gatlin | United States | 201,000 | 40 |
| 9 | William Margo | United States | 175,000 | 35 |
| 10 | Brian Jones | United States | 159,000 | 32 |
Rigby bagging as a chip leader is not out of the ordinary lately, as he has been on an absolute tear at RunGood events in recent weeks. Rigby won three RGPS rings at RGPS Passport St. Louis just one month ago. Rigby has since added another ring to his count earlier today by winning the RGPS Passport Joplin No-Limit Hold’em One Day Ring Event for $8,462.
Rigby spoke with PokerNews about what he attributes to his recent success at the RunGood events, which has helped him collect four rings in one month.
“I think I’ve built an excellent image for myself,” Rigby said. “People never think I have it, so I get a lot of value with my hands.”
Rigby has a total of seven RunGood rings in his collection, but he shared that winning a second main event title is something he values.
“I’ve only won one main event so far, so I would love to get another,” Rigby said.
Rigby stated that he will look to keep the momentum going as he has his eyes set on the National Heads-Up Championship and the World Series of Poker in the upcoming months.
Rigby will find out on Sunday if another RGPS main event title is in the cards.
Rigby isn’t the only player to make it out of Day 1a looking to add additional rings to their collection, as Tucker is aiming to secure his third RGPS victory and add to his over $150,000 in earnings at RGPS events throughout his poker career.
Kenny Baggett (282,000) is also another RGPS ring holder who will aim to add to his collection after scoring a spot on Day 2. Baggett is chasing his second RGPS ring on Sunday.
Notables who took their shot on Day 1a, but were unable to qualify, include Rodney Spriggs, Blair Hinkle, Brian Winter, and AP Phahurat.
RGPS Passport Joplin Main Event Schedule
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, April 10 | 6 p.m. | $600 Main Event Flight 1b |
| Sat, April 10 | 10 a.m. | $600 Main Event Flight 1c |
| Sat, April 10 | 3 p.m. | $600 Main Event Flight 1d |
| Sun, April 11 | 11 a.m. | $600 Main Event Day 2 |
Friday, April 10, will feature one starting flight at 6 p.m. Players will begin the flight with 30,000 in chips. A total of 12.5% of the entrants from Day 1b will be entitled to advance to Day 2. Any players that qualifies for Day 2 is also in the money.
Players are allowed unlimited re-entries with registration closing at the beginning of Level 9. Blinds are set for 30 minutes across all starting flights.
Check back here at PokerNews for updates on all the action as the RGPS Passport Joplin $600 Main Event continues to heat up at Downstream Casino Resort.