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$800 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2026 RGPS Passport Pennsylvania
$800 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
2026 RGPS Passport Pennsylvania
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$800
Prize Pool
$100,800
Total Entries
144
Level
22
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
40,000
Entries
16
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 144
Filter
Level 22
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
After adjusting his plans to spend the entire week at the RunGood Poker Series Passport Pennsylvania series, James Cloutier managed to accomplish multiple career goals at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
Cloutier earned his first live series tournament win in the $800 Main Event after reaching a heads-up deal with Dan Gerard. The two agreed to adjust the top two payouts immediately after the elimination of Adam Fraley in third place.
The IT professional from Scranton, Pennsylvania got into poker back in 2004, and often focuses on cash games in his spare time. He has been making time for tournaments, and felt a win was finally on the horizon.
"I started focusing back in on playing some tournaments," Cloutier told PokerNews after his victory. "But I only play maybe 30 or so a year. I'm still focused mostly on cash, so this is definitely my first win of any sort of major series. Definitely a surreal feeling."
"I hope this is just the start of how my tournament progression goes. I honestly feel like I was close for about a year now for something big happening, and a lot of people around me have felt the same way. And so I'm just glad I finally made a breakthrough in a big way."
The second edition of this RunGood stop in Pennsylvania attracted 144 entries across four starting flights, creating a total prize pool of $100,800 that far surpassed the guarantee. Cloutier took home $23,278 along with his first RGPS ring, one that he had coveted since laying eyes on it for the first time.
"When I saw the rings come out at the beginning of the year, something about it, it's just something I wanted this year. It didn't have to be a Main Event ring, but I just wanted one of these rings from these events. I couldn't be happier to get one today."
RGPS Passport Pennsylvania $800 Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Cloutier | United States | $23,278* |
| 2 | Dan Gerard | United States | $20,539* |
| 3 | Adam Fraley | United States | $12,167 |
| 4 | Kazi Hossain | United States | $8,699 |
| 5 | Jack Baldauff | United States | $6,411 |
| 6 | Adam Williams | United States | $4,879 |
| 7 | Jamie Thomas | United States | $3,830 |
| 8 | Josh Swails | United States | $3,115 |
| 9 | Vernon Yoder | United States | $2,621 |
*Denotes heads-up deal
Day 2 Strategy
After four flights to begin the weekend, just 16 players returned with a shot to take down the RGPS ring. Cloutier entered as one of the larger stacks after leading the field in Day 1c. He relied on his reads all day, serving him well in maintaining his chip position as the knockouts began.
"I don't necessarily study hard in the GTO and solvers and that type of stuff. I play off to people and what I find in their tendencies. I was trying to pick my spots when we got to the final table."
"As good as my draw was to start the day, my redraw over on the final table was the most horrendous redraw I could have."
That redraw saw Cloutier sit down two spots to the right of the big stack, and the two would clash in a pivotal way once action resumed.
Final Table Moments
The biggest moment of the day for Cloutier came at the final table, facing a big river bet from Kazi Hossain for most of his remaining stack. Cloutier opted to stick in the call with his pocket eights, vaulting him into the chip lead.
"I just took a minute to figure out if I was wrong, how much I'd be left with, and just decided that it was worth putting the chips in. Basically, if I'm right, I have a million.I'm wrong I can just rebuild. So we were in that ballpark, and I decided it was worth the chance to go with my read on what I thought the situation was and. Everybody was Impressed by what they saw."
"Not only the fact that I had the chip lead, but the fact that people saw that I was willing to make that type of play. I felt like people stopped playing back at me for a little. At least for a good 15 minutes."
Cloutier would eventually knock Hossain out in fourth place, before Gerard eliminated Fraley in third. Once Cloutier and Gerard reached heads-up play, the pair paused the action to talk about adjusting the payouts.
"I had no intention of making a deal today, but I had played with him all day long. He brought it up, and I've always been the type of person to facilitate something for somebody else as long as it's equitable. I'm not all about the money, a portion of this money is going to charitable donations that I do for all my tournaments."
"For me, it was about playing a good tournament and being happy with the results, and I am extraordinarily happy with the results I had today."
Cloutier plans to stream some of his online play and create videos to help other players learn the game.
"Hopefully help educate some people as far as what I see and how my play translates. Especially now that I actually have some proof that, hey, how I play is actually worthwhile."
Beyond that, Cloutier is planning to play in the RunGood series at Thunder Valley this summer.
"Once I heard that was part of the ring, I was like, well, I have to take a little bit more vacation time and go do that."
That concludes our coverage from Hollywood Penn National, but don’t miss PokerNews live reporting from the latest RGPS Passport stop in Tokyo, Japan. The next stop on tour will be in Southern Indiana from April 28 to May 3.
Level 22
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
James Cloutier and Dan Gerard agreed to a heads-up deal, and the tournament is complete.
Gerard takes home $20,539 for the runner-up finish, while Cloutier earns the RGPS ring along with $23,278.
Stay tuned for a recap of the final day, including reaction from the champion.
RGPS Passport Pennsylvania $800 Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Cloutier | United States | $23,278* |
| 2 | Dan Gerard | United States | $20,539* |
| 3 | Adam Fraley | United States | $12,167 |
| 4 | Kazi Hossain | United States | $8,699 |
| 5 | Jack Baldauff | United States | $6,411 |
| 6 | Adam Williams | United States | $4,879 |
| 7 | Jamie Thomas | United States | $3,830 |
| 8 | Josh Swails | United States | $3,115 |
| 9 | Vernon Yoder | United States | $2,621 |
*Denotes heads-up deal
Level 22
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
The tournament clock has been paused, as the remaining two players are discussing a deal.
Level 22
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
James Cloutier opened to 85,000 on the button, and Adam Fraley moved all in from the small blind for 375,000. Dan Gerard announced all in from the big blind, and Cloutier got out of the way.
Adam Fraley: A♠J♦ 
Dan Gerard: J♣J♥
Gerard had Fraley dominated, holding through the 3♦5♥Q♥6♦5♠ runout to take down the pot. Fraley was eliminated in third place, leaving Cloutier and Gerard to battle for the ring.
Level 22
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Dan Gerard was all in on the button, at risk against Adam Fraley in the big blind.
Dan Gerard: 10♠10♥
Adam Fraley: A♦Q♠
Gerard was flipping for his tournament life, and saw a safe board of 6♠5♠2♦8♣J♥ to double through Fraley.
Level 22
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Action folded to James Cloutier in the small blind, who moved all in. Kazi Hossain called his short stack in the big blind, and the cards were turned up.
Kazi Hossain: K♦J♦
James Cloutier: A♥J♣
Cloutier had Hossain pipped, holding through the Q♦8♠9♥6♥7♥ runout to secure the elimination and bring the tournament down to three players.
Level 22
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Adam Fraley opened to 85,000 on the button, and James Cloutier defended his big blind to see the K♦9♠A♠ flop.
Cloutier checked and called after Fraley continued for 50,000. Both players then checked the K♠ turn, with action repeating on the 8♠ river.
Cloutier showed A♥J♣ for aces and kings, while Fraley tabled 10♥10♦ and saw the pot shipped to his left.
Level: 22
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 40,000
Level 21
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Adam Fraley moved his last 140,000 into the middle from under the gun, and was at risk when Adam Fraley announced all in from the cutoff. The rest of the table folded, and the cards were turned up.
Jack Baldauff: 6♣6♦
Adam Fraley: K♣K♥
After just doubling through Baldauff with pocket aces, Fraley revealed pocket kings. Fraley's pair held again on the 5♠Q♦J♠A♣J♦ board, sending Baldauff to the payout desk in fifth place.
