Maksim Tatarintsev’s San Diego Three-Peat Bid Alive in $600 RGPS Main Event
Another strong day of action at the RunGood Poker Series Passport Season San Diego series created a chance for history at Jamul Casino Resort.
Day 1b attracted 155 entries, helping the $600 Main Event soar past the $150,000 to set up a sizeable prize pool to be divided up on Sunday, February 22.
Just 19 players found a bag, joining the 15 survivors from Day 1a who will return in the money. Those 34 players will have more company, as Day 1c will conclude later on Saturday night.
Leading the group from the second flight is Maksim Tatarintsev (743,000), who is aiming for an improbable third RGPS Main Event title in successive years at Jamul.
Tatarintsev won the 2024 RunGood Resort San Diego $600 Main Event in his first live tournament, earning $37,250 and a RGPS ring. Last November, he claimed another ring along with $38,890 in the 2025 RGPS Grand Prix San Diego $600 Main Event.
After failing to bag on Day 1a, he stormed back in the second flight to overpower the field. Now, Tatarintsev sits in great position for a third Main Event ring and another big payday to go along with an already strong series that has included a fourth-place finish in the $300 PokerNews PowerStack event.
Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maksim Tatarintsev | Russian Federation | 743,000 | 93 |
| 2 | Surya Ramjali | United States | 623,000 | 78 |
| 3 | Saba Golshan | United States | 520,000 | 65 |
| 4 | Alex Bykadorov | United States | 468,000 | 59 |
| 5 | Samuel Weisman | United States | 324,000 | 41 |
| 6 | Lorenzo Lucas | United States | 296,000 | 37 |
| 7 | Mike Coggins | United States | 257,000 | 32 |
| 8 | Cole Mendelsohn | United States | 215,000 | 27 |
| 9 | Glenn Nicolas | United States | 213,000 | 27 |
| 10 | Michael Souza | United States | 182,000 | 23 |
It was a steady climb throughout the day for Surya Ramjali, who sits in second spot with 623,000. Ramjali scored the first knockout of Day 1b to gain some early ground.
He then scored the final elimination of the night, cracking Kyna England’s pocket jacks on the direct money bubble to bring the action to a close.
Next on the leaderboard is Saba Golshan (520,000), who doubled twice through Tatarintsev before settling for third spot entering the final day.
Alex Bykadorov (468,000) and Samuel Weisman (324,000) round out the top five, all bringing back more than 40 big blinds.
The final day will begin at 12:00 p.m. local time, as the remaining contenders are redrawn to battle in the money. Action will resume on Level 15, with blinds of 4,000/8,000 along with a big blind ante of 8,000.
Full prize pool and payout information will be available at the start of play, as players prepare to navigate their way to the final table.
Don’t miss the exciting conclusion to the RGPS Passport San Diego series, as the PokerNews live reporting team has you covered with action from the final day as the latest RunGood ring is awarded.