button in SafariGene Grieshaber Bags Almost Half the Chips in Play on Day 1a
The first of four starting flights is in the books in the $800 Main Event here at the RunGood Poker Series Passport Season hosted by Caesars Southern Indiana. Of the 46 entries tallied in Day 1a, only 5 players will return for Day 2 on Sunday, all of whom have locked up a min-cash.
Gene Grieshaber (642,000) emerged as the overwhelming chip leader in the opening flight, bagging nearly half the chips in play. He climbed to the top of the counts about midway through the day when he found himself in the dream spot with pocket aces to triple up. From there, he rode the momentum all the way to the final table where he won a flip against Tyler Smith and turned the nuts versus Dan Hummer to continue his heater.
Shon Smith (289,000) and Kurt Jewell (249,000), who holds the top spot on Kentucky’s all-time money list, sit in the middle of the pack, while Brevin Andreadis (109,000) and Shane Ball (66,000) bagged the short stacks.
Day 1a Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gene Grieshaber | United States | 642,000 |
| 2 | Shon Smith | United States | 289,000 |
| 3 | Kurt Jewell | United States | 249,000 |
| 4 | Brevin Andreadis | United States | 109,000 |
| 5 | Shane Ball | United States | 66,000 |
Notable Eliminations
World Series of Poker bracelet winners Alan Percal and Ronnie Day were both in the mix on Day 1a. Percal couldn’t find much momentum, while Day, who was down to a single 100-denomination chip at one point, spun it back up to over 100,000 before eventually busting with two tables remaining.
RunGood ambassadors Brian Winter and Craig Welko both threw their hats in the ring for the opening flight. Winter exited early, while Welko was eliminated just before the final table.
Day 1b will take place on Friday, May 1 at 6:00 p.m. local time and the final two flights are scheduled for Saturday.
Play for Day 1 flights will conclude once 12.5% of the field (rounded down) remains and those who bag will be in the money. Day 2 will then start at the earliest blind level of the four flights on Sunday, May 3, where the event will play down to a winner.
Be sure to follow PokerNews throughout the entirety of the $800 Main Event here at the 2026 RGPS Passport Season Southern Indiana.