Chris Audrain Bags Runaway Chip Lead in Opening Flight
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 Hollywood Casino St. Louis. Of the 117 entries tallied in Day 1a, only 14 players will return for Day 2 on Sunday, all of whom have locked up a min-cash.
Chris Audrain finished the opening flight as the player on top, bagging a whopping 789,000. He applied pressure on his opponents during the last few levels of play to chip up and ultimately burst the bubble when he eliminated Joshua Frisch by flopping top set. The St. Louis native is no stranger to the local tournament scene and will look to leverage his big stack and experience on Day 2 in search of a deep run.
The only other player to surpass the half-million chip mark is Paul Fehlig, who ended the day second in chips with 513,000. Rounding out the podium is Joseph Herboth with a respectable 480,000.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Audrain | United States | 789,000 |
| 2 | Paul Fehlig | United States | 513,000 |
| 3 | Joseph Herboth | United States | 480,000 |
| 4 | Ryan Tepen | United States | 467,000 |
| 5 | Ross Neumann | United States | 397,000 |
| 6 | Robert Hooton | United States | 356,000 |
| 7 | Jonathan Seely | United States | 332,000 |
| 8 | David Short | United States | 307,000 |
| 9 | Shane Carey | United States | 271,000 |
| 10 | Tyler Breeding | United States | 212,000 |
Notable Eliminations
Nicholas Rigby and Walker Miskelly, who finished first and second respectively in the $400 PokerNews PowerStack, both entered before late registration ended but neither found any momentum on Day 1a.
Some other familiar faces who made appearances but couldn't find a bag for Day 2 include Wesley Jones, who took down the $300 Series Opener NLH Ring Event, WSOP bracelet winner Jason Simon, and RunGood Ambassadors Jeff Copeland and Delilah Lerner. They will all have another chance on Friday and Saturday when the Main Event continues with three more starting flights.
Day 1b will begin Friday, March 6 at 5:00 p.m. local time, and Day 1c and 1d will take place on 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 three flights on Sunday, March 8, 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 St. Louis.