Randy Cramer Bags Big in Opening Flight
The first of three starting flights is in the books in the $800 Main Event here at the RunGood Poker Series Passport Season hosted by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Of the 74 entries tallied in Day 1a, only 9 players will return for Day 2 on Sunday, all of whom have locked up a min-cash.
Randy Cramer finished the opening flight as the player on top, bagging an impressive 630,000. He quietly ascended atop the leaderboard towards the end of the night extended his lead on the money bubble.
Behind Cramer in second sits Jason Gambill, who bagged a respectable 420,000 and rounding out the podium is 2023/24 RunGood Player of the Year Brian Winter with 267,000. Winter woke up with pocket aces to eliminate RGPS Ambassador Grant Hinkle on the soft bubble and held steady from there on.
Day 1a Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Randy Cramer | United States | 630,000 |
| 2 | Jason Gambill | United States | 420,000 |
| 3 | Brian Winter | United States | 267,000 |
| 4 | Josh Wyatt | United States | 264,000 |
| 5 | Tracey Rudd | United States | 225,000 |
| 6 | Cory Aurentz | United States | 156,000 |
| 7 | Alonte Smith | United States | 153,000 |
| 8 | Lauren Bunch | United States | 62,000 |
| 9 | Jesse Jones | United States | 47,000 |
Papa Karn Earns Unfortunate Title of Bubble Boy
Teerakun Karnchanakphan, better known as Papa Karn, is the father of RunGood Poker Series Founder and President Tana Karn. He managed to find a double up as the money bubble neared but ultimately exited on the stone bubble when his Big Slick fell to Josh Wyatt's pocket eights in a classic coin flip situation.
Day 1b will begin Saturday, January 24 at 11:00 a.m. and Day 1c will get underway later in the day at 6:00 p.m. 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, January 25, 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 Tulsa.