Cody Stanford Wins Second Ring in RGPS Tunica Main Event
William "Cody" Stanford has won the RunGood Poker Series $575 Main Event at Horseshoe Tunica. He topped a field of 523 entries to claim $41,724 and the All-Star ring, as well as the season-ending All-Star event seat in Las Vegas.
Stanford was guaranteed a seat when the final table got three-handed since he was also in the lead for the Casino Championship. Earlier this week, Stanford won the $300 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament.
Stanford topped off a long day with one of the longer final tables in RGPS recent history. The players finished play at just before 4 a.m. and it was Stanford who got all in ahead against Walker Miskelly to take down the RGPS Main Event title.
The day started with 114 players returning and, after 16 hours of play, Stanford became the latest member of the All-Star field.
Here is a look at the final table payouts:
| Place | Player | Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cody Stanford | $41,724* |
| 2 | Walker Miskelly | $26,297* |
| 3 | James Dowen | $26,159* |
| 4 | Jason Rogers | $26,570* |
| 5 | Chase Turner | $30,001* |
| 6 | Jacob Corda | $9,806 |
| 7 | Adam Byars | $7,976 |
| 8 | Michael Sanders | $6,538 |
| 9 | Chase Buxton | $5,230 |
*Denotes four-way deal.
The final table started with Chase Buxton being eliminated in ninth place. Buxton shoved in late position into Stanford who had pocket jacks and held to eliminate Buxton.
Then, Michael Sanders was eliminated in eighth place after racing against James Dowen. Sanders couldn't catch up to Dowen and he was eliminated.
Adam Byars fell in seventh place after a couple of all ins. First, he was against a shorter stack and lost, then he was the shorter stack and lost. On his last hand, it was Chase Turner that finished the job.
Jacob Corda fell in sixth place after shoving a suited king into the pocket fives of Turner.
With five players remaining a deal was made. Each would take their share of an ICM chop minus $2,000 or $3,000 apiece. They set aside $11,000 for first place and played for that amount after locking up their ICM winnings.
Turner was eliminated in fifth place by Miskelly after running ace-high into a better ace. Miskelly held and Turner was sent home.
Miskelly took out Jason Rogers next in fourth place. Rogers called with king-queen and was against Miskelly's pocket aces. Miskelly held and took a big lead into three-handed play.
The final three players went back and forth for a while, with Dowen doubling up a few different times before eventually falling in third place. Stanford had pocket jacks and was racing against Dowen who moved all in from the button. Stanford held and eliminated Dowen in third.
It didn't take long for Stanford to seal his second tournament win of the series. He was in the lead for the Casino Champion All-Star seat, but thanks to his win it will be Chase Turner taking down that title for a seat of his own.
Here's a look at all those who captured titles at the RGPS Tunica:
| Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $135 Pro Bounty | 401 | $40,100 | Chris Moneymaker | $9,214 |
| Event #2: $185 Deepstack | 486 | $69,498 | John Holley | $12,095 |
| Event #3: $165 NLH | 144 | $18,432 | Richard “RC” Hughes | $5,159 |
| Event #4: $300 Pot-Limit Omaha | 70 | $18,410 | William “Cody” Stanford | $6,075 |
| Event #5: $100 Closer | 141 | $10,575 | Blake Jones | $1,608 |
The RGPS will now move on to Bossier City in a few weeks. PokerNews will be on hand to follow all the action all season long as more and more All-Stars join the field for what is sure to be an amazing event at the PokerGO studio.