Congratulations to RGPS Council Bluffs Main Event Winner Derrick Contreras ($38,539)
After winning the PLO preliminary event at the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) for a championship ring and $4,192 earlier in the week, Derrick Contreras took down the $575 Main Event at the Horseshoe Council Bluffs on Sunday. After besting a field of 328 players, Contreras will take home the championship ring and $38,539 in prize money.
The field was stacked with players of high caliber and stellar poker resumes, including Ryan Phan, Daniel Lowery, Blair Hinkle, Ray Henson, defending champion Nick Burris, Travis Speck, Jesse McVicker, and Mark Fink. Nick Burris won the RGPS Main Event at this venue in February, but had to settle for 24th place ($1,432). Mark Fink made a deeper run, but fell short of a final table when he exited in 12th place ($2,881).
Day 2 started with 72 players still in contention for the RGPS championship ring. The pace of play started off slow, with the bubble being reached after the first break. The final table itself wasn't reached until shortly before the scheduled dinner break, after nearly seven hours of play.
Contreras came to the final table of ten players third in chips, but led the field from nine players onward, knocking out four of his opponents personally. The first of those was Joe Walters in seventh place ($5,669). Contreras shoved with king high from the small blind and Walters called with ace high from the big. Contreras caught a king-high straight to send Walters to the rail.
Contreras then knocked out Michael Childers (4th Place - $12,784) with pocket aces versus Childers' ace-king, followed by Jesse McVicker (3rd Place - $17,307)--again with pocket aces.
The heads up battle was short--two hands in all. In the final hand of the tournament, Contreras caught a freeroll when his suited king-queen of spades flopped a flush draw against Kris Burchfield's king-queen offsuit. The flush came in on the turn, making Contreras the main event champion!
"I'm really good at getting it in bad and getting lucky," Contreras said after the event.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derrick Contreras | $38,539 |
| 2 | Kris Burchfield | $23,829 |
| 3 | Jesse McVicker | $17,307 |
| 4 | Michael Childers | $12,784 |
| 5 | Walt Lustgraaf | $9,597 |
| 6 | Kelly Vande Mheen | $7,319 |
| 7 | Joe Walters | $5,669 |
| 8 | Eric Colvin | $4,458 |
| 9 | Scott Veitzer | $3,557 |
| 10 | Clayton Vandiver | $2,881 |