Andrew Moreno Conquers Latest RunGood Poker Main Event
Popular poker professional Andrew Moreno won the latest major poker tournament of his career after some inspirational words from his
Andrew Moreno Conquers Latest RunGood Poker Main Event
Popular poker professional Andrew Moreno won the latest major poker tournament of his career after some inspirational words from his son on the eve of his success. Taking down the ThunderValley Main Event, which cost $2,700 to enter, for a top prize of over $200,000, Moreno, who is married to another popular poker legend in Kristy Moreno, beat the inexperienced Hamed Valizadegan heads-up after discussions of a deal stalled three-handed.
Andrew Moreno enjoyed a rollercoaster final table to lead, lose that advantage then battle back to take the title in California as the Thunder Valley casino once again played host to a dramatic conclusion in the 19th event of a thrilling series.
RunGood Poker $2,700 Thunder Valley Main Event Final Table Results:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Andrew Moreno | United States | $200,080 |
| 2nd | Hamed Valizadegan | United States | $139,240 |
| 3rd | Joshua Prager | United States | $89,620 |
| 4th | Jackson Spencer | United States | $61,220 |
| 5th | Robert Grossglauser | United States | $47,030 |
| 6th | Shane Miller | United States | $39,130 |
| 7th | Stephen Hesse | United States | $32,750 |
| 8th | Michael Persky | United States | $26,350 |
| 9th | Dan Stavila | Moldova | $19,950 |
Stavila Done Dirty
When the final nine players assembled in the 2025 RunGood Poker Thunder Valley Main Event, Andrew Moreno was about to get off to the best possible start. Not only a knockout, but one that came against the odds, made him look invincible, the immovable object standing like a mountain in the path of his opponent’s dreams.
It was Dan Stavila who paid the price for Moreno’s momentum, all-in with the best of it holding ace-ten against Moreno’s ace-deuce. There was no wheel draw, no four-flush to provoke standard responses. Moreno did Stavila dirtier than Boston Rob was treated in The Traitors. A flop of J-J-9 was safe for Stavila, as was the king on the turn. A three-outer deuce on the river, however? Ouch. The $19,950 seemed like no comfort at all to the crestfallen Moldovan as Moreno made hay.
Soon, Michael Persky knew that sinking feeling, although Moreno took time off from eliminating his tablemates to sit back and watch Zach Grossglauser do the deed. Persky was all-in with pocket queens but ran into Grossglauser’s pocket kings. A king landed in the window and coupled with the information that Moreno provided of a folded queen, Persky needed cards that simply couldn’t come. Drawing dead to turn and river, Persky collected $26,350 for his eighth-place finish.
Hesse Can’t Take Down the Main
Stephen Hesse, who finished 39th in this summer’s WSOP Main Event for a score of $240,000, the biggest score of his career, couldn’t put this one to bed, falling in seventh place for $32,750. All-in with king-ten, Hesse ran into the brick wall of Grossglauser’s pocket aces and never caught up across the board.
Soon, six became five with the elimination of Shane Miller for a score of $39,130. Committing his chips with queen-jack, Miller started and ended his final hand behind Grossglauser’s ace-nine as a flop of A-T-7 paired up the player who was already ahead, albeit with the caveat of a Broadway gutshot draw for Miller. It wasn’t his time, however, as a three on the turn and jack on the river weren’t enough to change the narrative.
With five players remaining, one of the most active stars at the felt departed. Grossglauser lost a big pot with pocket jacks to Jackson Spencer’s pocket kings, then soon after shoved with pocket fours. Again, he was behind a superior set of hole cards as Moreno called with pocket sixes and survived a K-K-2-7-5 board to skittle Grossglauser, who left in fifth with $47,030.
Motivation Comes for Moreno
With four players left, Jackson Spencer ran short enough to leave himself open to loose calls. All-in pre-flop with ace-king, Spencer was called by Moreno with a suited eight-four and with a four on the flop and turn, the American was sent home in fourth place for $61,220.
Soon, play was heads-up. Negotiations around a deal were opened but couldn’t be closed, as both Moreno and Prager agreed to numbers proposed but the rookie, Hamed Valizadegan, refused to deal. As it happened, the rookie was right to turn down the deal, as the $117,000 he would have got three-handed was less than he was guaranteed when Prager’s ace-ten fell to Moreno’s ace-three, as the tournament crusher once again got fortunate at the right time, a cruel board of T-5-2-4-7 gave the eventual winner a wheel straight and sent Prager to the rail with $89,620.
Heads-up, Moreno had a better than 7:1 chip lead and quickly made it count. The dominating hand won as Moreno’s jack-seven beat Valizadegan’s ten-seven after all the chips went in on a seven-high flop. That earned Valizadegan $139,240 but Moreno took home $100,080 as the champion.
“My son is three years old and I asked him if he had any advice for me,” Moreno told reporters after the action had ended. “He said ‘You can do it, Daddy’.”
After a final table where Moreno lost his lead to a bluff early on then roared back with some astute calls, the next generation of Moreno’s family can only have been inspired by Dad’s win under the lights, the seventh ranking title of a live poker tournament career that has earned Andrew Moreno over $5.6 million.
Photograph by Rachel Kay Winter for RunGood Poker
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