The folks behind the RunGood Poker Series waited patiently through 2020 and into 2021, as the pandemic remained unpredictable and rendered most poker tournaments unsafe in live settings. A few months into the new year, they were ready for the Comeback Tour.
The first stop on that tour was at Jamul Casino in San Diego, California. Players came out in strong numbers for the June 8-13 series. That $575 buy-in Main Event brought in 559 entries and a $279K prize pool. And that tournament’s winner, Armando Mesina, and the overall casino champion, Tai Reyes-Purpero, both won seats into the ProAm qualifier in December.
From there, the action moved to Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa. That series’ Main Event delivered 851 entries and a $434,010 prize pool. In unique fashion, the tournament ended with a rare 11-player chop, giving all of those players $26,058 payouts. In the end, chop instigator Freeman Kauffman did win the event for a ProAm seat. Casino champion Anthony Kellen also won a seat.
However, the third stop of the new season – Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, Mississippi – had been set to begin July 6 but cancelled. RunGood CEO Tana Karn explained on the website that the reason for the cancellation was the casino’s lack of proper staffing for the tournaments. He noted that the property is one of RunGood’s favorites, but the pandemic is still playing a role in getting back to a normal tour. “To help clear the air,” Karn wrote, “the cancellation was due to being unable to staff the event to a level to produce a Best Mid-Major experience for players and fans of the tour.”
https://twitter.com/RGPokerSeries/status/1403440975112851459?s=20
For the first time, the RunGood action will be at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, near Pompano Beach and north of Fort Lauderdale. It will run August 23-29.
-Aug 23: $250 buy-in NLHE Super Stack Flight A ($25K GTD)-Aug 23: $130 buy-in NLHE Opening Night ($10K GTD)-Aug 24: $250 buy-in NLHE Super Stack Flights B & C ($250K GTD)-Aug 25: Super Stack Day 2-Aug 25: $130 buy-in NLHE Deep Stack ($10K GTD)-Aug 26: $80 Main Event satellite (2 seats GTD)-Aug 27: $600 buy-in NLHE Main Event Flight A ($50K GTD)-Aug 27: $140 Main Event satellite (2 seats GTD)-Aug 28: $600 buy-in NLHE Main Event Flight B ($50K GTD)-Aug 29: Main Event Day 2-Aug 29: $150 buy-in NLHE Double Green Chip Bounty ($5K GTD)
Just like LL Cool J – I don’t think so – the RunGood team will then head to the West Coast for two September series, set to wrap up prior to the start of the 2021 WSOP in Las Vegas.
The first stop will be a return to Jamul Casino in San Diego, this one September 7-12. And in response to player concerns during the last visit about wait times and alternate lists, the poker room will add more tables for the tournament series. The full schedule is not yet available, but they will offer a traditional $135 Guest Bounty event, $185 Deep Stack, and a Seniors tournament.
Next up will be the series’ first experience at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort in Lincoln, California, northeast of Sacramento. That one is scheduled for September 23-26 with tournaments like the $575 Golden Ticket and $300 Last Chance Knockout. The Main Event will guarantee $200K.
https://twitter.com/RunGoodGear/status/1422645589502795781?s=20
Each series will send two players (Main Event and Casino Champion winners) to the All-Stars ProAm event set for December at the PokerGO Studio in Aria on the Las Vegas Strip. The 64-player tournament will take place December 11-12 and will include some celebrity invitations. Thus far, the following have committed to playing:
So far, eighteen players have earned seats through the RunGood tour, including Jamie Kerstetter and Jeff Platt.
https://twitter.com/RunGoodGear/status/1423736545916379146?s=20
