Live poker is alive and well and history has been made with the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) All Stars Horseshoe Council Bluffs $575 Main Event attracting a festival-record field of 851 entrants to generate a $434,010 prize pool.
The tournament featured a rare 11-player deal with each player guaranteed the same $26,058 payout before Freeman Kauffman, playing his first-ever casino tournament was crowned the official champion after taking down the final table to win what was left to be played for in the coveted All Stars Ring and a Pro-Am seat into the All-Stars Event presented by PokerGO in Las Vegas later in the year.
Kauffman's day started strong, including getting lucky with tens to bust Adrian Jimenez and his queens in a significant pot with 14 players remaining to boost his stack. From there, he ran his stack up once the chop was agreed upon, and earned a victory in his very first live casino tournament.
"The first time I bought in, it was kinda intimidating," Kauffman said to PokerNews about the experience. "But by the third time, I got comfortable." The third bullet proved to be the charm, as he earned quite a healthy payday for a self-described "home game tournament player."
Final Eleven Players (All Players Received $26,058)
| Place | Player | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freeman Kauffman | $26,058* |
| 2 | Brantley Grace | $26,058 |
| 3 | Steve Vang (MN) | $26,058 |
| 4 | Ryan Fetherkile | $26,058 |
| 5 | Bhaskar Setti | $26,058 |
| 6 | Kyle Hinnerichs | $26,058 |
| 7 | Ron Koenemann | $26,058 |
| 8 | Timothy Sciscoe | $26,058 |
| 9 | Matt Morfitt | $26,058 |
| 10 | Paul Strohm | $26,058 |
| 11 | Jon Stanfield | $26,058 |
*Winner also received a RGPS All Stars Ring and a Pro-Am seat into the All-Stars Event presented by PokerGO.
Related: Armando Mesina Wins RunGood Poker Series All Stars Jamul Casino Main Event
Day 2 Action
Of the 161 players that returned, 71 of them would leave without a payday. Some of those that left empty-handed include Tim Rystrom, Mark Fink, and Alex "AlexOptional" Green. The bubble was reached in brutal fashion, as Seth Gutz made a set of aces on the turn, only to fall to the rivered nut flush of Joseph Sutliff to fall one spot shy of earning some cash.
Once the money bubble burst, a line of players proceeded to the cage, and some of those able to earn a chunk of the prize pool include Tim Garles (12th - $6,480), Day 1a Chip Leader Joe Wilson (24th - $3,051), WSOP Bracelet winner Grant Hinkle (44th - $1,536), and fellow WSOP Bracelet winner Ron McMillen (56th - $1,259).
After the eleven-way deal was brokered, the action sped up and players started falling, with the field going from eleven to five in just over an hour. After Bhaskar Setti was bounced out in fifth, it was the chip leader heading into Day 2, Ryan Fetherkile, that was next to fall, losing a flip to Steve Vang to bust fourth.
Three-way play was evenly matched as well as evenly stacked, and it took a few levels of small ball before any significant action resumed. Finally, Vang met his match when his big slick couldn't compete with the Kauffman's nines, leaving the eventual winner heads-up with Brantley Grace for the title, the All Stars Ring, and the Pro-Am seat.
A few hands into heads-up play, Kauffman held an overpair and Grace held a combo draw, and all the chips got in the middle. Kauffman avoided the big draw, and sports a perfect batting average in live tournaments for his career with one victory in one event.
Related: WSOP 2021: Best Events to Play on a Budget
2021 RunGood Poker Series All Stars Horseshoe Council Bluffs Results
| Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $125 RG Seniors Event | 235 | $23,500 | Marvin Schumer | $4,751* |
| $135 RG Opening Event | 261 | $26,100 | Jacob Jobman | $3,376* |
| $185 RG DeepStack | 614 | $89,030 | Craig Dick | $18,704 |
| $200 RG Double Green Chip Bounty | 202 | $23,230 | Adolfo Chavez | $6,041 |
| $250 RG Pot Limit O8 | 111 | $22,755 | Scott Buller | $6,828 |
| $575 RG Main Event | 851 | $434,010 | Freeman Kauffman | $26,058* |
| $100 RG Turbo | 143 | $11,440 | Trung Tran | $2,204 |
