Armando Mesina wins RGPS Jamul Casino Main Event after a nine-way final table deal
After a 15-month hiatus, one of poker’s most highly-regarded mid-major tours made its return to the live felt at San Diego’s Jamul Casino. The notoriously player-friendly series saw its comeback end in a very player-friendly fashion at the Main Event final table.
The RGPS All-Stars Jamul Casino $575 Main Event ended in rare fashion, with all nine final table combatants agreeing to a nine-way chop. That arrangement yielded five-figure payouts for each player at the table.
Armando Mesina came away as the official Main Event champion, securing a $25,175 payday. Matt Bradford (4th - $26,250) actually came away with a bigger payday. Bradford entered the final table as the chip leader, according to PokerNews live tournament reports.
The nine-player deal awarded prize money based on final table chip standings, then left $5,000 extra for the winner. Mesina emerged as the tournament winner, securing that additional $5,000 in winner’s prize money.
Perhaps more importantly, Mesina goes into the record books as the official RGPS Jamul Casino champion. For that effort, Mesina earns a RunGood Poker Series ring, as well as a seat to the $550 buy-in to the RGPS All Stars Pro-Am at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.
RunGood Poker Series Jamul Casino $575 Main Event final table results
| Place | Player Name | Prize* |
| 1 | Armando Mesina | $25,175 |
| 2 | Farid Karimi | $18,808 |
| 3 | Kyle Miholich | $20,290 |
| 4 | Matt Bradford | $26,250 |
| 5 | Allen Zoura | $14,921 |
| 6 | Stephen O’Dwyer | $21,864 |
| 7 | Chris Stallkamp | $21,332 |
| 8 | Jason Tang | $14,709 |
| 9 | Aaron Knapp | $14,331 |
Mesina clinches the Main Event win in return for the RunGood Poker Series
The original Main Event payout structure would have presented $53,545 to the winner, with the ninth-place finisher originally slated for a $5,360 payday. The final table deal instead allowed all nine remaining players to collect at least $14,331.
Aaron Knapp (9th - $14,331) told Poker.org that he was down to less than one big blind at one point before the final table, but managed to spin that up into an improbable five-figure payday.
Stephen O’Dwyer (6th - $21,864) took the third-largest final table payout, followed by Chris Stallkamp (7th - $21,332), and Kyle Miholich (3rd - $20,290).
The all-around final table agreement doesn’t happen much on the live tournament scene, but proved a fitting end for the return event in the fan-favorite RunGood Poker Series. The $575 Main Event drew 559 entries at Jamul Casino, just outside of San Diego, CA.
"Words can’t begin to describe how great it feels to be back," RunGood Poker Series founder Tana Karn told Poker.org. "It’s going to take some time to build back up to where we once were but I feel the same excitement and drive I had ten years ago and I can’t wait to see where my team and I can take this in the next ten."
The next stop for the RGPS comes at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, IA. That series runs June 22-27.
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