Eric Bunch has added another ring to his collection. The poker pro won the RunGood Poker Series Golden Expedition Hard Rock Tulsa $800 Main Event, taking $50,173 and his fifth RunGood ring, according to PokerNews' report on October 26, 2026. It was Bunch's second Main Event title in Tulsa, following a win at the same stop in 2024, and it came after he navigated what he called "a really tough final table." This write-up covers the result, the payouts and what the numbers reveal about a mid-stakes live tournament.
The Result in Brief
The Tulsa Main Event drew 341 entries and built a prize pool of $238,700. Bunch earned $50,173 plus the ring for first place, while runner-up Rachel Rodgers collected $33,442. Bunch's career RunGood live earnings now stand at just under $200,000, so this single win represents a large share of his total on the series.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eric Bunch | $50,173 |
| 2 | Rachel Rodgers | $33,442 |
| 3 | Jonathan Bennett | $24,538 |
| 4 | Craig Leopard | $18,237 |
| 5 | Joshua Brower | $13,725 |
| 6 | Talon Voight | $10,455 |
| 7 | Drew Gonzalez | $8,092 |
| 8 | Hanunyah Fish | $6,326 |
| 9 | Eldon Penn | $5,013 |
How the Final Table Played Out
Bunch entered the final table as chip leader after eliminating Daniel "Donk" Hughes in tenth place at the unofficial final table. That is a useful position in a nine-handed event: the chip leader can apply pressure to medium stacks and avoid the worst of the early payout jumps.
It was not a straight line to the trophy. Joshua Brower folded Bunch out on the river in a big pot, which cost Bunch chips and momentum. Rachel Rodgers, meanwhile, was the most active eliminator, taking out Hanunyah Fish (8th), Drew Gonzalez (7th) and Craig Leopard (4th). Bunch himself knocked out Talon Voight in sixth. Later, Jonathan Bennett doubled through Bunch and Rodgers had Bunch beaten at showdown in another pot, but Bunch recovered within about ten minutes, a swing that underlines how quickly stacks can change in a deep-stack final.
Bunch eliminated Bennett in third place and took the chip lead heads-up. Rodgers pushed back, taking an early lead in the heads-up match, but Bunch won a key pot in what the report called a bidding war and eventually eliminated her in second place. His own summary was short: "I told myself not to crumble, and it worked out."
What the Numbers Tell Us
A few simple calculations on the published numbers show how this kind of event is structured.
Net cost of each entry. The $238,700 prize pool across 341 entries works out at $700 per entry. With an $800 buy-in, that implies roughly $100 per ticket goes to fees and other costs, so about 87.5 percent of each buy-in reaches the prize pool. (That is our arithmetic on the published figures, not an official breakdown.)
First-place share. Bunch's $50,173 is about 21 percent of the prize pool, which is a fairly top-heavy-but-not-extreme structure for a field of this size. The gap between first and second is $16,731, or a first prize that is roughly 1.5 times the runner-up's. That relatively modest premium makes deal-making and ICM considerations significant at the final table. If you want to refresh how the payout ladder shapes decisions, read our ICM explainer.
Final table share of the pool. Adding up the nine payouts above gives $170,001, or about 71 percent of the total prize pool, so the remaining roughly 29 percent was paid to the places below the final table. In practice, that tells us the payout structure pays a meaningful number of players outside the final table, but the money is concentrated at the top.
Minimum final table payout. Ninth place earned $5,013, about 6.3 times the $800 buy-in. For a recreational player, a final table appearance is a significant return even without a title.
Why This Win Matters for Bunch
Five RunGood rings place Bunch among the most successful regular winners on the series, and the report notes that his total RunGood live earnings are just under $200,000. With this score contributing more than $50,000, a quarter or more of that total came from one tournament. That is typical of tournament poker: results are lumpy, and a pro's career can be defined by a handful of deep runs.
It is also a reminder of the value of consistency in a particular environment. Bunch has now won main events at the same Tulsa stop twice, in 2024 and 2026. We also covered his earlier success in our Eric Bunch WSOP Circuit rings in Tulsa article, which gives more background on his Tulsa record. Winning repeatedly at the same venue does not prove a venue edge, but familiarity with structures, the local player pool and travel logistics can help.
Lessons From a Mid-Stakes Live Final
Chip leaders still need discipline. Bunch started the final table with the lead, lost chips to Brower's river fold-out and to Bennett's double-up, and still won. Having the lead is an advantage, not a guarantee. Our poker strategy page discusses how to manage a big stack against players with shorter stacks and ICM pressure.
Recover quickly from setbacks. The report says Bunch recovered within about ten minutes of a damaging pot. Staying focused after a bad beat or a river fold is a skill that every tournament player can practise. If you tend to spiral after losing a pot, our what is tilt guide outlines how to recognise and manage it.
Heads-up matters. Rodgers took an early lead heads-up, and Bunch turned the match around with a key pot. Heads-up play at this level often comes down to aggression, hand selection and reading patterns. Our how to bluff and poker tells pages are good places to sharpen those skills.
Accept the variance. With 341 entries, even the best player in the field has a modest chance of winning any individual event. A pro such as Bunch relies on playing many events over many years. The bankroll management guide covers how many buy-ins to hold for $800 events.
What's Next on the RunGood Calendar
RGPS fans do not have long to wait. The series is scheduled to visit The Lodge Card Club in San Antonio next month; see our RunGood Lodge San Antonio schedule for dates and details. For a wider look at where to play live and online, our tournaments hub lists current series and guarantees, and our WSOP schedule page covers the major events on the calendar.
Bottom Line
Bunch's win is a good example of how mid-stakes live tournaments work: a field of a few hundred, an $800 buy-in, a top-heavy but broad payout structure, and a final table where chip leads can swing in a single hand. His own reflection, that he told himself not to crumble, is simple advice that every tournament player can use. Congratulations to Bunch on ring number five, and to Rachel Rodgers on a $33,442 runner-up finish at a tough final table.