Mike Hurley has won the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Golden Expedition St. Louis $800 Main Event, taking home $52,597 and a championship ring after outlasting 406 opponents. The local player, who works in commercial real estate and calls himself a "semi-pro," won on his home turf at the Hollywood Casino, a room he says he plays in multiple times a week. It is exactly the kind of result that keeps regional tournament poker so appealing: a regular player, a short drive from home, a field of 407 entries and a life-changing weekend.
This article breaks down how the final table played out, what the numbers say about the event, and what recreational and semi-professional players can learn from a win built on local knowledge and patience.
The Result: Hurley Tops 407 Entries
Hurley was the last player standing in an $800 buy-in event that drew 407 entries. He beat Jacob Tourville heads-up, with Tourville collecting $43,400 for second place. Hurley finished the job with two pair, in a hand that capped a final stretch where the lead swung more than once.
The final table paid out as follows:
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Hurley | $52,597 |
| 2 | Jacob Tourville | $43,400 |
| 3 | Aaron McIntosh | $28,203 |
| 4 | Darroll Sayles | $20,969 |
| 5 | Jeff Copeland | $15,786 |
| 6 | Quintin Sargent | $12,035 |
| 7 | Justin Coliny | $9,293 |
| 8 | Shaun McBride | $7,268 |
| 9 | Craig Welko | $5,760 |
Notice the shape of that payout structure. The jump from fourth ($20,969) to third ($28,203) is just over $7,000, while the jump from second to first is a little over $9,000. That relatively flat top end matters, and it is something we return to in the strategy section below.
How the Final Table Played Out
Quintin Sargent began the final table as chip leader with 3,800,000 chips, but chip leads at the start of a nine-handed final table are fragile. Sargent lost a pot to Tourville's queens and then ran into Darroll Sayles' full house, slipping all the way down to sixth place.
The early eliminations were classic final-table coin flips and dominated situations:
- Craig Welko (9th) shoved ace-jack and ran into Aaron McIntosh's ace-king.
- Shaun McBride (8th) lost to Sargent's flopped kings.
- Justin Coliny (7th) shoved a straight draw and lost to Tourville, who improved to queens.
Jeff Copeland, who went out fifth, lost with sixes to McIntosh's aces. That result echoed his fifth-place finish in the RGPS Joplin Main Event a few weeks earlier, a reminder of how thin the margin between a deep run and a title can be.
The turning point for Hurley came at four-handed. Sayles moved all in for 3,600,000 and Hurley snap-called with two pair, eliminating the fourth-place finisher. Three-handed, McIntosh doubled through Tourville but was then eliminated by Hurley when a river pair of tens settled the hand.
Heads-up play was a roller-coaster. Hurley led 11,000,000 to 5,300,000 when play began, but Tourville doubled up after flopping a set of tens. Later, Tourville got his chips in for 5,000,000 with ace-high while Hurley held two sixes. Hurley then flopped a flush draw and made two pair to close it out.
Day 2: Who Fell Short
Day 2 started with 49 players, and several well-known regional names were eliminated before the final table. Andros Ioakimides, who had been the Day 1a chip leader, finished 35th. Chris Audrain went out in 37th, Angela Jordison in 28th, and Brett Hagopian, the reigning Gateway Poker Classic champion, finished 16th. Keith Heine busted in 13th, and Alexander Scofield and Blair Hinkle fell just short of the final table.
The pattern is a familiar one in multi-flight, mid-buy-in events. Day 1 chip leaders rarely go on to win, partly because variance is high in a field this size, and partly because accumulating a big stack early does not guarantee surviving the grind of Day 2, when the field compresses and the antes and blinds start to bite.
The Hurley Story: Home Game Atmosphere for $50K
What makes this victory stand out is the narrative. Hurley lives about 15 minutes from the Hollywood Casino and says he plays there multiple times a week, mostly cash games and smaller events. He already had more than $230,000 in live career earnings there and had been runner-up in the MSPT Main Event in St. Charles the previous month. He also reached the final table of this same event in 2024.
His reaction summed it up: "It's just unbelievable, especially on my home turf." He described the experience as a "home game atmosphere for 50 grand," and said, "Today was a 10 out of 10. I had so much fun." Two of the players eliminated at the final table, Copeland and Welko, stayed to support him, underscoring the community feel of regional poker.
He plans to put the money towards his children's college costs and family expenses, a reminder that for many semi-pros, tournament winnings are less about lifestyle and more about funding real-world priorities.
What This Means for Players
Hurley's win is a useful case study in several practical areas of tournament strategy.
1. Local Knowledge Is an Edge
Playing the same room multiple times a week gives you a read on tendencies that a traveling player cannot replicate: who calls too much, who folds under pressure, how the room's structure plays when the blinds rise. If you play regularly in a single casino or card room, treat that familiarity as an asset and keep notes on regulars, as described in our poker tells guide and poker strategy hub.
2. Understand Payout Jumps and ICM
With a relatively flat payout structure at the top, the difference between second and first at this final table was about $9,200 and the gap between third and second was about $15,200. When pay jumps are meaningful, protecting your tournament life matters more than it does in a winner-take-all format. If you want to sharpen those decisions, read our explainer on what is ICM and the deeper discussion in tournament strategy for final tables.
3. Bankroll for Variance
An $800 buy-in with 407 entries is a high-variance proposition even for a skilled player. Semi-pros like Hurley typically balance cash games, where they can grind steady results, with the occasional tournament shot. Our bankroll management guide explains why a deep buffer is essential if you want to play a lot of mid-stakes tournaments without risking ruin.
4. Hands Do Not Need to Be Fancy
Look at the hands that decided this final table: ace-king over ace-jack, aces over sixes, a flopped set, a flush draw that turned into two pair. Final tables are decided by solid, straightforward poker plus a bit of luck. Mastering fundamentals such as pot odds and equity tends to pay more than chasing exotic plays.
Regional Poker's Place in the Wider Landscape
The RGPS has built a reputation as a circuit that brings tournament poker to casinos across the United States, with moderate buy-ins and a ring-based prize for champions. Events like this one sit between the glamour of the WSOP and the local weekly tournament, and they are the backbone of many players' live poker diets. In the same autumn stretch, WSOP Circuit stops and other festivals have run alongside RGPS stops, giving players plenty of choices.
For players who prefer to play online between live events, there are plenty of options in the real money poker and tournaments categories, including offshore sites that accept US players such as Americas Cardroom and BetOnline. Checking out the cash games vs tournaments comparison can help you decide how to split your time and bankroll.
Key Takeaways
- Mike Hurley won the RGPS Golden Expedition St. Louis $800 Main Event for $52,597 and a ring.
- The event drew 407 entries, and Hurley beat Jacob Tourville ($43,400) heads-up.
- Hurley is a local semi-pro with more than $230,000 in live earnings at the Hollywood Casino.
- Sargent started the final table as chip leader but slipped to sixth, a reminder of how fragile big stacks can be.
- The result highlights the value of local knowledge, ICM awareness and bankroll discipline.
Regional circuits like RGPS continue to offer some of the best value in live poker for players who like moderate buy-ins and big fields. If you want to follow the series and others like it, keep an eye on our tournaments page for updates.