The RunGood Poker Series crowned a new Ohio champion with one of the strangest finishes of the season. Michael Barlow won the RGPS Golden Expedition Lake Erie Main Event after a three-way chip chop and a nine-card flip with Antonio Ndoja to decide who took the ring. Barlow's tens full of aces beat Ndoja's tens full of jacks, and the $29,318 first-place payout, after the deal, was his.
It is the kind of ending that spreads through poker social media quickly, partly because the format is unusual and partly because the quotes from both players capture the psychology of deal-making so well. This article breaks down what happened, how the numbers work and what players can learn about chops at the final table.
The Main Event at a glance
The Lake Erie Main Event carried a $600 buy-in and drew 360 entries, creating a prize pool of roughly $200,000. Thirty-seven players returned for the final day, and the field narrowed to three before the players decided to talk.
The venue was the Lake Erie Poker Room in Ohio, part of the RGPS Golden Expedition Ohio stop. The RunGood Poker Series is a US live tour known for mid-stakes events with strong structures and the signature championship ring. That ring is central to the story, since it is the physical prize the nine-card flip was designed to decide.
What is a nine-card flip?
When three players remained, Barlow, Ndoja and David Hanna negotiated an even-money chip chop. That means the prize money was divided equally rather than by chip counts, so every player took the same payout regardless of stack size. Deals like this are sensible when stacks are close, or when one player is willing to give up chips to guarantee a share.
With the money settled, the players still had a ring and a title to play for. Rather than play it out in the usual way, Barlow and Ndoja agreed to a nine-card flip. Each player received nine hole cards, which they combined with five community cards to build their best five-card hand. It is a variation on the all-in flip that dramatically increases the likelihood of strong hands, because each player has a huge number of cards to choose from.
When the cards were revealed, Barlow made tens full of aces. Ndoja had tens full of jacks. Both players had made full houses with the same trips, but aces beat jacks, and Barlow was the winner.
What the players said
Two quotes from the finale stand out because they capture opposing views on risk.
Barlow explained his thinking this way: "I typically don't like to chop. I was last in chips, and they were giving me even money." In other words, he considered himself the short stack, so an even-money chop was a gift. That is a classic example of why short stacks tend to favour deals and chip leaders tend to resist them.
Ndoja explained why he entered the flip: "I didn't want to leave ten grand up to chance." The comment reflects the fact that he was not willing to gamble the difference between first and second place on a live tournament, and the nine-card flip gave him a way to compete for the ring without risking the money.
Neither perspective is wrong. They simply reflect different stack sizes, risk tolerances and incentives, and that is exactly what makes final-table negotiation so interesting.
Barlow's second RunGood title
The win is Barlow's second RunGood title. In 2024 he won the RGPS Resort Ohio Tag Team event alongside his brother Matthew. That makes him a repeat champion on the tour, with a pair of rings to his name. Winning two titles on the same circuit in two years is a sign of consistent play in a format that is notoriously volatile.
Understanding even-money chops
Many recreational players are unsure how deals work, so it is worth explaining. In poker tournaments, there are three common deal types:
- Chip chop: Prize money is divided in proportion to chip counts.
- ICM deal: Prize money is divided using the Independent Chip Model, which accounts for the fact that chips are worth less as stacks grow.
- Even-money chop: Every remaining player takes the same payout, regardless of chips.
An even-money chop heavily favours the short stack and penalizes the chip leader. Because Barlow was last in chips, he gained the most. Our what is ICM guide explains why ICM deals typically give the leader more than a straight chip chop would, and why the right deal depends on your position.
Understanding these concepts matters because deal negotiations are one of the few moments in poker where a skilled player can add expected value away from the cards. If you know the numbers, you can propose a fair split or recognize when one is poor. Our what is equity guide is a good companion read.
Should you take a deal?
There is no universal answer, but some principles apply.
Consider stack size relative to the field. A short stack usually benefits from a deal. A big stack should require compensation for giving up its advantage.
Think about your bankroll. Variance is real. A guaranteed payout can be life-changing to a recreational player but less important to a professional. If the difference between first and second is large relative to your bankroll, the guaranteed cash may be worth more than the equity of playing on.
Know what you are playing for. In this case, the ring and title were the leftover prize. Many players value those more than a small cash difference. A flip or a played-out heads-up match can be a reasonable way to resolve that.
Remember tournament rules. Some organizers restrict or regulate deals, and some tours require a minimum amount to be left in play. Always check with the floor before agreeing.
For a broader introduction to tournament strategy, our tournaments hub covers formats and structures, and our poker strategy section explains core concepts like position and range selection.
The role of luck and the nine-card flip
Some players dislike the idea of using a flip to decide a title, arguing that it reduces a long tournament to a coin toss. Others see it as a fun, low-stakes way to settle a tie when the money has already been divided. In truth, the nine-card flip is closer to a pure lottery than regular poker, because skill plays almost no role in the outcome.
That is not necessarily a flaw. When the money is already settled, the title and ring become a bonus prize, and a random method can be seen as fair. The risk, as Ndoja noted, is when significant money is on the line. In that case, most players would prefer a skill-based resolution, or a deal that compensates the chip leader.
Probability gives a flavour of why the flip is so volatile. With nine cards each plus five community cards, both players can easily make very strong hands. That means ties and near-ties are common, and the winner is often decided by tiny differences, such as aces over jacks in a full house. Our poker hand rankings page shows how full houses compare, and the poker odds calculator lets you test hand matchups yourself.
Lessons for tournament players
Several takeaways stand out for players hoping to improve their results.
- Study deals before you need them. Negotiating from a position of knowledge is a major edge.
- Value the intangible prizes. Rings, trophies and titles matter to many players, and understanding your own preferences can guide decisions.
- Know your bankroll limits. A guaranteed payout can be wise when variance threatens your ability to keep playing.
- Stay calm in negotiation. Barlow's matter-of-fact explanation shows how a clear head helps. He recognized his position, accepted the offer and then won the flip.
Our bankroll management guide goes into detail on how to size buy-ins and handle swings, and our texas hold'em page provides the basics for newcomers looking to enter tournaments like this.
Bottom line
The RGPS Lake Erie finale will be remembered for the nine-card flip, but beneath the novelty is a useful reminder about deal-making. An even-money chop gave the short stack an edge, a flip gave the title to a player who happily took it, and the quotes from both finalists captured the trade-off between risk and reward. Barlow walks away with his second RunGood title and a story that will be told at Ohio poker tables for years.