$800 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2025 RGPS Mission RunGood Council Bluffs
$800 Main Event
Day: 1a
Top
Chip Counts
Chip Counts
8
276,000
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Day 1a of the $800 Main Event is in the books here at 2025 RGPS Mission Rungood Council Bluffs. A total of 142 hopefuls made their way to Horseshoe Council Bluffs with the goal of finding a bag.
However, at the end of the night just 17 players advanced to Day 2 and will be in the money. It took 21 hands of hand-for-hand before Mark Fink was finally eliminated to end the night.
Ending the day atop the chip counts is Topeka, Kansas’s Thomas Houston. He accumulated many of his chips during the prolonged bubble and ended up finding a bag of 484,000.
End of Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Name | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Houston | 484,000 |
| 2 | Kelly Cortum | 463,000 |
| 3 | Brad Cohen | 360,000 |
| 4 | Phia Xiong | 351,000 |
| 5 | Kurt Wildin | 345,000 |
| 6 | Michael Estes (ND) | 343,000 |
| 7 | Brantley Grace | 306,000 |
| 8 | Cody Dneges | 276,000 |
| 9 | Walt Lustgraaf | 271,000 |
| 10 | Jordan Nelle | 230,000 |
Many notable players came out for Day 1a but were unable to find a bag, including WSOP bracelet winner Mo Nuwwarah, defending champion Abbas Pasha, RunGood Ambassadors Taylor Howard and Corey Paggeot, and accomplished area players Mike Vanier and Nick Barksdale.
The 142 runners in today’s flight brought the prize pool to an impressive $99,400 after just one flight, almost surpassing the $100,000 already.
There are still two more starting flights to come tomorrow. Day 1b kicks off at 12 p.m. local time while Day 1c starts at 6 p.m. Both flights follow the same structure as today with 30,000 starting chips and 30 minute levels through Level 8 and 40 minutes Level 9 onward, with 12.5% of the field advancing to Sunday’s Day 2.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the updates and action here at RGPS Council Bluffs.
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
484,000
484,000
|
484,000 |
|
463,000
463,000
|
463,000 |
|
|
360,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
351,000
351,000
|
351,000 |
|
345,000
345,000
|
345,000 |
|
|
343,000
343,000
|
343,000 |
|
|
306,000
306,000
|
306,000 |
|
|
276,000
276,000
|
276,000 |
|
271,000
304,000
|
304,000 |
|
|
230,000
230,000
|
230,000 |
|
230,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
153,000
153,000
|
153,000 |
|
108,000
42,000
|
42,000 |
|
99,000
151,000
|
151,000 |
|
85,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
82,000
41,000
|
41,000 |
|
|
74,000
74,000
|
74,000 |
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
With the elimination of Mark Fink in 18th place, the remaining 17 players are now bagging for Day 2.
Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
We are entering the 19th hand of hand-for-hand as play continues until another player is eliminated.
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Walt Lustgraaf opened from middle position and was called by the cutoff and Mark Fink in the big blind.
On the J♣7♠2♥ flop, the action checked to the cutoff who bet 25,000 and only Lustgraaf called.
Lustgraaf check-called another 25,000 bet on the A♦ turn.
Lustgraaf checked a third time on the 3♦ river. The cutoff fired a third barrel for 50,000. Lustgraaf went into the tank for over a minute before sticking in the call.
Cutoff: K♠9♣
Walt Lustgraaf: K♣2♦
Lustgraaf made the correct call with just bottom pair to drag another pot during hand-for-hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
575,000
175,000
|
175,000 |
|
|
160,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Michael Estes opened from middle position before Walt Lustgraaf three-bet from the cutoff and Estes called to create a pot of almost 90,000.
On the 9♥8♦5♦ flop, Estes check-called a bet of 28,000 from Lustgraaf.
Estes check-called again on the 5♣ turn, this time for 60,000.
The K♦ river checked through. Estes announced an eight before Lustgraaf tabled 9♣7♠ for second pair to drag a sizeable pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
400,000
155,000
|
155,000 |
|
|
350,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000
Level 13
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
With 18 players remaining and 17 being in the money, play will continue hand-for-hand at two tables until a player has been eliminated.
Level 13
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Ryan Ramsdell opened to 10,000 under the gun before Michael Estes three-bet to 38,000 from the small blind. With the action back on Ramsdell, he jammed for 180,000. Estes thought it over for over a minute before he announced call.
Ryan Ramsdell: A♠K♠ 
Michael Estes (IA): J♥J♦
It was a coinflip scenario with a sweaty flop of J♠9♠6♥ as Estes made top set while Ramsdell had the nut flush draw. Unfortunately for him, the board ran out 10♥7♦ and Estes held to eliminate Ramsdell.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
490,000
490,000
|
490,000 |
|
Busted |
