The $600 Primary Occasion on the 2024 RGPS Rungood Resort Tunica was extra than simply one other event for Preston McEwen—it was a heartfelt homecoming.
Competing within the on line casino, he proudly calls residence, McEwen triumphed over a discipline of 598 entries, claiming his sixth Rungood ring and $57,206 in prize cash. Surrounded by buddies and acquainted faces, his pleasure was unmistakable, a sentiment he expressed in his easy however real phrases after the win:
“It feels actually good.”
For McEwen, the victory carried a way of future. “There was an odd feeling of déjà vu. It’s like I’ve been right here earlier than,” he mirrored.
As a Memphis native, McEwen has loved loads of success at Horseshoe Tunica, together with a WSOP Circuit Primary Occasion title in January 2023. His deep familiarity with the venue and its gamers proved invaluable.
“I grew up enjoying right here. It helps to know all of the gamers and their tendencies,” McEwen defined, and it confirmed as he dominated the ultimate desk with an air of consolation and confidence.
Grateful for the assist of his household, McEwen shared his pleasure about celebrating the victory again residence. “Because of my youngsters, and particularly my spouse, for letting me get out on the street to do that. I woke her up out of her sleep, and she or he was tremendous completely satisfied.”
McEwen additionally acknowledged his heads-up opponent, John Holley, and the distinctive connection they shared. “I had a very cool dialog with John on the finish of Day 1. We’ve each been by loads in poker. We now have bizarre intuitions and shared tales about premonitions we’ve had in poker, so it’s bizarre that we ended up getting heads-up.”
Remaining Desk Outcomes
The Day’s Motion
Seventy-one gamers returned for Day 2, all within the cash and assured a minimal money of $937. As anticipated, the bustouts got here rapidly firstly of the day, because the event was decreased to 4 tables in simply a few hours.
Many notable gamers made deep runs however failed to achieve the ultimate desk. A few of these embrace WPT Champion Mark Davis (Thirty second-$1,769), Rungood Ambassadors Maggie Fox (Twenty third-$2,087) and Cody Stanford (14th-$3,687), and ten-time WSOPC ring winner Robert Hankins (Eleventh-$4,566)
Remaining Desk Motion
With the elimination of Stephen Cleghorn in tenth place, the stage was set for the ultimate 9 to mix on the last desk shortly earlier than dinner.
After dinner, the primary to fall was Tim Garles in ninth. He misplaced a detailed spot to double one other participant, then obtained the remainder of his chips in with ace-nine towards ace-queen. Garles would flop a 9 however fell when a queen got here in on the river.
Jacob Foley departed in eighth. He opened with aces off a brief stack and was all-in on the flop towards a flush draw. The flush accomplished on the river and Foley needed to accept eighth.
Subsequent, there was a double elimination. Todd Tucker shoved ten massive blinds from beneath the gun with pocket tens and William Latta referred to as off for barely much less from the small blind with ace-king suited. Within the massive blind, Holley awoke with queens and held to oust each gamers in seventh and sixth.
The ultimate 5 performed for a while earlier than one other elimination. Ryan Garren was the following to fall. He jammed king-eight fitted to ten massive blinds over a button open and was referred to as by McEwen within the massive blind with ace-ten suited which held to finish Garren’s evening in fifth.
After coming into the ultimate desk because the brief stack, Donnie Phan laddered as much as fourth. He would finally transfer in his his brief stack with ace-eight and fell to ace-queen as he hit the exit after a valiant effort.
After one other break, McEwen and Holley have been deadlocked in chips, with Jonathan Turner lagging in third. Nonetheless, Turner would flop quads towards Holley and double to change locations on the leaderboard.
McEwen would begin to draw back by his aggression earlier than Turner referred to as all-in with pocket queens towards McEwen’s ace-jack. McEwen spiked an ace on the flip to ship Turner out in third in brutal trend.
Heads-up play would final a single hand. Holley’s last 22 massive blinds discovered their method into the center with king-seven suited towards the pocket threes of McEwen which held because the gamers shook fingers and McEwen captured one other title at his residence on line casino.
