After getting a hat-trick of RunGood Poker Sequence (RGPS) rings in 2019, Blair Hinkle‘s five-year look ahead to his fourth ended over the weekend because the World Sequence of Poker bracelet winner got here out on high within the $1,100 Kansas Metropolis Primary Occasion.
Hinkle topped the 477 entry area, final defeating Shaun “The Ghost” Emery to assert the $92,228 up high from the $462,690 prize pool.
“I’m feeling drained however actually nice,” Hinkle advised PokerNews, surrounded by a big supportive rail of household and mates. “That was a troublesome last desk; I ran insanely sizzling and had an enormous chip lead. However the last desk was a curler coaster. I’m simply glad it labored out for me.”
Hinkle’s rail had worn mushroom hats to assist him. “My spouse’s maiden title is Morrel, in order that they have been all carrying mushroom hats for her. She was at house watching the youngsters, my two-year-old and seven-month-old.”
Hinkle got here into the ultimate desk with a large chip lead and by no means relinquished it all through the ultimate desk. When the sector received to six-handed, Hinkle’s chip lead started to shrink. The momentum went again in his path when he made a hero name with ace-high to get rid of Michael Lucas in fifth place.
“It was a nasty spot to be in,” Hinkle mentioned, recounting the hand. “He actually put me in some powerful spots on this last desk, and I didn’t see a number of his arms. That card is such a tough card for him to be bluffing, so when he shoved for the pot, it made it powerful. It helped that I had a number of chips, so I trusted my intestine.”
Hinkle’s plans for the subsequent stretch of time are to go house to be together with his spouse and kids earlier than heading to the 2024 WSOP.
RGPS Kansas Metropolis Primary Occasion Ultimate Desk Outcomes
Ultimate Desk Motion
The ultimate desk swiftly noticed a departure as one of the embellished gamers exited. Michael Fouts engaged in a preflop-raising warfare with Hinkle. Fouts went all-in with pocket queens, and Hinkle referred to as with ace-king suited, resulting in a showdown in a pot almost seventy huge blinds deep. Regardless of Fouts’ preliminary benefit, a river ace paired with Hinkle’s hand, giving him a major chip lead. Fouts, the 2018 RGPS Council Bluffs Primary Occasion champion, bowed out in ninth place, taking house $9,223.
Shortly after, Hinkle continued his streak by eliminating Frank Kissick, who went all-in with pocket eights, solely to face Hinkle’s pocket jacks. Kissick completed in eighth place, incomes $11,722, his career-best.
Beau Wilshire appeared destined to comply with swimsuit when he went all-in with king-jack in opposition to Hinkle’s pocket queens. Nonetheless, a lucky flop granted Wilshire a straight, turning into the primary participant to double by Hinkle on the last desk. Cory Smith then risked all of it with ace-queen in opposition to Colin Riesman’s pocket threes, securing the pot with a queen on the flip, leaving Riesman with solely a giant blind.
Riesman’s luck ran dry within the subsequent hand as he went all-in with jack-ten, solely to be outdone by Lucas’ set of sixes. Riesman completed seventh, incomes $15,058, his finest profession end. Zachary Steuterman quietly climbed the ranks however met his finish when his ace-deuce was defeated by Smith’s pocket nines, incomes Steuterman $19,546 for sixth place.
Lucas and Wilshire each managed to double by Hinkle a number of instances, with Lucas notably bluff-shoving and ending fifth with $25,637. Wilshire’s journey resulted in fourth place when his pocket fours fell to Hinkle’s pocket jacks, incomes him $33,971.
With three gamers remaining, Smith doubled up by Hinkle earlier than in the end falling in third place, including $45,473 to his spectacular resume. Emery secured second place after a hard-fought heads-up battle in opposition to Hinkle, incomes $61,485. Finally, Hinkle emerged victorious, overcoming Emery’s problem and securing the championship title.
