RGPS Golden Expedition Tunica 2026: Schedule, Guarantees and What to Expect

The RunGood Poker Series is heading back to the Mississippi Delta. The RGPS Golden Expedition stops at Horseshoe Casino Tunica from November 10 to 15, 2026, with 13 ring events over six days. The headline event is a $600 Main Event with a $200,000 guarantee.

This is RunGood’s fourth visit to Tunica this year. The big question is whether the November stop can bring back the 600-plus fields that made this venue one of the tour’s busiest.

Quick Facts

Detail	Info
Venue	Horseshoe Casino Tunica, Mississippi
Dates	November 10–15, 2026 (satellites from November 9)
Ring events	13
Main Event	$600 buy-in, $200,000 guaranteed
PokerNews PowerStack	$250 buy-in, $50,000 guaranteed
Main Event Day 1 flights	November 13–14 (three flights)
Main Event Day 2	Sunday, November 15

Tunica by the Numbers: Is a Big Field Coming?

Horseshoe Tunica’s $600 Main Event has beaten its $200,000 guarantee every time over the past three years. November stops have usually drawn the biggest crowds.

Stop	Entries	Prize pool	Winner’s prize
November 2023	661	—	—
November 2024	598	$304,980	$57,206 (Preston McEwen)
March 2025	564	$287,640	$53,988
September 2025	627	$326,040	$49,282
November 2025	645	—	$60,251 (Carl Masters)
March 2026	495	$252,450	$49,110 (William Latta)

What this tells us: The March 2026 Passport stop drew 495 entries, the smallest Tunica Main Event field in this run. It still beat the guarantee by more than $50,000. The past three November stops averaged about 635 entries. If this year follows the pattern, a prize pool above $300,000 is realistic.

March’s winner, Tennessee’s William Latta, shows why the series is popular with everyday players. He plays part-time alongside a job in the metal industry. After years of near misses in Tunica, including earlier Main Event final tables, he finally won a ring when he beat Kyle Cartwright heads-up.

Key Dates on the Schedule

Here are the confirmed highlights. Check the official RunGood schedule for exact start times before you travel.

Monday, November 9

• $125 Ultimate Package Milestone Satellites (11:15 a.m. and 7:10 p.m.)

Tuesday, November 10 (opening day)

• $250 Seniors Ring Event, ages 50+ (10 a.m.)
• $250 Series Opener Ring Event (2 p.m.)
• $200 Tag Team Double Ring Event

Wednesday, November 11

• $250 PokerNews PowerStack, $50,000 guaranteed. Flight 1 at noon, Flight 2 at 6 p.m.

Thursday, November 12

• PowerStack Day 2
• $250 Big Bet Bounty Ring Event, with $400 bounties once players reach the money

Friday, November 13 to Saturday, November 14

• $600 Main Event, three Day 1 flights
• $145 Turbo Satellites (one $600 seat for every five entries)
• Flip & Go satellites on demand

Sunday, November 15 (final day)

• $600 Main Event Day 2
• $400 Black Chip Bounty Ring Event

Other ring events during the week

• $200 Five-Card PLO
• $300 Pot-Limit Omaha
• $300 Ladies Event
• $200 Turbo NLH
• Flip & Go Ring Events

For more festivals coming up this winter, visit our poker tournaments hub.

Why the PowerStack Matters More Than Its Buy-in

At $250, the PokerNews PowerStack is one of the cheapest events on the schedule. It also carries the most long-term value.

PowerStack events across the RGPS Fall Season award leaderboard points. The top 10 at the end get a package to Thunder Valley, including a seat in the $300 Dream Seat Invitational at the RunGood Dream Factory Festival (November 27 to December 3). The Invitational winner earns a seat in the PGT Championship at the PokerGO Studio in January 2027. Read more in our PokerGO Tour guide.

In March, the Tunica PowerStack drew 452 entries and a $90,400 prize pool. Cody Stanford won it for $18,067 after beating Tony Wofford heads-up. A similar turnout would beat this month’s $50,000 guarantee easily.

PowerStack Leaderboard (after 10 Golden Expedition stops)

Place	Player	Points
1	Jesse Stephens	70
2	Derek Kerns	70
3	Shannon Lee	65
4	Peter Brooks	60
5	Rayz Rayl	55
6	Charlie Dawson	55
7	Michael Kennedy	55
8	Phong Nguyen	55
9	David Burke	55
10	Grant Hinkle	51.7

Five players are tied on 55 points, so one deep run in Tunica could change the top 10 a lot.

Tips for Players Heading to Tunica

• Satellite in if you’re on a budget. The $145 turbo satellites pay one seat for every five players. That’s often better value than buying in directly at $600.
• Choose your Main Event flight wisely. Tunica’s Saturday flights are usually the busiest. If you prefer smaller fields, Friday is often the better option.
• Play the PowerStack if you’re chasing points. With the leaderboard this close, even a mid-sized cash could earn a Thunder Valley package.
• Look at the bounty events. The Big Bet Bounty pays $400 per knockout in the money, which can add a lot to a modest cash.

Our Take

The RGPS is still one of the best-value tours in American poker. You get affordable buy-ins, real guarantees and a proper ring to play for. Tunica has a strong November record, but March showed that numbers can drop. Expect this stop to land somewhere between those two levels, with the Main Event likely paying close to $50,000 or more to the winner.

Please play responsibly. 21+ only at Mississippi casinos.

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