The RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) is a US-based mid-major poker tour that runs multi-day poker festivals at casinos and card rooms across the country. Each stop awards championship rings in a set of “ring events” and builds to a Main Event, usually with a buy-in between $600 and $1,300.
The 2026 fall season, called Golden Expedition, runs from August 13 to December 3. It has 19 regular stops in the US and Aruba, plus the Dream Factory Festival finale at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California (20 stops in total). The Lake Erie stop in Elyria, Ohio is currently underway, with the $600 Main Event scheduled for October 1–4.
RGPS Lake Erie (Elyria, Ohio)
Update — October 1, 2026: Today, PokerNews PowerStack Day 2 plays to a winner, and 600MainEventFlightAstartsat3:15pm(200,000 guarantee).
| Date | Main events at Lake Erie | Guarantee |
| Sept 30 | $400 PokerNews PowerStack Flights A & B | $30,000 |
| Oct 1 (today) | PowerStack Day 2 · $600 Main Event Flight A (3:15pm) | $200,000 |
| Oct 2 | $600 Main Event Flights B (12:15pm) and C (6:15pm) | $200,000 |
| Oct 3 | $600 Main Event Flights D (12:15pm) and E (6:15pm) | $200,000 |
| Oct 4 | Main Event Day 2 Finals · $300 Black Chip Bounty · $200 Ladies Event | – |
Ring winners so far at Lake Erie:
| Date | Event | Winner | Prize |
| Sept 29 | $200 One Day NLH | Brent Maynor | $2,982 |
| Sept 29 | $300 Tag Team NLH | Steven Rubin & Walter Fuge | $2,325 each |
| Sept 28 | $300 PLO Hi-Lo | Nicholas Landrey | $3,800 |
Main Event satellites run at $140 (one seat for every five entrants) on October 1–3, plus $100 Flip & Go satellites. The stop has 9 ring events over 6 days. Source: RunGood Lake Erie page.
RunGood Poker Series at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Tour | RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) |
| Based in | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| President | Tana Karn |
| Current season | 2026 Golden Expedition (fall) |
| Season dates | August 13 – December 3, 2026 |
| Stops | 19 regular stops + Dream Factory finale (20 in total) |
| Main Event buy-ins (fall 2026) | $600 – $1,300 |
| Prize | RunGood championship ring for every ring-event winner |
| Season-long race | RunGood Player of the Year, powered by The Hendon Mob and Global Poker Index |
| Media partners | PokerNews (live reporting), 8131 Media (photography) |
| Official site | rungood.com |
What Is the RunGood Poker Series?
RGPS calls itself a mid-major tour. That means buy-ins sit between local weekly tournaments and the big 3,500–10,000 tours. Stops typically run from six days to about 11 days, with 9–12 ring events and a multi-flight Main Event.
The tour has won the Global Poker Award for Best Mid-Major Tour. It runs two seasons a year, each with its own theme: spring 2026 was Passport Season, and fall 2026 is Golden Expedition. The fall season also introduced a new ring design.
The fields mix local regulars, travelling grinders and recreational players. Many events are built for social play, such as Seniors events, Ladies events, Tag Team events and Flip & Go tournaments.
2026 Golden Expedition Schedule
| Dates | Venue | Location | Status |
| Aug 13–23 | Palace Poker | Dallas, TX | Completed |
| Aug 18–23 | Caesars Southern Indiana | Elizabeth, IN | Completed |
| Sept 1–7 | The Barrel Social Club (new) | Franklin, KY | Completed |
| Sept 3–13 | Caesars New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | Completed |
| Sept 15–20 | Downstream Casino | Joplin, MO | Completed |
| Sept 17–23 | Caribbean Poker Series, Hilton Aruba (new) | Aruba | Completed |
| Sept 21–27 | MGM National Harbor | Oxon Hill, MD | Completed |
| Sept 28 – Oct 4 | Lake Erie Poker Room (new) | Elyria, OH | Live now |
| Oct 6–11 | Hollywood Casino St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | Next stop |
| Oct 12–18 | Champions Club Texas (new) | Houston, TX | Upcoming |
| Oct 20–25 | Hard Rock Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | Upcoming |
| Oct 22 – Nov 1 | bestbet Jacksonville | Jacksonville, FL | Upcoming |
| Nov 3–8 | Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa | Atlantic City, NJ | Upcoming |
| Nov 6–15 | Lodge Card Club (new) | San Antonio, TX | Upcoming |
| Nov 10–15 | Horseshoe Tunica | Tunica, MS | Upcoming |
| Nov 12–23 | Graton Resort & Casino | Rohnert Park, CA | Upcoming |
| Nov 17–22 | Horseshoe Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | Upcoming |
| Nov 17–22 | Jamul Casino | San Diego, CA | Upcoming |
| Nov 17–22 | The OG Clubhouse (new) | Oak Grove, KY | Upcoming |
| Nov 27 – Dec 3 | Dream Factory Festival, Thunder Valley | Lincoln, CA | Season finale |
Source: RunGood Golden Expedition announcement. RunGood’s own site lists Borgata as both Nov 3–8 and Nov 4–9, so check the stop page before booking.
Next Stops: What’s Coming in October
Twelve ring events with buy-ins from $200, building to an $800 Main Event with a $200,000 guarantee.
| Key event | Dates | Buy-in | Guarantee |
| RunGood Package Satellite (1 in 5) | Oct 5, 6pm | $400 | – |
| PokerNews PowerStack (3 flights) | Oct 6–7, final Oct 8 | $400 | $50,000 |
| RunGood Main Event (4 flights) | Oct 9–10, Day 2 Oct 11 | $800 | $200,000 |
| Black Chip Bounty | Oct 11 | $400 | – |
Package satellite: the $400 satellite on October 5 awards one package for every five entrants. Each package is worth $1,800: an $800 Main Event seat, a $400 PowerStack seat, a $200 Turbo seat and $400 cash. $100 step satellites run on October 2 and 3.
Hotel deal: promo code PDRUNPLAY1026 gives rooms at $89 on weekdays and $129 on weekends, valid October 5–12. Source: PokerNews St. Louis schedule.
RGPS Houston — Champions Club Texas, October 12–18
A new stop with 11 ring events over seven days and $510,000 in total guarantees, headlined by a $600 Main Event. PokerNews will live report the Main Event. Source: PokerNews Houston preview.
How an RGPS Stop Works
Most stops follow the same pattern, so once you’ve played one, you’ll know your way around the next.
| Event type | Typical buy-in | What it is |
| Seniors Ring Event | 250–300 | For players aged 50+ |
| Series Opener / One-Day NLH | 200–300 | Single-day No-Limit Hold’em |
| PokerNews PowerStack | 300–400 | Multi-flight event with a guarantee; counts toward a season leaderboard |
| Tag Team | 300(150 per player) | Two players share one entry |
| Flip & Go | 100–150 | Starts with an all-in flip, then normal play |
| PLO / Omaha Hi-Lo / Bomb Pot | 250–500 | Pot-Limit Omaha variants |
| Black Chip Bounty | 300–400 | Bounty tournament |
| Ladies / Closer | 200–250 | Final-day events |
| Main Event | 600–1,300 | Multi-flight headline event, live reported by PokerNews |
RGPS offers lower-buy-in ring events, mixed formats, satellites and Main Events across its schedule, giving recreational players and regular tournament players several entry points. Every ring event winner receives a RunGood championship ring. Main Events usually run three to five Day 1 flights, with survivors returning for a Day 2 final day.
How to Qualify: Satellites Explained
Direct buy-in: register at the host venue’s poker room and pay the full buy-in.
Satellites: win a seat for a fraction of the cost. Common RGPS formats include:
| Satellite | Typical cost | What you win |
| Ultimate / RunGood Package Satellite | 300–400 | A bundle: Main Event seat + PowerStack seat + side event seat + cash (1 in 5) |
| Package Step Satellite | $100 | A seat in the package satellite |
| Main Event Satellite | 100–185 | Main Event seat (1 in 5 or 1 in 10) |
| PowerStack Turbo Satellite | $100 | PowerStack seat (1 in 5) |
| Flip & Go Satellite | $100 | Main Event seat |
Exact satellites, times and ratios change from stop to stop. Always check the stop’s schedule flyer on rungood.com.
2026 Golden Expedition Main Event Results
| Stop | Buy-in | Entries | Winner | First prize |
| MGM National Harbor, MD | $1,300 | 329 | Justin Arnwine | $78,501 |
| Downstream Casino, Joplin | $700 | 400 | Joseph Ferguson | $48,516 |
| Caesars New Orleans | $800 | 279 | Grant Hart | $44,000 |
| Lake Erie, Elyria | $600 | Live | Oct 4 | – |
| Palace Poker, Dallas | – | – | To be added | – |
| Caesars Southern Indiana | – | – | To be added | – |
| The Barrel Social Club, Franklin | – | – | To be added | – |
Stand-out stories from the season so far:
• Justin Arnwine won the Maryland Main Event for the second year in a row, beating Maclaren Chatham heads-up. It was his second RGPS ring.
• Joseph Ferguson won three all-ins at the Joplin final table holding pocket sevens. It was the biggest score of his career.
• Grant Hart won his first RGPS Main Event in New Orleans after years as a tour regular.
• Vincenti Cham, an Aruban local, won the inaugural $400 RunGood in Aruba ring event for about $29,100.
RunGood Player of the Year
The 2026/27 RunGood Player of the Year (POY) race, powered by The Hendon Mob and the Global Poker Index, returned with the start of the Golden Expedition. RunGood said points, prizes and qualification details would be published separately, so check the official leaderboard for which events count and when the 2026/27 scoring period ends.
The previous race, 2025/26, was won by Craig Welko. Track current standings on the 2026/27 POY leaderboard.
Other season promotions
• PokerNews PowerStack Leaderboard: points from PowerStack events across the fall season.
• Dream Seat Invitational: returns to Thunder Valley with a seat to the PGT Championship as the prize.
• Ring-winner invitationals: Dream Factory will host two invitational tournaments open only to 2026 RunGood ring winners.
• RunGood Rewards app: posts Day 2 redraws and tour updates.
Dream Factory Festival: The Season Finale
The Golden Expedition ends at the Dream Factory Festival at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California, from November 27 to December 3, 2026. Full schedule and buy-ins have not been released yet. The festival’s two ring-winner invitationals make every 2026 ring more valuable, since winning one earns a shot at these exclusive events.
Past RGPS Main Event Winners
| Season | Stop | Buy-in | Entries | Prize pool | Winner | Prize |
| Fall 2026 | MGM National Harbor | $1,300 | 329 | – | Justin Arnwine | $78,501 |
| Fall 2026 | Downstream Joplin | $700 | 400 | – | Joseph Ferguson | $48,516 |
| Fall 2026 | Caesars New Orleans | $800 | 279 | – | Grant Hart | $44,000 |
| Spring 2026 | Thunder Valley Season Finale | $1,200 | – | – | JC Tran | $163,760 |
| Spring 2026 | Downstream Joplin | – | 752 | $379,760 | Cody Hughey | $67,940 |
| Spring 2026 | MGM National Harbor | – | – | – | Arash Asadabadi | $73,037 |
| Spring 2026 | Harrah’s Pompano Beach | $1,100 | – | – | Sergio Giha | $59,657 |
| Fall 2025 | MGM National Harbor | – | 251 | – | Justin Arnwine | – |
| 2025 | Thunder Valley Million Dollar Main | $2,700 | – | – | Andrew Moreno | – |
| 2024 | Thunder Valley Million Dollar Main | – | – | – | Terrance Reid | $192,755 |
A dash means the figure hasn’t been verified yet. Full archive: RunGood past events; 2026 spring results also from PokerNews.
Tips for Playing an RGPS Stop
• Check the stop page on rungood.com for the schedule flyer and structure sheets.
• Look for hotel promo codes — most stops offer special room rates.
• Download the RunGood Rewards app for Day 2 redraws and updates.
• Bring valid government ID; casino age rules apply (21+ at most US casinos).
At the stop
• Register early for popular Main Event flights, especially Friday and Saturday.
• Play a package satellite early in the week if you plan to enter several events.
• Follow PokerNews live reporting for Main Event chip counts.
Latest RunGood Poker Series News
• Oct 1, 2026: Lake Erie 600MainEventbegins(200K GTD).
• Sept 28, 2026: Justin Arnwine wins RGPS Maryland Main Event again for $78,501.
• Sept 28, 2026: PokerNews previews new RGPS Houston stop ($510K in guarantees).
• Sept 2026: PokerNews reports the passing of RunGood champion Tiffany Keathley.
• Sept 22, 2026: RGPS St. Louis schedule released ($200K GTD Main Event).
• Sept 21, 2026: Joseph Ferguson wins Joplin Main Event; Amy Batson wins the inaugural Mississippi State Poker Championship at a RunGood event.
• Sept 20, 2026: Vincenti Cham wins first RGPS ring event in Aruba.
• Sept 14, 2026: Grant Hart wins RGPS New Orleans Main Event.
• Aug 10–12, 2026: Player of the Year race, Dream Seat Invitational and PowerStack Leaderboard announced.
• July 15, 2026: Golden Expedition fall schedule announced.
FAQs
What is the RunGood Poker Series?
A US mid-major poker tour that runs multi-day festivals with ring events and a Main Event at each stop.
Where is the RunGood Poker Series right now?
At Lake Erie Poker Room in Elyria, Ohio, from September 28 to October 4, 2026. The next stop is Hollywood Casino St. Louis, October 6–11.
How much is an RGPS Main Event?
Fall 2026 Main Events range from $600 (Lake Erie, Houston) to $1,300 (Maryland).
What do RGPS winners get?
Every ring event winner receives a RunGood championship ring plus prize money.
How do I qualify cheaply?
Satellites start at $100, and package satellites award bundles of seats plus cash.
What is the RunGood Player of the Year?
A season-long points race powered by The Hendon Mob and the Global Poker Index. Craig Welko won 2025/26.
