Mike Hurley Wins RGPS St. Louis Main

Local Player Turns Final Table Into First Ring

Mike Hurley won the Main Event at the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Golden Expedition St. Louis, held at Hollywood Casino. The victory earned him $52,597 and the first championship ring of his career.

The $800 buy-in Main Event drew 407 entries, generating a prize pool of $284,900. For Hurley, the result carried extra weight: he lives roughly 15 minutes from the casino and plays local cash games several times a week, making the win a home-soil achievement rather than a road trip score.

A Final Table Among Friends

Hurley's path through the final table ran alongside two longtime friends, Jeff Copeland and Craig Welko. Both were eliminated before the finish and stayed on the rail to support him through the closing stages. Copeland finished fifth for $15,786, while Welko took ninth for $5,760.

That dynamic is a familiar one in regional tournament poker, where fields are often built from the same pool of local regulars. Players who compete against each other week after week in cash games frequently find themselves seated together deep in a series main event, and the rail support that follows is a common feature of the RunGood tour's stops.

Heads-Up Against Jacob Tourville

The final battle came down to Hurley against Jacob Tourville. Tourville finished second for $43,400.

Early in the heads-up match, Tourville doubled his stack and took the lead, putting Hurley on the back foot. Hurley recovered and turned the momentum around before the decisive hand arrived.

In that final confrontation, Hurley moved all-in holding A-3 suited (ace of hearts, three of hearts). Tourville called with A-K suited (ace of diamonds, king of diamonds), and the cards were on their backs.

The flop came 7-5-7 with two hearts, giving Hurley a flush draw to go with his live three. The turn brought the three of clubs, pairing Hurley's three and pushing him ahead. The river jack of diamonds did not improve Tourville, and Hurley's pair held to end the tournament.

That sequence illustrates a standard tournament reality: when a short stack gets all-in with a dominated ace, suitedness and live kicker cards are the main sources of equity. Here, the flush draw plus the turned pair combined to complete the comeback.

Final Table Results

• 1. Mike Hurley (USA) — $52,597
• 2. Jacob Tourville (USA) — $43,400
• 3. Aaron McIntosh (USA) — $28,203
• 4. Darroll Sayles (USA) — $20,969
• 5. Jeff Copeland (USA) — $15,786
• 6. Quintin Sargent (USA) — $12,035
• 7. Justin Coliny (USA) — $9,293
• 8. Shaun McBride (USA) — $7,268
• 9. Craig Welko (USA) — $5,760

What the Result Means

The RunGood Poker Series operates as a regional tour, bringing mid-stakes tournament poker to casinos across the United States. Its Golden Expedition season features a series of stops, each culminating in a Main Event that awards a championship ring to the winner.

For Hurley, the win represents both a significant payday and a milestone: a first ring on a tour where many competitors are grinding local circuits rather than chasing national headlines. The $800 price point and 407-entry field place the event squarely in the mid-stakes category, where a single deep run can produce a five-figure score relative to a modest buy-in.

The result also highlights a recurring theme in regional poker: home-field advantage is real but limited. Familiarity with a room, its dealers, and its regulars does not change the math of a 407-player field, but it does mean a winner often has a crowd waiting at the rail.