Nick Aguilera Wins the Run it Up Reno Main Event! ($42,830)
After a thrilling three-day ride, it was Nick Aguilera who emerged as the 2015 Run it Up Reno Main Event champion. The win netted him a very handsome payday of $42,830, along with a massive gold trophy to display forever.
The final table started with eight hopefuls, all guaranteed to take home at least $3,830. In the lead to start was Las Vegas-based pro Jesse Capps. On the second hand of play, the field lost its first player. David Carey ended up all in for 365,000 in chips and was up against Eric Ethan's pocket jacks. Carey held two tens. The board brought no help for Carey, and he exited in eighth place.
On the 11th hand of play, it was Ethans, the co-founder of Suja Juice, who sent two players to the rail. Gina Stagnitto moved all in with queen-ten, Ethans called from the small blind with pocket eights, and Steve Kujubu, founder of Kombucha tea, shoved from the big blind with pocket jacks. Ethans called and spiked and eight to send the two players to the rail.
From there, Capps went on to extend his lead. As for the eventual winner Aguilera, he had a bit of luck to stay in the tournament. Aguilera doubled with ace-four against Gina Stagnitto's ace-jack, but from there he never got in trouble again.
Kristin Kane busted out in fifth place for $8,720 when she was unfortunate in a clash with Capps. Kane held king-jack suited, but Capps made a straight with queen-four to whittle the field down to just four players. Just a few hands later, it was the exact same situation that ended Mike Murphy's tournament. Murphy busted with king-jack to Capps' queen-four, and at that point the chip leader had more than half the chips in play.
Aguilera then doubled up twice, once through Ethans and once through Capps, to take the lead. Not too long after that, it was Ethans who busted out when he couldn't find a double up with ace-three versus Aguilera's queen-five suited. Ethans, who was the Day 1 chip leader, took home $16,830 for his efforts.
The heads-up battle only lasted a few hands, as Capps ended up all in for his tournament life with ace-eight against Aguilera's ace-ten suited. The board brought no help for Capps, and he had to settle for a $25,240 payday. As for Aguilera, he went home with the giant gold trophy, $42,830 in prize money, and the title of being Run it Up Reno champion.
Others to cash in the event included Dan O'Brien (26th), Michael Delvecchio (19th), and Oskar Sandberg (16th). This $565 re-entry event had 318 total entrants, easily surpassing the $100,000 guarantee.