Michael Johns Leads the Charge into Day 2 of RGPS Tunica Main Event
The final day of the $600 Main Event at the 2025 RGPS Mission RunGood Tunica is here. After three Day 1 flights over two days, the tournament drew a total of 564 entrants, generating a prize pool of $287,640—far surpassing the $200,000 guarantee. A total of 70 entrants have advanced to Day 2, each securing a minimum cash of $943. However, all eyes are on the grand prize of $53,988 and the prestigious RGPS ring.
Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Johns | United States | 840,000 | 105 |
| 2 | Cody Stanford | United States | 813,000 | 101 |
| 3 | Jonathan Pragel | United States | 613,000 | 76 |
| 4 | Matt Higgins | United States | 583,000 | 72 |
| 5 | Clint Fawcett | United States | 511,000 | 63 |
| 6 | LaShun Wallace | United States | 496,000 | 62 |
| 7 | Steven Mckuin | United States | 420,000 | 52 |
| 8 | Danny Griffith | United States | 408,000 | 51 |
| 9 | Donnie Phan | United States | 407,000 | 50 |
| 10 | Chad Marsh | United States | 395,000 | 49 |
Day 1a had the smallest field with 146 entries, but that didn’t stop Michael Johns from bagging 840,000 chips—good for 105 big blinds and the overall chip lead. Currently leading the RGPS Player of the Year race, Johns secured his sixth ring this week in Tunica with a victory in the $300 Tag Team event. He’ll look to extend his lead even further, and with a top-three finish in this event, he would surpass his career-high score—possibly adding yet another ring to his trophy case.
Jonathan Pragel topped the leaderboard after Day 1b, the largest starting flight, which drew 226 entrants. He spent the early part of the day seated directly to the right of 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker, but remained unfazed, steadily building his stack. Pragel finished the night with more than 200,000 chips more than the second-place finisher in the flight, securing the third-largest stack overall heading into Day 2.
RGPS ambassador Cody Stanford fired multiple bullets in the first two flights of the Main Event but struggled to gain momentum, falling short of the money each time. However, on Day 1c, he found his stride. Near the top of the leaderboard for most of the night, Stanford pulled away from the pack as the money bubble approached, showcasing his aggressive play and racking up numerous knockouts—helped in part by some fortunate river cards. As a result, he enters Day 2 second in chips, just behind overall chip leader Johns.
Other notable players advancing to Day 2 who are featured on the RGPS Player of the Year leaderboard include Donnie Phan, Steven McKuin, and Maggie Fox. Additionally, Walker Miskelly, who has already secured two RGPS rings in Tunica this week, will also be in the hunt for another deep run.
Although 70 entrants advanced to Day 2, only 69 players will take their seats. Michael Myers initially bagged 79,000 chips on Day 1a but chose to fire again in Day 1b, where he improved his stack to 178,000. Per tournament rules, Myers will play his larger stack on Day 2 while still earning a min-cash for his smaller stack. With his bigger stack in play, he’ll be looking to run deep and collect an even bigger payday.
$600 Main Event Payout Structure
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $53,988 | 13-14 | $3,510 |
| 2 | $36,126 | 15-16 | $2,879 |
| 3 | $26,607 | 17-20 | $2,391 |
| 4 | $19,820 | 21-24 | $2,011 |
| 5 | $14,936 | 25-32 | $1,714 |
| 6 | $11,387 | 33-40 | $1,480 |
| 7 | $8,784 | 41-48 | $1,296 |
| 8 | $6,858 | 49-56 | $1,149 |
| 9-10 | $5,419 | 57-64 | $1,034 |
| 11-12 | $4,334 | 65-70 | $943 |
Action is set to resume at 12:00 p.m. local time, with play restarting at 4,000/8,000 blinds and an 8,000 big blind ante, with 24:01 remaining in Level 15. Once Level 15 concludes, blind levels will extend to 40 minutes—an increase of 10 minutes from the Day 1 flights. Players will receive a 15-minute break after every three levels, and play will continue until a champion is crowned.
Be sure to follow PokerNews for live updates and coverage of all the action from Horseshoe Tunica for the final day of the $600 Main Event.