After 4 thrilling days of motion on the felt right here in Elizabeth, IN, the RunGood Poker Collection Passport Season $800 Foremost Occasion has formally come to an finish, with hometown hero Jasper Could claiming victory to seize his first RGPS ring together with the $47,787 first-place prize.
Hosted by Caesars Southern Indiana, the occasion drew 321 entries, producing a prize pool of $224,700 and beating the assure, a stable turnout contemplating it overlapped with Kentucky Derby weekend. After nearly ten hours of play, the poker site erupted with cheers as soon as the ultimate card was dealt, with Could defeating Shon Smith after a brief heads-up match.
When requested how he was feeling following his large win at his house on line casino, the Charlestown, IN native stated, “It is good to win one. It has been some time. I attempt to be a pleasant man. Many of the of us that are available like me, so it is good to win one in entrance of them and provides them a hometown win.”
2026 RGPS Passport Season Southern Indiana Foremost Occasion Closing Desk Outcomes
1Jasper CouldUnited States$47,787
2Shon SmithUnited States$31,858
3Andrew HubertyUnited States$23,290
4Ryan StoneUnited States$17,263
5Craig CarmanUnited States$12,975
6Kevin JohnsonUnited States$9,890
7Caio SobralBrazil$7,648
8Michael ScarboroughUnited States$6,001
9Ian GillespieUnited States$4,779
Comeback Story and Coping with Obstacles Off the Felt
After taking his winner’s photographs, Could indicated that it was good to really feel the joys of victory once more, as he hasn’t been in a position to get out and compete a lot recently. When requested to elaborate, he shared a private comeback story.
“Properly, I had a stroke again about 4 years in the past and I needed to rebuild to the purpose the place I may even compete. And I made a few blunders at this time that I usually would not have made just a few years in the past, however I overcame them and received right here. So it has been a little bit little bit of a climb.”
“I am lucky that I did not have extra harm from the stroke and I am lucky that I used to be in a position to rally again from it. So I am a lucky man.”
How an Unlikely Profession Change Helped His Poker Sport
Throughout the Day 1c flight, the place Could bagged the chip lead, he was overhead speaking about the way it’s exhausting to guess his profession background given his unassuming look and demeanor. None of his fellow tablemates have been in a position to pinpoint his space of experience.
“I began roofing after I was 12 years previous, so I roofed till I used to be nearly 30. I went to nursing college. I have been a registered nurse for 32 years. Primarily I work ICU and ER and I’ve accomplished fairly a little bit of excessive acuity stuff. However sitting round right here in a cap and a pair of overalls, most individuals are by no means gonna guess that. Going from roofing to nursing, not too many individuals make a bounce like that.”
He was requested if there have been any parallels between nursing and poker and whether or not or not his distinctive profession change could have helped him on the tables through the years.
“It is advisable to hold your head concerned in both one. Lucky for me, I’ve a great system round me after I do work, that helps me hold my head organized. In poker, I am alone and sometimes it drifts.”
Extra Poker on the Horizon After Large Rating
In regard to his future plans with the cash, Could defined, “I am gonna play just a few extra tournaments. My recreation has improved fairly a bit. I will most likely by no means get again to the place I used to be 5, six years in the past.”
“However I do hope to play some extra across the Midwest right here and begin touring once more, which is among the issues I will do with this win.”
