With simply forty seconds left on the registration clock, Joshua Freund fired what turned out to be essentially the most worthwhile bullet of his life within the 2025 RGPS Mission RunGood Kansas Metropolis $1,100 Predominant Occasion.
Entry No. 447 ended up as Champion No. 1, because the Wisconsin native battled by way of a stacked 55-player Day 2 area to say $86,974 and the ultimate RGPS Predominant Occasion title of the season at Harrah’s Kansas Metropolis.
Last Desk Outcomes
Winner’s Response
When Freund entered the match, he actually wasn’t anticipating for it to finish in victory.
“The one factor I really feel proper now’s disbelief. It’s an incredible feeling,” Freund defined after taking down the title.
“I’ve been enjoying playing cards all my life, however I solely mess around 5 poker tournaments a 12 months, normally right here in Kansas Metropolis for this sequence,” Freund mentioned concerning his background.
After some early success within the sequence, Freund determined to fireside the principle occasion however busted with two minutes remaining of registration within the closing flight.
“I used to be chatting with fellow final-tablist Ted Forshey on break. He instructed me a narrative about how he rebought the ultimate break one time and completed second. I believed to myself, ‘You understand, I would as nicely go hearth it.’”
Twenty-five hours after that dialog, Freund was the one hoisting the ring as soon as the mud settled.
Freund got here into the day with a median stack and it stayed that method for a lot of the day till a pivotal hand in opposition to Blair Hinkle with 13 gamers left. Freund made a set of nines in a pot of just about 100 massive blinds to vault himself into the chip lead, and he maintained the lead all the best way to the tip.
After over an hour of heads-up play with Brent Gregory, Freund received it in with pocket fives in opposition to king-ten suited and held to take the title. He’s excited to have fun with nineteenth place finisher and new buddy Brenton Czapla, who he gave a shout out to for his assist down the stretch.
The Day’s Motion
From the beginning area of 448, simply 55 returned for Day 2 with a median stack of 40 massive blinds to struggle for his or her piece of the $434,560 prize pool. Nonetheless, with many quick stacks after the bubble, the eliminations got here shortly to start the day.
Some notables who cashed however fell in need of the ultimate desk embrace RunGood ambassador Carl Masters (Forty second-$1,992), three-time MSPT champion Nick Barksdale (Twenty seventh-$2,676), former RunGood Predominant Occasion champion Cody Bartlett (Sixteenth-$4,573), and native legends Blair Hinkle (Thirteenth-$5,600) and Grant Hinkle (Tenth-$8,698).
Last Desk Motion
Freund got here into the ultimate desk with a sizeable chip lead, however nobody was sub-ten massive blinds to start.
The primary casualty on the closing desk was native common William McCracken. He would get it in with ace-jack suited in opposition to the ace-queen of Brent Gregory and couldn’t enhance as he hit the rail.
In eighth place was David Greufe. He received his quick stack within the center with king-six however fell to the dominating ace-six of Ted Forshey.
The following to fall was Jon Stanfield in seventh. He would four-bet jam forty massive blinds with jacks however bumped into the kings of Brent Gregory as he hit the exit in a cooler.
Shortly after, Thanh Bui was eradicated in sixth. He discovered himself at-risk with an enormous combo draw in opposition to the highest pair of Kyle Case who held on to ship Bui to the rail.
Case took one other sufferer in Ted Forshey subsequent. Forshey was all-in with ace-queen fitted to 25 massive blinds however bumped into the aces of Case as he exited in fifth.
Former RunGood Predominant Occasion champion Jesse Jones navigated the quick stack for a couple of ladders earlier than he fell in fourth. He was all-in with king-jack from the massive blind in opposition to the ace-nine of Freund and couldn’t enhance.
Three-handed play would final for a while till Kyle Case hit the rail in brutal vogue. He flopped prime set in a three-bet pot in opposition to the overpair and gutter of Freund, who spiked the gutter to ship Case to the rail.
Freund got here into heads-up with a sizeable benefit till Gregory doubled into the lead with simply ace-high in a wild hand.
Nonetheless, Freund would regain momentum after making some massive arms. Finally, Gregory would open the button earlier than Freund jammed with fives and Gregory referred to as off his stack. Pocket fives held for Freund because the gamers shared a sporting handshake and Freund secured the title.
