RunGood's second trip to Bossier City was another roaring success, awarding over $254,700 in cash and prizes during the six-day series. The weekend wrapped up with Gary Burks (pictured) taking down the Main Event and $41,519. The Gladewater, Texas, resident conquered a tough field of 378 entrants to take home the first place prize, a pair of boots from Boot Factory Outlet, and a custom belt buckle from Montana Silversmiths.
Burks made Day 2 of the $180 Deepstack event on Wednesday, but went out short of the money. For the $575 Main Event, Burks was determined to improve on his results. He came into Day 2 in the middle of the pack with 102,000 chips, but weathered the good and the bad to arrive at the final table with a below-average stack of 555,000.
When heads-up play began, his opponent Pej Preemo held 5,400,000 chips to Burks’s 2,160,000. Burks went on a heater, turning a bigger boat than Preemo’s, and later flopping a boat and trapping his opponent into another all-in confrontation for nearly back-to-back double-ups.
When the last hand of the night began, Burks held 5,370,000 to Preemo’s 2,190,000. In the early going of Level 28, with the blinds at 50,000/100,000, the players started discussing a chop, when Gary Burks interrupted the conversation by saying, "I'll tell you what, let's play this one--I haven't looked yet. Let's play this one and then we'll talk about it."
Preemo then looked at his hole cards, acting first from the button, and called the 100,000 big blind. Burks looked at his hole cards and announced he was all-in.
Preemo is incredulous. He stands up and says, "I can't fold this," and calls.
Pej Preemo - 7♦7♣
Gary Burks - Q♠J♥
The crowd gathers around to watch as the board is dealt. It's bad for the pocket sevens right from the flop, as it runs out J♣8♦4♦A♠J♠.
"That's the one I won the ring with," says Burks, recalling his 2011 Bossier City WSOPC win in the $345 NLHE Turbo event.
When asked what he plans to do next, the 42-year veteran of the oil industry says he’ll probably just put it in the bank and go back to business as usual. “Although, I might buy a new tractor for the farm or a new bow. Bow season is about to start,” he says.
This tournament marks the conclusion of the RGPS in Bossier City. On behalf of RunGood, thank you to all of the Horseshoe tournament staff, ambassadors, and players for another great series!
The next stop on the Old West RunGood Poker Series is in Council Bluffs, Iowa, at the Horseshoe from October 9-14.
Final Table Results:
- Gary Burks $41,519
- Pejman Niyati $25,704
- Mark Burford $18,768
- Bobby Fuentes $13,948
- Dustin Stewart $10,508
- Vito Distefano $8,051
- Randi Stott $6,256
- Mohannad Nammari $4,914
- Natalie Schorr $3,931
- Johnathan Rabideau $3,175
$575 RG Main Event - 378 entries, first place prize of $41,519. Winner – Gary Burks
$135 RunGood Pro Bounty - 186 entries, first place prize of $4,832. Winner – Trace Holder
$180 DeepStack - 340 entries, first place prize of $10,933. Winner – Andrew Dosser