$600 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
Run It Up Reno VIII
$600 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Run It Up Reno VIII
Buy-in
$600
Prize Pool
$329,471
Entries
629
Level
33
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
150,000
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 150,000 ante
The eighth edition of Run It Up Reno ended Monday night with the conclusion of the $600 buy-in Main Event, a tournament that attracted 629 runners. Nine players returned to the Peppermill Casino to battle it out on the live-streamed final table, and it was poker pro Dan O��Brien denying Loren Klein a third RIU Main Event title to capture a $46,681 first-place prize.
The win brought O��Brien��s lifetime earnings up over $3.3 million and, in a sense, symbolizes his return to tournament poker after laying relatively low in 2018. Surprisingly, it marked just his third documented win and is arguably the most prestigious.
��It feels really good to win, it really does. It was a lot of fun,�� O��Brien said. ��I ran really well the entire tournament obviously. I tried to focus on playing well and really not worrying about anything else.��
He continued: ��I really didn��t play much in 2018, I was working on some other things. In the fall I decided to actually put some work in. It��s really nice to put in all that work and see immediate results even though it��s still a lot of luck to get here.��
As for Klein, he has more than $2.7 million in lifetime earnings. In addition to being a two-time RIU Reno Main Event champ �C he won both the RIU Reno III and V �C he is also a three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner after taking down last summer��s $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship for $1,018,336, the 2017 WSOP Event #41: $1,500 PLO for $231,483, and the 2016 WSOP Event #45: $1,500 Mixed NLH/PLO for $241,427. He��s also finished runner up in two other WSOP tournaments for $552,713 and $195,147 respectively.
��He��s incredible. He has a really high success rate in tournaments, and generally he doesn��t play that many,�� O��Brien said of his heads-up foe. ��He��s definitely a tough opponent. I like him as a person but I was certainly rooting against him.��
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dan O��Brien | $46,681 |
| 2 | Loren Klein | $30,950 |
| 3 | Austin Roberts | $22,180 |
| 4 | Tim Tucker | $17,120 |
| 5 | Vito Distefano | $13,920 |
| 6 | Julio Uribe | $11,640 |
| 7 | Kevin Gerhart | $9,825 |
| 8 | Chris Gallagher | $8,245 |
| 9 | Robert Valdez | $6,750 |
The short-stacked Robert Valdez bowed out right at the start of the final table �C the result of losing a flip with pocket nines to Vito Distefano��s ace-jack �C but then it took several hours for the next player to fall. It happened when Chris Gallagher three-bet jammed king-seven suited and received a call from Klein, who had ace-ten. Gallagher paired his seven on the flop but a river ten sent him packing in eighth place.
Kevin Gerhart was next to go losing a flip with king-six to Klein��s pocket fours, and then Julio Uribe followed him out the door in sixth place running ace-deuce suited into O��Brien��s aces. Distefano, who began the final table as chip leader, dwindled before getting all in with queen-jack and failing to get there against Klein��s ace-eight to exit in fifth place.
Not long after, RIU Reno IV champ Tim Tucker hit the rail when his pocket jacks were cracked by Klein��s queen-jack after a queen spiked on the flop. The elimination of Austin Roberts in third place �C his queen-ten suited couldn��t overcome O��Brien��s ace-queen �C saw the eventual champ take a small chip lead into heads-up play against Klein.
The two battled back and forth for quite some time and swapped the chip lead on several occasions. Eventually, a big hand played out that saw Klein flop two pair and O'Brien turn a bigger two pair. The latter doubled and a couple of hands later it was all over.
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 150,000 ante
Loren Klein shipped a double and then in the very next hand called off for 1.7 million after Dan O'Brien moved all in.
Klein: 
O'Brien: 
Klein got it in good and extended his lead on the 
flop. Unfortunately for him, the 
spiked on the turn to give O'Brien a bigger pair. The 
river failed to help Klein and he was denied his third RIU Reno Main Event title.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
15,725,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 150,000 ante
Dan O'Brien raised the button to 650,000 with the 
and Loren Klein defended holding the 
.
The 
flop saw Klein make two pair and O'Brien top pair. The former check-called a bet of 1 million and then check-called one of 2.1 million on the 
turn, which gave O'Brien a bigger two pair.
Klein checked for the third time on the 
river and snap-called when O'Brien moved in for his last 3.6 million.
With that Klein was left with just three big blinds.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
14,825,000
8,825,000
|
8,825,000 |
|
|
900,000
-8,825,000
|
-8,825,000 |
|
|
||
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 150,000 ante
Loren Klein limped holding the 
and quickly called off for 4.7 million when Dan O'Brien jammed with the 
.
Klein was out in front and held when the board ran out 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,725,000
4,000,000
|
4,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
6,000,000
-4,000,000
|
-4,000,000 |
Level: 33
Blinds: 150,000/300,000
Ante: 150,000
Level 32
: 125,000/250,000, 125,000 ante
Loren Klein limped holding the 
and Dan O'Brien checked his option with the 
.
When the flop fell 
, O'Brien checked top pair and Klein bet 300,000. O'Brien woke up with a check-raise to 800,000 and Klein quickly folded.
Level 32
: 125,000/250,000, 125,000 ante
Level: 32
Blinds: 125,000/250,000
Ante: 125,000
Level 30
: 75,000/150,000, 75,000 ante
Dan O'Brien raised the button to 325,000 holding the 
and Loren Klein defended holding the 
.
Klein check-called a bet of 250,000 on the 
flop and then action went check-check on the turn.
When the 
completed the board on the river Klein checked for the third time and O'Brien bet 600,000. That did the trick and Klein sent his hand to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,000,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
|
5,725,000
-750,000
|
-750,000 |
|
|
||