2022 RGPS San Diego

$600 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2022 RGPS San Diego

Final Results
Winner
Prize
$40,950
Event Info
Buy-in
$600
Entries
460
Level Info
Level
26
Blinds
50,000 / 10,000
Ante
10,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
59
Players Left
1

$600 Main Event

Day 2 Completed

Nova Baghdasarian Takes Down RGPS Jamul Main Event ($40,950)

Level 26 : Blinds 50,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Nova Baghdasarian
Nova Baghdasarian

San Diego's own Nova Baghdasarian took down the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Jamul Casino Main Event late Sunday evening after nearly 9 hours of play on Day 2 to earn a payday of $40,950 after he and Rich Alsup decided to chop once it was heads-up.

Baghdasarian had a commanding 6-1 chip lead, but when asked about it he simply said, “I really just wanted the ring, and I just wanted it to be over so I really believe that giving up $5,000 was worth it.”

The players settled on an agreement in which Alsup would receive $39,005 while Baghdasarian would get $40,950 as well as the championship ring and the seat to the RGPS: All Stars ProAM Event at PokerGO Studios in December 2022.

The Main Event, which offered four starting flights, attracted a field of 460 entrants to generate a total prize pool of $239,000, with only 59 of those players making it to Day 2.

RGPS Jamul Casino Main Event Final Table Results

PlaceNamePayout
1Nova Baghdasarian$40,950
2Rich Alsup$39,005
3Mark Feinberg$21,385
4Ediberto Pilotin$14,640
5Sahar Bakshi$11,240
6Sandor Molnar$9,360
7Chris Smith$7,820
8Stefan DeLorenzo$6,285
9Grant Foster$4,755

Hometown Hero

Baghdasarian, who is originally from Los Angeles but now currently lives in San Diego, told PokerNews after his victory that it felt great to take down a local tournament.

“Yeah I called my girlfriend right away who’s out with a bunch of our friends in town right now and all I could hear was a bunch of cheering and screaming, so it feels really good to win in your hometown. I try to stay local, I really only play here or L.A. and sometimes Vegas because I have some family there.”

When asked what his upcoming plans were, he replied, “I think I'm going to use some of the winnings to redecorate my garage, you know make it a mancave and of course fire some more bullets. I’m also really excited about the seat at the PokerGO ProAM, I can't wait to see what happens there.”

This is Baghdasarian’s biggest score to date, with his last RunGood appearance being last June at this same event, cashing in 54th for $1,140 according to Hendon Mob. He says he was playing a lot of online tournaments but is now turning more towards live events just because it's an overall better experience.

Jamul Casino San Diego
Jamul Casino San Diego

Day 2 Action

One of the commanding forces of the day was Ediberto Pilotin who was the chip leader at the end of Day 1d and caught fire again on Day 2. He was busting out players left and right until he had a string of bad run-ins with Baghdasarian who eventually knocked him out in fourth place when his pocket nines were cracked by Baghdasarian’s pocket deuces when he hit a gutshot straight on the river.

Another player that was prominent throughout Day 2 was Sahar Bakshi who also caught fire early on when she knocked out several players in one level to shoot her to the top of the counts. She made it all the way to the final table but was eliminated in fifth when Pilotin hit a flush on the turn to beat her pair of aces on the flop.

Runner-up Alsup was also a player to watch throughout Day 2 as he strategically navigated his way through the field, picking his spots carefully and steadily chipped up. He rarely went to a showdown but when he did, he had the goods so players mostly tried to steer clear of him. He can also say that he didn’t bust out either as play was stopped when he and Baghdasarian made their chop deal.

RunGood ambassadors Preston McEwen and Taylor Howard also made it to Day 2, but both were eliminated within a few hours. Howard was a big stack coming in from Day 1d but had a string of bad luck and ended up coming in 23rd for a payout of $1,840.

That wraps up the PokerNews live reporting team's coverage of the RGPS Jamul Casino Main Event on the tail end of an exciting RunGood stop. Their next stop will be November 25- December 6th at Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, California with a whopping $1,000,000 GTD Main Event.

Tags: Chris SmithEdiberto PilotinGrant FosterMark FeinbergNova BaghdasarianPreston McEwenRich AlsupSahar BakshiSandor MolnarStefan DeLorenzoTaylor Howard

Play Stopped Due to Chop

Level 26 : Blinds 50,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

The remaining players, Nova Baghdasarian and Rich Alsup have agreed to a chop and will not continue play.

The full chop details as well as a winner interview and tournament recap will be released shortly, so stay tuned!

Mark Feinberg Eliminated in 3rd Place ($21,385)

Level 26 : Blinds 50,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Mark Feinberg
Mark Feinberg

Down to his last blind, Mark Feinberg found himself all in preflop versus Rich Alsup.

Alsup tabled {k-Spades}{q-Hearts} and Feinberg peeled his first card to show a {4-Hearts}.

"Ok I'm live with that card," he joked, "but not that one so much," when he flipped the other one to show the {k-Clubs}.

The board ran out {q-Spades}{4-Spades}{9-Hearts}{a-Diamonds}{8-Hearts} to give each man a pair but Alsup's queen trumped Feinberg's four and he was sent to the rail in third place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Rich Alsup
Rich Alsup
1,800,000
200,000
200,000
Profile photo of Mark Feinberg us
Mark Feinberg
Busted

Tags: Mark FeinbergRich Alsup

Ediberto Pilotin Eliminated in 4th Place ($14,640)

Level 26 : Blinds 50,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Ediberto Pilotin
Ediberto Pilotin

After losing a huge hand to Nova Baghdasarian, Ediberto was all in for his last 150,000 against Baghdasarian once again.

Ediberto Pilotin: {9-Diamonds}{9-Hearts}
Nova Baghdasarian: {2-Spades}{2-Clubs}

"Ok this is a good one," Pilotin said when he realized he was a big favorite.

But then the flop came {6-Diamonds}{4-Spades}{5-Hearts} to give Baghdasarian a gutshot straight draw.

"Oh you better not do it to me dealer, don't do it to me," Pilotin told the dealer.

The turn {a-Diamonds} was safe for Pilotin, but the river was ever so brutal as it came the {3-Clubs} to give Baghdasarian the straight and eliminating Pilotin in 4th place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Nova Baghdasarian us
Nova Baghdasarian
11,000,000
5,000,000
5,000,000
Profile photo of Ediberto Pilotin mx
Ediberto Pilotin
Busted

Tags: Ediberto PilotinNova Baghdasarian

Sahar Bakshi Eliminated in 5th Place ($11,240)

Level 26 : 50,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Sahar Bakshi
Sahar Bakshi

In a three-bet pot, Sahar Bakshi and Ediberto were Pilotin heads-up facing a flop of {a-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}{j-Hearts} when Bakshi moved all in for around 500,000.

Pilotin snap-called and the cards were exposed, with Bakshi at risk.

Sahar Bakshi: {a-Spades}{2-Diamonds}
Ediberto Pilotin: {q-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}

Bakshi was ahead with her pair of aces, but Pilotin had a big hand with his combo straight and flush draw. And he didn't have to wait long to hit either because the {4-Diamonds} smacked down on the turn to give him a flush and left Bakshi drawing stone dead. The board completed with a meaningless {q-Clubs} and Pilotin was pushed the pot as Bakshi exited in 5th place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ediberto Pilotin mx
Ediberto Pilotin
5,100,000
2,100,000
2,100,000
Profile photo of Sahar Bakshi us
Sahar Bakshi
Busted

Tags: Ediberto PilotinSahar Bakshi

Level: 26

Blinds: 50,000/10,000

Ante: 10,000

Sandor Molnar Eliminated in 6th Place ($9,360)

Level 25 : Blinds 50,000/75,000, 75,000 ante
Sandor Molnar
Sandor Molnar

Sahar Bakshi moved all in for around 500,000 and Sandor Molnar called for slightly less, putting himself at risk. The other players got out of the way and the cards were tabled.

Sahar Bakshi: {10-Diamonds}{10-Spades}
Sandor Molnar: {a-Diamonds}{k-Hearts}

The board of {q-Clubs}{6-Hearts}{q-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} ran out clean for Bakshi and she doubled up as Molnar Exited in 6th place for a payout of $9,360.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Sahar Bakshi us
Sahar Bakshi
1,100,000
-200,000
-200,000
Profile photo of Sandor Molnar us
Sandor Molnar
Busted

Tags: Sahar BakshiSandor Molnar

Chris Smith Eliminated in 7th Place ($7,820)

Level 25 : Blinds 50,000/75,000, 75,000 ante
Chris Smith
Chris Smith

In a limped pot, the flop was {q-Spades}{3-Diamonds}{7-Clubs} and short-stacked Chris Smith shoved all in for his last 170,000. Ediberto Pilotin snap-called and the cards were tabled.

Chris Smith: {6-Clubs}{7-Spades}
Ediberto Pilotin: {a-Clubs}{a-Hearts}

"Wow," the table collectively gasped as they realized Pilotin had limped with aces.

The board completed with {2-Hearts}{4-Clubs} to give Pilotin the win and Smith was eliminated in 7th place.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ediberto Pilotin mx
Ediberto Pilotin
3,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
Profile photo of Chris Smith us
Chris Smith
Busted

Tags: Chris SmithEdiberto Pilotin

Fireworks on the River

Level 25 : Blinds 50,000/75,000, 75,000 ante

Nova Baghdasarian opened to 150,000 and was called by fellow big stack Ediberto Pilotin.

The flop came {k-Clubs}{5-Spades}{3-Hearts} and both players checked to the {8-Hearts} turn.

Pilotin then check-called a bet of 100,000 from Baghdasarian and the two went to the river {7-Clubs}.

Pilotin then led out for 220,000; after some thought, Baghdasarian raised to 500,000. Pilotin then tanked for a bit before deciding to put in a cold three-bet to 1,000,000. The action was then back on Baghdasarian who then four-bet jammed all in for 3,000,000 more.

"Woww," Pilotin got out of his seat, clearly in a tough spot. He looked around the room, searching for answers, and eventually told the dealer that he folds.

"That was such a strong bet, bro, you don't even know how crazy my hand was," Pilotin told him as Baghdasarian raked in the huge pot.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Nova Baghdasarian us
Nova Baghdasarian
6,000,000
1,500,000
1,500,000
Profile photo of Ediberto Pilotin mx
Ediberto Pilotin
2,000,000
-800,000
-800,000

Tags: Ediberto PilotinNova Baghdasarian