The RunGood Poker Series, an affordably priced alternative to brands such as the World Series of Poker or World Poker Tour, has announced two new late-spring stops, in Jamul, California, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, in June. The Jamul stop, near San Diego, marks RunGood’s return from a pandemic-forced hiatus since its last-played stop, in Tunica, Mississippi, in March 2020.
The predominantly midwestern tour has expanded rapidly since founder Tana Karn launched the series in 2014, after a couple of years’ existence as a poker-clothing brand. The tour has twice-earned Global Poker Awards as the “Best Mid-Major Tour,” collecting the honor in 2018 and 2019.
With more stops in the works and expanding event schedules arriving at those stops as well, RunGood is poised for even more brand recognition and commercial success. A third near-future stop has also been announced — this one in Tunica in early July, though event details are still being finalized. The RunGood Series is also benefiting from its partnership with entities including PokerGo and CardPlayer Cruises; as a result, more and different poker opportunities for RunGood players are already in the works.
Pandemic closures can’t stop RunGood
The RunGood Poker Series is wasting no time as it emerges from its COVID-19 cocoon. The series was forced to cancel three mid-2020 stops while several more scheduled for late 2020 and early 2021 never advanced beyond the planning stages. The RunGood series lost a total of 10 stops during what became a 15-month hiatus.
The newly announced stops are part of what RunGood is calling its “All-Stars Comeback Tour.” For a multi-state tour such as RunGood, relaunching has involved working within its casino partners’ COVID protocols, such as the wearing of masks, and state-mandated health regulations, many of which are quickly changing.
“Player safety has always been a priority for the tour,” Karn told CardsChat News. “With the tour stops being in multiple states, we have encountered varying takes on safety protocols. In my opinion, there isn’t a wrong or right system. Safety measures help, but our timing and focus on coming back has been on the availability of the vaccine to the general public.”
Expanded mid-major tour opportunities
Though the RunGood poker series took some hits, it’s re-emerging into a changed poker landscape where it could quickly become the dominant US mid-major, traveling poker tour brand. The WSOP’s Circuit series has moved its price points higher, where almost all events now feature both a buy-in of at least $400 with re-entries, while the stops for the rival Mid-States Poker Tour are typically comprised of satellites leading into a large main event.
RunGood stops, in contrast, feature events with buy-ins as low as $100, plus some diversity in the games being offered. (The complete schedule of events for the Jamul and Council Bluffs stops can be found below, as well as at RunGood’s site.)
“The pandemic has definitely caused some big changes in the poker tournament industry,” said Karn. “Having less competition has its opportunities but it also has its pitfalls. Over the past three years, the tour has found its success on asking one question every season. Will this win a GPI Award? Not having other tours to contend with helps, but at the end of the day, we want to win outright because we gave it our all in the ring, not because we showed up.”
RunGood Poker Series Jamul
(Jamul Casino, June 8-13, 2021)
- June 8, 7 pm: Opening Night Guest Bounty Ring Event
- June 9, 12 pm / 7 pm: $185 NLHE Deepstack Ring Event $20,000 Guaranteed (two starting flights)
- June 10, 12 pm: Deepstack Day 2
- June 10, 7 pm: $200 NLHE Two Green Chip Bounty Ring Event
- June 11, 3 pm: $300 PLO Ring Event
- June 11, 7 pm: $575 NLHE RunGood Main Event $100,000 Guaranteed (starting flight A)
- June 12, 12 pm / 7 pm: Main Event starting flights B / C
- June 13, 10 am: $125 NLHE Seniors Ring Event
- June 13, 12 pm: Main Event Day 2
- June 13, 4 pm: $240 NLHE Black Chip Bounty Closer Ring Event
RunGood Poker Series Council Bluffs
(Horseshoe Casino, June 22-27, 2021)
- June 22, 10 am: $125 NLHE Seniors Ring Event
- June 22, 7 pm: $135 NLHE Opening Night Guest Bounty Ring Event
- June 23, 12 pm / 7 pm: $185 NLHE Deepstack Ring Event $20,000 Guaranteed (two starting flights)
- June 24, 12 pm: Deepstack Day 2
- June 24, 4 pm: $250 PLO-8 Ring Event
- June 24, 7 pm: $200 NLHE Two Green Chip Bounty Ring Event
- June 25, 7 pm: $575 NLHE RunGood Main Event $100,000 Guaranteed (starting flight A)
- June 26, 12 pm / 7 pm: Main Event starting flights B / C
- June 27, 10 am: $100 NLHE Turbo Ring Event
- June 27, 12 pm: Main Event Day 2
