RGPS Gateway Poker Classic Main Event | Police officer Brett Hagopian crowned champion, taking home a whopping $71,740 after the prize pool is split among six players.

On August 10, 2026, the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Gateway Poker Classic $800 Main Event concluded at the Hollywood Casino & Hotel in St. Louis, USA. Brett Hagopian, a local police officer, defeated Ben Miller in heads-up play to win the $71,740 and his most important live tournament title to date.

This event attracted 705 entries, creating a total prize pool of $493,500. All 86 players who advanced to Day 2 were already in the money. Hagopian fought his way through the ranks and continued to compete for an additional $26,000 after the ICM payout at the six-handed table, ultimately becoming the only player remaining at the table.

705 people competed for a prize pool of nearly $500,000

The Gateway Poker Classic Main Event had a buy-in of $800, attracting 705 entries and creating a total prize pool of $493,500. Day 2 saw 86 returning players, and all those who advanced have secured their winnings.

The champion's prize money includes $45,740 shared by the six players under the ICM agreement, and $26,000 reserved for the final champion.

Gateway Poker Classic Final Table Results

Hagopian takes off his police badge and sits at the poker table, achieving the biggest victory of his career.

Hagopian's day job isn't as a professional poker player; he works as a police officer in Granite City, a suburb of Saint-Louis. Whenever RGPS comes to Saint-Louis, he temporarily puts aside his police duties to participate in local tournaments.

He stated that he participates in the tournament almost every time RGPS comes to St. Louis, and his friends also come to watch. During this series, he participated in different events throughout the week and bagged the ball with 200,000 chips in the latter part of the Main Event Flight C.

After winning the championship, Hagopian described the victory as his "number one, without a doubt" achievement in his poker career. Prior to this, his most representative championship was the Ameristar Poker Open (APO) in January 2025; this victory at the Gateway Poker Classic officially broke his personal best.

The pre-tournament prize money was approximately $94,000, with one win exceeding $100,000.

According to PokerNews citing The Hendon Mob, Hagopian had approximately $94,000 in live tournament winnings prior to this event.

His two previous biggest wins came at the 2025 Summer WSOP PokerNews Daily Deepstacks and the January 2025 APO Championship. This $71,740 not only broke his single-win record but also officially brought his career live casino winnings past $100,000.

Pocket 10s led the game with AK, but a straight on the turn saved the day.

Hagopian's Day 2 was not all smooth sailing.

Earlier in the game, he was in a pre-flop race with Adam Latham. Hagopian held pocket tens, while Latham had AK. The flop gave Latham top pair, allowing him to take the lead, but Hagopian made a straight on the turn, winning the pot again and doubling up.

This comeback helped him avoid an early exit and became a crucial turning point on his subsequent path to the championship.

Among other notable players on Day 2, WSOP bracelet winner Jason Simon was eliminated early; Horace Ingram, who started second in chip count, was eliminated in the first hour. RunGood brand ambassador Jeffrey Copeland finished in 40th place, while Day 1A chip leader Steph Martines finished in 24th.

Phil Boyd's call on the river failed, and he finished in 10th place.

Before the nine-handed final table was set, Day 2's starting chip leader, Phil Boyd, poured his final 1,030,000 chips into the river and opted to call with a pair of Jacks.

Greg Iken won the pot with two pair, eliminating Boyd in 10th place. This hand also put Iken in the final table with 9,200,000 chips, more than double the score of second-place Keith Heine.

FT opening short codes doubled consecutively

The theme of the final table opening was short stacks constantly extending life.

Jerry Knoche doubled up with pocket kings on his first turn, defeating Matthew Blackwell with pocket twos against Iken's AK. Ben Miller doubled up against Knoche, while Tyler Breeding made a full house in pre-flop play against Heine with pocket nines with AQ.

After several doublings, Blackwell finally met Miller's AQ with AJ, becoming the first player eliminated in the final table. Cameron Dugan then went all-in with pocket threes for 1,675,000, but ran into Heine's pocket Qs, finishing in eighth place.

Terrazas hit an Ace on the flop with AK, taking the lead from Iken.

Iken maintained a significant chip lead in the early final table until he faced Javier Terrazas in a major pre-flop showdown.

Iken raised four times and went all-in. Terrazas called with 3,850,000 chips and AK, while Iken revealed pocket kings. Terrazas then hit an ace on the flop, completing a crucial double-up and taking over Iken's chip lead.

After that, the blind pressure began to increase rapidly. After a short break, the new level went more than 20 minutes without seeing a flop, and the remaining players were clearly affected by the increased prize money and the pressure of short stacks.

Hagopian fell to 755,000, then doubled twice to return to the battle.

Hagopian was down to just 755,000 chips. He went all-in from the small blind, Iken called with 2-3, and Hagopian held A-5.

The community cards helped Hagopian make two pairs, giving him a crucial double-up; then he got pocket aces in the big blind and doubled up again from Terrazas.

Jerry Knoche then lost the pre-flop contest with pocket fours against Heine's K-10, finishing in seventh place. With six players remaining, all players paused the game to discuss a prize deal.

The prize money was split among six people at ICM, with the champion retaining an additional $26,000.

The six contestants ultimately agreed to distribute the prizes according to the ICM (Independent Prize Management) system.

At that time, Hagopian had become the chip leader, so the agreement guaranteed $45,740, and the six players would reserve another $26,000 from the remaining prize money for the eventual champion.

This is why the final table prize money did not decrease in order of ranking. For example, fifth-place Keith Heine won $43,585, higher than runner-up Ben Miller's $39,344 and third-place Tyler Breeding's $41,992.

For Hagopian, if they ultimately win the championship, their total income will increase to exactly $71,740.

After the prize money was distributed, the pressure was relieved, and the elimination rate immediately accelerated.

After the agreement was finalized, the pressure from the significant prize money increase disappeared, and the players' competitive rhythm changed accordingly.

Miller doubled up against Heine with pocket aces, then eliminated Iken in sixth place with AQ. Heine then doubled up against Terrazas, but Breeding made a trip on the river, beating Heine's pocket nines and sending the 2023 RGPS St. Louis champion to fifth place.

In the next hand, Breeding eliminated Terrazas again, sending him to fourth place, leaving only three players on the field.

Breeding's pocket queens cost him a big pot, while Hagopian's river straight sent him to third place.

After entering the three-player table, Hagopian doubled up first from Breeding's hand, bringing the three players' scoreboards closer together again.

Breeding then went all-in from the small blind, and Miller called with 7,800,000 chips and pocket queens. Breeding only had Ace-high, and although he flopped a flush draw, he couldn't improve his hand and ended up handing a large number of chips to Miller.

Breeding doubled up once when he was down to 600,000, but quickly fell short of the stack again. Hagopian eventually made a straight on the river, eliminating Breeding in third place and setting up the championship match.

Miller enters heads-up play with $15 million against $13 million.

At the start of the heads-up match, Ben Miller held a slight lead of 15,000,000 chips over Hagopian's 13,000,000.

Hagopian quickly adopted a highly aggressive strategy, constantly going all-in, forcing Miller to repeatedly face life-or-death decisions in the game.

Miller first opted to counter with K-4, while Hagopian held pocket eights. Hagopian had a chance to end the match directly, but Miller ultimately completed a double pair to double up, and the championship match continued.

K-8 flopped a King, Hagopian was eliminated.

The previous all-in defeat did not change Hagopian's strategy; he continued to apply maximum pressure to Miller.

Ultimately, Miller called Hagopian's all-in with 13,000,000 chips and pocket 7s, while Hagopian held K-8.

The flop came up with a King, giving Hagopian a bigger pair and the lead, but the subsequent community cards did not help Miller regain the lead.

Brett Hagopian has officially secured the Gateway Poker Classic Main Event title, taking home the $26,000 held in the six-player agreement, bringing his total winnings to $71,740; Miller finished as runner-up.

RGPS returns to Saint-Louis in October, Hagopian prepares to defend title.

From Granite City cop to the ultimate champion of the 705-attempt main event, Brett Hagopian turned his long experience in RGPS St. Louis into the biggest victory of his career.

He confirmed after the tournament that he would continue to compete whenever RGPS returns to Saint-Louis. RGPS is expected to return to the area in October, and Hagopian will have the opportunity to sit back at the table as the defending champion. He also indicated that he might start traveling to other places to participate in more tournaments in the future.

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