Jeremy Gober won the RGPS Grand Prix New Orleans and his first ring

Jeremy Gober became the champion of the RGPS Grand Prix New Orleans, outlasting 307 opponents and winning his first RunGood ring and $45,897.

Since 2015, the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) had not held any stops in New Orleans, but now, nearly a decade later, the series returned to the city with the RGPS Grand Prix New Orleans Main Event featuring an $800 buy-in. The main star of this event was Jeremy Gaubert, who managed to outplay 307 opponents and win his first RunGood championship ring, as well as the top prize of $45,897. Jeremy Gaubert’s Road to Victory Jeremy Gaubert is an experienced player who has been participating in live tournaments in the southern United States for over 15 years. Despite his impressive experience, this was only his third cash in a RunGood event, but it turned out to be his most significant result. After his victory, Gaubert shared his emotions: he noted that he had recently finished second in Coushatta, where he lost heads-up due to an unlucky river, so this win felt especially sweet. Interestingly, Gaubert arrived in New Orleans just two days before the Main Event, played one pot-limit Omaha (PLO) tournament, and then immediately registered for the main event. In an interview, he spoke about his roots in online poker: under the nickname Chemist83, he was well known among Louisiana players before Black Friday, when online poker became unavailable in the US. After that, he had to play more live, and poker became his profession in 2005. Action at the Final Table The second day of play began with 36 participants who had made it through three starting flights. All of them were already guaranteed a payout. Jeremy Gaubert started with the fifth largest stack but quickly took the lead when the field was down to two tables. According to him, from that point on, he faced little serious resistance and his stack steadily grew. However, things changed at the final table: Gaubert faced more aggressive play from his opponents and decided to switch to a tighter style, observing the actions of the other finalists. He tried to seize the initiative but ran into difficulties and had to adjust his strategy. At the start of the final table, Ronald Inman took the lead. When five players remained, Inman had more than a third of all the chips, while Gaubert’s stack had dropped to 20 big blinds—his lowest point of the day. The turning point came when Gaubert hit a set of kings and won a big pot from Inman, revealing Inman’s two pair. Shortly after, Inman lost another key all-in and was eliminated in fifth place. The next player to bust was Charles Bartlett, who was knocked out by Gaubert, further strengthening his lead. At this point, three players remained: Jeremy Gaubert, Brian Senie, and Zackary Poll. Key Hands and Tournament Climax The most important hand of the final table took place between Gaubert and Brian Senie in a blind-versus-blind battle. Gaubert defended his big blind with ace-four. On the flop, he hit top pair and decided to call Senie’s bets on the flop and turn, suspecting that Senie might be bluffing or playing a draw. The river brought a king, and Senie moved all-in, putting Gaubert to the toughest decision of the tournament. At that moment, the two of them held about 90% of all the chips in play. Gaubert reasoned that Senie’s range was highly polarized: either a very strong hand or a bluff. Weighing all the factors, Gaubert made the call, which turned out to be correct—Senie was eliminated in third place. After that, Gaubert entered heads-up against Zackary Poll with a six-to-one chip lead. Poll managed to win a few small pots, but Gaubert quickly regained control and, in the final hand, won a preflop all-in with ace-eight, making a full house and sealing his victory in the tournament. Final Table: Payouts and Placings Below are the results of the final table of the RGPS Grand Prix New Orleans $800 Main Event: 1st place: Jeremy Gaubert — $45,897 2nd place: Zackary Poll — (amount not specified in the original) 3rd place: Brian Senie — (amount not specified in the original) 4th place: Charles Bartlett — (amount not specified in the original) 5th place: Ronald Inman — (amount not specified in the original) 6th place: Frank Alpandinar — (amount not specified in the original) 7th place: Chris Audrain — (amount not specified in the original) 8th place: Dee Wampler — (amount not specified in the original) The total number of participants was 307, which shows the high level of interest in the return of RGPS to New Orleans. All 36 players who made it to Day 2 were already in the money. Context: The RunGood Poker Series and Its Significance The RunGood Poker Series is one of the most popular regional live poker series in the US, which had not held tournaments in New Orleans since 2015. The return of the series generated great interest among local players, many of whom, like Jeremy Gaubert, have extensive experience both in live and online poker. The series is known for its affordable buy-ins and the opportunity for regional players to shine on a big stage. Jeremy Gaubert, who previously played online under the nickname Chemist83, is one of the most recognizable players in Louisiana. His victory in this tournament is a logical continuation of his professional journey, which began even before Black Friday—the moment when online poker was banned in the US and many players had to switch to live games. Poker Formats and Hands: Explanations for Readers The RGPS Grand Prix New Orleans Main Event was played in No Limit Hold'em format with an $800 buy-in. The tournament featured three starting flights, after which the top 36 players advanced to Day 2 and reached the money. The buy-in is the amount a player pays to enter the tournament. Stack refers to the number of chips a player starts with or currently has in the tournament. The big blind is a mandatory bet posted by one of the players before the cards are dealt; stack sizes are often compared to the number of big blinds to assess the depth of play. At the final table, key concepts included "set" (three of a kind), "top pair" (the highest pair on the board), "blinds" (mandatory bets), and "all-in" (when a player bets all their chips). In the decisive hand, Gaubert made a tough call with top pair and a weak kicker, which gave him the advantage and ultimately the win. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players Jeremy Gaubert’s victory in the RGPS Grand Prix New Orleans is a great example of how consistent work on your game and adapting to different formats (from online to live tournaments) can lead to significant results. For PPPoker club players, it’s proof that even if you started with online play, your skills and experience can be successfully applied in live tournaments as well as in club formats. Pay attention to Gaubert’s strategy: he wasn’t afraid to change his playing style depending on the situation at the table, switching from aggression to a tighter game when necessary. This flexible approach is also relevant for club games on PPPoker, where the lineup and table dynamics can change very quickly. Finally, Gaubert’s story shows that even after disappointing finals or tough losses, it’s important to keep playing, analyze your decisions, and get back to the tables. In PPPoker clubs, you can always find tournaments in various formats and at different levels to improve your skills and be ready for big wins—both online and live.