Police Officer Wins the Main Event of the Gateway Poker Classic 2024

Brett Hagopian from Granite City became the champion of the Gateway Poker Classic, achieving the biggest win of his poker career at the RGPS tournament in St. Louis.

Granite City police officer Brett Hagopian scored the biggest win of his poker career by taking down the $800 buy-in Gateway Poker Classic Main Event, held as part of the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) at Hollywood Casino & Hotel in St. Louis. Gateway Poker Classic: Tournament and Final Table Details The Gateway Poker Classic is part of the popular RunGood Poker Series, which regularly takes place in various cities across the US. This time, the tournament attracted 705 entries, creating an impressive prize pool of $493,500. Everyone who made it to Day 2 was already guaranteed a payout. Brett Hagopian, a police officer in the St. Louis suburb of Granite City, never misses an RGPS stop when the series comes to his hometown. This time, his persistence and experience paid off with a well-deserved victory and the biggest prize of his career. Before this success, Hagopian had $94,000 in live tournament winnings, including a win at the Ameristar Poker Open and a deep run in the WSOP PokerNews Daily Deepstacks last summer. However, his Gateway Poker Classic win set a new personal record and pushed his career earnings past the $100,000 mark. Hagopian himself noted that this victory is his greatest poker achievement: “This is number one, for sure. It means a lot to me. I’ve played almost every RunGood stop when they come to St. Louis. Before this, I only had a trophy for winning the APO, but this is my biggest result. It’s very important to me.” Gateway Poker Classic Final Table Results Place Player Prize 1 Brett Hagopian $71,740 2 Ben Miller $55,000 3 Tyler Breeding $54,000 4 Javier Terrazas $51,000 5 Keith Heine $49,000 6 Greg Iken $48,000 7 Jerry Knoche $15,350 8 Cameron Dugan $12,250 9 Matthew Blackwell $9,900 10 Phil Boyd $7,900 86 Players Return for Day 2: The Battle for the Final Table Out of 705 entrants, 86 players made it to Day 2, all of whom were already in the money. Among them were well-known players and RunGood regulars. For example, WSOP bracelet winner Jason Simon was one of the first to bust, while Horace Ingram, who started the day second in chips, was eliminated within the first hour. RunGood ambassador Jeffrey Copeland finished in 40th place, and Day 1a chip leader Steph Martines ended her run in 24th place. Brett Hagopian nearly busted early on: he went all-in with pocket tens against Adam Latham’s ace-king. Latham hit top pair on the flop, but Hagopian made a straight on the turn and doubled up, keeping his tournament hopes alive. The final table was set after a hand in which the day’s starting chip leader, Phil Boyd, shoved his remaining 1,030,000 on the river with pocket jacks, but Greg Iken showed two pair and knocked him out in 10th place. Iken entered the final table with a massive chip lead—9,200,000 chips, more than double the stack of his closest competitor, Keith Heine. Final Table Begins: A Series of Double-Ups and the Fight for Survival The final table kicked off with a string of double-ups for the short stacks. In the very first hand, Jerry Knoche picked up pocket kings and doubled through Matthew Blackwell. Then Blackwell won a flip with pocket deuces against Iken’s ace-king. Ben Miller doubled through Knoche, and Tyler Breeding made a full house with ace-queen against Heine’s nines in a preflop all-in. Blackwell was the first to bust from the final table when his ace-jack lost to Miller’s ace-queen. Next, Cameron Dugan went all-in with pocket threes but ran into Heine’s queens and finished in eighth place. Iken maintained his lead when he four-bet shoved against Javier Terrazas. Terrazas called off 3,850,000 with ace-king, while Iken had kings. Terrazas needed an ace, and he hit it on the flop, doubling up and taking the chip lead. After a short break, the table entered a period of cautious play: for over 20 minutes, no one saw a flop as players tried to survive with rapidly increasing blinds. At this point, Hagopian’s stack dropped to 755,000. He shoved from the small blind, Iken called with 2-3, and Hagopian had ace-five. Hagopian made two pair on the board and doubled up, then picked up pocket aces and doubled again, this time against Terrazas. Knoche lost a flip with pocket fours against Heine’s king-ten and finished seventh. After that, with stacks getting very short, the remaining six players decided to discuss an ICM deal (splitting the prize pool according to chip counts). As a result, Hagopian, as chip leader, locked up $45,740, with another $26,000 left to play for the eventual champion. After the Deal: Aggressive Play and a Flurry of Eliminations With the pressure of big payouts lifted, the table dynamic changed immediately. Players started playing more hands and shoving more often. Miller picked up pocket aces and doubled through Heine’s sevens, and in the very next hand, his ace-queen knocked out Iken (6th place). Heine doubled through Terrazas, but soon after, Breeding made trips on the river against his nines and sent the 2023 RGPS St. Louis champion out in fifth. In the next hand, Breeding eliminated Terrazas, leaving three players in contention. After Hagopian doubled through Breeding, all three players were nearly even in chips. Then Breeding shoved from the small blind, and Miller called 7,800,000 with queens. Breeding had ace-high and a flush draw on the flop, but couldn’t improve—losing most of his stack. Heads-Up: Hagopian Applies Pressure, Miller Fights Back Down to 600,000, Breeding managed to double up, but soon after, Hagopian knocked him out by making a straight on the river. In heads-up, Miller had 15,000,000 chips to Hagopian’s 13,000,000. Hagopian began using all-ins aggressively, putting maximum pressure on his opponent. In one hand, Miller called an all-in with king-four against Hagopian’s eights. Miller made two pair on the flop and doubled up. However, Hagopian kept up the aggression and continued to shove. In the decisive hand, Miller went all-in for 13,000,000 with pocket sevens, and Hagopian called with king-eight. A king hit the flop, and Hagopian won the tournament, becoming the Gateway Poker Classic champion. The next RGPS stop in St. Louis will take place in October, and Hagopian has already said he’ll be back to defend his title: “Every time they come to St. Louis, I’m here. Maybe I’ll try traveling to other cities too.” Full Final Table Payouts Place Player Prize 1 Brett Hagopian $71,740 2 Ben Miller $55,000 3 Tyler Breeding $54,000 4 Javier Terrazas $51,000 5 Keith Heine $49,000 6 Greg Iken $48,000 7 Jerry Knoche $15,350 8 Cameron Dugan $12,250 9 Matthew Blackwell $9,900 10 Phil Boyd $7,900 Context: The RunGood Poker Series and Its Players The RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) is one of the most well-known regional poker tours in the US, regularly drawing hundreds of players to its stops. RGPS events are held at the country’s top casinos, and Hollywood Casino & Hotel in St. Louis is a traditional hotspot for both local and traveling regulars. The tournament featured both local players and well-known pros. Among them were WSOP bracelet winner Jason Simon, series ambassador Jeffrey Copeland, and last year’s RGPS St. Louis champion Keith Heine. Each of them contributed to the intense battle at the final table. For Brett Hagopian, this victory was not only the biggest of his career but also a testament to his persistence: he regularly plays RGPS stops in St. Louis while balancing poker with his job as a police officer. His success is an example of how an amateur can achieve serious results by making the most of regional series opportunities. Key Hands and Strategic Moments of the Tournament Hagopian’s early double-up on Day 2: A crucial moment when his tens held against Latham’s ace-king, allowing Hagopian to stay in the tournament and keep fighting. Critical final table hand: Iken’s kings versus Terrazas’s ace-king. An ace on the flop shifts the balance of power, and Terrazas takes the lead. Back-to-back double-ups for Hagopian: First with ace-five against Iken’s 2-3, then with aces against Terrazas. These hands put Hagopian back in contention for the title. Six-way ICM deal: The players split most of the prize pool, leaving $26,000 for the winner. This eased the pressure and sped up the action. Hagopian’s aggressive heads-up strategy: Constant all-ins forced Miller to take risks, and ultimately Hagopian clinched the win by winning a key coinflip with king-eight against sevens. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players This story is a great example of how regular participation in live and online tournaments can lead to big results, even for non-professional players. Brett Hagopian, balancing work and poker, was able to use his experience and composure to win a major tournament. For PPPoker club members, it’s proof that discipline, game analysis, and active participation in events are the keys to growth and success. Special attention should be paid to the strategic moments that played out at the final table: knowing when to double up, making smart use of ICM deals, and aggressive play in heads-up. These are all skills that can and should be practiced in PPPoker club games to be ready for crucial battles in the late stages of tournaments. Finally, Hagopian’s experience shows that playing in regional series and club leagues is a great way not only to enjoy the game but also to build your own poker story. Even if you’re not a pro, regular practice and making the most of your opportunities can lead to significant wins and big prizes.