Boston Rob Mariano Wins RGPS: All-Stars ProAM

The second annual RGPS: All-Stars ProAM began at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, December 16, with a field of 65 entrants creating a prize pool of $32,500. 

The field included professional poker players, poker ambassadors, and poker industry members, along with RunGood Poker Series qualifiers from those that predominately won Studio Ticket events and RunGood Main Events. Some players to fall short on Day 1 included Survivor's Tyson Apostol, 2021 WSOP Player of the Year Josh Arieh, poker vlogger Johnnie Vibes, and WSOP bracelet winners Daniel Weinman, Eli Elezra, Chad Holloway, and David Williams. 

Day 1 would play down to the final table of nine that were all in the money, and Dakotah O'Dell would finish as the chip leader with 1,345,000 ahead of Boston Rob Mariano with 1,135,000 and Denise Pratt with 845,000. Shantanu Garg was eliminated in 10th place for $975.

Play resumed on Saturday, December 17, with the final table streamed live on PokerGO.com. Vladimir Grechnikov was the first to fall at the final table when he shoved with king-queen from the small blind but ran into the ace-nine of Mariano in the big blind. Mariano turned an ace, and when Grechnikov missed his gutshot on the river, Mariano would ascend into the chip lead.

LOUD Entertainment Co-Founder Jean Ortega exited in eighth place when he lost a massive flip with Mariano. Ortega held pocket queens against the ace-king of Mariano, and after Mariano flopped an ace, Ortega bricked out his straight draw and took home $1,300 for his eighth-place finish.

Mariano would continue his heater as he eliminated Forrest Kollar in seventh place. Kollar was all-in with ace-ten against the pocket fives of Mariano. Mariano flopped a set, and Kollar's luck ended in seventh place for $1,625 in prize money.

Timoteo Callejo Jr. was eliminated in sixth place when he called all-in on the river with two pair. O'Dell had turned trips and sent Callejo Jr. out in sixth for $1,950 in prize money. PokerGO Qualifier Ashley Jenkins, who won her seat courtesy of a random drawing promotion would see her trip end in fifth place. Jenkins turned top two pair, but O'Dell had trip fives again. No help came for Jenkins on the river, and she parlayed her free seat into a $2,600 payday.

Kulwant Singh would be eliminated in fourth place when he shoved with pocket fives and was looked up by Mariano holding ace-queen suited. Mariano turned a flush to eliminate Singh while simultaneously extending his chip lead as three players remained.

Mariano extended his lead to a two-to-one advantage over his final two opponents before the cards took a turn when he had Pratt all-in holding top pair and a straight draw against Mariano's set of kings. Pratt struck her straight on the turn, and when no improvement fell on the river for Mariano, he slipped back to holding just half the chips in play. O'Dell's run would finish in third place after he was all-in with ace-king against Mariano's ace-four suited. A four landed on the flop, and when no further held came for O'Dell, he collected $4,225 in prize money. 

Mariano now held a near three-to-one chip lead over Pratt heading into heads-up play, but Pratt would find an immediate double when she rivered a flush. Pratt now held the lead, but Mariano grinded back ahead before the final hand played out where Pratt shoved the flop with the nut-flush draw. Mariano called with top two pair, and when the turn and river bricked out, he was crowned the RGPS: All-Stars ProAM champion and collected $8,775 in prize money.

This is Mariano's second victory of 2022 following his September victory in the $200 Guest Ambassador Bounty Ring Event at the RunGood Poker Series Cleveland stop. This was Mariano's third biggest tournament cash, as he now eclipses $170,000 in lifetime tournament earnings.

2022 RGPS: All-Stars ProAM Final Table Payouts

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