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Jack Hays, a farmer from Kentucky, won the RunGood Poker Series Golden Expedition Southern Indiana $800 Main Event, earning a championship ring and a top prize of $57,054 after outlasting a field of 393 entries.
Hays defeated heads-up opponent Craig Welko, a three-time RunGood ring winner and last year’s runner-up in the same event. Despite entering the heads-up match with a significant chip lead, Hays fell behind when Welko doubled up and took control, prompting Hays to shift into a more aggressive, high-variance strategy.
That gamble paid off. Hays doubled through Welko by catching a jack on the turn with just jack-high, then later won a crucial pot with king-seven against Welko’s ace-jack after pairing sevens on the flop to seal the win.
The final table saw several notable eliminations, including defending champion Jasper May in 13th place and start-of-day chip leader Mike Scarborough, who fell in third after Hays hit a nut straight against him. Patty Till, who briefly held a commanding lead, was eliminated in fourth.
Hays credited luck for his victory, noting he had folded strong hands throughout the tournament while weaker holdings carried him to the win. He described the run as the luckiest of his career.
With more than $63,000 in previous live tournament earnings, Hays plans to compete next week when the RGPS stops at The Barrel in Franklin, Kentucky, before taking a break from poker until January to spend time with his two young children.
