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Shawn Murphy captured the 2026 RunGood Golden Expedition (RGPS) Houston $600 Main Event, defeating a field of 538 entries at Champions Club Texas for a career-high payout of $51,000. The event ran across six starting flights to reach a $250,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Murphy, an Ohio native with roughly $86,000 in lifetime earnings prior to this win, had never previously cashed for more than $7,600. He dominated play from the final two tables onward, maintaining his composure throughout Day 2.
Forty-nine players returned for the final day, with a min-cash guaranteeing $1,150. Start-of-day chip leader Matthew Schumacher fell early, exiting in 28th place as blinds escalated quickly.
As the field tightened to the last two tables, average stacks shrank below 20 big blinds, accelerating eliminations. Notable names including Drake Kemper and Gabriel Andrade were both knocked out in the same hand shortly after the final table formed, falling victim to Murphy’s early surge.
The tournament ultimately came down to Murphy and 18-year-old Grant Matatall, who was playing in his first-ever live Day 2 after being staked by his father. Matatall fought back with multiple double-ups to level the chip counts before Murphy regained the edge.
On the final hand, Matatall fired a triple-barrel bluff off a missed straight draw, but Murphy made a crucial call with just ace-high to clinch the title and the largest score of his poker career.
