Shawn Murphy Wins RGPS Houston $600 Main Event by Defeating Field of 538 Entries for $51,000 Top Prize

Shawn Murphy won the 2026 RunGood Golden Expedition Houston $600 Main Event. The Ohio native defeated a field of 538 entries at Champions Club Texas to claim the $51,000 first-place prize. This result exceeded Murphy’s previous career high of $7,600 by a wide margin.

The tournament used six starting flights to reach the $250,000 guaranteed prize pool. On Day 2, 49 players returned with a minimum cash worth $1,150. Blinds increased every 30 minutes, producing rapid eliminations throughout the day.

Day 2 Action and Final Table

Start-of-day chip leader Matthew Schumacher exited in 28th place. The field redrew at the final 27 players with several notable contenders still active. Eliminations included RGPS ambassador Alexandra Loveless, Michael Murphy, Hayden Fortini, and Kimberly Stone. Drake Kemper and Gabriel Andrade, the two most accomplished players remaining, both fell in the same hand against Murphy.

Further knockouts claimed Srinivas Tottempudi, Jeremy Moore, and Flavio Palalon. Three-handed, Murphy extracted value on all streets with top pair against Tzu Yen to build a substantial lead. Henry Haufrect also made a deep run before exiting. As reported by PokerNews, Murphy dominated from the final two tables onward while holding a beer for much of the day.

Heads-Up Conclusion

Grant Matatall, who had just turned 18 and was staked by his father, reached heads-up in his first live tournament Day 2. The teenager showed poise with two double-ups to level the stacks. In the final hand Matatall triple-barreled a bluff after missing an open-ended straight draw. Murphy called with ace-high to seal the title. Experience proved decisive against the young challenger’s skill.

Reporting: PokerNews

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