Michael Barlow Wins RGPS Lake Erie Main Event in Nine-Card Flip
A three-way chop left the RunGood ring to be decided between Barlow and Antonio Ndoja, while David Hanna took an equal share of the money.
Michael Barlow won the RunGood Poker Series Golden Expedition Ohio $600 Main Event at Lake Erie Poker Room after the final three players split the money and settled the ring with an unusual nine-card flip.
Barlow, Antonio Ndoja and David Hanna agreed to an even-money chop with three players left. Barlow then persuaded the others to play for the ring, but Hanna declined. Barlow and Ndoja each received nine cards and made their best hand using five community cards; Barlow’s tens full of aces beat Ndoja’s tens full of jacks.
The $600 event drew 360 entries, built a $200,000 prize pool and paid 37 places. As we reported in September, the Lake Erie Golden Expedition had been scheduled around a $200,000-guaranteed Main Event and five starting flights.
RunGood’s official results listed Barlow as the winner for $29,318, with Ndoja and Hanna each receiving $29,316. The near-identical payouts reflect the three-way deal, while the ring went solely to Barlow through the flip.
Ndoja, Barlow and Hanna began the final table as the three biggest stacks, in that order. Ndoja knocked out James Garr in ninth place, Nicholas Lanzi in eighth and Jonathan Tackett in seventh, while Hanna eliminated Patrick Beatrez in fifth. Joffrey Gaetz finished fourth, setting up the eventual three-handed agreement.
The victory was Barlow’s second RunGood title. His first came in the 2024 RGPS Resort Ohio Tag Team event, which he won alongside his brother, Matthew.
Gaetz earned $15,270 for fourth, followed by Beatrez with $11,000 and Joel Brink with $8,645. Tackett took $6,760 for seventh, Lanzi received $5,290 for eighth and Garr collected $4,185 for ninth.
