Nick Rigby, long known for his fearless table presence and memorable bluffs, added a major live title to his résumé by winning the RunGood Grand Prix Caesars Southern Indiana $800 Main Event. The Pennsylvania native outlasted 358 entrants to earn $52,323, his third-largest career cash.
“It feels great,” Rigby said after posing for the winner’s photos.
Nick Rigby might be best known for some running a series of bold bluffs, but he showed he can put up some results on the felt too. He tops a field of 358 to win RunGood Grand Prix Caesars Southern Indiana $800 Main Event for $52,323.
— RunGood Poker Series (@RGPokerSeries) August 25, 2025
📰: https://t.co/CSQ4bpUhDi pic.twitter.com/RzOeDNwV3l
From Chip Leader to Champion
Rigby started the final table with the chip lead and made his intentions clear: “aggression out of the gates.” True to his word, he scooped up numerous pots uncontested and quickly separated himself from the pack. The turning point came in a massive clash against Charles Rexroat, who moved all in with pocket tens. Rigby snapped him off with two pair and suddenly controlled more than 60% of the chips with five players left.
At that stage, the remaining contenders seemed to be battling for second place, but the momentum briefly shifted. Justin Donato mounted a serious challenge, including a dramatic hand where he correctly called Rigby on the river with nothing more than king-high, risking half his stack. That bold move put Donato nearly level with the leader, and Rigby admitted the pressure was real.
“I tightened up toward the end,” he said. “The impact of one of them doubling through me started to get a lot bigger.”
Rigby steadied himself and regained control. A crucial all-in flip saw his pocket tens hold against Donato’s ace-king, restoring his dominance. Once heads-up against Craig Welko, Rigby closed it out quickly to secure the championship.
Welko’s Strong Series
Although he fell short of the title, Craig Welko capped off a standout week of his own. Earlier in the series, he captured a RunGood ring in a preliminary event before taking home $34,909 for his runner-up finish in the Main Event.
Final Table Results – $800 Main Event
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Rigby | USA | $52,323 |
| 2 | Craig Welko | USA | $34,909 |
| 3 | Justin Donato | USA | $25,687 |
| 4 | Carl Masters | USA | $19,121 |
| 5 | Ricky Fryer | USA | $14,410 |
| 6 | Charles Rexroat | USA | $10,976 |
| 7 | Mike Talerico | USA | $8,470 |
| 8 | George Durham | USA | $6,616 |
| 9 | Ryan Stephens | USA | $5,238 |
What’s Next for Rigby
Rigby, who made headlines in past WSOP Main Events with his unconventional “dirty diaper” style of play, now adds a prestigious RunGood title to his record. Looking forward, he plans to keep a busy schedule, mixing in smaller tournaments with major stops. Among his upcoming highlights will be WPT Bay 101, where he has been selected as one of the Shooting Star bounties.
With this latest victory, Rigby continues to prove that his reputation is built on more than just audacious bluffs—he has the results to back it up.
