RGPS Bay Area: $800 Main Event Keeps Its $300,000 Guarantee at Graton, Nov. 12-22
Updated on October 31, 2026.
The RGPS Bay Area returns to Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park, California, from Nov. 12 to 22, with 18 ring events and more than $500,000 in guarantees. The RunGood Main Event drops its buy-in to $800 from $1,100 but keeps the $300,000 guarantee, according to PokerNews. Main Event flights run Nov. 20 and 21.
Quick summary
- The RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) stops at Graton Resort & Casino from Thursday, Nov. 12.
- 18 ring events, with more than $500,000 guaranteed in total.
- The $800 RunGood Main Event guarantees $300,000, the same as the $1,100 Main Event in March.
- A $400 PokerNews PowerStack Mystery Bounty opens the week with a $200,000 guarantee.
- $200 satellites award one Main Event seat for every five entries, according to PokerNews.
When is the RGPS Bay Area 2026?
The RGPS Bay Area starts Thursday, Nov. 12, and the PokerNews schedule ends with the Main Event Day 2 on Sunday, Nov. 22. RunGood’s own events page lists the stop at Graton through Nov. 23.
The series is part of RunGood’s fall season, called the Golden Expedition. Every event counts toward the 2026/27 RunGood Player of the Year race. The stop also feeds the PokerNews PowerStack Leaderboard, whose top 10 players each earn a package to Thunder Valley and a seat in the $300 Dream Seat Invitational.
All times below are local, Pacific Time.
How much is the RGPS Bay Area Main Event?
The RunGood Main Event (Ring #16) costs $800 and guarantees $300,000. That is $300 less than the buy-in in March, when the Bay Area stop ran a $1,100 Main Event with the same guarantee. Aaron Overton won that event for $94,050, according to PokerNews.
There are four Day 1 flights, and Day 2 plays out on Sunday.
| Flight | Date | Start (PT) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1A | Friday, Nov. 20 | 10 a.m. |
| Day 1B | Friday, Nov. 20 | 4 p.m. |
| Day 1C | Saturday, Nov. 21 | 10 a.m. |
| Day 1D | Saturday, Nov. 21 | 4 p.m. |
| Day 2 | Sunday, Nov. 22 | Noon |
Satellites to the Main Event
If $800 is more than you want to spend, Graton runs $200 Main Event satellites on Nov. 19 (5 p.m.), Nov. 20 (2 p.m.) and Nov. 21 (2 p.m.), each awarding one seat for every five entries. There are also $200 in-room satellites at 9 a.m. on Nov. 20 and 21. A $240 package satellite on Nov. 12, 13 and 14 gives one in six players a $400 Mystery Bounty entry plus an $800 Main Event entry.
What else is on the schedule?
The biggest event outside the Main Event is the $400 PokerNews PowerStack Mystery Bounty (Ring #2), with a $200,000 guarantee. It has five Day 1 flights from Nov. 12 to 14 and restarts for Day 2 on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m.
| Date | Event | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 12 | Series Opener (Ring #1) | $300 |
| Nov. 12-14 | PowerStack Mystery Bounty, $200,000 GTD (Ring #2) | $400 |
| Nov. 15 | Big Bounty (Ring #5) | $400 |
| Nov. 15-17 | Graton Harvest Classic (Ring #6) | $300 |
| Nov. 16 | Seniors 50+ NLH (Ring #7) | $400 |
| Nov. 17-18 | Monster Stack (Ring #9) | $400 |
| Nov. 19 | SuperStack NLH (Ring #14) | $600 |
| Nov. 20-22 | RunGood Main Event, $300,000 GTD (Ring #16) | $800 |
| Nov. 22 | Win a Ring on the River (Ring #17) | $400 |
Mixed-game players get a $300 Limit Omaha 8 (Nov. 16), a $300 T.O.R.S.E. (Nov. 17), a $300 Mixed PLO (Nov. 18) and a $300 Pot-Limit Omaha (Nov. 19). The last ring, a $200 Double Board Bomb Pot PLO, runs Nov. 22. PokerNews will report live from the Main Event.
What it means for players in the US
The RGPS Bay Area is a live series, so you play it in person at Graton, in Sonoma County. If you can’t make the trip, you can still play online tournaments from home, but California does not license online poker. The sites that accept Californians are international rooms that are not licensed or regulated by any US state, so state consumer protections don’t apply. Read our guide to online poker in California before you deposit.
Among our partners, Ignition Poker accepts players from California and pays 40% rakeback through us, monthly. Its welcome bonus is 150% up to $1,500 in Bitcoin. ACR Poker, BetOnline and CoinPoker also accept the state. To get the deal, sign up through the button on the room review and message us on Telegram. You can compare the options on our list of the best online poker sites and estimate what you’d get back with the rakeback calculator.
If you’re traveling for the Main Event, set a budget first. Our poker bankroll calculator shows how many buy-ins you need for live tournaments.
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Frequently asked questions
When is the RGPS Bay Area 2026?
The series starts Thursday, Nov. 12, at Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park, California. The PokerNews schedule ends with the Main Event Day 2 on Sunday, Nov. 22, while RunGood's events page lists the stop through Nov. 23.
How much is the RGPS Bay Area Main Event?
The RunGood Main Event costs $800, down from $1,100 in March, and keeps its $300,000 guarantee. Day 1 flights run Nov. 20 and 21, and Day 2 is Nov. 22 at noon.
How can I qualify for the RGPS Main Event for less?
Graton runs $200 Main Event satellites on Nov. 19, 20 and 21. According to PokerNews, the main ones award one $800 seat for every five entries.
Can I play online poker for real money in California?
California does not license online poker. International sites accept players from the state, but they are not regulated by California, so state consumer protections do not apply.
Sources
- PokerNews: Same Guarantee, Smaller Buy-in Main Event Headlines RGPS Bay Area
- RunGood: Events schedule
- RunGood: RunGood Poker Series Announces 2026 Fall Season Schedule: Golden Expedition
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