Nick Rigby turned heads with his bold and brash play during a deep run in the 2021 main event, finishing 52nd out of the field of 6,650 for $136,100. In the years since, he has established himself as one of the top players on the RunGood Poker Series, where he has won eight rings.
Rigby had a particularly remarkable run in St. Louis this March, where he won three events in the span of just 24 hours. It started with the $400 PowerStack, which he took down for $28,008. The next morning he jumped into the $500 pot-limit Omaha side event, and once again found the winner’s circle, this time for $11,719. Incredibly, he decided to late register the $200 turbo, and quickly found another victory and a $5,044 payout.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native added another two titles in April, taking down tournaments in both Oklahoma and Maryland. With five rings in 2026, Rigby is currently the frontrunner for RGPS player of the year.
Card Player caught up with Rigby to break down some key hands he played on the way to his triple-win day.
Event: Run Good Passport Series – St. Louis (No-Limit Hold’em)
Buy-In: $400
Entrants: 422
Prize Pool: $136,551
First-Place Prize: $28,010
Craig Tapscott: Can you set this final table up for us please?
Nick Rigby: Coming into the final table, I was the chip leader. My plan as usual, was aggression. However, I needed to be careful, as there were several short stacks that would jam on any large opens.
The table was also unique as the player second in chips would only go all-in or fold. No in between, no post-flop play, just jam or fold. Another fun aspect of the final table was that my good friend Walker Miskelly was there.
One interesting hand that comes to mind, which was crucial to maintaining momentum, was against the players third and fourth in chips, with six of us left. The all-in or fold player was not in the hand (obviously).
Hand No. 1
Stacks: Nick Rigby – 3,800,000 (76 BB) Villain 1 – 900,000 (18 BB) Cameron Dugan – 1,300,000 (26 BB)
Blinds: 25,000-50,000 with a 50,000 big blind ante
Players: 6
Villain 1 raised to 100,000 from middle position.
NR: I looked down at Q♥10♣ on the button. It’s a marginal hand, but I was the chip leader and interested in playing post-flop in position with this holding.
Rigby called with Q♥10♣. Dugan called from the big blind.
NR: My thinking was also that the big would probably come along. The big blind was a tighter player, however his range would be wider in that situation.
FLOP: J♣8♥4♠
Dugan checked, as did the original raiser.
NR: Both players checked to me. Often, players will check to see a free card. However, given my chip lead and the middle position player not c-betting, I assumed he had a hand like A-x and did not want to invest any additional chips.
CT: Did this info make you want to bet in position?
NR: A bet could take the pot uncontested, and if not, Villain 2 could call out of the big blind with weaker hands containing an eight or a four. With a jack, he could opt to check-raise, but he could also just call and hope I blast off on following streets.
We were obviously looking for a nine for the nuts, but the queen as an over plays well also.
Rigby bet 100,000, and Dugan called. The original raiser folded.
TURN: 9♥
Dugan checked.
CT: Easy game. What now to get all the chips?
NR: It’s a beautiful card, obviously, as we make the nuts. I decided to bet again. We are getting value from hands like J-10 and 8-10 that picked up a straight draw, and 9-10 could have also easily been in his range.
Rigby bet 250,000, and Dugan called.
RIVER: 9♣
Dugan checked.
NR: He tanked before calling on the turn, and even seemed like he might jam. On the river, he didn’t take too much time and checked to me. Without hesitation, I shoved all-in for his remaining 17 big blinds. I believed a nine was snapping, and I would most likely get a call from any jack, given my aggressive image at the table thus far.
Dugan tanked and called with A♦J♥, and Rigby scored the knockout.
CT: How did the rest of the final table play out?
NR: When we got to four-handed, I made my stand with A♦J♦ when the all-in-or-fold villain shoved for 22 bigs. He had K-Q offsuit, and the board came jack high. Ultimately, my friend Walker and I got heads-up, and we decided to “play to the death” as we both desired the win and the ring.
Our match didn’t last too long and ended when I four-bet shoved preflop on the button with A-4 suited with a 2:1 chip lead. He held A-6 and called the all-in. It was no match as a four came right in the window and sealed his fate.
Hand No. 2
Event: Run Good Passport Series – St. Louis (Pot-Limit Omaha)
Buy-In: $500
Entrants: 93
Prize Pool: $39,033
First-Place Prize: $11,719
NR: This was the second event I won during that 24-hour period. I also came to this final table as chip leader. Surprising, right?
CT: Did this event go as smoothly as the previous win?
NR: Not at all. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows this tournament. I had crumbs on the bubble and barely got in the money. From there, after losing the bubble player, we didn’t lose a player for four levels of play. During this, I was able to spin up quite the stack.
The whole final table, Chris Audrain, a St. Louis local, kept stopping by and saying “one hell of a PLO player” repeatedly, telling me to keep doing all the work knocking everyone out, and then he’d beat me heads-up. Well, his plan seemed to work as we got heads-up. I had a huge chip lead at the start, but Chris battled back and had me at the brink of knockout three different times.
It was a great heads-up match, and one we both commented would make for great TV. There was not one all-in preflop, but rather each of us flopping “monsters” and outdrawing the other back and forth. There were many memorable hands, but I’ll detail our last hand.
Stacks: Nick Rigby – 1,400,000 (46 BB) Chris Audrain – 460,000 (15 BB)
Blinds: 15,000-30,000 with a 30,000 big blind ante
Players: 2
NR: After re-securing the chip lead for the fourth time, I was opening nearly every pot and applying maximum pressure.
Audrain completed from the button. Rigby raised to 90,000 from the big blind with Q♦5♦6♣8♥, and Audrain called.
FLOP: A♦4♠3♦
NR: It was a good flop for me, where I flopped an open-ended straight draw as well as a diamond flush draw.
Rigby checked, and Audrain bet 210,000.
CT: What do you make of this bet?
NR: I felt and hoped he probably had flopped aces up for two pair and did not have a larger flush draw.
Rigby moved all-in. Audrain called and revealed A♣3♣J♥9♥.
NR: He had flopped top and bottom pair.
TURN: 10♠ RIVER: 9♦
Rigby won the pot and the last of Audrain’s chips.
NR: The flush on the river secured my second ring of the day!
Hand No. 3
Event: Run Good Passport Series – St. Louis (Turbo No-Limit Hold’em)
Buy-In: $200
Entrants: 121
Prize Pool: $19,400
First-Place Prize: $5,044
CT: I can’t believe you jumped into another event. What were you thinking?
NR: After winning my second ring of the trip and in the very next tournament, needless to say, I was feeling pretty good!
I received my second ring, did the customary photo shoot, and was paid in chips in a rack. I immediately saw I could max-late reg the turbo tourney. So, without hitting the cage to cash in my chips, I registered and carried my rack of chips and ring box right into the next tournament. I got needled for those items the whole tournament.
CT: And rightly so. (laughs) Set this last hand up for us.
NR: My RUNGOOD continued this tourney, and I felt myself winning all my flips and chipping up very quickly.
I soon found myself as chip leader coming into the final table. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a bounty tourney, because I eliminated almost the whole table single-handedly. This brought us to three-handed play, where I’ll detail the hand that propelled me into heads-up.
Stacks: Nick Rigby – 1,250,000 (63 BB) James Gidden – 160,000 (8 BB)
Blinds: 10,000-20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante
Players: 3
Action folds to Rigby in the small blind with 2♠3♠.
NR: The player on the button folded, and in the small blind we peeked down at none other than 2♠3♠…THE CLEAN DIAPER!
CT: Oh, no!
NR: Seeing as we were mid-discussion about ‘the diaper’ at the table and a nearby crowd had formed to watch three-handed play, there was no doubt in my mind what to do with the Holy Grail of hands.
CT: I think I know what is about to happen. Go ahead.
NR: We were applying max pressure to the short stack of eight big blinds.
Rigby moved all-in and Gidden called with A♣K♠.
NR: He nearly threw his back out putting his chips in the middle. Unfortunately, I then tabled my hand, and he saw the bad news. He was up against the diaper! The premium of all premiums!
FLOP: 4♠9♣4♦
NR: The 4♠ in the window got a roar from the spectators, but it was followed by the 9♣ and the 4♦. He let out a sigh of relief, but the diaper had a plan in mind.
TURN: 8♠ RIVER: 6♠
NR: That river gave me a flush! This hand was an instant favorite! Now we were heads-up, and we only played one hand.
Rigby moved all-in from the button holding A♦7♣. The Villain called with Q♥4♦.
NR: The board ran clean to complete my third ring win in about a 24-hour period and my second that day!
Follow Rigby on Twitter/X @GTO_Diaper.
- Photos – 8131 Media / Rachel Kay Winter, and PokerGO / Enrique Malfavon
