Phuong Ta Wins the RunGood Poker Series Jacksonville Main Event

Phuong "Peter" Ta is the new champion of the RunGood Poker Series Golden Expedition Jacksonville $1,200 Main Event.

The nail salon owner from Bluffton, South Carolina, defeated Corey Major heads-up after a long final table that ran past 2:00 a.m. The $71,353 Ta won in the tournament, which drew 394 entrants, was the largest prize of Ta's poker career.

Down to 3,000 chips on Day 1B, Ta moved back into the lead with a triple up and a double up. Ta has played poker for more than twenty years but said the focus on tournaments began only in the last year. Ta previously won $67,000 at the 2021 Wynn Fall Classic, made the final table of last year's WSOP Circuit Cherokee Main Event, and finished 14th at this festival in 2023.

On Day 2, Antwan Prince started the final table as the chip leader with 1,950,000. Ta took the lead from Prince on the river with a nut flush. Prince moved all-in with ace-five for 565,000 chips but lost to Major's pair of eights and was eliminated in ninth place. Dustin Bennett finished fourth. Ta eliminated Bennett with two pair.