Kim Stone wins second RIU title in $125 HORSE

Kim Stone took home her second Run It Up Reno trophy in the early hours of Wednesday morning and both of her wins saw her battle a top notch opponent heads-up.

She defeated Jesse Sylvia last October in the $340 NORSE event and followed it up this series by defeating host Jason Somerville in the $125 HORSE. She topped a field of 154 entries to put another trophy on the mantle and walk away with an extra $3,723 in her pocket.

“I mean, you have nightmares about these spots and I was in them twice,” said Stone about her two heads-up battles. “It was very cool. Very fun. Obviously, neither of them had any interest in chopping or anything like that, so I had to make my own stand and that makes me proud. I had to play my game. There was no soft play. It was me vs. them. That was cool.”

Both of her RIU titles come in a mixed game format, which proves her well-rounded poker skill. Not only that, but she feels that the price point and atmosphere at Run It Up Reno makes a breeding ground for new mixed game players and continue to grow the game of poker.

“Spreading mixed games at this price point and educating players in various games. They see Texas Hold’em isn’t the only game,” said Stone. “That’s cool. Getting people interested in all the various versions of poker is part of what I think will keep this game alive and relevant every day.”

Outside of the positives for the game, Stone and her boyfriend Hayden Fortini, just enjoy coming back to Reno because of the atmosphere. After making their first trip to Run It Up Reno in October, they are both hooked and will be making efforts to be at future stops.

“We lived in San Jose, CA, so it was an easy drive last October, and we had so much fun,” said Stone about their first time at a Run It Up series. “We crushed it and cashed multiple times, but even if we would’ve lost, this is the most fun tournament series all year long. Jason [Somerville] crushes it and puts on a great event.”

Stone’s win wraps up the second day of action at Run It Up Reno and cards will get back in the air on Wednesday at noon for the $235 8-Game Mix.

Here are the results:

1st: Kim Stone – $3,723
2nd: Jason Somerville – $2,460
3rd: Monte Gilley – $1,810
4th: Chris Nutter – $1,315
5th: Chip Tutu – $940
6th: Nathan Van Felix – $630
7th: Scott Yarnell – $405
8th: Jake Rosentiel – $405
9th: Michael Shaw – $315
10th: Ryan Leonis – $315
11th: Jan Schuman – $245
12th: Charles Gerry – $245
13th: Sherry Byrd – $200
14th: Andrew Barber – $200
15th: Michael Duell – $200
16th: Troy Steinmetz – $180
17th: Christy Booth – $180
18th: Joseph Rando – $180
19th: Chengzhong Lu – $165
20th: Vincent Newland – $165
21st: Aaron Schoch – $165
22nd: Liam Dowdell – $165
23rd: Kyle Wiener – $165
24th: Donald McCormick – $165