Images courtesy of 8131 Media
Tana Karn has built more than a poker tour; he’s built a culture. As the CEO and creative force behind the RunGood Poker Series and RunGood Gear, Karn has turned a simple slogan into a movement that blends community, competition, and connection.
What began as an apparel line in 2012 has grown into one of the most beloved mid-major tours in poker, known for its hospitality, heart, and captivating storytelling.
Beyond the felt, Karn’s ventures, 8131 Media and Juniper Apps Studio, reflect the same creative vision: to make people feel seen and inspired.
In this candid Inside the Poker Circles piece, he opens up about what drives him, how RunGood continues to evolve, and why, at its core, poker is still about people, not just the money.
Building the Brand
You’re the CEO of the RunGood Poker Series. Please tell us what that’s like and what makes it unique in the poker landscape.
Being the CEO of the RunGood Poker Series is about more than organizing tournaments. It’s about creating experiences. What makes RunGood unique is the heart behind it.
We focus on hospitality and storytelling just as much as prize pools and structures. Players come to our stops because they feel part of something; it’s not just a brand, but a family that remembers their names, roots for their deep runs, and celebrates their wins.
My goal has always been to make poker feel approachable again and bring that home game energy back to the big stage.
You’re also the founder of RunGood Gear. How did it begin?
It started in 2012 as a small apparel line meant to connect poker players through a shared identity, something beyond the table. The slogan “RunGood” captured the optimism and momentum every player feels chasing that big moment.
As the community grew, the brand naturally evolved into live events, and the RunGood Poker Series was born. Today, both sides, the tour and the apparel, feed into each other. One builds community, the other gives that community a way to express itself.
Would you like to share more about your other ventures, 8131 Media and Juniper Apps Studio, and how they tie into your creative and business vision?
8131 Media and Juniper Apps Studio are extensions of the same creative drive behind RunGood—telling stories and building tools that connect people. 8131 focuses on visual storytelling through photography, branding, and media.
Juniper Apps builds digital platforms that make those stories easier to experience. Whether it’s a tournament photo gallery, a mobile rewards app, or a brand campaign, everything is about making connection both scalable and personal.
What do you think connects all your projects — from apparel to poker to media — at their core?
At the core, it’s community. Every project that I touch is about creating belonging. RunGood, 8131, and Juniper all revolve around helping people feel seen, whether they’re a player at a poker table, a creator chasing their next idea, or a fan watching from home. The throughline is emotion, making sure everything we build has a heartbeat.
What are the particular challenges that mid-major poker series like RunGood face in enforcing ethical standards?
The biggest challenge for any tour coming into a property is navigating all the different departments involved in putting on a successful event. Every department plays a role in creating a five-star experience. The hardest part is integrating with those departments and making sure we’re all aligned.
Most players don’t realize how much a tour interacts with the casino as a whole. Poker is our specialty, and we want that part to shine, but if a player has a bad experience with lodging, dining, or customer service, for example, it still affects their overall impression of the poker event.
We try to help other departments understand the poker community—what poker is, who poker players are, and how to give them the best experience possible across the board.
Crafting Experiences and Community
Tell us about your RunGood team and how you efficiently put on events that both recreational and professional players love to attend.
Our team is small but mighty. Everyone wears multiple hats and cares deeply about what we’re building. We approach each stop like a production, with attention to atmosphere, storytelling, and player experience.
Efficiency comes from passion and trust. When everyone believes in the mission, you don’t need to micromanage. You just set the vision and let talented people shine.
What made you want to bring poker events to players all across the country instead of focusing on one region or casino?
Poker is full of untapped stories, small towns, hidden gems, and regional heroes. I wanted to build a tour that didn’t just visit the same handful of big cities but celebrated the local flavor of every stop.
Each casino has its own community, and we wanted to meet players where they are. Expanding nationwide was never about scale. It was about connection.
What’s one story or moment from a RunGood stop that perfectly captures what your series stands for?
There was a stop where a recreational player came up to me and said, “I’ve been chasing this ring for five years, and it’s not even about the money anymore. It’s the people I’ve met that keep me coming back.”
That’s it. That’s the heartbeat of RunGood. The friendships, the shared memories, the sense of belonging that outlasts the final hand.
How do you balance the business side of running a poker tour with keeping the heart and fun that players have come to love about RunGood?
It’s a constant balancing act, but the secret is empathy. Every decision, from scheduling to sponsorships, runs through a filter: “Does this make the player experience better?”
When you build from that perspective, the business naturally thrives. Poker is a game built on emotion, and the moment you strip that away for spreadsheets, you lose what makes it magic.
The Business of Poker Culture
In your view, what makes great poker content in today’s landscape?
I love this question. When people say, “poker content,” they often think of creators like Nikki Limo, Sethy Poker, and Caitlin Comeskey, but content spans so much more: photography, writing, reporting, social media, and beyond.
From a big-picture perspective, authenticity is what makes great poker content. Passion, too. The best creators are the ones who love both poker and their chosen medium equally. That combination creates magic.
Poker itself is full of highs and lows, and great content captures that human side of the game. People love hearing stories from inside the industry, following conversations, and seeing how the game and community evolve.
I have a soft spot for live reporters—they clock in at 11 a.m. and sometimes don’t finish until 2 a.m., all to record a single hand that might make someone’s day. Maybe it’s Jane Doe’s first big moment, and now it’s immortalized on one of the biggest poker sites in the world.
You never know the impact of something small. Great poker content is like that: small gestures that make a big impact.
What makes great poker merchandise, and how do you keep RunGood Gear fresh and relevant?
We’ve been doing apparel since 2012, and fashion is always changing. There’s no single right answer. From the start, our vision was to be for poker what Adidas is to soccer or Nike is to basketball.
We wanted RunGood to be recognized beyond the poker room, to give players a sense of pride and connection.
We’re always introducing new pieces—sometimes it’s leisurewear; other times it’s classic hoodies and joggers. Everyone’s got their own style, but we all want to be comfortable at the table. The goal is to make players proud to wear the brand and feel part of something bigger.
What trends are you seeing in how players express themselves through poker fashion and lifestyle brands?
There’s an old saying in poker: image is everything. And it’s true—clothing can say a lot about how someone wants to be perceived at the table.
You’ve got players who dress down in hoodies, hats, and sunglasses to stay low-key, and others who go bold with patterns and bright colors to stand out. Then there are plenty of people who just want to feel relaxed in sweats or leisurewear. Style is part of your mindset at the table—it’s how you “armor up” mentally.
Over the years, I’ve seen it all: blue-collar folks who look unassuming but play like sharks, and sharply dressed players who look like pros but bust early. Apparel can shape perception, but it doesn’t define skill.
What’s fun is seeing how everyone uses it to express themselves. We’ve been around long enough to have RunGood gear for every type of player.
What do you love most about the atmosphere at a RunGood event, from both the organizer’s and player’s perspective?
It’s the energy. There’s this buzz when people walk in: smiles, handshakes, and reunions. As an organizer, you see the hours of planning transform into laughter and moments that matter. As a player, you feel part of something bigger. That duality, creating joy and witnessing it, is why I love what I do.
Looking Ahead
What’s next for RunGood — new cities, new partnerships, new merchandise, new ideas?
We’re in a creative renaissance. The focus is on deepening our partnerships, expanding into new markets, and blending technology with live experiences. You’ll see more crossover between digital engagement and in-person events, ranging from rewards apps to content collaborations.
And of course, the merchandise line will keep evolving to match that growth. The goal is simple: to make RunGood not just a poker series, but a lifestyle brand that inspires community everywhere it goes.
How do you hope the next generation of poker fans and players will enjoy what you’ve built?
I hope they see it as proof that poker can evolve without losing its soul. That community, creativity, and competition can coexist. If RunGood continues to make people feel welcome, to make them laugh, dream, and chase something, then we’ve done our job.
I want the next generation to inherit not just a brand, but a belief that when you bring good energy to the table, great things happen.
Conclusion
Through every project he touches, Tana Karn has proven that poker’s greatest currency isn’t chips; it’s connection. Whether through a tournament series, a new hoodie release, or a media campaign that captures the spirit of the game, Karn continues to redefine what it means to “run good.”
His approach blends business with empathy, strategy with storytelling, and competition with community. And as poker continues to evolve, one thing is certain: wherever players gather to chase their dreams and share their stories, the RunGood spirit and the vision behind it will be there.
