Canterberry Poker League · Tournament #2

The Field Nearly Doubles, and the Same Two Men Finish It

Ten players, four paid, and six of the nine eliminations belonged to the pair who reached heads-up.

Six players opened this league a month ago. Ten turned up for the second one, and the prize pool, the paid places and the length of the night all grew with them. Chris Johnson won it with three knockouts, four hours and eighteen minutes in the chair and a twelve-and-a-half-minute heads-up match. It pays $90.

The man across the table was the man who won the first one. Mike Conner matched Chris Johnson knockout for knockout — three apiece, six of the nine between them — and came up one hand short. Second is $55, and two tournaments into this league he has finished first and second.

Rick Mazza sat down for the first time and finished third for $35, which is a reasonable way to introduce yourself. Chris Huey also debuted and took the last of the money, fourth and $20.

Where the money went

The undercard

Duane Barone bubbled in fifth and did it the hard way — two knockouts, more than anybody outside the money, and both of them in the closing stretch. Brian Albers took sixth and Eric Denny seventh, both a step back from opening night.

Lee Ugarte was eighth on his first appearance and Dan Myers ninth on his — and Dan arrives with a Denny Poker Tournament trophy from last May, which is more than anybody else in this room owns. Mike Short debuted too and drew the short straw, out first after two hours and ten minutes, with Duane responsible.

The bigger picture

Two tournaments, two different winners, and the same two men in the final two both times. Mike Conner leads on 22 points from a first and a second; Chris Johnson is four behind having gone third and first. Nobody else has been near either of them.

Eight nights still to play, which means that gap is worth almost nothing. It does mean the league already has a rivalry, and it took exactly two tournaments to find one.

Canterberry Poker League #2 — Saturday, July 12, 2008. 10 entrants, four paid from a $200 prize pool. Points shown are the league standings after two tournaments of the 2008-09 season.