Canterberry Poker League · Tournament #6

Two Brothers in the Money, and the New One Wins

Six knockouts on debut, the longest heads-up match the league has had, and a sixth different winner in six.

For the second month running the winner had never played this league before. Dave Short sat down, put out six of the eleven who went home, lasted four hours and fifty-five minutes and then spent twenty-four minutes and forty-six seconds heads-up — nearly twice as long as any finish the league has seen. It pays $110, the biggest first prize yet.

Six of eleven on a first night is the second-best share anybody has managed here, behind only Mike Conner’s four of five when six players opened the league in June.

The man he beat was also new. Josh Reel knocked out three on his first appearance and took $65 for second — which makes four debutants in the final two across the last two tournaments.

Warren Mervin was third for $40, his second cash of the season. And Mike Short completed the money in fourth for $25 — a third money finish in four, and a family night, because the man who won it is his brother.

Where the money went

The undercard

Lee Ugarte bubbled in fifth with a knockout, his best night so far. Dawn Buzbee played her first league tournament and finished seventh. And Rick Mazza went out first for the second month in a row, after three hours and one minute — two tournaments ago he was winning this thing.

The bigger picture

Six tournaments, six different winners. No league does that for long, but this one has managed it for a full six months, and two of the six had never played before the night they won.

Chris Johnson keeps the lead on 48 points despite missing the money for the first time, four clear of Mike Conner. Warren is seven back in third, and he has climbed there on two cashes from five tournaments.

Canterberry Poker League #6 — Saturday, November 8, 2008. 12 entrants, four paid from a $240 prize pool. Points shown are the league standings after six tournaments of the 2008-09 season.