Canterberry Poker League · Tournament #79

Paul Coffman Takes the Lead With One to Play

Seven knockouts this time, nine in the opener. Both of his career wins have come this season.

Paul Coffman opened this season by knocking out nine players and winning. On Friday he knocked out seven of the fourteen and won again — four and a half hours, $75, and the lead in the standings with one tournament left.

Both his league wins have come in the last nine months, and both were the work of a man clearing the room: sixteen knockouts across the two nights.

Mike McEvoy was second for $45 with three knockouts, after a twenty-five-minute heads-up match. It is the second time he has reached a final two and the first since August 2009, six and a half years ago; twenty-eight league tournaments, six cashes, no wins.

Josh Reel took third and $35 without a knockout. Mandy Denny was fourth for $30 — fifty-three tournaments now without a win — and David Doole completed the money in fifth for $20.

Where the money went

The undercard

Steve Drown bubbled in sixth with a knockout, in his first league tournament for thirteen months, and only his second since the eleven-knockout night that still stands as the record. Eric Denny was the first player out after an hour and fourteen minutes — four weeks after winning with nine.

The bigger picture

Nine tournaments, seven different winners. Josh Reel and Paul have won two each and nobody has managed a third.

Paul leads on 109 points from seven starts, two ahead of Josh and eight ahead of Steve McLean, both of whom have played all nine. One tournament remains and every man at the top is carrying a full five-score card, so the finale decides it on whether anyone can beat what they already hold.

Canterberry Poker League #79 — Friday, March 11, 2016. 15 entrants, five paid from a $205 prize pool. Points shown are the league standings after nine tournaments of the 2015-16 season, best five scores counting.