Eight Deuce · Tournament #25
Five Hours of Poker, Then a Hundred Seconds
Juan Lopez and Justin Vaughn got heads-up and it was over almost before it started.
The twenty-fifth Eight Deuce tournament ran five hours and eight minutes, and one minute and forty-two seconds of that was the last two players. Juan Lopez came out of it with $360, the quickest finish the league has ever produced.
It is his second win here and the third of his career; the first came in last October’s finale. Justin Vaughn took $245 for second, and he and Juan each made three knockouts.
Shawn Miller was third for $170, his third top-four of the season. Eric Denny rebought, made three knockouts of his own and finished fourth for $125 — his first cash in an Eight Deuce tournament since August 2021.
Where the money went
| Player | Prize | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Lopez | $360 |
| 2 | Justin Vaughn | $245 |
| 3 | Shawn Miller | $170 |
| 4 | Eric Denny | $125 |
The undercard
David Doole bubbled in fifth. Jeff Holderman, who had won two of the previous three, rebought and went seventh.
Rick Mazza was the first player out after eighty-four minutes.
The bigger picture
Thirteen players and three rebuys made $900. That is the fifth straight tournament this year with a field between thirteen and sixteen — steadier than last season, which swung from eighteen down to ten.
Five tournaments, four winners, and Jeff Holderman holds the lead on 193.89 despite Friday. Lee Ugarte, who did not play, is second on 173.17 from four starts.
| Player of the Year — after #25 | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Holderman | 193.89 |
| 2 | Lee Ugarte | 173.17 |
| 3 | Mike McEvoy | 159.53 |
| 4 | Angela Cain | 129.87 |
| 5 | Shawn Miller | 128.00 |
| 6 | Josh Reel | 123.75 |
| 7 | David Doole | 116.56 |
| 8 | Warren Mervin | 115.33 |
Eight Deuce #25 — Friday, May 12, 2023. 13 entrants, 3 rebuys, four paid from a $900 prize pool. Player of the Year counts each player’s best eight scores.