Eight Deuce · Tournament #52

Joe Does It Again

Back-to-back to open the season, and the newest man in the league is now the man to beat.

Well, so much for beginner's luck. Joe Johnson did it again — a second straight win to open the 2026 season, out of the biggest field of the year so far. Twenty-one players, four and a half hours, four knockouts, and $605. Joe has now played three Eight Deuce tournaments in his career and won two of them. That is not a hot streak anymore. That is a problem for everybody else in the room.

It came down to a genuine scrap. Joe and Brian Connolly got heads-up and settled it in four minutes and four seconds — blink and you missed it. But do not let the quick finish take anything away from Brian, because he was the story of the night for three hours before that. Seven knockouts. Seven! In a 21-player field, Brian personally sent a third of the room home, and it earned him $385.

Third place and $270 belonged to Jeff Ferguson, who added two knockouts and hung tough deep into the night in his first appearance of the season. He is right in the thick of this thing.

And in fourth for $200, the most decorated man at the table: Eric Denny, who missed the money in January and has wasted no time putting that right. When he makes a final table, everybody notices.

Where the money went

The undercard

Mike Conner came up just short in fifth, one spot off the money, but he went down swinging with three knockouts and a rebuy. Rick Mazza put up a pair on his way to seventh, and so did Justin Vaughn in eleventh. Jeff Holderman took sixth, Angela Cain eighth, Mike McEvoy ninth and Shawn Miller tenth. And a rough Friday the 13th for Josh Reel, who went from fourth place in January to first man out here, ended by Jeff just under two hours in.

The bigger picture

Two tournaments, one winner, and a Player of the Year race that already has a runaway leader. Joe sits on 255.00 points — more than double second place — with Andrew Shier and Brian separated by less than half a point behind him.

Here is the wrinkle worth watching: Tournament of Champions berths go to tournament winners, and this season has produced exactly one. If the year ends with fewer than ten different champions, the remaining seats go to the highest-rated top-ten players without a win. Keep piling up finishes like Andrew and Brian are, and you can play your way into December without ever taking one down.

Eight Deuce #52 — Friday, February 13, 2026. 21 entrants and 5 rebuys, four paid from a $1,460 prize pool. Points shown are the Player of the Year standings after two tournaments of the 2026 season.