Eight Deuce · Tournament #54
Steve McLean Ends the Streak
Joe Johnson had won every tournament of 2026. He did not play this one.
The season had produced one winner in three tournaments. On Friday, with Joe Johnson absent, Steve McLean made four knockouts, won a thirteen-minute heads-up match and took $405.
It is his fifth Eight Deuce win and the ninth of his career, and his first since September 2024 — nineteen months and a long quiet spell.
Justin Vaughn was second for $260. Andrew Shier made four knockouts of his own and took third and $180, his third top-four in the four tournaments he has played this season; he has still not won one here. Rick Mazza completed the money in fourth for $135.
Where the money went
| Player | Prize | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve McLean | $405 |
| 2 | Justin Vaughn | $260 |
| 3 | Andrew Shier | $180 |
| 4 | Rick Mazza | $135 |
The undercard
Warren Mervin bubbled in fifth. Shawn Miller made four knockouts and finished eighth, the only man on Friday to put out that many and miss the money.
Lee Ugarte rebought and was the first player out after an hour and forty-eight minutes — sent home by Shawn.
The bigger picture
Fifteen players and three rebuys made $980, the first tournament of the season under $1,000 and the smallest field since last September. Three straight nights of nineteen or more had made twenty look normal.
Joe Johnson did not play and still leads by a hundred and eighty-five on 365.00. He has three scores; everyone else has four, and the title counts a player’s best eight.
| Player of the Year — after #54 | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Johnson | 365.00 |
| 2 | Andrew Shier | 179.78 |
| 3 | Justin Vaughn | 162.50 |
| 4 | Brian Connolly | 157.02 |
| 5 | Steve McLean | 152.60 |
| 6 | Jeff Ferguson | 147.93 |
| 7 | Warren Mervin | 112.68 |
| 8 | Eric Denny | 109.00 |
Eight Deuce #54 — Friday, April 10, 2026. 15 entrants, 3 rebuys, four paid from a $980 prize pool. Player of the Year counts each player’s best eight scores.