Eight Deuce · Tournament #57

Juan Lopez Wins His First in Twenty-Nine Months

Five different winners in seven tournaments now, and four of them have come since Joe Johnson’s streak ended.

Juan Lopez had not won an Eight Deuce tournament since February 2024. On Friday he made four knockouts, beat Brian Connolly heads-up in fourteen minutes after four hours and fifty-three minutes, and took $445. It is his fourth win here and the fifth of his career.

Connolly made four knockouts of his own and took $290, his second runner-up finish of the season; between them the last two accounted for eight of the nineteen eliminations.

Josh Reel took third and $195, a second straight money finish after June’s runner-up. Sean Denny completed the money in fourth for $150 — the third time he has cashed in this league, and the third time he has done it in fourth place.

Where the money went

The undercard

Eric Denny rebought and bubbled in fifth. Lance Cain made three knockouts and finished eighth, and Josh Maida two on the way to seventh, his third top-seven in four starts this season.

Joe Rottinghaus was the first player out after forty-three minutes, the second-quickest exit the league has recorded.

The bigger picture

Eighteen players and two rebuys made $1,080. Seven tournaments have produced $8,620, and the fields have not dropped below fifteen all year.

Joe Johnson did not play and holds his lead on 397.80, a hundred and thirty-six ahead of Brian Connolly. He has five scores against most of the field’s seven, and with three tournaments left the title still counts each player’s best eight — which is a rule that will start to matter.

Eight Deuce #57 — Friday, July 10, 2026. 18 entrants, 2 rebuys, four paid from a $1,080 prize pool. Player of the Year counts each player’s best eight scores.