The Annual · 7th Denny Poker Tournament

Brian Albers Wins a Second Annual

Scott Dishong knocked out eight of the fifteen and still went home second.

Nine hours and three minutes, a heads-up match that took almost twenty-one minutes on its own, and Brian Albers has the trophy for the second time. The win paid $295, and it makes him only the second man to take this tournament twice.

Joe Johnson is the other, back to back in 2008 and 2009. Brian’s two are 2011 and now 2013, and he did it this time with two knockouts, and only two players in the room made more.

One of them was Scott Dishong, who had a night that will be hard to explain for a while. He knocked out eight of the fifteen entrants — more than anyone has managed in any Annual — including four of the five who finished immediately behind him. Then he lost heads-up and took $175 for second.

Rick Mazza was third for $105 and Erik Treiber fourth for $70, two rebuys deep, eight weeks after winning his first league tournament. Dawn Buzbee completed the money in fifth for $55.

Where the money went

The undercard

Charlie Drotar bubbled in sixth, three weeks after winning the fiftieth league tournament. Ninth was shared between Steve McLean and Mike McEvoy, both of them sent there by Skippy. Duane Barone was the first player out and it still took four hours and fifty-one minutes to get him.

Lee Ugarte rebought three times, more than anybody, and finished eleventh for his trouble.

The bigger picture

Seven Annuals, five different winners, and now two of them have won it twice.

The Canterberry Poker League season finished three weeks ago and went to Josh Reel on 100 points. In the four Annuals since 2009 the new champion has cashed exactly once, and that was Eric Denny’s fifth place in 2010. Josh did not turn up at all.

The 7th Annual Denny Poker Tournament — Saturday, May 4, 2013. 15 entrants, 8 rebuys, five paid from a $700 prize pool.