Eight Deuce · Tournament #55

Eric Runs Them Over

Seven knockouts in a fifteen-player field. Eric Denny did not win this tournament so much as dismantle it.

Every so often somebody has one of those nights, and on Friday it was Eric. Fifteen players sat down. Eric personally eliminated seven of them. Seven of the fourteen players who busted did so with Eric stacking their chips — and he finished the job in just under four hours for $460.

Not that anybody should be shocked. That is Eight Deuce win number seven for Eric, and 21 career wins with his Canterberry Poker League years included — the biggest number anybody in this room can put on the table. Friday he reminded everybody why it goes quiet when he gets chips.

The only man who could live with him was Rick Mazza, and Mazza was doing damage of his own — five knockouts on the night. Between the two of them they accounted for twelve of the fourteen eliminations. That is a two-man wrecking crew. They got heads-up and settled it in eight minutes and fifteen seconds, with Mazza taking $300, his second straight cash after a fourth-place finish in April.

Third place and $205 went to Juan Lopez, who reached for a rebuy, added two knockouts and outlasted the field to the podium — his first money finish of the season. And fourth for $155: Warren Mervin, who is no stranger to the winner's circle himself, having taken the 2025 Tournament of Champions just six months ago. Deep runs are what he does.

Where the money went

The undercard

Angela Cain had the cruelest night, busting fifth on the money bubble after rebuying to stay in it — and she got a piece of the leader on the way down, sending Joe Johnson to the rail in ninth. Brian Connolly took sixth with two knockouts and a rebuy of his own, Steve Sarbaugh seventh and Mike Conner eighth. Jeff Ferguson was the first man out, ended by Juan an hour and a half in.

The bigger picture

The big news outside the money: Joe finished ninth — the first time all season he has walked away without a payday. He still leads the Player of the Year race on 385.00 points, but Eric's win rockets him to second at 209.00, and the field behind is bunching up. Andrew Shier, Brian, Justin Vaughn, Mazza and Steve McLean are all inside 30 points of each other.

Three different winners now hold Tournament of Champions berths — Joe, Mac and now Eric. Seven seats to go, five tournaments left before the Annual, and the at-large spots still waiting for the highest-rated top-ten players who cannot find a win.

Eight Deuce #55 — Friday, May 15, 2026. 15 entrants and 5 rebuys, four paid from a $1,120 prize pool. Points shown are the Player of the Year standings after five tournaments of the 2026 season.