The Annual · 20th Annual Denny Poker Tournament
Seventeenth Time’s the Charm: Warren Mervin Wins the 20th Annual
Ace-king, an ace on the turn, and the biggest first prize the Annual has ever paid.
Warren Mervin has been coming to the Annual since 2008. Seventeen appearances, three fourth places, two thirds — and never a win. On Saturday, in the twentieth edition, he finally took it, knocking out five players, including the last three standing between him and the trophy. It paid $1,185, the biggest first prize in the event’s history.
He did it the hard way, too: ten hours and forty minutes in the chair, without a single rebuy. The last three Annuals read fourth, third, first for Warren. Seven times he has now finished in the Annual money, tying Eric Denny for the most ever.
The final hand came at 40,000/80,000. Josh Reel called from the small blind, Warren moved all-in from the big blind, and Josh called with king-ten. Warren’s ace-king was ahead, the board ran jack, seven, three, and the ace of diamonds on the turn put it out of reach. A ten-minute, forty-eight-second heads-up was over.
Josh took $750 for second. He came in as one of only two three-time Annual winners and was one hand from becoming the first to win four.
Andrew Shier finished third for $525, his best Annual finish, after two rebuys and four knockouts of his own. Joe Johnson, this year’s Player of the Year and the other three-time Annual winner, was back for the first time since 2018 and went fourth for $400. Warren put out all three.
Where the money went
| Player | Prize | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warren Mervin | $1,185 |
| 2 | Josh Reel | $750 |
| 3 | Andrew Shier | $525 |
| 4 | Joe Johnson | $400 |
The undercard
Paul Coffman bubbled in fifth. He won this event in 2021 and has been runner-up three times, more than anyone. Lee Ugarte, the 2014 winner, matched Warren’s five knockouts but went out thirteenth, and Jeff Ferguson made three before Warren sent him out in eighth.
Eric, last year’s winner, finished ninth. He and Rick Mazza, twelfth on Saturday, are the only two players to have played all twenty Annuals.
Brian Connolly was the first player out, after four hours and twenty-three minutes. Joe Rottinghaus played his first Annual and finished eighteenth.
The bigger picture
Nineteen players is six more than last year and the most since 2020. Twelve rebuys, second only to 2017, pushed the prize pool to $2,860, a new Annual record, just past 2017’s $2,850. Only 2017’s winner sat at the table longer than Warren did.
Twenty Annuals have now produced fifteen different winners, and the last four have all been first-timers: Jeff Holderman, David Doole, Eric and now Warren.
The 2026 Annual — Saturday, November 14, 2026. 19 entrants, 12 rebuys, four paid from a $2,860 prize pool. The twentieth Annual; it is a separate event from the Eight Deuce season, does not count toward the Player of the Year and is not a route into the Tournament of Champions.