It was another spectacular night of poker—one that ended the way players dream about.

Twenty-five Mavericks hit the felts with a common goal: shake up the Winter Season standings or position themselves for a late run at the league lead. As the tournament director’s familiar call of “Shuffle up and deal!” echoed through the room, it was clear right from the start that this was going to be a great night of poker.

Game one saw Tyler Macsuga, Jim Elwart, and Steve Rayba set the early pace by each taking down their tables and grabbing the first wave of points. Game two brought a shift in momentum as Jeremy Dunn woke up and captured a table win of his own, while Jim McQueen and Cliff Jones also claimed victories—setting the stage for a final game that would turn into an instant classic.

Heading into the third and final game of the night, Jones and McQueen sat atop the leaderboard, holding a two-point cushion over Lewis Iler and Tyler Macsuga. As fate would have it, the two point leaders found themselves seated at the same table for the final stanza—and the battle was officially on.

Macsuga and Iler exited early in the final game, but on this night it hardly mattered. The spotlight quickly turned to Jones and McQueen, who both battled their way through the field until they were the last two players standing, setting up an epic heads-up showdown.

What followed was a back-and-forth war. Chips traded hands repeatedly as neither player was willing to surrender an inch. As the blinds climbed to the 2000/4000 level, the pressure intensified and the action turned into an all-in fest. Still, the momentum swung both ways.

At one point McQueen nearly claimed all of Jones’ chips with a dramatic river suck-out, but Jones refused to fold under the pressure and battled right back.

Then came the final hand.

In poetic fashion, Jones returned the favor, catching the river card he needed to seal the pot, the victory, and the nightly crown. It was a thrilling finish between two of the league’s best and a match worthy of the spotlight.

Jim Elwart quietly added another strong performance, finishing in third place with the kind of steady consistency that has become his trademark.

With the dust settled, the Winter Season standings shifted once again. This week it is Jim Elwart leading the pack, with Cliff Jones now in second place. Dale Pinson sits in third, followed by Mike Pjeter in fourth and Lewis Iler rounding out the top five.

With three weeks remaining in the Winter Season, the race is still wide open. In fact, anyone in the top seven could capture the league championship with a timely win streak.

Next week promises even more excitement with our special $250 Freeroll, played in a regular tournament format. It should be a fantastic night of poker, so make sure you don’t miss it.

Until then, Mavericks…
we’ll see you on the felts.

All-In to the End: Jones Edges McQueen in Poker Classic