What happens when twenty-seven Mavericks gather around the felt? Intense, highly charged, no-holds-barred competitive poker. And that’s exactly what unfolded Tuesday night as we continue to wind down the Free Poker Network Fall Season.

This has already been one of the most competitive seasons to date, with ten different players claiming nightly victories and locking up seats to the Tournament of Champions. With that kind of parity, you just knew the action was going to be fierce. It may have been cold outside, but inside the room the poker action was absolutely on fire.

The opening game wasted no time setting the tone. Lewis Iler, Mike Nass, and relative newcomer Oliver Saylor all jumped out to fast starts, each winning their respective tables and putting immediate pressure on the rest of the field.

Game two only intensified the battle. Rick Hoag and George “The Animal” Pethers took down their tables, while Saylor stayed red hot, finisheing second at his table and firmly planting himself at the top of the leaderboard.

Heading to the scorecard before game three, it was Oliver Saylor leading the charge, sitting two points ahead of Mike Nass, Alex Goyette, and Drew Bovee, with four more Mavericks just two points back. Saylor may have been in the driver’s seat, but as history has shown us, leads in this league are fragile, and with six players within striking distance, no one was even close to being out of contention.

As the final game unfolded, early exits by Nass, Iler, and Goyette narrowed the field, and it quickly shaped up into what looked like a three-horse race. Saylor found himself under heavy pressure from Mike Soper and Jim Elwart, both of whom made strong, determined runs. Elwart battled his way to a second-place finish at his table, while Soper flat-out won his table, doing everything possible to chase down the leader.

But when the moment demanded it, Saylor did what champions do.

He closed the door.

Oliver Saylor won his table, secured the nightly victory, and captured his first-ever nightly win, along with a coveted seat to the Tournament of Champions. Saylor nearly hit the trifecta, winning two of his tables - taking second his second game; foiled by Alex Goyette.

Huge congratulations to Oliver on a breakout performance. Outstanding finishes by Jim Elwart and Mike Soper earned them second and third place, respectively—well played, gentlemen.

With just two weeks remaining in the Fall Season, the leaderboard is tightening up at the top. Mike Soper currently holds the points lead, followed closely by Rick Hoag, Alex Goyette, Cliff Jones, and Amber Soper, rounding out the top five. And with the final night of the month being a double-points night, the door is wide open.

It’s officially a sprint to the finish, and the race for the crown couldn’t be more wide open.

Until next week, Mavericks—see you on the felts. 🂡🂱

A Race to the Finish!