As Mother Nature tightened her grip and set out to punish Michigan with a merciless blast of bitter cold and snow, thirty-one Mavericks looked her straight in the eye, thumbed their noses, and collectively declared, “Hold our beer.”

You read that right—thirty-one packed into The Mayfield Tavern for a night of red-hot poker action on the first of three Double Points Nights of the Winter Season. This was the kind of night where fortunes could be made, standings could be flipped upside down, and reputations could be firmly established heading into the final two months of the campaign.

Game one kicked off with immediate fireworks. In a true gentleman’s move, Tyler Macsuga was the first player out overall, graciously making room for alternate Candace Sutter. When the dust settled on the opening stanza, it was a familiar face—Rick Hoag—claiming his table, while fresh faces Jim McQueen and Chase Fackler announced their arrival by notching wins of their own.

If the past two seasons have taught us anything, it’s that parity reigns supreme in this league—and game two reinforced that message loud and clear. Mike Pjeter, Cliff Jones, and Candace Sutter all stepped up and took their tables, making it crystal clear that this night was far from decided.

As the points were tallied heading into the final game, Cliff “Big Dog” Jones stood atop the leaderboard with twenty-one points, hot on his heels were Mike Nass with nineteen and Pjeter with eighteen. With full tables and Double Points in play, the door was still cracked open for several Mavericks to make a late charge… but not tonight.

The leaders slammed it shut.

All three at the top finished strong, with “Big Dog” Jones punctuating the night by winning his game three table and locking up both the nightly victory and the momentum. Mike Pjeter did just enough in the final game to leapfrog Mike Nass for second place, leaving Nass to round out the podium in third.

And did we mention this was a Double Points Night?

With that massive win, Cliff Jones rocketed to the top of the Winter Season standings, while Rick Hoag slid into second. Mike Pjeter, Dale Pinson, and Matt Gingell now round out a fiercely competitive top five.

With two months remaining in the Free Poker Network’s Winter Season—and lead changes happening almost weekly—the big question looms:
Will someone finally grab control… or are we headed for another full-blown barn burner, with the championship hanging in the balance until the final week?

One thing’s for sure—you have to play to win, so don’t miss a night.

Be safe, Mavericks. Stay warm.
See you on the felts!

Big Dog Bites Hard: Cliff Jones Takes Control on Double Points Night!