Raise the Bar

A winning prescription for Raise the Bar’s 10th anniversary!

Raise the Bar celebrated 10 years , and Dr. Zaitz supplied a championship finish to mark the occasion. With Jose Martinez directing the tournament , 52 entries joined the Sunday action at Raise the Bar in South Amboy—up from 49 the previous week. A week after finishing 41st, Dr. Zaitz returned to take first place and 67 points . The result delivered a first Main Event win of the Fall season , adding a championship to the ninth-place finish recorded here on October 4. The win brought Dr. Zaitz’s season total to 142 points , placing eighth in the venue standings as the race toward the ToC continues. Gil D makes a memorable first Fall visit Gil D made a first Raise the Bar appearance of the Fall count, finishing second for 61 points . After two earlier tournaments at Park Ave, Sunday delivered Gil’s first final table and first podium of the season . That single result puts Gil 35th in the venue standings , just 19 points below the current Top-30 playoff threshold . Slon completed the podium with 55 points , following Tuesday’s runner-up finish at Amsterdam Alley with another Top-3 result. That makes back-to-back podiums and five Top-3 finishes in seven Main Events this Fall. Even more striking: all five of Slon’s final tables this season have ended on the podium . One point separates second and third The Raise the Bar standings are giving players plenty to watch: Heather B leads with 170 points . Ace Plays holds second with 159 . Suzie Q is third with 158 . Misdeal sits fourth with 156 . Suzie’s fourth-place finish earned 49 points , while Ace’s ninth-place finish added 44 . The result leaves just one point between second and third , with Misdeal only two points outside the current Top 3 . At the playoff cutoff, Shorty holds 30th with 80 points , only three ahead of Nas . Both ends of the qualification race remain close. A final table to remember Joining the podium and Suzie were The Magician in fifth, K G in sixth, R T in seventh, Zero Trust in eighth, and Ace in ninth. R T’s seventh-place finish deserves a welcome: a first recorded Main Event appearance of the Fall and an immediate final table , worth 46 points. Welcome to the Fall action as well to Justine , making a first recorded Main Event appearance this season. Angler220 reels in Second Chance Angler220 turned an early Main Event exit into a first Second Chance win of the Fall , earning 10 points. Samurai Jack finished second for six points, bringing the season total to 15 and fifth in the Second Chance standings . Mike Litwet 2 completed the top three for three points. Thanks to Jose for running the tournament, everyone who joined us at the felt, and Raise the Bar for hosting on this special occasion. Congratulations on 10 years—here’s to many more! Always free to join and play.