Bravo Pizza & Sports Bar - Main Event

Ace Plays Takes Bravo as the Venue Race Tightens

Monday night brought 47 players to the felt at Bravo Pizza & Sports Bar, where Tournament Director Tom Banis oversaw an eventful night of poker and a shakeup in the venue standings. When the final hand was done, Ace Plays stood alone as the Main Event champion, earning 62 points and a valuable boost in the race for Bravo’s Tournament of Champions and playoff positions. Ace Play's victory came against a tough final table that included a familiar face from last week’s winner’s circle, several players chasing the top of the venue standings, and a runner-up who continued a strong stretch of poker. Monday’s Final Table 🥇 1st — Ace Plays: 62 points 🥈 2nd — Goldilox: 56 points 🥉 3rd — Longshot: 50 points 4th — Olga: 44 points 5th — Danny I: 43 points 6th — Phil L: 42 points 7th — Lorraine M: 41 points 8th — Kegs: 40 points 9th — Coconuts: 39 points Congratulations to Ace on the win and to everyone who made the final table! Goldilox followed a league-leading 113-point week with a runner-up finish and another 56 points. It was a first Bravo final table of the Fall season, and it moved Goldilox to 102 venue points. Longshot, meanwhile, nearly made it two Monday titles in a row. After winning last week’s 49-player tournament, Longshot returned to the podium in third. That’s a win and a third-place finish in consecutive Bravo events—and 135 venue points in just three appearances. Lorraine followed last week’s birthday celebration and fourth-place finish with another final table, taking seventh. Coconuts also reached the final nine, picking up points that proved especially significant in the venue race. Heather Holds On, but the Pack Is Closing Heather B has been a fixture near the top of the standings this season, but Monday brought an earlier exit than usual. Heather finished 28th for 19 points. Even so, those points were enough to keep Heather atop the Bravo leaderboard at 165. The cushion, however, is now just two points: Kenny K finished 24th and sits second with 163. Coconuts’ ninth-place finish brought the season total to 148, tied for third with Steve Pa, who narrowly missed Monday’s final table in tenth. That makes the top-three race one to watch. The top three in venue points provide a route to the Tournament of Champions, and right now only 17 points separate the leader from the two players tied for third. With a tie at that line, no one should treat the current order as settled. The Chase Behind the Leaders The players just outside that top group made Monday count, too. Karen Red is fifth with 136 points, just 12 behind the tie for third. Longshot’s podium finish moved the reigning Bravo champion to 135, one point behind Karen and 13 behind that same line. Pat M finished 13th on Monday and stands seventh with 130 points. Don Rodrigo, last week’s runner-up, had a difficult night in 46th but remains eighth with 123. And then there’s Monday’s champion. Ace Play’s 62-point win brought the Bravo total to 121, putting them ninth and just 27 points behind the tie for third. One big night has put Ace Plays firmly in the conversation, with plenty still to play for. Goldilox’s runner-up finish brought a jump to 13th with 102 points. At Bravo, a strong finish can move a player through the standings quickly—and the players ahead will be paying attention. The Playoff Picture The direct ToC race is only part of the story. The top 30 players in Bravo points qualify for the venue playoff, where the top three finishers earn a route to the Tournament of Champions. Monday’s deep runs helped several players build their positions inside that top 30. Danny I’s fifth-place finish lifted the total to 81 points, good for 23rd, while Kegs’ eighth-place result brought the total to 85 points, placing Kegs 20th. With weeks still remaining in the regular season, those positions can change. Every point matters both for players chasing a direct ToC place and for those working to earn a seat in Bravo’s playoff. A Second Chance for Jerry M An early exit from the Main Event doesn’t have to mean the poker is over. After finishing 25th, Jerry M came back to win Monday’s Second Chance, earning 10 Second Chance points. Samurai Jack took second for 6 points, and Anthony Sicurelli finished third for 3. Second Chance points count toward their own standings. Welcome to the Felt! Monday’s field included several players making their first recorded appearance of the Fall season. A warm Down to the Felt welcome to cmaruffi, Anthony Sicurelli, Yez and psystone! cmaruffi led the group in the Main Event, finishing 26th and earning 21 points. Anthony followed a 32nd-place Main Event finish by taking third in the Second Chance, putting a podium result on the board on the first recorded night of the season. We’re glad you joined us at Bravo and hope to see all of you back at the tables soon! Thank You, Bravo! Thank you to Bravo Pizza & Sports Bar and its staff for hosting another night of Down to the Felt poker and providing the winner’s prize. Our host venues help make these free events possible, so please show your appreciation and enjoy what Bravo has to offer when you join us. Thanks as well to Tom Banis for directing the tournament, to the players who helped deal, and to everyone who came out. We’re back at Bravo on Mondays at 8:00 PM. Check in by 7:30 PM to earn the early-arrival chip bonus. Ace has the Monday title, Heather still has the venue lead, and the field is closing in. With two points separating first and second—and a tie for third—the next night at Bravo has plenty riding on it.