Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night

An impending ice-and-snow event wasn’t enough to keep twenty-six die-hard Mavericks from hitting the tables on Tuesday night. With only four weeks remaining in the FPN Fall Season, no one was willing to surrender ground in the tightening points race. Ten events have already been played, producing ten different TOC qualifiers and a points lead that seems to change hands almost weekly. If the early season was dramatic, the finish promises to be downright epic.

Game One set the tone. Our anniversary tournament champion, Dale Pinson, continued to run pure, cruising through his table as if he’d never taken his foot off the gas. Meanwhile, the Macsuga brothers put on a family clinic at theirs, each locking up a crucial early win.

But Game Two flipped the script. Two of our top-five contenders, Rick Hoag and Mike Soper, punched right back by taking down their tables. And, in trademark fashion, the always-entertaining James Ramsey found yet another river to love, securing a dramatic table win and keeping the room buzzing.

Heading into the final and decisive game, the leaderboard was razor-thin:

• Mike Soper in front,

• Jeramy Evely and Scott Sutter just two points behind,

• Mike Swaim lurking one point behind them.

Everything was on the line—and it showed. Evely was the first to stumble, bowing out earlier than expected, with Hoag following shortly after with a mid-pack exit. Swaim dug deep and delivered a gritty runner-up finish at his table, but on this night Soper refused to be denied. He powered through Game Three with another table win, slamming the door on the competition and becoming our first repeat nightly winner of the Fall Season.

Swaim’s consistency earned him a well-deserved second place for the night, while Drew Bovee, thanks to a strong Game Three victory, surged into third place overall.

As the dust settled and chips were bagged, the Fall Season leaderboard tightened yet again:

• Mike Soper back on top,

• Rick Hoag,

• Alex Goyette,

• Cliff Jones,

• Amber Soper rounding out the top five.

But here’s the real kicker: all top ten players are still very much alive in the hunt for the season championship—and with the final night offering double points, absolutely anything can happen.

Three weeks. A stacked leaderboard. A season that refuses to settle.

Buckle up, Mavericks—this finish is going to be a blast to watch. See you on the felts!