Week 2: McDonald and Goonin Share the Spotlight in Dramatic ChopWeek 2
August 7th, 2025 – Tampa Bay Elite Poker League
The second week of our Fall season delivered everything you could want from a poker tournament: dramatic comebacks, crushing beats, and a heads-up finale so evenly matched that our final two players decided to split the glory. With Tony Pellegrini stepping in as a substitute for Mitch Smith, we welcomed 51 entries for a weekly prize pool of $4,080, bringing our total close to two $10K WSOP Main Event seats.
Birthday Celebrations and Early Action
On our first break we took time to celebrate our summer birthdays, courtesy of Chrissy Holubeck’s thoughtful gesture. Nothing says “poker family” quite like sharing cake before trying to take each other’s chips.
As the field whittled down from 51 to the crucial 18-player mark, the intensity ratcheted up considerably. Players who had been nursing short stacks suddenly found their tournament lives on the line, while chip leaders began flexing their muscle.
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Final Table week 2
Final Table Drama Unfolds
When the final table was set, Tom McDonald was already building momentum that would carry him all the way to the chop. His first big move came early when he doubled through Hugh Mayes, setting the tone for what would become a masterclass in final table play.
The Elimination Parade Begins
9th Place: Allen Wiseman – The bubble boy of our final table, Allen’s tournament ended just short of the money, but his play throughout the evening was solid.
8th Place: Kevin James – In a classic cooler situation, Kevin’s A-T ran into Justin Green’s A-K. Sometimes poker is just cruel, and Kevin learned that lesson the hard way
7th Place: Jack Feeney – Tom McDonald continued his rampage, turning a set of sevens to eliminate Jack in a hand that had Jack shaking his head at the poker gods.
6th Place: Sam Browning – Another victim of Tom’s hot streak, Sam couldn’t find the cards he needed to mount a comeback.
The HUGHE Upset
Then came the hand that changed everything. Hugh Mayes, nursing a short stack, found A-J and moved all-in. Justin Green, sitting pretty with A-K, made the easy call. But poker has a funny way of humbling even the best hands, and Hugh’s jack hit the board for a massive double-up that sent shockwaves through the room.
A double for Tom through Hugh
5th Place: Hugh Mayes – After Tom’s miraculous double-up, Hugh couldn’t make a deeper run. Dan S sent Hugh to the rail in 5th place.
4th Place: Justin Green – The poker gods giveth and taketh away. After losing that brutal beat to Hugh’s A-J, Justin couldn’t recover his momentum. Tom McDonald’s pocket nines held up to send Justin home in 4th place.
3rd Place: Ray Mancini – In the three-handed battle, Dan Goonin finally made his move, eliminating Ray to set up the dramatic heads-up finale.
The Heads-Up Championship
When the dust settled, Tom McDonald and Dan Goonin found themselves heads-up for all the marbles. Both players had navigated the field masterfully, and both deserved to be there. After some back-and-forth action, they made the decision that epitomizes the spirit of our league – they agreed to chop the victory and share the spotlight.
Final Results Week 2
1. Dan Goonin/Tom McDonald
3. Ray Mancini
4. Justin Green
5. Hugh Mayes
7. Jack Feeney
8. Kevin James
9. Allen Wiseman
Looking Ahead
With this result, both Dan Goonin and Tom McDonald have jumped to the top of our early season leaderboard, each banking 14 points for their co-championship. Dan, who is in his first week of the season now has 14 total points, while Tom’s consistent play puts him at 15 points through two weeks.
The race for those coveted WSOP Main Event seats is heating up, and if Week 2 was any indication, we’re in for an incredible season. See you at the felt for Week 3!
The Tampa Bay Elite Poker League continues every Wednesday. For more information about joining our league or following the season-long race for WSOP Main Event seats, visit tampabaypoker.com.
