Neamand (22–23 Season) – $330
TJ (23–24 Season) – $330
May 2025
The galaxy aligned for an epic conclusion to Season 16 of the Hoagie Poker League, as Game 9 unfolded on May the 4th with lightsabers, chips, and baby news in the air.
Earlier that day, Hoagie revealed some out-of-this-world news with a Star Wars-themed gender reveal—and by evening, he carried that energy straight to the felt.
As the final cards hit the table, tension was thick. The competition for the top 6 spots—each carrying travel funds for Vegas—came down to the wire. It was a night full of dramatic swings, and in true Skywalker fashion, Mike Lopresti went full Jedi Master on the table, even announcing he would win lotto.
Lopresti crushed the final night by taking home:
The lottery bonus
The first-place cash prize for Game 9
A tournament seat by climbing to 12th place overall—the last eligible spot.
Last year’s champ Shinn handed the bracelet to a winner Hoagie. After grinding all season and surviving the turbo nights, mystery bounty madness, and deepstack marathons, Hoagie secured the #1 spot.
The top 6 players earned Vegas travel money and a chance to represent the league on the national felt.
Neamand (22–23 Season) – $330
TJ (23–24 Season) – $330
The cards will be back in the air when Season 17 kicks off in September 2025.
Until then, may the run-good be with you.
Deepstack Night:
Two subs were called into action. Jacob, celebrating his birthday in Hawaii, sent in Vinny Subz as his stand-in. The aloha vibes must’ve been strong—Vinny not only held his own at the table but hit big on his first-ever lottery pull, winning $100 on a scratch-off.
Meanwhile, Brian Horn brought in former champion, Chuck Aquino, who pulled double duty. Not only did Chuck bring his poker chops, but he also catered the event. If you liked what Chuck was cooking, you can check out his full weekly menu at The Grub at The Club, located at the AC Club in Beverly. Menu & Updates Here »
The night took an unexpected turn when the bottom-of-the-board battlers made serious runs. Samero, Roger, and Jeff—long dubbed basement dwellers—flipped the script and fought their way deep into the tournament. Samero was on fire all night, making gutsy calls and finding the right spots, earning him a spot heads-up against Jeff.
In the end, it was Jeff who sealed the win, scoring his first victory of the season and proving that no one is truly out until the last chip falls.
As we head into the championship finale, Hoagie still holds the overall lead. Brian and Matt L are tied for second place, setting up a tight race for the top. With six Vegas seats up for grabs, it’s still anyone’s game—Pete L, Rick, Brian, Jacob, Butter, and Ray C are all on the bubble and ready to pounce in the final match.
Mark your calendars for the Season 16 finale on Sunday, May 4—a Star Wars-themed doubleheader that promises to be unforgettable. Hoagie will be hosting a Star Wars gender reveal party at noon, followed by the 2 PM Championship Deepstack Game.
Bonus Alert: Any player who brings or wears a Star Wars item will receive a 500 chip bonus. So grab your lightsaber, put on that Chewbacca hoodie, and May the 4th Be With You at the final table.
With only two games left in the season, the battle for points is heating up as the league inches closer to its final showdown. Game 7 featured 30-minute rounds, giving players more time to make moves—but for some, it still wasn’t enough to survive the growing pressure of the standings race.
Rick “The Grinder” seemed out of sorts on the night, possibly feeling the effects of one too many gummies. His usual steady play was off-kilter. Meanwhile, the lottery draw saw a split pot between Keane and Butter, unfortunately both pulling duds. Get Better.
This month, the newcomers made a statement with deep runs, showing that fresh blood can shake things up late in the season. Brian Horn has been on fire, making his fourth final table appearance of the season, but once again fell just short—this time finishing in second place. However, the night belonged to Tina, who secured her first-ever league victory, putting herself right in the mix as the standings tighten up.
With the top six players winning seats to Vegas and the top 12 earning a tournament prize, every chip counts from here on out. Tina and Brian are now battling in the middle of the pack, looking to climb into the top tier as we head into the final two games.
Hoagie Home Game: Season 16, Game 6 - Turbo Night Turns Viral!
The Hoagie Home Game crew has been known to crack a few jokes, but this time, we cracked something even bigger—viral success! For weeks, league members saved up empty egg cartons, and before the cards hit the felt on Turbo Night, we scrambled together a short poker-themed clip featuring eggs as our currency. What started as a yolk turned into an internet sensation, with our video hatching a whopping 15 million views worldwide after Draftkings shared the video! Talk about an eggs-traordinary result! full video here
With the blinds moving at lightning speed, Turbo Night put everyone in the hot seat from the jump. Rick decided to use a sub for the night, with Tim stepping in—but his tournament life was over-easy as he busted out early. Knowing Rick, he’s probably still steaming over it. Meanwhile, Vince—now officially dubbed "Vinny Subz"—filled in for Jeff and showed once again why he's the go-to replacement at the table.
The season's high hand record got an upgrade when Shinn cooked up quad Kings with a Jack kicker, taking control of the leaderboard. That’s a tough one to beat, but with three games left, anything is possible. Mikey Mush, on the other hand, avoided his usual bad luck and won the lottery for the night. Maybe his luck is finally starting to hatch?
Newcomer Brian Horn has been heating up, going from a slow start to cracking the top three for the night. It was an eggs-hausting battle at the top, with Ray C and Hoagie going head-to-head for first place. In the end, Hoagie scrambled Ray and secured the win—launching himself into first place overall. With only three games left in the season, the leaderboard is still wide open, and it’s anyone’s ball game.
A massive thank you to Faded Spade for sponsoring our Hoagie Home Game and sending us the brand-new Faded Spade FX cards! These high-quality decks have been a game-changer, adding a touch of pro-level flair to our already legendary poker nights.
Mark your calendars—the next game is 30-Minute Round Night on Monday, March 3rd, at 7:15 PM.
This game marked the debut of the Big Blind Ante in our league. The adjustment added a new layer of strategy and pace.
Things got off to a chilly start—literally—as Hoagie’s heat decided to take the night off. But thanks to some space heaters and the intensity of the players, the poker room warmed up quickly. Who needs a furnace when you’ve got the fire of competition?
Butter had a rough night after attempting to slow roll pocket aces against Keane. The poker gods seemed to intervene as Keane’s Jack-King outshined Butter’s aces on a dramatic Q-10-9-X-X board, delivering Keane a straight and a healthy dose of karma.
Keane’s good fortune didn’t stop there. He dominated throughout the night, ultimately facing off against Matt “Mamunez” Lopresti heads-up. In the end, Keane secured the victory, solidifying his place as a force to be reckoned with this season. But Matt L now holds the top place overall in the league.
Pierre failing to make the final table for the first time in three months. Pete L making his best season yet. The lottery bonus round was claimed by Tina, while Ray C’s strategic decision to bring in Vince as a sub for the second time this season paid off. Vince’s final table appearance gave Ray C a significant boost in the standings.
Mark your calendars! The next game, Turbo 15k Night, is set for February 17th at 7:15 PM.
This month, we celebrated the holiday season in style with our first-ever Christmas Ugly Sweater Poker Game! The atmosphere was buzzing with festive energy, as the table was surrounded by players donning their most colorful and creative holiday sweaters. The aroma of homemade chili simmering on the stove added to the cozy vibe.
🎄 Check out all the colorful Christmas sweaters from this month’s game in our highlight reel: Ugly Sweater Poker Night Video.
Only one sub in attendance—Tina’s husband, Dan, unfortunately Dan couldn’t find his footing and made an early exit. In true holiday spirit, Samero played the role of Santa, surprising everyone with lottery tickets as early gifts. 🎁 Joe Shinn stepped up his game after a disappointing Halloween attire showing.
Rick continued his incredible streak, making his fourth consecutive final table this season. Meanwhile, Pierre had his sights set on poker league history, hoping to secure his third win in a row, but the cards didn’t fall in his favor at the final table. Pete L has done a complete 180 this season, but can he hold onto the run and finish strong this year.
Throughout the night, much of the conversation turned to the ongoing drone situation in New Jersey, adding an unexpected twist to the evening’s chatter.
When the dust settled, it came down to a heated heads-up battle between Hoagie and Matt L. Hoagie emerged victorious, taking home the win and further solidifying his commanding lead in the league standings. Pierre remains a close second, keeping the race exciting as we head into the new year.
The night wasn’t over without some extra luck for Roger, who won the lottery bonus! 🍀
Don’t Miss the Next Game!
Our next game is on January 6 at 7:15 PM, —our first-ever Big Blind Ante game.
For anyone looking for the perfect poker-themed Christmas gift for a friend or family member, one of our subs, Frank DiRe one of our league subs, has put together a fantastic list of ideas. Check it out here: The Best Gifts for Poker Players.
Happy Holidays, and see you at the tables in January! 🎅♠️
Mystery Bounty Night Recap
Season 16, Game 3 brought plenty of action, drama, and big wins as players competed for the highly coveted mystery bounties. The top mystery prize of $200 was up for grabs alongside several $50 bounties, keeping everyone on edge. The game came off the heels of a heated presidential election discussion, leading to lively banter around the table.
Tensions reached a boiling point when Jeff and Tina found themselves debating a hand due to how it was shown. Cooler heads ultimately prevailed, and the two moved on in good spirits. The night also saw brotherly heartbreak as Matty couldn’t let go of his pocket aces, leading to an early exit courtesy of his brother, Mikey Mush.
Subs Steal the Spotlight
Both Foster and Butter had subs filling in for them, and remarkably, both substitutes made it to the final table.
Other Highlights
Hoagie’s Bounty Luck Strikes Again
Somehow, Hoagie managed to snag the top two bounty prizes of the night. With Pete L. and Keane officiating the ticket pulls, all was fair—but that didn’t stop some playful grumbling from the group. Hoagie’s streak of bounty luck seems unstoppable.
The Night’s Big Winner: Pierre
The story of the evening, however, was Pierre, who pulled off an impressive back-to-back victory—a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Season 14. The rookie sensation is now sitting at the top of the leaderboard and proving he’s a force to be reckoned with.
The next game, Regular Bounty Night, is on December 9th and will double as our Holiday Party! Dust off your best—or ugliest—Christmas sweater and join us for a festive evening of poker. The game starts at 7:15 PM sharp.
Welcome back to the spookiest poker blog of the season—our Annual Halloween Poker Game! Season 16, Game 2 was full of tricks, treats, and plenty of chips, as players battled it out for the top spot at the table, all while donning their best costumes. The catch? Everyone had to show up in costume to earn an extra chip bonus at the start of play.
But the real story of the night was a devious plot organized by Samero. He rallied a majority of the crew to come dressed as clowns—all in a not-so-subtle effort to get inside Keane’s head. Why clowns? Keane hates them. The star of the clown show was easily "The Terrifier" costume, which was a fan favorite and borderline nightmare fuel.
Costume Highlights of the Night:
Newcomer Pierre "The Diceman", outlasted everyone at the table, claiming his first victory in our league.
We also had a special birthday celebration for Rick, who celebrated by winning the lottery pull for the night. He scratched off a ticket right after busting out and scored a cool $100. Not too shabby for a birthday bonus!
One major twist for the night? This was the first time in a long time that we didn't have any subs. The usual suspects were all in attendance, ready to battle it out for the win.
As always, the food was to die for—our Halloween Menu featured:
Stay tuned for next month’s standard tournament on 11/11 at 7:15 PM.
Full Video of the costumes here below:
Then there’s Mikey Mush. In classic form, he sucked out on a few hands, pulling miracle rivers left and right, and still managed to win the lottery draw for the night. Mush gonna mush.
Our next game is set for Monday, October 14th at 7:15 PM, and it’s one of the most anticipated nights of the year—our annual Halloween game! Don’t forget to come in costume for a chance to earn an extra 5,000 chips.