MEPHISTOPHELES WINS AT BROWN BARREL

When it comes to Halloween costumes, some people go all out. Elaborate outfits, makeup, wigs, props, the whole nine yards.

And then there's Steven Sudar.

Steven showed up for Thursday night's Halloween Spooktacular at Brown Barrel sporting a pair of devil horns. And that was pretty much it!

Now, I don't think Steven was expecting to win any awards for his costume. And he certainly didn't!

But he DID walk away with the award that really mattered, FIRST PLACE in the poker tournament!

WTG, Steven!

Our very own Mephistopheles worked his devilish magic through a field of 39 players and 56 entries, collecting eight bounties along the way and claiming his second career victory, his first of the Harvest Moon season!

And here's something worth remembering. You didn't need an elaborate costume to come out and enjoy the festivities. You didn't even need a costume at all! Steven showed up with a couple of horns and walked away a winner. As for those who decided they had other plans, well, you can't win if you don't show up!

Finishing runner-up was Smiley, our reigning Harvest Moon Showdown Main Champion, while Dan O'Neill rounded out the podium in third place.

Matt Clayman also deserves a mention for collecting a whopping nine point-scoring bounties, the most of anyone Thursday night!

Of course, the poker was only part of the entertainment as we wrapped up the second night of our Halloween Spooktacular!

We had another terrific collection of costumes, and five finalists competing for the night's Best Costume award.

But when the votes were counted, it was Andy Chomos, dressed as Fred Flintstone, who emerged victorious!

YABBA DABBA DOO!

And wouldn't you know it, Andy had some stiff competition from Dan Veltri, who was back for another shot at Halloween glory.

After winning Wednesday's contest dressed as the Big Bad Wolf disguised as Grandma, Dan returned Thursday as Mr. T, hoping to make it two nights in a row!

Unfortunately for Dan, Fred Flintstone had other ideas.

I pity the fool who thought Mr. T could take down Fred Flintstone!

Dan finished a very close second, while Andy claimed the Best Costume honours. Not a bad week for Andy, who also won Monday night's poker tournament!

And here's something else worth mentioning. Every single player at Thursday's final table had at least some semblance of a Halloween costume! Admittedly, some put a little more effort into it than others, but everyone joined in the spirit of the evening. Quite a contrast to Wednesday, when John Luty came within one spot of winning the whole tournament without wearing a costume at all! Maybe those devil horns really did give Steven an edge!

Of course, there were plenty of incentives to get into the Halloween spirit! Everyone who came in costume received DOUBLE REWARD CARDS, along with double the usual benefits when redeeming them.

And here's something I was particularly pleased to see. ELEVEN players returned Thursday wearing completely different costumes from Wednesday night, earning themselves TRIPLE REWARD CARDS! Now THAT'S getting into the spirit of things!

Our five table costume winners were Andy Chomos, Harry Meloche, Dan Veltri, David Rawlings and Linda Taylor, each earning DOUBLE POINTS for the evening!

And just like Wednesday, only a couple of those costume bonuses actually paid off in the tournament standings. Harry Meloche, dressed as a pirate, finished 13th, while Linda Taylor, sporting her prisoner costume, finished 14th. They were the only two table costume winners to finish in the points and capitalize on their bonuses!

David Rawlings also made good use of his double-points advantage, winning two Stay & Play tournaments and collecting double points for both!

All in all, it was a terrific two nights of costumes, laughs and poker. A huge thank you to everyone who came out, dressed up and helped make this year's Halloween Spooktacular such a fun event!

And congratulations again to our winners, both at the poker tables and in the costume contests!

Until next Halloween, keep those costumes handy. You never know when Fred Flintstone might come back looking for another victory! 🎃