Season 13 Tournament of Champions Recap: Beagles Unleashed

20 Teams - 120 Players!

Regal Beagles (063) saved their best for the biggest night, overcoming a scoreless opening round to dominate the middle of the game. They posted 20s in both Rounds 5 and 6, then calmly added 15 on the wager for an 80-point championship performance and the $1,200 top prize. A rough start apparently required a warm-up.

Player 456 (136) also started with a zero and then promptly decided that was enough nonsense for one night. Back-to-back 20s in Rounds 5 and 6 launched them into second, and a perfect 20-point wager brought them to 76 and $600.

Freight Minds Drink Alike (057) were remarkably steady, with the only real damage coming from modest early rounds. They exploded for 20s in Rounds 5 and 6, then added a 12-point wager to finish at 75 and collect $450.

NeverNudes (121) quietly built a strong tournament, with a particularly nice 20 in Round 5. They finished tied with Box Wine Children at 66, then won the tiebreaker for fourth and $300. Sometimes the tiebreaker is the only thing standing between you and having to share the money.

Box Wine Children (019) was in prime position after three rounds, then immediately donated eight points in Round 4. They recovered with 20s in Rounds 5 and 6 and eventually landed on 66, earning $150.

Torranceal Downpour (120) had a very Torranceal kind of night: a couple of early storms, a big Round 3, then a gradual clearing of the skies. Their 15-point wager brought them to 62 and a $50 prize.

Gently, Gently, Gently…Nice! (071) absolutely came out swinging with a 16-point opening total, but the momentum faded as the game went on. A zero in Round 7 didn't help, but they still finished with 61, earning $50 plus the $125 Spirit Award.

Cosmonauts (116) survived an ugly Round 4 (-4) and responded with a 20 in Round 6. They never quite found enough consistency to make a serious run at the podium, finishing at 59 and collecting $50 for Square.

Pa's Peninsula Peeps (017) may have invented a new strategy: score almost nothing for the first three rounds, then start playing trivia. Their 18-point Round 5 and 20-point wager rescued the night, producing 58 and a $50 prize.

Bonnie Hunt Fan Club (025) had a rough middle stretch, including a -6 in Round 4, but followed it with back-to-back 20s. They finished at 57, good for $25 and a Redondo prize.

Wise Guys (082) were cruising toward a respectable score until Round 7 apparently became a forbidden topic. Their 10-point wager produced 55, but the zero in Round 7 kept them out of the money.

Portillo's Parking Lot (111) spent the first four rounds stuck in neutral, then finally found the accelerator with a 20 in Round 5. They finished at 55 and picked up $25 for Lomita.

One Hour Hotdogg (070) also found its groove in the second half, putting up 17 and 20 in Rounds 5 and 6. A 10-point wager brought them to 54 and $25 for Square.

Pint Half Full (106) had a particularly weird tournament, including a -4 in Round 4 followed by a 20 in Round 6. The final five-point wager kept the score at 54, good for $25 from Five Point Five.

Casual Encounters (032) were anything but casual about the bad luck, taking a -9 in Round 4 and briefly falling below zero. A 20 in Round 6 helped them recover to 53, but the early damage was too much to overcome.

Latin 3-Way (144) never really got the big round they needed. A -6 in Round 4 didn't help, and despite recovering to 47, they couldn't make a late charge.

PM Pausers (117) had a solid Round 1 before things went sideways, including zeros in Rounds 3 and 7. A 10-point wager got them to 47, but there wasn't enough left in the tank for a serious climb.

Real Quiz Wives of Torrance (130) started well enough but couldn't maintain it, with a -4 in Round 4 and only one double-digit round afterward. They finished at 43.

Like a Deck of Cards (052) were actually sitting at 43 after Round 7, but zero points in the final wager left them Hungry for more. The final remained 43, along with the "Feed Your Knowledge" PizzaKraft prize.

Sex Panther (020) never really got rolling until the 20-point Round 5, but by then the early deficit was too large to overcome. They finished at 38, with the Box of Wine prize providing at least one consolation.

Congratulations to Regal Beagles on taking the Season 13 Tournament of Champions title and the $1,200 top prize. A championship performance that started with a zero and ended with a trophy is about as good a redemption arc as trivia gets.