It's a long drive from Vegas to Grapevine, Texas but, the good news is, it gets cooler. Delivering a truck full of 7 foot Smart Tables, and then installing them to pool player perfection, is all in a days work for Ric Jones, Diamond's mechanic on a mission.
150 plus, pumped-up BCAPL, VNEA & APA members were soon to arrive and compete in 3 divisions: Men's, Women's, and Mixed Scotch Doubles. Ric's team was on deadline to convert the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center into an ocean of Tour Blue Simonis 860 covering the 7' Diamonds and their tournament standard, tight, 4-1/2” Pro cut pockets. Red Circle cue balls and Super Aramith Pro balls round out the best equipment known to tournament play today. The new BCAPL tournament lights, complete with built in scoring beads, make it easy for competitors, and their fans, to keep track of the action.
Grapevine is just 5 minutes north of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center hotel overlooks a tall, cascading fountain on a lake nestled in 40 forested acres--not exactly your average pool tournament venue.
Local BCA Pool League Operator Robert Tabor garnered state-wide competitive, pool playing men and women who grabbed at the chance for a weekend away to hone their pool skills, and enjoy the services and amenities expected of a top vacation resort. Where else can you enjoy a post match cool down with a dive into a lake, or mellow out with your other pole and indulge in a spot of fishing? Sigel and Hall would have loved it.
This is the first year of the Texas Open Players Tour. The first event was in Houston last June. Grapevine is the second stop of three scheduled for 2007.
The Texas tour is, undoubtedly, destined for success. 110 Men signed on in the Open Singles. There were 63 Mixed Scotch Doubles teams which accounted for more than half the field being women. 44 decided to go it alone and vie for the women's title.
Our thanks to all who participated and congratulations to those who placed, and of course, our winners.
Women's
1st Place: Ashley Nandrasy - Metro Pool League (METRO) Arlington, TX / Southwest Eight-Ball League: (SWEL) Dallas, TX / 8-Ball Express Aubrey, TX
2nd Place: R L Casper - Southwest Eight-ball League (SWEL) Dallas, TX
3rd Place: Annie Doyle - Austin Pool Players League (A.P.P.L.E.) Austin, TX
Mixed Scotch Doubles
1st Place: Richard and Patricia Wenninger – West Texas Billiards Mineral Wells, TX
2nd Place: Jeff Georges and Christine Powell - Southwest Eight-Ball League (SWEL) Dallas, TX
Men's
1st Place: Miguel (Mike) Jackson - Metro Pool League (METRO) Arlington, TX
2nd Place: Tony Ewart - Metro Pool League (METRO) Arlington, TX
3rd Place: Curtis Gage - Metro Pool League (METRO) Arlington, TX
Take note, one thing is for sure, don't mess with the men of Arlington.
For those who spent too much time fishing instead of practicing, the Texas Open Players Tour offered a 2nd Chance Single Elimination 9-Ball Tournament. Our congratulations to Tom Wilerson - Southwest Eight-Ball League (SWEL) Sherman, TX on his 1st place finish.
The next stop of the Texas Open Players Tour is in the Ambassador Hotel. Amarillo, Texas, November 2-4. See you there.
Need a tournament near you? Call Ric Jones at 702.719.7665 or visit playbca.com
