Kiamco and Pagalayun take 9-Ball, 10-Ball titles in Reno

Both Warren Kiamco and Alex Pagalayun survived strong challenges from the one-loss side to win a second set in a true double elimination final and capture the 9-Ball and 8-Ball Championship titles in CSI's USA Bar Table Championships, held on the week of February 21-28 at the Sands Regency Hotel Casino in Reno, NV. Kiamco, who would later be ‘double-dip' victimized by John Morra in the finals of the 8-Ball tournament, hung on to defeat Larry Nevel in the second set of the 9-Ball final.  Pagalayun's nemesis in the 10-Ball tournament, the opening tournament of the week's events, proved to be Morra, who came back from a defeat among the winners' side final four to win the opening set of those finals.

In the first of the three consecutively run tournaments, Pagalayun emerged as the B bracket winner of the 93-entrant 10-Ball tournament. He drew a bye in the opening round of the bracket, and then got by Shawn Roy, Walter Glass, Larry Nevel, and in the B bracket hot seat match, defeated Josh O'Neal 7-4. He then got into a double hill struggle versus Stan Tourangeau among the winners' side final four, but prevailed to meet and defeat Louis Ulrich in the final hot seat match 7-4.

Morra, who'd emerged from the 10-Ball's D bracket with a 35-9 game record, had defeated Dee Wallace, Sal Butera, Shaun Wilkie, Greg Harada, and in the D bracket hot seat match, downed Mitch Ellerman 7-3. Moving among the winners' side final four, Morra's bid for an undefeated tournament was derailed by Ulrich, who sent him to the west bracket 7-3. He moved into the quarterfinals with a 7-5 victory over Brandon Ashcraft, and was joined by his D bracket, hot seat match opponent Ellerman, who'd defeated Tourangeau in a double hill match.

Ellerman put up more of a struggle against Morra this time, although the result was the same. Morra advanced to the semifinals 7-5 for a second chance against Ulrich. He took advantage, dropping Ulrich into third place and turning to face Pagalayun in the true double elimination final. Pagalayun had his hands full in the opening set, as Morra battled to a 7-5 victory. The winning game of that opening set would prove to be Morra's final victory, as Pagalayun shut him out in the second set to take the 10-Ball title.

KIAMCO AND NEVEL BATTLE IT OUT

Kiamco emerged as the A bracket winner of the 128-entrant 9-Ball competition; the middle tournament of the three (with some overlap). Victories over Brad Huffman, Vernon McGee, Jason Bacon, Adam Smith, and Jundel Mazon (in the A bracket hot seat match 9-5), put Kiamco among the final four winners. He was joined there by Stevie Moore, Robert Emmons, and Ross Fregoso. Kiamco moved Moore west 9-7 to get into the final hot seat match against Fregoso, who'd defeated Emmons 9-2. Kiamco allowed Fregoso only a single game in advancing to the hot seat, to await what turned out to be the return of Larry Nevel.

Nevel's path to the finals had begun with only two matches in the first four rounds of play in the C Bracket. He'd received a bye in the opening round, defeated Curtis Fleck, and was the beneficiary of a forfeit by Walter Glass, before running into Beau Runningen, who sent him west 9-6. He began a 10-match winning streak from the one-loss side with victories over Todd Gooch, and Shaun Wilkie, before Jeff Melton and Mitch Ellerman tested his mettle in back-to-back double hill matches. He survived them both to take on Runningen a second time. He exacted his revenge against Runningen with a 9-6 victory that put him among the event's final eight competitors.

Victories over Stan Tourangeau 9-4, and Stevie Moore 9-5 put Nevel into the quarterfinals versus Robert Emmons, who'd downed Josh O'Neal 9-7 to reach him. Nevel dispatched Emmons 9-4, and picking up some speed, ended Fregoso's bid in the semifinals 9-1.

With momentum on his side, Nevel moved into the opening set of the true double elimination final and allowed Kiamco only two racks, forcing a second set. Kiamco rallied in that second set to defeat Nevel 9-6 and capture the 9-Ball title.

9-Ball Payouts | 10-Ball Payouts