Annie Flores, Abel Rosario, Tommy Schreiber and Arturo Reyes
Fifty-four of the Tri-State New York area's best amateur players descended on Steinway Billiards in Astoria, Queens on the weekend of October 22-23. Nestled in time between the recently-concluded US Open 9-Ball Championships and the 5th Annual Steinway Classic, which kicked off on April 24th, the Predator Tour's $1,000-added, A/D handicapped event saw Arturo Reyes and Tommy Schreiber battle twice, with Reyes winning both to claim the event title.
Advancing through the field to a winners' side semifinal, Reyes faced Rhio Anne ("Annie") Flores, as Schreiber battled Bob Toomey. Reyes downed Flores 7-5. Schreiber sent Toomey to the loss side 7-3. In their first of two, Reyes claimed the hot seat 8-3.
When he got to the loss side, Toomey had the misfortune of running into Abel Rosario right off the bat. Rosario, in a double hill loss, had been sent over by Schreiber and was in the midst of a six-match, loss-side winning streak that would eventually earn him a rematch in the semifinals. He'd gotten by Juan Melendez 7-3, and squeaked by George Poltorak, double hill, to draw Toomey. Annie Flores picked up Juan Guzman, who'd eliminated Rob Tole 7-3 and Ron Mason 7-5.
Rosario advanced to the quarterfinals, double hill, over Toomey. Annie joined him with a 7-3 win over Guzman. Rosario won his last match of the event, defeating Flores 7-3, and earning his semifinal rematch against Schreiber.
Schreiber wanted no part of another double hill scene with Rosario in the semifinals, and downed him 7-2. In the finals, Schreiber squeezed in one more rack than he'd chalked up in the hot seat match, but Reyes wrapped up his undefeated run with an 8-4 win and claimed the event title.
