When the Predator Tour began its season finale event on the weekend of November 26-27, three players among the tour's "A" players were 15 points apart in Player of the Year standings. Arturo Reyes was at the top, but made an early exit, leaving the spot open for either Brooke Meyer (#2) or Elvis Rodriguez (#3). Rodriguez sent Meyer to the loss side, and though Meyer would come back from the loss side to face him in the finals, Rodriguez defeated him a second time to claim the event title and the award as the tour's "A" Player of the Year. The $1,000-added event drew 48 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.

 

 

Rodriguez and Meyer met first in a winners' side quarterfinal, won by Rodriguez, who moved on to face Shawn Sookhai in a winners' side semifinal, as Paul Carpenter and Lucas Fracasso-Verner squared off in the other one. Rodriguez downed Sookhai 7-4, and in the hot seat match, faced Carpenter, who'd sent Fracasso-Verner over 7-5 to join Sookhai. Rodriguez claimed the hot seat 9-5 over Carpenter, and waited on what would turn out to be the match that decided who would be the tour's "A" Player of the Year.

 

 

On the loss side, Fracasso-Verner and Sookhai walked into their second straight loss. Fracasso-Verner picked up Adalberto Nazario, who'd defeated Xavier Romero, double hill, and Jose Kuilan 7-5 to reach him. Sookhai drew Meyer, who, following his defeat at the hands of Rodriguez, had eliminated Duc Lam and Nick Liberator, both 7-5. Meyer moved into the quarterfinals with a 7-2 win over Sookhai, and was joined by Nazario, who'd eliminated Fracasso-Verner 7-5.

 

 

The quarterfinal matchup came within a game of double hill (9-7), and advanced Meyer to the semifinals against Carpenter. A double hill match ensued, and eventually sent Meyer to a re-match against Rodriguez in the finals. In the modified race-to-7 format of the final, Rodriguez had to reach seven games ahead of Meyer to win the match. Had Meyer reached seven first, the race would have extended to nine games. Rodriguez reached seven games comfortably ahead by four to claim the event and "A" Player of the Year title.

 

 

A Second Chance event drew 14 entrants and concluded with a double hill final. Rob Pole defeated Abel Rosario to claim the Second Chance title. 

 

 

While the regular tour season ended with this final event, Raxx Billiards in West Hempstead, NY will host the annual Tour Championships, scheduled for Dec. 3-4. Only players who have participated in five events during the tour's regular season will be eligible for this $9,500-added (minimum) event. 

In Jimmy Rivera's first Tri-State Tour win, back in February of 2013, he won five on the loss side and eventually defeated Koka Davladze in the finals. Three years and six months later, on Saturday, August 20, Rivera chalked up his second Tri-State victory, once again, coming from the loss side. This time, though, he won nine on the loss side for a shot in the finals against Henri Hernandez, who, due to the lateness of the hour, was forced to withdraw, leaving Rivera as the event winner. The $1,000-added, A/D handicapped event drew 57 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.

 

With Rivera already long at work on the loss side, Hernandez advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Miguel Laboy. Adalberto Nazario squared off against Ron Bernardo in the other one. Hernandez sent LaBoy to the loss side 7-4 and, in the hot seat match, faced Nazario, who'd defeated Bernardo 6-2. In what would prove to be his last match of the tournament, Hernandez claimed the hot seat 9-8 over Nazario.

 

On the loss side, LaBoy drew Rivera, already six matches into his loss-side run with wins over Patrick Dugan, Steve Kaminow, Stewart Warnock, and Amir Rashad Uddin. In the event's first money rounds, Rivera defeated Mike Figueroa 7-5, and Max Watanabe 7-4 to face LaBoy. Bernardo, in the meantime, picked up Ambi Estevez, who'd defeated Nicole Monaco and Mike Esposito, both 6-3, to reach him.

 

Rivera, who was never afforded the opportunity to face the opponent who'd sent him to the loss side (Arturo Reyes), downed LaBoy 7-2. He was joined in the quarterfinals by Bernardo, who'd ended Estevez' night 7-6. Rivera leapfrogged into the semifinals against Nazario when Bernardo forfeited the quarterfinal match. Rivera completed his loss-side run with an 11-7 victory over Nazario in the semifinals.

 

It was at this point that Hernandez was forced to bow out. He and Rivera split the top two prizes, while Rivera was awarded the event title.

 

Tour representatives thanked Manny Stamatakis and his staff at Steinway Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Bloodworth Ball Cleaners. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for the weekend of August 27-28, will be hosted by Amsterdam Billiards in Manhattan.