Jim Bishop went undefeated at the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour event, held on May 14th-15th, 2016, decimating the 64-player amateur 9-ball division, besting Houston’s Pete Charles in the final round, 6-5. Currently stationed in Houston for work, Bishop hales from Mobile, Alabama, and although he’s played in previous Lone Star events, he has never actually won an event, until now. Former tour champion, Andy Jethwa, overcame APA Nationals Champion, Ernesto Bayaua, in the final, 7-6, earning Jethwa his second, consecutive open division win this year.
The event was hosted by Ariana’s in Houston, Texas, and along with tour sponsors Poison by Predator Cues www.poisonbilliards.com, Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com, Ozone Billiards www.ozonebilliards.com, and the APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, facilitated a very successful event. Ariana’s catered to 74 Poison Lone Star Tour players (along with 31 Gulf Coast Tour women) adding a generous $1,000 to the prize fund, offering free play on all their bar tables, and providing free food the entire event. The tour would like to thank Ariana’s owners, Minh and Bill Hammond, and their entire staff, for their gracious hospitality, and years of continued support!
With 105 players in the building and only 12 bar tables, action was slow moving on Saturday, and races were modified on Sunday in order for the event to conclude at a reasonable hour. In the amateur 9-ball division, Jim Bishop put on a solid performance, taking down a list of event hopefuls on his way to the hot seat, including Ryan Garcia, Josh White, Rocky Skuca, 6-2, and Johnny Griffin, 6-2. Junior player, Jacob Watson, bested Curt Bovenzi, 6-4, and Kenneth Price, 6-1, to meet Bishop in the final four on the winners’ side. Pete Charles was on a roll, logging wins over Mike Singleton, Jose Gonzales, 7-1, Danny Roland, 6-3, and Brock Temel, 6-4. In similar form, Mark Wanner made his way to the final four, ousting Chase Wheeler, David Leal, 7-6, Tommy Aramburo, 6-1, and Brandon Bilbo, 6-5. As the final four shaped up on the winners’ side, players were making their way through the one-loss side. After losing his first match to Laredo’s Martin Ramos, Ray Reeves won an incredible 6 consecutive matches, including victories over Bruce Solf, 5-0, Adam Cooper, 4-1, Charlie Jenkins, 4-2, and Kenneth Price, 4-3. Reeves was stopped short by Johnny Griffin, 4-2. After a third round loss to Bishop, Rocky Scuka won four in a row, eliminating Chuck Adams, BryanTilley, 4-1, Brandon Bilbo, 4-2, and Lester Foy, 4-1. Back on the east side, Charles overcame Wanner, 6-3, while Bishop sent Watson west, 6-1. It was a harrowing battle for the hot seat, as Bishop narrowly escaped Charles, 6-5. On the west side, Griffin defeated Wanner, 4-1, while Skuca ended Watson, 4-3. Griffin eliminated Skuca, 4-1, but was ousted by Charles, 4-3. And with that win, Charles earned himself a shot at redemption. As the rematch between Bishop and Charles commenced, it appeared to be a similar “tug-of-war” session, as each took turns executing strategic safeties and cinching any open tables. Once again, Bishop came out ahead, denying Charles, 6-5. Congratulations to Jim Bishop, who went undefeated to secure his first-ever, Poison Lone Star Tour victory!
In the 60-player open 9-ball division, Andy Jethwa was on a quest to conquer. His path of destruction included wins over Jim Bishop, Kris Modisette, 9-6, Martin Ramos, 7-2, and Mark Wanner, 7-1. Johnny Griffin plowed through Will Felder, Mark Cardenas, Alex Cardenas, 7-2, and Chris Thompson, 7-2, to meet Jethwa in the final four winners’ side. Ernesto Bayaua took the bull by the horns, defeating Lester Foy, 7-5, Chuck Adams, 7-4, and Brock Temel, 7-2. After recovering from serious health issues, Mike Singleton rejoined the tour and was back on track, besting Kenneth Price, Rene Rodriguez, 9-3, Jacob Watson, 7-3, and Tony Benestante. As the final four on the winners’ side rounded out, Watson rolled on the west side eliminating M. Cardenas, 5-4, Wanner, 5-4, and Guzik, 5-2. After a second round loss to Brock Temel, 9-7, Chase Wheeler won 6 consecutive matches, racking up wins over Adeana Sanchez, 5-0, Brandon Bilbo, 5-4, Martin Ramos, 5-3, Ryan Garcia, 5-2, Tony Benestante, 5-4, and Dalton Riley, 5-4. On the east side, it was Bayaua over Singleton, and Jethwa over Griffin, 7-6. With numerous open division titles to their credit, Bayaua and Jethwa fought equally hard for the hot seat, with Jethwa finishing ahead, 7-6. On the one-loss side, Griffin met and defeated Wheeler, 5-1, and Bayaua eliminated Watson, 5-2. Bayaua went on to eliminate Griffin, 5-2, and Singleton, 5-1, for a Jethwa reckoning. Once again, the two faced-off, exhibiting extreme collection and focus. As the champions traded games, in the end, the result remained the same. Jethwa defeated Bayaua, 7-6, securing his second, consecutive tour victory of the 2016 season!
The Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour would like to officially welcome all the new players who attended this event. The next PLSBT event will be held June 11th-12th at Bogies Billiards located at 3040 FM 1960 E., Houston, Texas 77073. The Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour encourages everyone who loves to play pool and compete in a friendly atmosphere, to attend an event. For more information, visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com. Please “Like” us on Facebook/LoneStarTour and “Follow” us at Twitter/LoneStarTour09.
Dennis Orcollo (Photo courtesy of RE Visual Concepts)
World champion Dennis Orcullo went undefeated to capture his first Space City Open 9-Ball title, besting Ohio’s Shane Winters in the final set, 9-4. In the one pocket division, Chip Compton overcame Jeremy Jones, 3-1, 3-1, taking home his first title, and Jones captured his second, consecutive, 9-ball banks title, outlasting Orcullo in overtime, 3-2, 3-0. Wrapping up the event, Gail Eaton overcame Kia Sidbury in the ladies 9-ball finals, 7-4, 5-2.
The 4-day, 4-division, Space City Open IV (SCO) was held at Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar in Houston, Texas, December 3rd-6th, 2016. In its fourth year, SCO continues to increase in talent and value, and professional players from across the U.S. flew in to take advantage of a payout exceeding $56,000. New blood included Dennis Orcullo, Shane Winters (OH), Shane McMinn (TN), Jerry Calderon (FL), Mike Massey, and Tony Chohan (MI), who along with more than 120 players, entertained a packed house and hundreds of at-home viewers tuned in to the HD live stream provided by OnSitePoolNetwork.com.
Everyone in Texas knows the place to be during the first week of December is the Space City Open. The annual event has showcased some of the greatest billiard talent in the U.S., including U.S Open Champions, World Champions, and Mosconi Cup team players. The SCO is a serious competition and players mean business, which makes for an intense, competitive environment, and great entertainment for the fans. Without a doubt, this was the toughest SCO 9-ball division to date, and simply losing the flip could cost a player the set, in this winner break, rack your own format.
In the 101-player 9-ball field, the famed Dennis Orcullo won 8 consecutive matches on his way to the hot seat, defeating Robert Cruz, 9-1, Jonathon Romero, 9-0, Vu Pham, 9-3, Charlie Bryant, 9-4, Shane McMinn, 9-8, and Sylver Ochoa, 9-5. Jerry Calderon won his bid for the hot seat with wins over Cliff Joyner, 9-6, Alex Cardenas, 9-1, Richard Hughes, 9-1, Joey Gray, 9-1, Shane Winters, 9-3, and Tom Mooney, 9-5. After a 9-7 upset by Tom Mooney in the first round, Tony Chohan won an incredible 7 consecutive matches with wins over Ernesto Bayaua, 7-3, Jeremy Jones, 7-4, Gabe Owen, 7-6, and Abel Lara, 7-5. Other upsets included John Lassek over Jamie Baraks, 9-6, and Abel Lara over Mike Massey, 9-6. New Mexico’s Tommy Tokoph lost his first round to Winters, 9-6, but came back strong with 6 wins, along the way, eliminating two-time 9-ball champion, Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant, 7-3. Winters ended Tokoph, 7-3, and made quick work of Ochoa, 7-1. After a fourth round loss to Winters, 9-8, Robb Saez ousted defending 9-ball champion James Davis, Jr. with a quick 7 pack, Baraks, 7-5, and McMinn, 7-2. Chip Compton, who suffered an earlier 9-5 loss at the hands of Ochoa, eliminated Jamie Farrell, 7-3, but fell to Saez, 7-6. Saez bested Mooney, 7-2, for a rematch with Winters. Once again, Winters advanced, 7-3. Back on the east side, the hot seat match commenced with Orcullo and Calderon. Orcullo played near flawless, and unforced errors on Calderon’s part sealed his fate. Orcullo closed the set out, 9-4. Winters anticipated a shot at redemption, and now it was here. This time, Calderon stepped up to the plate, only to be struck out by Winters, 7-5. In the final, both players came out of the gate running, but Orcullo proved too much for Winters, ending the race, 9-4. Congratulations to Dennis Orcullo on his first SCO 9-Ball title.
The 40-player one pocket field (limited to 40) featured an all-star cast with phenomenal talent going head to head in a test of wills and stamina. Oklahoma’s Chip Compton made his way through the winners’ side with wins over Joe Pelayo, 3-0, Jon Demet, 3-0, Shane McMinn, 3-0, and James Davis, Jr., 3-1, while Jeremy Jones bested Tony Chohan, 3-1, Robb Saez, 3-2, Denis Strickland, 3-0, and Joey Gray, 3-1. On the one-loss side, Chau took out Saez, 3-1, but fell to Joey Gray, 3-1. Again, Chohan was on a roll with 6 consecutive wins, including victories over Tommy Tokoph, 3-1, Ernesto Bayaua, 3-1, Chase Rudder, 3-2, Gabe Owen, 3-0, and James Davis, Jr., 3-0. On the east side, Compton defeated Jones for the hot seat, 3-1, while Gray ended Chohan’s run, 3-0. Gray fell to Jones, 3-1, pitting a rematch between Jones and Compton. A focused Jones stepped up to the final table with the intent of taking back what he had lost. Compton knew he couldn’t let this one get away, but as the first set came to a close, it was Jones who came out ahead, 3-1. In the second set, Compton remained composed, his mind on the task at hand. Compton defeated Jones in the final set, 3-1, to capture his first SCO One Pocket title.
Kicking off Space City Open IV was Thursday’s 29-player, 9-ball banks division. Again, it was Orcullo, attempting to go undefeated with wins over Richie Richeson, 3-0, Luke Sutliffe, 3-0, Tommy Tokoph, 3-1, and Shane Winters, 3-1. Gabe Owen took down Chase Rudder, 3-1, Sylver Ochoa, 3-0, Shane McMinn, 3-2, and Manny Chau, 3-2. Following a loss to Winters, 3-1, Cliff Joyner eliminated Tom Mooney, 3-0, James Davis, Jr., 3-2, and McMinn, 3-1. After suffering a loss to Winters, 3-0, Robb Saez eliminated Jamie Farrell, 3-1, but fell to Jeremy Jones, 3-1. Jones eliminated Chau, 3-1, earning himself another shot at Chohan, the player who had sent him to the one-loss side by a score of 3-1. Jones wasted little time exacting his revenge, taking out Chohan, 3-1. On the east side, Orcullo and Owen teed off for the hot seat, Owen coming up short, 3-1, and again with Jones, 3-1. Jones captured the first set of the true double elimination final, 3-1, finishing Orcullo off the second set, 3-0, earning his second, consecutive banks title. Due to a hand injury, it was uncertain if Jones would compete in this year’s SCO. However, Jones competed in all three divisions, with a very swollen hand to show for it. Congratulations to Jeremy Jones on successfully defending his banks title!
Rounding out the event, 22 women battled it out on Sunday for almost $2,300 in cash in the ladies 9-ball division. WPBA player Kia “Primetime” Sidbury (MD) made her way to the hot seat, defeating Veronica “Pistol” Perez, 7-0, Terry Petrosino, 7-1, and Robyn Petrosino, 7-4. Natalie Rocha made an impressive run, ousting Erica Nicole Walker, 7-1, Gail “Virginia Slim” Eaton, 7-5, Linda Garza, 7-1, and Marie Rodriguez, 7-0. On the one-loss side, Eaton ran through D’Andrea McQuirter, 5-1, Ginger Abadilla, 5-2, Terry Petrosino, 5-1, Belinda Lee, 5-0, and Rodriguez, 5-3. After a second round loss to R. Petrosino, 7-4, 2015 Gulf Coast Tour Champion, Ricki Casper, made an impressive run on the one-loss side with wins over Yvonne Asher, 5-3, Teresa Garland, 5-1, Garza, 5-2, and R. Petrosino, 5-3. On the east side, Sidbury overcame Rocha for the hot seat win, 7-5, while Eaton ended Casper’s run, 5-3. Former WPBA pro Eaton made quick work of Rocha, 5-2, and moved on to the finals. The two seasoned players dug in, and fought to the finish. Eaton captured the first set, 7-4, and although Sidbury attempted to recover in overtime, lost the final set, 5-2. Congratulations to Gail Eaton on her first SCO Ladies 9-Ball title!
“Once again, this event has shown a significant increase in numbers and visibility, across the board. Growth is our primary focus, and it takes the support and dedication of the players, fans, sponsors, and pool room, to make an event like this work, and thrive. That’s what gets the job done”, says Kim Newsome, SCO founder and tournament director. Support staff for this event included a number of dedicated individuals including John Newsome, Teresa Garland and Chuck Adams.
The Space City Open extends a heartfelt “thank you” to sponsors, vendors, and supporters; Bogies Billiards and Games’ owners David and Shannon Richardson, and their entire staff, Simplified Electronics, APA of North Harris County, Vapor Knights, Ozone Billiards, Zach Goldsmith and “Lucky Luke” Sutliffe with OnSitePoolNetwork.com, Bobby Garcia with RE Visual Concepts, and vendors, Mike McDonald with Vapor Knights, Ron Geyer Cue Repair, Joe Salazar Connoisseur of Custom Cues, and Sean King with King Billiards. Special supporters of this event included Charlie Brown, Mark Stubbs, Chase Rudder, Maurice LeBlanc, Kelly Plunkett, Tom Welch, Doug Stone, Jason Watson, David Taylor, Carlos Sanchez, Willie Duran, Dave Ford, David Hardee, Dennis Perry, Adam Cooper, Fabian Gardin, and Erica Nicole Walker.
Space City Open V will take place December 1st-4th, 2016. For more information about the Space City Open, visit www.SpaceCityOpen.com or email spacecityevent@gmail.com.
Will Felder fought his way through an elite, open division of 32 players, besting Durango Duran in the finals, 7-0, while David Thomas took care of business in the 50 player amateur division, also overcoming Duran in the amateur finals, 7-4. Felder and Thomas went undefeated to win their first-ever Lone Star Tour event titles.
Ariana’s, along with tour sponsors Poison by Predator Cues www.poisonbilliards.com, Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com, Ozone Billiards www.ozonebilliards.com, www.ImproveYourShot.com, and the APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, facilitated another successful event for Houston’s thriving pool community. In business for over 33 years, the former "Rose Country Club", newly reopened and renamed, "Ariana's", added a generous $1,500 to the event, and owners Minh and Bill Hammond couldn’t have been more pleased with the turnout. Rose Country Club was leased for a period of time when the couple felt they were ready to retire from the bar business, but retirement didn't last long! Following the lease period, the old Rose Country was closed for a brief time for cleaning and repairs and debuted earlier this year as the all-new, "Ariana's", once again under the direction of the Hammond’s.
There were nearly 80 players in attendance this past weekend, May 16th-17th at Ariana’s, hosting its first Lone Star Tour event since 2009. Open division action saw Will Felder defeat John Chang, 9-5, Chuck Farinella, 9-3, Raymond Cardenas, 9-5, and Durango Duran for the hot seat, 9-8. Along the way, Duran bested David Thomas, 9-6, J.J. Manley, 9-0, and Kevin Frauenberger, 9-8. Joey Torres and J.J. Manley teed off on the one loss side with Torres advancing, 7-1. It was Kris Modisette over Tom Welch, and Tim Ramon fell to David Thomas. After a second round loss to Duran, 9-5, Thomas went on to win 7 consecutive matches, including wins over Frauenberger, 7-3 and Cardenas, 7-5, but coming up short with Duran, 7-2. Duran didn’t last long as Felder took him down, 7-0, to capture his first Lone Star Tour event title.
In the amateur division, David Thomas was on fire with wins over Damion Manning, 7-3, Sam Stony, 7-4, and Raymond Cardenas, 7-2, while Alex Cardenas defeated J.J. Manley, 7-3, Tom Welch, 7-3, and Bob McFerren, 7-1. Thomas overcame A. Cardenas for the hot seat, 7-4. On the one loss side, Jesse Langston eliminated Tom Welch, 5-3, and Kenneth Price ousted Rudy Sanchez. Duran eliminated Sam Stony and it was Lufkin’s Ralph Foy over Danny Bennett. Langston was shut out by Raymond Cardenas, 5-0, and Duran sent McFerren packing, 5-2. After losing his second match to Ralph Foy, Duran won an incredible 9 consecutive matches before falling to Thomas in the final, 7-4. Congratulations to David Thomas who went undefeated in a stout field of 50 players to secure his first Lone Star Tour event title.
The Lone Star 9-ball bar table event included a side-by-side with the Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour, also sponsored by Delta-13 Rack and the APA of North Harris County. This year the Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour will stage a women’s 9-ball event at each Lone Star Tour stop. The June 20th Gulf Coast Women’s Event has been rescheduled for September 12TH-13TH at Bogies Billiards (3040 FM 1960 E) and it will be a $1,000 added 10-ball event. On Saturday, Loretta Lindgren captured her first regional tour title, besting Teresa Garland in the second set of the true double elimination final, 7-4. Congratulations Loretta! Read the complete article at www.wpba.com and on Facebook/GulfCoastTour.
"Thank you" to Damion Manning, Melvin “Junior” Miller, Chuck Adams, and Mike Fabacher for assisting with tournament duties. Many thanks go out to supporters Toni and Rudy Esteves and their gang from Lufkin, Texas who attended the event; J.B Chapel, Ralph Foy, Kris Modisette, and R.J. Smith.
Congratulations to Gulf Coast ladies Amber Keithley and Ricki Casper who won Poison VX Break/Jump Cues in Saturday’s Poison Cue Raffles.
The next Lone Star Billiards Tour 9-ball event will be June 20th-21st at Bogies Billiards, 3040 FM 1960 E., in Houston, Texas. For more information on the 2015 Lone Star Tour season, visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com. “Like” us on Facebook at Facebook/LoneStarTour.
Former U.S. Amateur National Champion Ernesto Bayaua decimated the 55 player field at the Poison by Predator 8-Ball Tour Event (PxP Tour) held this past Saturday, September 6th, 2014, at the brand new Bogies Billiards West located in northwest Houston. Players hailed from Austin, Victoria, and San Antonio to compete in the 8-ball event that wrapped up in one day and paid out a generous $3,410. The PxP Tour is title sponsored by Poison by Predator Cues, www.poisonbilliards.com and players enjoy using the Delta-13 rack, www.delta-13.com, official rack of the PxP Tour.
It was all business for Bayaua, taking down former Lone Star Tour Champion Andy Jethwa in the final, 4-1. It seemed like a difficult road for the veteran PxP player, but he handled it in stride. Bayaua bested Lupe Sanchez, 4-3, Blaine Barcus, 4-2, and Mike Alonzo, 4-1 while Ferrer went through Wendell Moser, 4-0, and newcomers Floyd Amador and Benny Nava, 4-3, 4-1, respectively. Alex Cardenas made his way to the final four winners’ side with wins over David Taylor, Danny Lee, 4-2, and Mike Singleton, 4-1. Jethwa took out Sonny Bosshamer, 4-1, David Chow, 4-0, and Manny Chau, 4-2. The next winners’ side round saw Bayaua beat Ferrer, 4-1, and Jethwa overcome Cardenas, 4-1. As the hot seat shaped up, the one loss side was well underway. Sylver Ochoa, who suffered a first round upset at the hands of Mike Singleton, 4-3, went on to win four consecutive matches until he was stopped by Joey Torres, 4-2. Torres, who suffered an early 4-2 loss to Chau, pressed on to the final four, but suffered a final blow by Lee, 4-2. Barcus and Chau faced off with Chau advancing, 4-2. Cardenas eliminated Lee while Chau made quick work of Ferrer. Back on the east side, Bayau took down Jethwa and secured the hot seat, 4-0, while Cardenas fell victim to Chau by the same. Jethwa tore through Chau, 4-1, for another stab at Bayaua. Jethwa, no stranger to the pressures of tournament play, brought his usual intensity and focus to the final table. After an unforced error by Bayaua, a struggling Jethwas secured his first game, bringing the score to 2-1. Despite his best efforts, the powerhouse Bayaua was simply too tought to overcome. Bayaua secure the next two, consecutive games, securing his first PxP Tour victory of the season, 4-1.
Congratulations to Houston’s own Michelle Yim who took home $50 for “Top Lady” finisher and Frank Ferrer, Jr. who won the Poison VX cue raffle!
Many thanks to Bogies Billiards West owner David Richardson, GM Stephanie Verron and staff, for hosting another first rate event. To find out more about Houston’s newest pool room, visit www.facebook.com/bogiesbilliardswest.
The final PxP Tour Event will be held November 1st, 2014, at Bogies Billiards & Sports Bar located at 3040 FM 1960 E., Houston. For more information, visit www.PxPTour.com.
Danny Bennett of Splendora, Texas became the newest champion on the Poison by Predator Tour (PxP Tour) as he plowed through an impressive field of talent, with a final win over Eugene “The Machine” Browning, 4-3. The PxP Tour held its first 8-ball tournament of the year, a generous $500 added, one-day event, on February 1st, 2014 at Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar in Houston, Texas. Numerous Texas cities including Daisetta, Baytown, and Victoria were represented at this event, a melting pot of players including multi event winner Chase Rudder and tour newcomers Jess Krumwiede, Benny Parker, and Farid Tijierina. Houston’s Bill Fuller made an impressive hot seat bid, defeating Alex Cardenas, Kevin Frauenberger, and Browning, all by the same score of 4-2, while Bennett ousted Chuck Adams, Derrell Amos, and Danny Tam, to meet Fuller for the hot seat. After suffering a 4-1 loss to Tam, Justin Whitehead eliminated Frauenberger and Krumwiede, 4-3, 4-1, respectively, taking his revenge on Tam and positioning himself for a run at third place. Rudder suffered an early upset to Krumwiede, 4-3, and blazed through the one loss side until Browning handed him his walking papers. Bennett took a bite out of Fuller, securing the winners’ side, 4-2. Browning squeezed by Whitehead and Fuller for a first-time match with Bennett. Browning, a seasoned pool veteran, overcame a determined Bennett the first set, 4-3. Neither player touted a PxP notch in their belt which compounded the intensity of the final set. As fans tuned in at home via the “free” PxP Tour live stream, the finals proved to be anything but cumbersome as Browning jumped to a 3 game lead and Bennett responded with 3 of his own. In the final game, Bennett relinquished control of the table missing his final, striped ball. Browning collected himself and approached the table. With each stroke, a ball was pocketed, and the set was seemingly over. He addressed the 8-ball with intense concentration, only to realize, following his execution, the ball had jarred in the pocket. With a new breath of life, Bennett leapt from his chair and anxiously pocketed the final two balls to secure his first PxP Tour win. As a bonus, Bennett received a free entry into the Space City Open which will be held in Houston, December 4-7, 2014.
The PxP Tour is title sponsored by Poison by Predator Cues. Find your Poison at www.PoisonBilliards.com. The Delta-13 is the official rack on tour, check out their newest creation, the “Elite” rack at www.Delta-13.com.
The PxP Tour would also like to encourage all local, Houston players to join the APA of North Harris County; play pool, meet people, and have fun! Visit www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty for more information.
How deadly is your game? Enter and find out at the next scheduled PxP Tour event, Saturday, April 5th at Bogies Billiards & Sports Bar, in Houston, Texas.
The Lone Star Tour’s amateur 9-ball division witnessed Houston’s own Marvin Diaz making his mark on tour, capturing the hot seat over Sonny “The Boss” Bosshamer, earning his first title in the second set of the true double elimination final, 5-3. Ernesto Bayaua took the open 9-ball division by storm, going undefeated, eclipsing Chase Rudder in the final, 9-7. There were 64 competitors at the inaugural 2014 Lone Star Billiards Tour 9-ball event, held on January 25th-26th, 2014 at Bogies Billiards in Houston, Texas. On Sunday, January 26th, there were an additional 23 female contenders who attended the WPBA sanctioned Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour 9-ball event, events which have now become “side-by-sides” with the Lone Star Tour offering competition weekends with a little something for everyone.
A vast number of Lone Star Tour players have witnessed drastic improvement in their games through consistent billiard competition. One case in point, Steve Williams finished his best ever (5th-6th) in this past weekend’s 58 player, amateur 9-ball field, reaching the final four winners’ side defeating Rich Rodriguez, Chuck Adams, and Yoko Joe along the way. Tour veteran Sonny Bosshamer waded through Richard Hernandez, Jerry Yang, and J.J. Manley. Contender Bobby Perez took down Jeff Kay, Alex Cardenas, and T.J. Klein while Marvin Diaz made quick work of Will Felder, Lupe Sanchez, and Brian Rosenbaum. Bosshamer defeated Williams, 7-4, and Perez fell to Diaz, 7-6. Diaz overcame Bosshamer in the hot seat match, 7-3. On the one loss side, after losing his third round match to Manley, Jonathan Poon won 6 consecutive matches, including a 5-3 win over Williams, while Daniel Herring lost his first match and won an incredible 8 straight matches to face off with Poon for a shot at third place. Poon lost to Herring, 5-3, and in turn was eliminated by Bosshamer, 5-2. Diaz was determined to take down his first win however Bosshamer had other plans. Bosshamer captured the first set, 7-4, but Diaz remained steadfast and determined, defeating Bosshamer in the second set, 5-3.
The open 9-ball division saw Bayaua annihilate a field of 41 players with wins over Erick Renteria, 9-5, and Victor Rojas, 9-5. Rudder had an impressive trek as well with wins over Justin Whitehead, 9-7, and Danny Lee, 9-3. Bayaua slid by Rudder in the hot seat match, 9-7, as the one loss side heated up with Marcus Flores winning an impressive 6 in a row after losing his first match to Yoko Joe. College Station’s Khahn Nguyen came on strong after a first round defeat at the hands of Brian Rosenbaum, winning 5 straight sets until he met his fate with Whitehead, 7-4. Lee eliminated Flores, 7-1, and in turn was sent packing by Whitehead, 7-5. Rudder made quick work of Whitehead, 7-1, but fell to Bayaua in the final, 9-7.
Special congratulations to junior billiard competitor Joey Bourgeois, Jr., on his top 16 finish in the 58 player, amateur field.
This year, each Lone Star Tour open division event will be a qualifier for the 2014 Space City Open, held December 4th-7th. Each open division winner will receive a “free” Space City Open 9-ball entry valued at $75.
The Lone Star Tour would like to thank its sponsors, Poison by Predator cues www.poisonbilliards.com (official cue), Delta-13 rack www.delta-13.com (official rack) www.OzoneBilliards.com, www.ImproveYourShot.com, and the APA of North Harris County. For more information, please visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com.
Austin transplant Kevin Guimond impressed onlookers as he steamrolled Alaskan native, JR. Jueco, two sets in the true double elimination final of the PxP Tour Open 9-Ball Division, 9-3 and 7-1, held November 9th-10th, 2013, at Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, Texas. Guimond took a hot seat hit from Jueco, 9-7, but came back to secure his win in true championship style. His path to the hot seat included wins over Frank Ferrer Jr., 9-7, and James Davis Jr., 9-1. In the final four, Jueco bested Alex Cardenas, 9-3, which pitted Jueco against Guimond. After a first round hit at the hands of Frank Ferrer Jr., Daniel Johnson won 3 consecutive matches before falling to James Davis Jr., 7-5. In turn, Ferrer lost his second round match and came back with wins over Robert Rivas, 7-3, and Alex Cardenas 7-6. Ferrer was eliminated by James Davis Jr., 7-5. Once again, Guimond defeated Davis Jr., 7-1, staging a finals rematch with Jueco. From start to finish, Guimond effortlessly ran ball after ball with minimal errors. A frustrated Jueco failed to regain his footing, losing both sets, 9-3, 7-1.
In the amateur 9-ball division, Kileen’s Daniel Johnson overcame Cielo Velasquez for the hot seat, 7-3. It was a long road for Johnson who bested Frank Reed and Kim Sanders by the same score of 7-3, and finally Justin Pena in the final four, 7-2. Velasquez ousted tour newcomer Khahn Nguyen in the final four as well, setting the stage for the Velasquez v. Johnson showdown. On the one-loss side, Sanders was on the comeback trail, eliminating Ian Johnson, 5-3, and Nguyen, 5-3. Rober Rivas made an impressive return as well after losing his first match to Frank Ferrer, Jr. Rivas won an incredible 6 consecutive matches, settling for 5th-6th following a final blow by Pena, 5-2. Sanders ousted Pena, 5-2, but fell short against Velasquez, 5-1. In the final match, Johnson and Velasquez came out firing. Johnson fell short the first set, 7-5. Velasquez’ gained even more momentum in the second set. He shot swiftly, with purpose and determination. Johnson appeared mentally exhausted, and it became increasingly worse for him as the set wore on. Velasquez defeated Johnson in the final set, 5-2. Congratulations to Kim Sanders who became the highest woman finisher in a men’s division in the 2 year history of the Poison by Predator Tour.
On the ladies side, Austin favorite Kim Pierce went undefeated, ending an impressive run by Nicole McDaniel in the final, 5-4. Pierce ousted McDaniel on the final four winners’ side while Kim Sanders fell short to Gail Eaton. Pierce defeated Eaton for the hot seat while McDaniel eliminated Celeste Espinosa Sanders, and finally Eaton, 5-2, for a rematch with Pierce. It was a bitter battle to the end, but Pierce maintained her composure and finished the final rack, narrowly defeating McDaniel, 5-4.
Finally, congratulations to local player Pete Baza who won a beautiful Poison Bolt 3 Cue in the PxP Poison Cue raffle.
The PxP Tour is title sponsored by Poison by Predator cues www.PoisonBilliards.com. Sponsors include the Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com, and the APA of North Harris County.
Al Mason sent Shawn Putnam to the loss side from among the winners' side final four, during the September 21-22 stop on the Fast Eddie's 9-Ball Tour. Putnam would come back from a three-match visit west to double dip Mason in the finals, capturing the $500-added event title that had drawn 17 entrants to Fast Eddie's Round Rock (Austin), TX location.
Mason took his first of three against Putnam 9-7, which set him up to face Chelo Velazquez in the hot seat match. Velazquez had sent Alex Cardenas over 9-6. Mason got into the hot seat with a 9-5 win over Velazquez, which would prove to be his final win of the night.
Putnam's three-match, loss-side march to the finals began with Tito Fernandez, who'd gotten by Alex Cardenas' twin brother, Mark Cardenas 7-5 and T.J. Klein 7-4. Alex Cardenas, likely thinking of a match against his brother, instead drew Kevin Guimond, who'd defeated Kim Bierce 7-4, and survived a double hill match against James Davis, Sr.
Putnam advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-5 win over Fernandez, and was met by Guimond, who'd ended the second Cardenas' brother's day 7-4. Putnam took both the quarterfinal match against Guimond, and the semifinal against Velasquez 7-5.
Though Mason would force a deciding game in both matches of the true double elimination final, Putnam would win them both; taking the first 9-8, and the second 7-6, to capture the event title.
Austin favorite James “Bastrop” Davis Sr. was cool, calm, and collected, as he made his way through a field of 32 top competitors to capture the Open 9-Ball Division of the Lone Star Billiards Tour Texas Open Warm-Up III held this past weekend, August 10th-11th, 2013 at Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round, Rock, Texas. In the final, Davis Sr. overcame European player Patrick Werren, 9-3, securing an undefeated, third tour victory. Amidst a field of 48 Amateur Division players, last year’s runner-up Chelo Velasquez captured his first tour victory over Raymond Cardenas, 7-1. Velasquez went undefeated as well without a single opponent surpassing 3 games. The event drew 80 players and paid out over $6,000 in prize money in addition to a free 9-ball division entry for each winner into the Space City Open II slated for December 6th-9th, at Bogies Billiards & Sports Bar, Houston, Texas.
In the Open Division, Bastrop’s path to victory included wins over David “Little David” Henson, 7-1, and Ed “Big Ed” Ambrose, 7-1, while Garett Sitz of College Station, Texas entered his bid for the hot seat ousting Pittsburg native Bob Guzik, 7-5, and upsetting Patrick Werren, 7-6. Steve Pennington upset Waco’s Doug Young, 7-6 and bested Cesar Garcia, 7-1, while local player Brian Sanders disappointed a wave of talent including Erik Renteria and Kevin Guimond. On the west side, Ambros eliminated Renteria, 6-5, and Henson sent Guimond packing, 6-2. Comeback players John Palmore and Brian Anderson were stopped in 9th-12th positions by Werren and Coffman, respectively. On the second day, races increased to 9 on the winners’ side and 7 on the one loss side. Winners’ side action saw Sitz fall to Davis Sr., 9-7, and Sanders steamroll Pennington, 9-3. Davis Sr. and Sanders teed off for a nail biter of a hot seat match. It was 8-6 Davis’ favor when Sanders answered back tying the match at 8. The shot of the match came when Davis Sr. kicked at a triple combination, the 1-ball to the 9-ball to the 8-ball, lined up towards the side pocket. As the shot was executed, long rail with deliberation and proper speed, the cue ball struck the 1-ball, hitting the 9-ball, in turn pocketing the 8-ball. Concluding the shot, the cue ball died, settling in front of a difficult 1-ball/9-ball combination, headed for the same pocket. With cue in hand, he pinpointed his aim, addressed the cue ball, and successfully pocketed the 9-ball. The crowd had little time to catch their breath as Werren forged ahead on the one-loss side eliminating Ambros, 7-1, Pennington, 7-1, and finally Sanders 7-5, to meet Davis Sr. in the finals. A young Werren shot out of the gate, taking a 2-0 lead. In the third game, Werren missed a routine 7-ball hooking the veteran player behind the 8-ball. Davis Sr. kicked one rail, long, and pocketed the 7-ball in the corner. The crowd gasped, followed by an explosion of clapping. Davis Sr. capitalized that game, consequently breaking and running the next rack. Werren answered back with an eight ball run, racking up his third game, but it would be his last as Davis Sr. replied with a 7 game shutout, besting Werren, 9-3.
Amateur Division action saw 36 players eliminated the first day, bringing back the final 12 for Sunday. It appeared as if last year’s Amateur Division Champion Frank Ferrer Jr. might repeat while last year’s runner-up Chelo Velasquez threatened a first-time win. After an impressive run by Victoria’s Alex Cardenas, he was sent west by contender and cousin, Raymond Cardenas. Flip Edwards fell to Ferrer, 7-6, Velasquez dominated David Neumann, 7-3, and David Escobedo struck down Colt Jackson, 7-5. On the west side, A. Cardenas bested Justin Wyly, 5-2, and Cesar Garcia eliminated Edwards, 5-3. It was Neumann over Brian Anderson, 5-1, and Jackson over Paul Jobe, 5-2. The level field played down with little or no upsets as R. Cardenas fell to Ferrer Jr. on the east side, 7-6, and Velasquez pounded on Escobedo, 7-3. Duking it out on the one loss side, A. Cardenas eliminated Edwards, 5-1, and Neumann thrashed Jackson, 5-1. Escobedo squeezed by A. Cardenas, 5-4, and R. Cardenas sent Neumann packing, 5-2. Hot seat action saw Velasquez torture Ferrer Jr., 7-1, while R. Cardenas left Escobedo in 4th place. R. Cardenas executed revenge on Ferrer Jr., staging his first Amateur Division final. Even though Velasquez underwent recent shoulder surgery on his stroking arm, it didn’t seem to hinder him as he slaughtered R. Cardenas in the final, 7-1, grasping what was denied him in 2012.
The Lone Star Tour would like to thank Skinny Bob’s Billiards and staff for hosting another first rate event.
The Lone Star Billiards Tour is sponsored by Poison by Predator Cues www.poisonbilliards.com, Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com, APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, www.ImproveYourShot.com, and Ozone Billiards www.OzoneBilliards.com. Live streamed, recorded matches from this event may be viewed at www.ustream.tv/channel/lonestarbilliardstour. The complete event photo album can be found at www.facebook.com/lonestartour.
The Tour Championships will be held October 12th-13th, 2013 at Bogies Billiards in Houston, Texas. For more information, visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com.
Chase Rudder dominated the Open 9-Ball division in this past weekend’s $1,000 added Poison by Predator Tour event which spawned 57 entries overall, held at Bogies Billiards & Sports Bar in Houston, Texas. Rudder annihilated North Carolina’s Younger Chapman, 9-1, in the final after an undefeated run where he held each of his victims at 4 games or less. Chapman, Great Southern Billiards Tour player and North Carolina State Senior Champion, succumbed to Rudder in the hot seat match, 9-1, after an impressive showing which included wins over resident players Brent Thomas and Bill Fuller. The final four winners’ side saw #7 ranked Raul Escobedo fall to Rudder 9-4, while #9 ranked Will Felder fell to Chapman, 9-5. After a first round blow at the hands of Eric Hsu, Sonny “The Boss” Bosshamer won 6 consecutive matches including wins over Andy Jethwa, 7-6, and Escobedo, 7-1, but was stopped dead in his tracks by Felder, 7-2. Once again, Felder was defeated by Chapman, 7-4, settling for a respectable third place finish.
The Amateur 9-ball division saw Bobby Perez move swiftly through the winners’ side with wins over tour newcomer Matthew Sales, Bobby Garcia, and Steve Williams. On the final four winners’ side, Perez ousted Chuck Adams, 7-4, while the indomitable Sonny Demetro defeated Raul Escobedo, 7-4. After a first round loss to Jonathon Poon, Jerald “Topwater” Jackson won 6 consecutive matches including wins over Errol Sanders, Alex Cardenas, Mike White, and Jack Cavalier. Escobedo ended Jackson’s run, 5-3, but was eliminated by Adams, 5-1. Hot seat action saw Demetro handily defeat Perez, 7-4, staging a rematch between Perez and Adams. Perez stayed the course, defeating Adams once again, 5-4, earning himself another shot at Demetro. In the final match both players were collected and calculating, shot for shot. Despite his raw determination, Perez fell short against the veteran player by the same score, 7-4.
The next event on the Poison by Predator Tour will be held Sunday, July 7th, 2013 at Bogies Billiards in Houston. The game will be 8-ball, played on 8’ Gandy tables with Simonis cloth and Aramith Pro Cup cue balls.
