With the winner and runner-up of the inaugural Player Madness Tournament series of events in the house, BJ Ussery and Mike Davis, Jr. might have been expected to repeat their dash to the hot seat and finals, but for the second event of the Player Madness Tournaments, held this past weekend (March 5-6), it didn’t turn out that way. Davis did his part, advancing through the field of 71 to go undefeated to the hot seat and finals, but Ussery spent some time on the loss side of the bracket and didn’t make it past the 7/8 matches.Jesus Atencio, who finished 5th/6th in the inaugural event, was to have faced Davis twice in this one, but they opted out of a final match and split the top two prizes. This second event of the series, called “Tha (sic) Iron Masters Matches” (the first was called “The Invasion of the Triangle”) was a $2,000-added event, hosted by Rockhouse Tavern and Billiards in Gastonia, NC.
Davis advanced through the field to face Atencio the first time in a winners’ side semifinal, as BJ Hucks and Jacob Brooks squared off in the other one.
Davis advanced to the hot seat match 7-5 over Atencio and faced Hucks, who’d sent Brooks to the left bracket 7-4. Davis claimed the hot seat 7-5 over Hucks and for all intents and purposes, his night was over.
Atencio stopped Hall’s loss-side streak 7-3 and in the quarterfinals, faced Francis, who’d sent Brooks home 7-5. Atencio then dropped Francis 7-5 in those quarterfinals and in what proved to be the event’s last match, the semifinals, defeated Hucks 7-3. Davis and Atencio agreed on the split and joined the rest of the homeward bound.
Tour director Xzavia Boykin thanked the ownership and staff at the Rockhouse for their hospitality, as well as sponsor Classic Billiards. The dates for the next stop on the Player Madness Tournaments series, the NC State 8-Ball Championships, have not been officially set. Visit the Player Madness Tournaments Facebook page for further information.
In its first visit to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour drew 54 entrants for a $500-added stop on the weekend of August 10-11. Billy Fowler worked his way through the field to claim the hot seat over former junior player Hunter White, but White came back from the semifinals to double dip Fowler in the finals and claim the event title.
Fowler had defeated Marty Free 8-2 to get into the hot seat match, as White was at work downing Zach Collins 8-4 to join him. Fowler claimed the hot seat over White 8-6 and waited on his return.
Vallario downed Free 6-6 (Free racing to 8) and was joined in the quarterfinals by Collins, who’d defeated Hall 6-5 (Hall racing to 7). Collins took the quarterfinal match over Vallario 6-2 to earn himself a rematch against White in the semifinals.
White, though, duplicated his effort against Collins in the winners’ side semifinal with an 8-4 win in the event semifinal. White and Fowler battled to double hill in the opening set of the true double elimination final. White took that opening set and then downed Fowler a second time 8-4 to claim the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (August 17-18), will be hosted by Shotmaker’s in Garner, NC.
In what proved to be his first 2018 major tournament win, Brian White returned from a loss in the hot seat match to down Will Hammer twice and capture the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Bar Table Championships, held on the weekend of Sept. 29-30. The $2,000-added event, open to invited members of the tour, drew 90 entrants to Steakhorse Restaurant & Billiards in Spartanburg, SC.
“We were hoping to hit 100 entrants and break our previous tour record of 96,” said tour director Herman Parker. “But in the last hour, we had several players who told us that they couldn’t make it.”
In addition to his two victories over Hammer in the finals, White had to defeat the tour’s most prolific winner, JT Ringgold, twice. Ringgold entered the tournament in search of his 12th win on the tour, and advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against White, as Hammer was facing Edwin Delacueva in the other one. In their first of two, White and Ringgold battled to double hill before White finished it 10-9, advancing to the hot seat match. Hammer joined him, following a 6-5 victory over Delacueva, who was racing to 7. With White racing to 10, Hammer chalked up what proved to be his last match win of the weekend, 6-6, to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Ringgold opened what he hoped was going to be a three-match trip back to the finals against Josh Shultz, who’d defeated Trey Frank 6-2 and Stevie McClinton 6-1 to reach him. Delacueva drew Marty Opyd, who’d eliminated BJ Hucks 6-6 (Hucks racing to 8) and Clay Davis, double hill (also 6-6, Davis racing to 7).
Ringgold downed Shultz 10-3, and in the quarterfinals, faced Delacueva, who’d ended Opyd’s weekend 7-1. Ringgold took what proved to be his final step, defeating Delacueva in those quarterfinals 10-3. The semifinal, second matchup between Ringgold and White shaped up early as a repeat of their double hill, winners’ side semifinal, but White pulled away at the end to win it 10-8 and earn his re-match against Hammer in the finals.
White came out gunning in the opening set of the true double elimination final and allowed Hammer only a single rack. Hammer came back in the second set and chalked up five of the six racks he needed to win, but White got the 10 he needed to claim the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball 2018 Bar Table Championships.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Dayne Miller and his staff at Steakhorse Restaurant & Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (Oct. 6-7), will be hosted by Shotmakers in Garner, NC.
Mike Davis, Jr. won the first North Carolina State 10-Ball Open in 2015, going undefeated to claim that first NC State 10-Ball title. The following year, though he made it to the hot seat, he was defeated in the finals by Shannon Fitch. Last year, Davis won four on the loss side before he was met and defeated in the semifinals by Reymart Lim, who went on to capture the title. This year, on the weekend of July 13-14, Davis once again came from the loss side, and in a re-match against Lim in the finals, he re-captured the NC State title. Held under the auspices of the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, the $500-added event drew 30 entrants to Brass Tap in Raleigh, NC.
The four competitors who squared off against each other in the two winners’ side semifinals ended up as the event’s top four finishers. Two of them, of course (the hot seat competitors), were guaranteed to be among the top three. The other two spots, especially given the competition on the loss side of this event, were up for grabs. Davis and defending champion Lim were two of the winners’ side semifinalists, while Justin Martin and the Q City 9-Ball Tour’s top winner over the past five years (JT Ringgold with 12 tour victories, including his latest, one week ago) squared off in the other one.
Lim sent Davis to the loss side 7-4, as Justin Martin gave up only a single rack to Ringgold. Lim claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Martin and waited on Davis’ return.
There were some familiar Southeast faces lurking on the loss side. Davis moved over and picked up one of them; BJ Ussery, who’d defeated Scott Roberts 7-2 and (another familiar competitor) BJ Hucks 7-5. Ringgold drew Jason Evans, who’d just eliminated Mark Ransom 7-1 and Kelly Farrar 7-2.
Davis and Ringgold advanced to the quarterfinals; Davis, 7-1 over Ussery and Ringgold, 7-3 over Evans. Ringgold’s effort to chalk up win #13 on this year’s Q City 9-Ball Tour was stopped by Davis, who defeated him 7-4. Davis then defeatEd Martin in the semifinals 7-2.
With one NC State 10-Ball title each to their credit, Davis and Lim met for a second time in the finals. The single race to 9 was characterized by some back and forth play that led to a number of tied scores, before Davis edged out in front to eventually win it 9-6.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Brass Tap for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (July 20), will be hosted by the Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
Shannon Daulton, Bo Miller, Josh Heeter and Shore Thing Billiards Manager
Bo Miller came into the April 12-13 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour playing at the bottom of the amateur rankings. He had to win only three games per match, while other competitors in the $1,000-added event that drew 44 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC had to win as many as nine games per match. Miller went undefeated through the field, and in the process stopped a strong challenge by a 21-year-old US Marine, Josh Heeter, who won nine on the loss side to face him in the finals.
Miller advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Brad Stone, racing to 5, and defeated him, double hill (3-4), to advance to the hot seat match. He faced Matt Collins, who'd sent Dan Woods to the loss side 6-2. Miller won his requisite three games in the winners' side final, with Collins winning only two of the six he needed.
On the loss side, Heeter, with a bye and four matches behind him, defeated Josh Salins 7-4 and Chandler DeGuzman 7-2, to draw Stone. Woods picked up Ricky Boughman, who'd gotten by Phillip Britt 7-7 (Britt racing to 9), and BJ Hucks 7-5, to reach him. Heeter gave up only a single rack to Stone, and Boughman, only two to Woods, advancing them to the quarterfinals.
Heeter chalked up loss-side win # 8 in a 7-3 win over Bougham, and then picked up a second, single-rack-only victory over Collins in the semifinals. Heeter and Miller fought to double hill (2-6) in the finals, but Miller prevailed to chalk up his first victory on the Great Southern Billiard Tour.
Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards for their continuing hospitality, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta-13, Ozone Billiards, Tiger Products, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Cues, and Universe Clothing. The GSBT will return to Shore Thing Billiards on the weekend of May 10-11, , scheduled for April 12-13, will be hosted by Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Shannon Daulton, Brian Davis, Dave Cook, David Perkins, Kevin Quinn & Del Laquiere
Brian Davis, a B player, downed two straight A players to get into the hot seat match against another A player, Dave Cook, only to be turned aside during the June 22-23 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. Davis, though, came back from the semifinals and double dipped Cook, claiming the $2,500-added event title that had drawn 83 entrants to Players Place Billiards in Charleston, SC.
Davis took the first of his two straight matches against A opponents among the winners' side final eight, defeating Eddie Hudak 7-6 (A players race to 9). setting him up to face Michael Basha. Cook and Bruce Lutrell met in the other winners' side semifinal. Davis sent Basha west with another 7-6 victory, as Cook moved into the hot seat match with a 9-5 victory over Lutrell. Cook took the first (and last) of three versus Davis 9-5 and waited in the hot seat for him to return.
On the loss side, Lutrell picked up Hudak, who, following his defeat at the hands of Davis, took down BJ Hucks 9-7 and Russell Scott 9-6. Basha drew Trent Talbert, who'd gotten by Scooter Hias 7-3 and Russ Padgett double hill. Talbert eliminated Basha 7-4, and in the quarterfinals, met up with Lutrell, who'd shut out Hudak.
In a straight-up, B race to 7, Lutrell advanced to the semifinals over Talbert 7-3. In another straight-up race to 7, Davis ended Lutrell's bid 7-5, earning himself a re-match against Cook.
Davis and Cook fought to double hill in the opening set, before Davis finished it, forcing a second match. He held Cook to six racks in that second match to claim the event title.
Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Players Place, as well as sponsor Del Laquiere, who, as proprietor of the Hustlers Pool League, put up all of the added money.
BJ Hucks, Trent Talbert, & James Carroll (manager of Shore Thing Billiards)
BJ Hucks and Trent Talbert went head-to-head twice; once, in the battle for the hot seat and again, in the finals of the June 1-2 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. Hucks won them both to capture the $1,000-added event that had drawn 30 entrants to Shore Thing Bar & Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Their first meeting came after Hucks had sent Scott Langston to the loss side 9-5 and Talbert had downed Wendell Thompkins 7-4. Hucks took the hot seat 9-5 and waited for Talbert to get back from the semifinals.
Over on the loss side, Thompkins picked up Sidney Champion, who'd defeated Kelvin Acres 9-3 and Gatlin Askins 9-6 to reach him. Langston picked up Phillip Britt, with two GSBT wins at Shore Thing Billiards to his credit (Oct. & Dec. '12) already, who'd defeated Mickey Hucks 9-6 and shut out JR Faircloth. The loss-side combatants advanced; Champion surviving a double hill fight over Thompkins and Britt ending Langston's day 9-4.
Champion took the quarterfinal match 9-6 over Britt but fell to Talbert in the semifinals 7-6. In their second matchup, Hucks held Talbert to three racks on his way to claiming the event title.
Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, and Lomax Custom Cues. The next stop on the GSBT, a $2,500-added, amateur 9-ball event, is scheduled for June 22-23 at Player's Place in Charleston, SC.
