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Fracasso-Verner stops loss-side challenge by Souto to claim Ocean State 9-Ball Championship

Jonas Souto, Lukas Fracasso-Verner and Jared Demalia

Lukas Fracasso-Verner’s victory at the 34th Annual Ocean State 9-Ball Championships, held under the auspices of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour at Snooker’s in Providence, RI this past weekend (Nov. 12-13), put him over the top, making 2022 his best earnings year since his recorded earnings began seven years ago. Though he didn’t have to face the event’s defending champion and winner of the previous stop (#8) on the Joss Tour, Bucky Souvanthong, he did have to contend with Spain’s Jonas Souto, who was defeated by Souvanthong in a winners’ side quarterfinal and came back to challenge Fracasso-Verner in the finals. Souto was looking for his first reported (to us) win, anywhere, even though entering the tournament, he’d already earned (primarily in Europe) over three times the amount that Fracasso-Verner has earned in 2022. The $5,000-added event ($500 to a Second Chance Tournament) drew a full field of 128 entrants to Snooker’s.

Fracasso-Verner’s seven-match trip to the winners’ circle got him by Ashley Benoit, Derek Cunningham, Ray McNamara (double hill), Barry Hetherington and Mhet Vergara, before coming up against Bob Forchilli in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Jared Demalia, in the meantime, defeated Mike Zhu, Mike Crema, Chad Bazinet, Moritz Neuhausen and Matt Jarrell to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal versus defending champ, Souvanthong, who had just sent the eventual runner-up, Souto, to the loss side 7-4.

Fracasso-Verner gave up just one rack to Forchilli in advancing to the hot seat match. Demalia gave up four to Souvanthong and joined him. In the first of two straight double hill matches that he faced to claim the title, Fracasso-Verner first claimed the hot seat over Demalia.

On the loss side, Souvanthong ran into Germany’s Neuhausen, who, earlier in the month, had finished 9th in both the American 14:1 Straight Pool Championships and the following week’s International Open, before packing his bags and heading north to New England. Neuhausen had followed his loss to Demalia with victories over four opponents by an aggregate score of 20-4; Beau Powers (5-2), Frank Hernandez (1), Mhet Vergara (1) and Suad Kantarevic (1). 

Jonas Souto had followed his loss to Souvanthong with victories over Jaydev Zaveri (1) and Tom Zippler (2) to pick up Forchilli. He downed Forchilli 5-1 to draw Neuhausen, who’d battled Souvanthong to double hill before spoiling the potential Souto/Souvanthong rematch. . 

There was a bit of an exclamation point to the two matches that eventually put Souto into the finals against Fracasso-Verner. He arrived at the final match having not given up a single rack to either of his previous two opponents, shutting out Neuhausen in the quarterfinals and Jared Demalia in the semifinals. 

He battled to double hill in the finals but Fracasso-Verner dropped the last 9-ball and claimed the event title, his second of the Joss NE Tour’s 2022 season.

Tour director Mike Zuglan thanked Regina and Steve Goulding, along with their Snooker’s staff for their hospitality, ongoing support of the tour and the live stream that was provided for this event. He also noted the continuing support of title sponsor Joss Cues, Turning Stone Resort Casino, Simonis Cloth, Poolonthenet.com, AZBilliards, Aramith, Billiards Press, and World Class Cue Care.

The 34th Annual Ocean State 9-Ball Championships were the last 2022 event of the ‘22/’23 season. The next stop on the tour, scheduled for the weekend of January 5-8, 2023 will be Turning Stone Classic XXXVI, as always, hosted by the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. The field for this event is full, but Mike Zuglan is taking names on the waiting list, for players interested in competing in this Matchroom Pool Nineball Ranking event. Zuglan can be reached at 518-356-7163.

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Fracasso-Verner goes undefeated to claim NE 9-Ball Series ‘20/’21 Tour Championship (Finale)

Paul Kazalski, Robert Lewis, and Lukas Fracasso-Verner

The winner and runner-up of the New England 9-Ball Series’ Tour Championships, held this past weekend (Jan. 15-16), were returning to the tables after distinctly different amounts and kinds of time away. Lukas Fracasso-Verner, who went undefeated to claim the event title, has been working his way back up the ‘earnings’ ladder for the past couple of years, following what had been, to date, his best earnings year (2019), when he won two stops on the tour and was also that year’s Empire State 9-Ball champion. The following year, thanks to the pandemic, he cashed in only three (recorded) events, finishing as runner-up on the NE 9-Ball Series three times. In 2021, he cashed in nine events, including a victory at a 2nd Chance event on the Joss Tour, and an undefeated run to claim the MD State 10-Ball title; his first major win in almost two years. Fracasso-Verner has started 2022 with this most recent undefeated run on the $5,000-added Tour Championships, which drew 55 entrants to Crow’s Nest in Plaistow, NH.

Coming from the loss-side, where he won five straight for the right to face Fracasso-Verner in the finals, was 68-year-old Robert Lewis, aka Chelsea Grinder and also aka Machine Gun Bobby, who reportedly “hasn’t been competing much lately.” He came back to the tables for this Tour Championship event, at which his runner-up finish has led to his first (recorded) cash finish in an event, anywhere.

Fracasso-Verner (704) and Lewis (629) both emerged from the event’s upper bracket, where they met for the first of two matches in a winners’ side quarterfinal. Lewis had benefited from a first-round forfeit, a 6-3 win over Daniel Simoneau and a shutout of Joe Meuse before running into Fracasso-Verner, who sent him to the loss side 7-1. Fracasso-Verner advanced to a winners’ side semifinal matchup versus Chad Bazinet. From the lower brackets, it was Paul Kazalski and Tiffany Vuong who advanced to their face-off in the other winners’ side semifinal.

Fracasso-Verner defeated Bazinet 6-3, and in the hot seat match, faced Kazalski, who’d sent Tiffany Vuong west 5-3. To his credit, Kazalski made the best of a (Fargo Rated) hot seat match that favored Fracasso-Verner by almost 70 percentage points (84.6 to 15.4). Kazalski battled Fracasso-Verner to double hill (9-3) before Fracasso-Verner closed it out to claim the hot seat. 

Meanwhile, “Chelsea Grinder” (Lewis) had opened his loss-side campaign with a double hill win over Steve Sutton and backed it up with a 6-3 win over John Vitale, to draw Bazinet, coming over from the winners’ side semifinal. Vuong drew Curtis Wright, who’d lost his opening match to David Ty and was working on a six-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently eliminated Adam Blair 5-2 and in a rematch, Ty 5-3.

Wright advanced one more step, downing Vuong 6-1, while Lewis was working on advancing to the quarterfinals with a 6-3 win over Bazinet. Lewis then ended Wright’s run 7-3 in those quarterfinals. 

Kazalski came into the semifinals versus Lewis with a similar handicap to the one he’d been able to employ against Fracasso-Verner in the hot seat match. In the semifinals, as Lewis was racing to 8, Kazalski was racing to 4. Kazalski came one rack short of forcing a second straight, double hill, deciding game for himself, but in the end, Lewis edged out in front to win it 8-2.

The second Fracasso-Verner/Lewis meeting proved to be an exact replica of their first meeting in a winners’ side quarterfinal. For the second time, Fracasso-Verner downed Lewis 7-1 to claim the event title.

Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Crow’s Nest for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Predator, Poison, Arcos II, BCAPL, USAPL New England, Fargo Rate, AZBilliards, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, MJS Construction, Master Billiards, OTLVISE, Outsville, Salotto and Just The Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accessories.

The New England 9-Ball Series will kick off their 2022 schedule at Straight Shooters in Fall River, Ma. this coming weekend (Sunday, Jan. 23) for the tour’s 2022, $600-added season opener.  

Billy “The Kid” Lanna comes from the loss side to take NE 9-Ball Series’ Summer Sizzler

Kyle King, Chad Bazinet, and Billy ‘The Kid’ Lanna

Billy “The Kid” Lanna and Chad Bazinet have been battling on New England and New York area pool tables for two decades. The Kid’s got a year on Bazinet, having shown up on the payout lists of three stops on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour for the first time in 1999, a year before Bazinet made his first appearance in the AZBilliards database for finishing 17th at a Joss stop in October, 2000. They both showed up at the New England 9-Ball Series’ annual Summer Sizzler this past weekend (Stop #16, August 7-8), sporting Fargo Rates exactly one digit apart; The Kid, with 660 & Bazinet at 661. The Kid got shuffled off to the loss side in a winners’ side quarterfinal match, won five after that and then downed Bazinet twice in the true double elimination finals to claim the event title. The $2,000-added event drew 59 entrants to Snooker’s in Providence, RI.

They both came out of the event’s upper bracket, which at this particular event, featured Fargo rates from 664 down to 551. Bazinet, after an opening round bye, downed Ryan Stevens, Clyde Matta and Jim Prather to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal match versus Ray McNamara, with a Fargo rate one point above him at 662. Kyle King (474), coming out of the lower bracket, which featured a 200-point range of Fargo rates from 346 to 546, was also awarded an opening round bye, after which he defeated Ed Murray, Neal Katz and Mario Barriere to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal match against Jackie Loving.

Bazinet defeated McNamara 6-3, as King downed Loving 6-2. King began the hot seat match with ‘five beads on the wire’ in a race to 9 against Bazinet. He added one, before Bazinet reached nine to claim the hot seat.

On the loss side, “The Kid” was working his way back from a winners’ side quarterfinal loss (6-1) at the hands of Ray McNamara. He got by Clyde Matta 6-4 and survived a double hill battle versus Dev Bhattacharya to draw a rematch against McNamara. Loving drew a rematch, as well, versus Richard Barrette, who, after she’d sent him to the loss side, defeated Richard Bonarrigo, double hill and James Stonkus 5-2.

“The Kid” chalked up his second straight double hill win, over McNamara, and advanced to the quarterfinals. Barrette joined him after successfully wreaking his vengeance on Loving 9-2 (Loving racing to 4). “The Kid” gave up just one rack to Barrette to claim that quarterfinal match.

As had happened in the battle for the hot seat, Kyle King started the semifinal match with ‘five beads on the wire’ in a race to 9 versus “The Kid.” King added two racks, but “The Kid” chalked up his nine to earn himself a shot, and needfully, two against Bazinet, waiting for him in the hot seat.

“The Kid” took the race-to-6 opening set of the true double elimination final 6-2. Not so fast, said Bazinet in the second set. They battled to double hill in that second set, but “The Kid” completed his run to the winners’ circle and claimed the event title.

Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Snooker’s, as well as sponsors Predator, Poison, Arcos II, BCAPL, USAPL New England, Fargo Rate, AZBilliards, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, MJS Construction, Master Billiards, OTLVISE, Outsville, Salotto and Just The Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accessories. The next stop on the New England 9-Ball Series (#17), scheduled for Sept. 25-26, will be a $750-added event, hosted by American Pool & Billiards in Portland, ME. 

Lower-bracket Jacobs gets by upper-bracket Sutton to win Stop #15 on NE 9-Ball Series

Steve Sutton, Jeremiah Jacobs and Chad Bazinet

The theory of split brackets at the start of tournaments, as regularly practiced by the New England 9-Ball Series, is that blending all players into a single bracket from the start leads to higher-rated players eliminating lower-rated players early in the process and creating an all-higher-rated-players series of matches near the end of a tournament. With split brackets, so the theory goes, the early process allows lower-rated players to face opponents closer to their skill level for most of the tournament, and only near the end, do the best of the lower-bracket field have to face higher-rated opponents. The ‘pudding’ that’s the proof that this theory does actually create a more equitable experience for all occurs when a lower-rated player, having advanced to the lower bracket hot seat, ends up facing the higher-rated player in the event’s hot seat match and finals and defeats that higher-rated player twice. 

As Jeremiah Jacobs (504), working at first in the lower bracket, did to Steve Sutton (594) from the upper bracket on the NE 9-Ball Series Stop #15, held this past Saturday, July 31. Jacobs went undefeated in the $750-added event that drew 21 entrants to America Pool & Billiards in Portland, ME.

Jacobs opened his undefeated campaign against an opponent separated by almost 200 Fargo-Rate points. At the start of their opening match, the differential gave Steve Miner (310) five beads on the wire in a race to 9 and he almost chalked up the four more he needed to win. Jacobs, though, tallied the nine he needed and advanced. In a straight-up race to 5, Jacobs then downed Shane Ryan 5-3 and in a 6-4 race versus Jozy Vienneau, won 6-1 to draw San Im in one of the winners’ side semifinals.

After an opening round bye, Steve Sutton faced three straight-up, race-to-6 opponents, winning the first two, against Steve Smith 6-2 and Jerry Guitard 6-3, to draw Cody Porter in the other winners’ side semifinals. 

Two double hill matches decided the opponents in the hot seat match would be. Sutton downed Porter 6-5, while Jacobs sent Im to the loss side 5-4. With Sutton racing to 7, Jacobs claimed the hot seat 5-5.

On the loss side, Im picked up Jozy Vienneau, who’d followed his loss to Jacobs with victories over Stephanie Rickett 5-3 and Eriq Manson 4-4 (Manson racing to 6). Porter drew Chad Bazinet, who, at 661, was the highest-rated player in the tournament. Bazinet (racing to 8) got off to a shockingly slow start, shut out by Soel Quinones Vargas (racing to 4) in the opening round. He then embarked on a seven-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the semifinals. He had recently eliminated Jerry Guitard 7-2 and then, in turn-about-is-fair-play fashion gave up only a single rack in his rematch versus Vargas.

Im shut Viennea out for advancement to the first money round; the quarterfinals. Bazinet joined him by winning his 6th loss-side match, over Porter 6-2. Bazinet was racing to 9 in the quarterfinals that followed against Im, who was racing to 4. Im got two of the four he needed, but Bazinet got the nine he needed and prevailed in what proved to be the end of his loss-side winning streak.

Bazinet and Sutton, both looking for a shot against Jacobs, waiting in the hot seat for one of them, battled to double hill in the semifinals. Sutton prevailed for his second and potentially necessary third chance against Jacobs in the finals. 

Jacobs made a second set unnecessary. And made a statement in the process. He shut Sutton out to claim the event title.

Tournament director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at American Pool & Billiards, as well as sponsors Predator, Poison, Arcos II, BCAPL, USAPL New England, Fargo Rate, AZBilliards, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, MJS Construction, Master Billiards, OTLVISE, Outsville, Salotto and Just The Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accesories. The next stop on the New England 9-Ball Series (Stop #16), scheduled for August 7-8, will be the $2,000-added Summer Sizzler, to be hosted by Snookers in Providence, RI.

Bazinet and Sheehan win BCAPL trips to Vegas on NE 9-Ball Series stop

Chad Bazinet

The New England 9-Ball Series held two BCAPL qualifying events for a trip to Las Vegas last weekend (June 12-13) for competitors in separate upper and lower (Fargo rate) brackets. The upper bracket which featured 12 competitors and Fargo rates ranging from 550 to 662 was won by Chad Bazinet (662), who came back from a trip to the semifinals to earn the trip to Vegas to compete in the 9-Ball Singles Gold Division from Sept. 1-4 at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. The lower bracket, with 18 competitors and Fargo Rates from 344 to 536 was won by Jeffrey Sheehan (500), who went undefeated to win his trip to Vegas, competing in the 9-Ball Singles Silver Division on the same dates and at the same location. The qualifiers were hosted by House of Billiards in Hampton Falls, NH.

After an opening round bye, Bazinet downed Samantha Barrett 7-2 and faced John Askew in a winners’ side semifinal. Ben Savoie, in the meantime, shut out Rod Eastman, and survived a double hill match against Kerry McAuliffe to meet Jodie Thompson in the other winners’ side semifinal.

Bazinet got into the hot seat match 6-3 over Askew and was joined by Savoie, who’d sent Thompson west by the same 6-3 score. In a straight-up race to 6, Savoie claimed the hot seat 6-4.

On the loss side, Askew picked up Dave Morganelli, who’d defeated Kerry McAuliffe 4-4 (McAuliffe racing to 6) and advanced to meet Askew when Robert Lewis forfeited. Thompson drew Xhuljano Kamxhiu, recent winner over Samantha Barrett 5-3 and, in a double hill fight, Rod Eastman.

In straight-up races to 5, battling for advancement to the quarterfinals, Askew defeated Morganelli 5-3, as Thompson eliminated Kamxhiu 5-2. Askew gave up only a single rack to Thompson in those quarterfinals, and then had his brief, loss-side run stopped by Bazinet in the semifinals 5-3.

Bazinet followed his one and only loss-side win with his fourth and fifth overall wins to claim the Vegas trip prize. He defeated Savoie 6-4 in the opening set of the true double elimination final and 5-3 in the second set.

Jeff Sheehan

Sheehan wins three double hill matches, downs Buelvas twice to claim lower bracket Vegas trip

With his 500 Fargo Rate, Jeffrey Sheehan sits right on the edge of advancement to the upper brackets of future events. He faced four opponents, one of them twice, in the lower bracket BCAPL qualifier and won all five matches to claim the prize. All but his last two matches, against Francis Buelvas in the hot seat and finals, went to double hill.

By Fargo Rate calculations, Sheehan’s first opponent, Kasandra Lam (465), had the best chance of beating him (a 35.4% chance to Sheehan’s 64.6%) and she almost did. She was the first of three straight opponents that forced Sheehan to play a single deciding game to advance. Sheehan then downed Stacey Hamel (380, with a 20-80 chance) 6-3 (Hamel racing to 4) to face Melanie Huynh (344; 23.2% chance to Sheehan’s 76.8%) in a winners’ side semifinal. Francis Buelvas (447), in the meantime, got by Neal Katz (357) 6-2 and Kyle King (473) 5-3 to draw Andrew Diduca (461) in the other winners’ side semifinal.

Sheehan defeated Huynh 7-3 (Huynh racing to 4) and was joined in the hot seat match by Buelvas, who survived the only double hill match he played, sending Diduca to the loss side 5-4.

Sheehan claimed the hot seat 5-3 over Buelvas and awaited his return.

On the loss side, Huynh picked up Bob Campbell, who’d recently chalked up two straight double hill wins, eliminating Kasandra Lam and Kyle King. Diduca drew Stacy Hamel, who’d followed her earlier defeat versus Sheehan with victories over Stacey Tonkin (at 536, the highest-ranked competitor in the lower bracket) 4-2 and Mike Felix, double hill.

Campbell eliminated Huynh, double hill and in the quarterfinals, faced Diduca, who’d defeated Hamel 5-2. Campbell then shut out Diduca, before himself being eliminated by Buelvas 4-2 in the semifinals that followed.

Sheehan completed his undefeated run by repeating his hot seat match score against Buelvas 5-3. For winning their respective events, Sheehan and Bazinet will receive air fare, hotel accommodations and free entry to the BCAPL National Championships, scheduled for Sept. 1-4 at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. 

Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at House of Billiards in Hampton Falls, NH, as well as sponsors Predator, Poison, Arcos II, BCAPL, USAPL New England, Fargo Rate, AZBilliards, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, MJS Construction, Master Billiards, OTLVISE, Outsville, Accu-Rack and Just The Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accessories. The next stop on the NE 9-Ball Series (#14) will be the $500-added Robert & Catherine Dionne Memorial, scheduled for July 10 at Crow’s Nest in Plaistow, NH.

Joss NE 9-Ball Tour at Brick House Billiards On June 26 – 27

Players & Fans,

Congratulations to our 32nd Ocean State 9-Ball Champion Raphael Dabreo ($3,000), Second Chance winner Chad Bazinet ($340) & $1,600 Joss Cue Raffle winner Neil McCarthy.

Our next event will be at the brand new Brick House Billiards in N. Syracuse NY on June 26 & 27, 2021. Our hosts Mary & Brian Holmes have created one of the most beautiful rooms in the state while sparing no expense. Brick House comes complete with 8 of the Diamond Pro tables used at one of our Turning Stone events, plus 8, 7 foot Diamond tables for the bar league crowd. There is also a brand new full bar and kitchen boasting a full pub menu with a few homemade specials thrown in to satisfy all of our needs. So lets give Brick House a warm Joss Tour welcome by coming out to play in or just watch another great 9-ball tournament. While you are there, you could even win a gorgeous, custom engraved, Joss Cue, valued at $1,600 in the raffle. Anyone can participate in the raffle and you do not have to be present to win! This beautiful cue can be viewed here: https://josscues.com/product/joss-northeast-9-ball-tour-19-20/

For more info about Brick House, look them up on Facebook or call them at 315-455-1979.

For those of you needing motel info, please call Brick House directly at 315-455-1979

This event at Brick House Billiards will consist of a $1500 added Saturday and Sunday Main Event (entry Fee $120 for pro level or $70 for non pro level) and a $500 added second chance event on Sunday ($20 Entry Fee) for those non pro level players eliminated from the main event on Saturday. All of our events are open to players of all skill levels. Please remember that all of our billiard parlor events are now races 9 on the winners side and races to 7 on the one loss side.

Those coming to play must arrive on Saturday June 26, Before 11:00 AM in proper dress of No t-shirts, tanks, sweats or shorts!! Clean Jeans and sneakers and a shirt with a collar work just fine for our billiard parlor events. Complete tour info can be found on our site: www.joss9balltour.com

Please remember to spread the word to frequent your local billiard parlors and utilize and promote the world class products of our most generous sponsors. They are the backbone of our sport and deserve our support!!

Thanks, and I hope to see you all at the brand new Brick House billiards.

Mike Zuglan
518-356-7163

The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Is Proudly Sponsored By;

Joss Cues – http://www.josscues.com
Turning Stone Resort Casino – http://www.turningstone.com 
Simonis Cloth – http://www.simoniscloth.com
Poolonthenet.com – http://www.poolonthenet.com
AzBilliards.com – http://www.azbilliards.com
Aramith – http://www.aramith.com
Billiards Press – http://www.billiardspress.com
World Class Cue Care – http://www.jnj-industries.com

Dabreo Over Salas For Ocean State 9-Ball Win

Mike Zuglan, Raphael Dabreo, Francisco Salas and Snookers owner Steve Goulding. Photo courtesy of Sheikvision Photography.

After a break of 454 days, the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour kicked things off (post Covid) at the same place where it left off, Snookers in Providence, Rhode Island. The occasion was the 32nd Ocean State 9-Ball Championship, and the players showed how ready they were to get back to action, as a field of 112 players came out to try to earn a banner hanging in the rafters of Snookers with their name on it. 

Through the matches on Saturday and early Sunday, Francisco Salas set himself as the man to beat, with dominating wins in his matches. His Saturday matches consisted of wins over Chris Leal 9-4, Jerry Guitard 9-1 and Ray Lee 9-2. He then started his Sunday off with the same domination he showed on Saturday, with a 9-4 win over John Francisco and then a 9-2 win over Pat Fleming. 

By comparison, Salas’s next opponent, Raphael Dabreo, didn’t have things as stress-free. Dabreo had wins over Max Watanabe, Jason Noble and Brian Chase on Saturday, followed by a 9-3 win over Joey Dupuis and then a 9-7 nail biter against Levy Lampaan. Their final four match was another one-sided win for Salas and he moved on to the hot-seat match with a 9-2 win. 

The hot-seat match also went to Salas, with a more competitive 9-6 win over Jared Demalia. 

After the loss to Salas, Dabreo won a tough one on the left side of the board over Mike Yednak 7-5, and then he appeared to get settled into his game. “I felt like I struggled quite a bit on Sunday dealing with my own emotions. The weight I placed on myself going into the tournament, wanting the win and my name placed on that legendary snooker banner, played a major part in that.” said Dabreo after the event. 

After the win over Yednak, Dabreo rolled over Lanna 7-2 and then Demalia 7-3 to earn another shot at Salas in the double elimination finals. Beating Salas twice in the finals would be a tough goal to accomplish for Dabreo, but he did have recent experience in matches like that to rely on. Dabreo had recently played Shane Van Boening in the finals of the Dynaspheres Cup 10-Ball Championship back in May. “After coming back home placing second to SVB In Maryland, I felt I could have performed better. To win that would of been great, but I appreciated the lessons learned losing to him. To share the table with greatness such as him is addictive for me.” said Dabreo.

In the end, it was Dabreo who scored a 9-2 win over Salas in the first set of the finals, and then a 7-2 win in the second set, for the tournament win. It was Dabreo’s second career Joss NE 9-Ball Tour win and it will certainly lead to more confidence from Dabreo in the future. It will also help Dabreo as he continues to display the game he knows he is capable of. “Becoming aware of my potential and staying honest with myself helps me target areas I need improvement. “ said Dabreo. 

Sunday’s second chance event saw 31 players come back to Snookers to compete for the $500 in added prize money. Chad Bazinet bounced back from a final eight loss to Francisco Cabral and double dipped Jim Prather in the finals 3-0 and 3-2 for first place. 

The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour will be at Brick House Billiards in N. Syracuse, NY for their next event on June 26th – 27th. 

Savoie goes undefeated to win Stop #10 on New England 9-Ball Series

Chad Bazinet, Ben Savoie, and Samantha Barrett

Samantha Barrett downs a much higher-rated Chad Bazinet to face Savoie a second time

Though Ben Savoie gets primary accolades for going undefeated on the New England 9-Ball Series’ 10th stop this past weekend (Sunday, May 3), runner-up Samantha Barrett has earned a bit of press for facing him in the hot seat, meeting and defeating a much higher-rated challenger in the semifinals and taking a second shot at Savoie in the finals. The $500-added event drew 34 entrants to House of Billiards in Hampton Falls, NH.

What was surprising about Barrett’s finish was not the fact that she faced and was defeated twice by the eventual winner, but that she faced and defeated a much higher-rated competitor in the semifinals, Chad Bazinet, whose 653 Fargo rate was the third highest at this tournament, behind only Kerry McAuliffe at 665 and Bob Lewis at 657. Winner Ben Savoie at 611 was #7 on that list of top-rated competitors. Samantha Barrett came into the tournament with a 577 Fargo rate.

Barrett was not, however, just ‘off the boat,’ so to speak. She’d recorded some history at the tables which had not reached us here at AZBilliards. She had reportedly competed a lot when she was in college, but stopped when she entered the working world. She hadn’t been competing very much recently, although she did place 5th at the Super Billiards Expo’s Amateur women’s event in 2015, did finish 3rd in an APA’s Women’s amateur event and 1st in a BCA Northeast Regional Partners 8-Ball event. As a matter of perspective, she was and presumably still is a ‘7’ in APA 8-Ball competition. She is also, along with Stacey Tonkin and Catherine Fiorilla, one of the co-founders of the recently-launched Women’s Pool Alliance, which will hold its second event in about three weeks (May 23) at Amazin’ Billiards in Malden, MA.

Working, at the start, in the lower bracket, Barrett got by two male (Jason Seavey & Andy Downs) and one female competitor (Rachelle Rainey) to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Dorothy Gauvin. Savoie, in the meantime, in the upper bracket, downed his first two opponents, Mike Nicoloro & Michael Barbagallo by a combined score of 12-2, and then, defeated Beau Powers 6-4 to draw the aforementioned Kerry McAuliffe in the other winners’ side semifinal.

Savoie and McAuliffe battled to double hill before Savoie prevailed 5-5 (McAuliffe racing to 6). Barrett, in the meantime, racing to 7, gave up only a single rack sending Gauvin, racing to 4, to the loss side. Savoie took the first of their two matches 7-3 (Barrett racing to 5), claiming the hot seat and awaiting her return.

On the loss side, McAuliffe picked up Bazinet, who was wending his way to a fateful meet-up with Barrett in the semifinals. Bazinet had lost his second round, upper bracket match and was working on an eight-match, loss-side winning streak that would end in those semifinals. He’d recently eliminated Beau Powers and Dan Simoneau, both 6-1. Gauvin drew Fred Gilis, Jr., who was working on a six-match, loss-side streak that had included recent wins over the competitor who’d sent him to the loss side, Kyle King 5-1 and Rachelle Rainey 6-1.

In a straight-up race to 6, Bazinet downed McAuliffe 6-4, as Gilis, Jr. was defeating Gauvin 6-1. Bazinet ended Gilis, Jr.’s loss-side streak rather dramatically, shutting him out in the quarterfinals that followed and advancing to face Bassett in the semifinals.

The Fargo Rate Web site, given Bazinet and Barrett’s respective rates (653/537), calculated that the odds were heavily in favor of Bazinet; 62.5% to 37.5%. But in a clear representation of what, in football, is known as the ‘any given Sunday’ rule, Barrett beat the odds, battling Bazinet to double hill before prevailing in the deciding game for a second shot at Savoie, waiting for her in the hot seat.

Fargo Rate calculations actually gave Barrett a better chance at winning the final; a 39.7% chance versus Savoie’s 60.3%. Savoie, apparently did not get the memo. He gave up only a single rack, completed his undefeated run and claimed the event title.

Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at House of Billiards, as well as sponsors Predator, Poison, Arcos II, BCAPL, USAPL New England, Fargo Rate, AZBilliards, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, MJS Construction, Master Billiards, OTLVISE, Piku Tips and Just The Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accessories. The next stop on the New England 9-Ball Series (#11), scheduled for this weekend (Saturday, May 8), will be a $500-added event, hosted by Run ‘Em Racks in Johnston, RI.

Boudreau wins NE 9-Ball Series Tour Championship with lowest Fargo rate among final 12

(l to r): Kyle Pepin, Tyler Boudreau & Kevin Bauccio

Pepin wins 11 on the loss side to meet him in the finals
 
Tyler Boudreau picked the 2019 New England 9-Ball Series Tour Championships to chalk up his first singles win on the tour. On any tour, according to our records. He and Tom D’Alfonso shared first-place honors during the tour’s 20th stop in May, a partners tournament and placed 4th in another partners event in August. Boudreau finished in 3rd place, behind Cullen Ryan and Lukas Fracasso-Verner at the tour’s Players’ Championship in March. Boudreau finished in 9th place in what was his only cash-earning appearance on the 2018 tour. He went undefeated at the $10,000-added event that drew 112 entrants to Bo’s Billiards in Warwick, RI on the weekend of September 7-8.
 
Boudreau, who, Fargo rated at 445, was the lowest ranked competitor among the event’s final 12, faced a total of eight opponents, with an average Fargo Rate of 522 (+). He faced a lower Fargo rated player only once; Don Roy (435) in the opening round of play. He faced separate much higher-rated opponents in the hot seat and finals – Kevin Bauccio (607) and Kyle Pepin (655).
 
Boudreau got by Don Roy, Josh Edmonds, James Stonkus, Josh Staples and Casey Olivieri to draw Justin Myers in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Kevin Bauccio, in the meantime, after victories over Rick Gatta, Tom D’Alfonso, Ricardo Diaz, Joe Dupuis (last year’s Tour Champion), and Ross Webster faced Cody Porter in the other winners’ side semifinal. Kyle Pepin, who’d opened his campaign with a 7-3 win over Rich Senna, fell to Mike Nicoloro 6-4 I the second round and embarked on an 11-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him into the finals against Boudreau.
 
In a straight-up race to 7, Bauccio defeatEd Porter 7-4. He was joined in the battle for the hot seat by Boudreau, who, in a straight-up race to 6, had defeated  Myers 6-3. With Bauccio racing to 9 in the hot seat match, Boudreau gave up only three racks to him and claimed the hot seat 4-3.
 
Over on the loss side, Pepin was working his way through the field. He was six matches into his winning streak that had included two double hill wins (over Tom D’Alfonso and Chad Bazinet) when he ran into his third double hill win (over Gene Hunt) and then, eliminated Lukas Fracasso-Verner 6-4 to draw Cody Porter. Justin Myers picked up James Stonkus, who’d eliminated Casey Olivieri 5-2 and Josh Caesar 5-3.
 
Pepin advanced to the quarterfinals, chalking up his fourth double hill win over Porter. He was joined by Myers, who’d defeated Stonkus 5-2.
 
Pepin’s fifth and final double hill win of 11 loss-side matches came in those quarterfinals as he eliminated Myers. He then defeated Bauccio 7-4 for a shot at Boudreau in the hot seat.
 
With Pepin racing to 10, Boudreau completed his undefeated run with a first set 4-4 victory that earned him his first major regional tour win.
 
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Bo’s Billiards, as well as sponsors Predator Cues, USAPL New England, BCA Pool League, Fargo Rate, Bert Kinister, AZBilliards, Inside English, Professor Q-Ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, Delta 13 racks, MJS Construction, Bob Campbell with Lease Fundings, Master Billiards and OTLVISE Billiard Mechanics of America. The 2019-2020 season of the New England 9-Ball Series (Stop #1) will commence on Sunday, Sept. 22 and will be hosted by Crow’s Nest in Plaistow, NH.

Morganelli goes undefeated through field of 112 to win NE 9-Ball Series Winter Classic

(l to r): Clyde Matta, Dave Morganelli & Robert Piersa

Lineham wins second-tier 10-ball event
 
There were two distinctly different events at the 12th stop on the New England 9-Ball Series; its annual Winter Classic held on the weekend of January 26-27 and hosted by Snooker’s in Providence, RI. The main event was a $2,000-added 9-ball tournament that was traditionally handicapped with the use of FargoRates to determine the matches and drew 112 entrants. There was also a $500-added, non-handicapped 10-ball tournament with 21 entrants, which was billed as something of a Second Chance event, but offered $1,570 worth of cash prizes for the top four finishers.
 
Dave Morganelli went undefeated through the field of 112 to take the 9-ball event, downing Rob Piersa twice. RYan Lineham did likewise through the shorter-field 10-ball tournament, defeating Corey Avallone in the hot seat match and Lukas Fracasso-Verner in the final. It took Morganelli seven matches to claim the 9-ball title. Lineham grabbed the 10-ball title in five.
 
Morganelli was one of 12 competitors in the 9-ball tournament’s lower bracket that was awarded an opening round bye, after which he got by Justin Grant, Chuck Sampson, Mourad Idrais, and Phil Medeiros to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal match against Bob Lucas. Rob Piersa, in the meantime, without a bye in the upper bracket, defeated Rich Senna, Ryan Lineham (the eventual winner of the 10-ball event), Brian Chase and Bill Cote to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal matchup against Kevin Bauccio.
 
In a straight-up race to 5, Morganelli advanced to the hot seat match 5-3 over Lucas. Piersa joined him after downing Bauccio 7-4 (Bauccio racing to 6). Morganelli, with a FargoRate of 539, started the hot seat match with three on the wire in a race to 7 against Piersa, with his FargoRate of 651. They split the actual games 4-4, but with the handicap, Morganelli claimed the hot seat.
 
On the loss side, Lucas picked up Adam Blair, who’d defeated Emily Cady 5-2 and Rich Ferrell 5-3 to reach him. Bauccio drew Clyde Matta, who’d eliminated Bill Cote, double hill (7-6) and Mike Demarco 7-4.
 
In straight-up races to 5 (Lucas/Blair) and 7 (Matta/Bauccio), Blair and Matta handed Lucas and Bauccio their second straight loss; Blair 5-3 over Lucas and Matta 7-5 over Bauccio. Matta took the subsequent quarterfinal match over Blair 7-3.
 
In a straight-up race to 6, Piersa (651) downed Matta (611) 6-1 in the semifinals to earn himself a second (and potentially, third) shot against Morganelli, waiting for him in the hot seat. Morganelli took the opening and only set necessary 5-2 to claim the NE 9-Ball Series Winter Classic title.
 
Lineham becomes second person on the weekend to eliminate Fracasso-Verner
 
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Lukas Fracasso-Verner, 17, has made something of a dangerous habit out of coming from the loss side to claim a number of event titles, including a 12-match, loss-side trip to win last year’s “Ginky” Memorial, and a seven-match, loss-side winning streak to win the NE 9-Ball Series’ Robert Dionne Memorial, two weeks ago. On the weekend of January 26-27, the habit got the best of him at the NE 9-Ball Series’ Winter Classic. He was sent to the loss side in the third round of the main event, and won only one match on the loss side, before being eliminated, out of the money. He rallied a bit in the 10-ball tournament, advancing to a winners’ side semifinal, and then, winning three on the loss side for a shot against Ryan Lineham in the hot seat. Lineham prevailed.
After an opening round bye, Lineham had defeated Kerry McAuliffe and Mike Hurley to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal match against Chad Bazinet. Fracasso-Verner, in the meantime, faced Chad Avallone.  Lineham downed Bazinet 7-5, as Avallone was sending Fracasso-Verner to the loss side 7-4. Lineham claimed the hot seat 7-2 over waited on what turned out to be the return of Fracasso-Verner.
 
On the loss side, Fracasso-Verner shut out Jon Leandro and in the quarterfinals, faced Bazinet, who’d eliminated Francisco Cabral 5-1. Fracasso-Verner downed Bazinet in those quarterfinals 5-3, for a rematch against Avallone in the semifinals. A double hill fight ensued that eventually sent Fracasso-Verner to the finals.
 
They could have played a modified race to 5 in the finals, but Fracasso-Verner and Lineham opted to play it out to the normal race to 7. Fracasso-Verner survived the double hill, opening set of the true double elimination final 7-6, but Lineham grabbed the second set 7-5 to claim the 10-ball event title.
 
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Snooker’s for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Predator Cues, USAPL New England, FargoRate, Bert Kinister, AZBilliards, Inside English, Professor Q-Ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, Delta 13 Racks, MJS Construction, Bob Campbell, Bourgeois Farms and OTLVISE Billiard Mechanics of America. The next stop on the New England 9-Ball Series (#13), will be a $750-added event, scheduled for the weekend of February 16-17 and hosted by Straight Shooters Family Billiards in Fall River, MA.