Normally, when a final match in any event is not played, for whatever reason, it’s the undefeated hot seat occupant who claims the official event title. Not so on Sunday, Feb. 10, when, at the end of a long night on the Tri-State Tour, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Monday morning, hot seat occupant Chris Kemp (owner of the host venue, Shooter’s Family Billiards in Wayne, NJ) opted out of a final match against Artur Trzeciak, who’d won seven loss-side matches to reach the finals and was willing to play that final match. Kemp, in the role of gracious host, deferred his claim to the title and the trophy went to Trzeciak. The $1,000-added 8-ball event drew 29 entrants to Shooter’s Family Billiards.
Trzeciak opened what would be his primarily loss-side day with a victory over Dennis Quinn, before being narrowly defeated by tour regular Bob Toomey 5-4. From there, it was off to the loss side races and his seven-match trip back to the finals.
Kemp worked his way through Joe Mazzeo, Fernando Galeas and John Durr to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal match against Tri Chau. Michelle Brotons, in the meantime, on her way to only her second 3rd place finish on the tour (she was runner-up in the Women’s Leisure Division of the 2017 NYC 8-Ball Championships) got by Kevin Serodio and John DeVito (both double hill) to arrive at her own winners’ side semifinal matchup against Jake Kislowski.
Kemp got into the hot seat match with a 6-3 win over Chau. Brotons joined him after sending Kislowski to the loss side 5-2. Kemp claimed the hot seat 6-4 and presumably resumed duties as the room owner, while waiting for Trzeciak to complete his loss-side run.
On the loss side, Trzeciak got by Kimberly Kowzu, Dennis Quinn (a second time) and John DeVito before avenging his loss against Toomey 5-3. This set him up to face Kislowski, coming over from the winners’ side semifinal. Chau drew Grzegorz Kasica, who’d recently defeated Frank Sieczka 5-3 and shut out Kevin Serodio to reach him.
Kasica and Trzeciak, good friends, advanced to meet each other in the quarterfinals. Kasica downed Chau 6-4, as Trzeciak was busy defeating Kislowski 5-1. Trzeciak eliminated Kasica in those quarterfinals 5-3.
Brotons, already assured of duplicating her best finish on the tour, to date, was looking for more in the semifinals, but fell short 5-2. Kemp and Trzeciak opted out of the final match, with Trzeciak claiming the title and trophy.
Tour representatives thanked Kemp and his Shooters Family Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, Pool & Billiards, Professor Q Ball, Bender Cues, and DIGICUE OB. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for this weekend (Sunday, February 17) will be an A/B/C/D event, hosted by Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.
Unbeknownst to Dan Praport, when he won the Sunday, January 29 stop on the Tri-State Tour, he also earned himself a spot in the AZBilliards database, which up to that point, had not included his name. He's likely to show up at the top of the ninth page of pool players named "Dan" or "Danny." The $620-added event which afforded him this opportunity, not to mention $500 in cash, drew 30 entrants to Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ.
Praport came from the loss side to seal the victory, having been sent there by Dennis Quinn in a winners' side quarterfinal match. Quinn advanced to meet Plummer Walker in a winners' side semifinal, as Rich Boschulte prepared to square off in the other. Walker downed Quinn, double hill and in the hot seat match, faced Boschulte, beneficiary of a forfeit by Triolo. Walker claimed the hot seat 7-4, and waited on Praport.
Praport opened his loss side campaign with a 6-3 win over Marco Daniel, and followed it with a 7-3 win over Marisol Palacios. This, due to the forfeit by Triolo, sent Praport directly to the quarterfinals. Quinn picked up Adrian Daniel (no relation to Marco), who'd defeated Pashk Gjini and Frank Scanlon, both 6-4, to reach him.
Adrian Daniel kept a Praport/Quinn re-match out of the quarterfinals equation by defeating Quinn 6-3. Praport went on to defeat Daniel 6-4 in those quarterfinals, and, in the semifinals by the same score, Rich Buschulte.
Praport completed his run with an 8-6 victory over Walker in the finals. He chalked up his first Tri-State win and a spot on the AZBilliards database at the same time.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Clifton Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Bloodworth Ball Cleaners. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4, will be a $1,000-added, A-B/C-D handicapped event, hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.
Mike Figueroa, who finished the 2015-2016 Tri-State season ranked third in the tour's C++ division got into the hot seat at the Tri-State Tour's fourth 2016-2017 stop on Saturday, August 6, having defeated Max Watanabe in a winners' side semifinal, and Dennis Quinn in the battle for the hot seat. Watanabe, who finished the 2015-2016 Tri-State season ranked sixth in the tour's B+ division, came back from the loss side to meet and defeat Figueroa in the finals. The event drew 20 entrants to Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ.
In their first of two, Figueroa sent Watanabe to the loss side 7-4, as Dennis Quinn was busy defeating Bob Toomey (2015-2016's top-ranked C player) 6-4. Figueroa claimed the hot seat 7-5 over Quinn and waited on Watanabe.
On the loss side, Watanabe picked up Mike Panzarella, who'd gotten by Aurelio Romero 7-4, and Eddie Manlulu 7-2 to reach him. Toomey drew James Pasciolla, who'd defeated Adrian Daniel 6-3 and survived a double hill fight versus Allison LaFleur. Watanabe downed Panzarella 7-3, and in the quarterfinals, faced Toomey, who'd eliminated Pasciolla 6-2.
In what was the event's first money round, Watanabe defeated Toomey 8-6, and earned his second shot against Figueroa with a 6-3 win over Quinn in the semifinals. Watanabe completed his run with a commanding 9-2 win over Figueroa in the finals.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Clifton Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Bloodworth Ball Cleaners. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Saturday, August 20, will be hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.
You have to wonder what a hot seat occupant is thinking when his finals opponent chalks up six racks at the outset of the final match. You also have to wonder what that challenger is thinking as the hot seat occupant proceeds to win nine of the next 10 games to win the match and the event.
"Pool's a funny sort of game," would be an appropriate thought for both of them.
The hot seat occupant under consideration during the March 19 stop on the Tri-State Tour was Adam Kosmin. His challenger in both the hot seat match and finals was Grzegorz Kasica. Kosmin came back from his six-game deficit in the finals to defeat Kasica and win the $1,000-added event that drew 15 entrants to Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ.
Following wins over Max Watanabe (double hill), and Luis Jimenez 7- 4, Kosmin faced Sean Emmitt in a winners' side semifinal. Kasica squared off against Frankie Scanlon. Kosmin downed Emmitt 7-3, while Kasica defeated Scanlon 6-4. Kosmin claimed his first of two against Kasica 9-5 and waited for his hair-raising return.
On the loss side, Emmitt picked up Kevin Scalzitti, who'd gotten by Luis Jimenez (by forfeit) and defeated Max Watanabe 7-5 to reach him. Scanlon drew Mike Strassberg, who'd been defeated by Kasica in a winners' side quarterfinal, and won four straight to face him a second time. Strassberg had defeated Dennis Quinn 6-2, and Frank Sieczka, double hill to draw Scanlon.
Emmitt downed Scalzitti 7-4, and in the quarterfinals, faced Strassberg, who'd eliminated Scanlon 6-4. Strassberg survived a double hill fight versus Emmitt for a second shot against Kasica. Kasica, though, working on a major momentum shift, ended Strassberg's loss-side streak with a 6-2 semifinal win.
The opening paragraph scenario ensued, with Kasica chalking up the first six racks of what would be a 16-rack final. Kosmin answered Kasica's six with five of his own to pull within one at 6-5. Kasica chalked up his seventh, and what proved to be his final rack, before Kosmin came back with four more to win it.
Tour representatives thanked the management and staff at Clifton Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Bloodworth Ball Cleaners. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Sunday, April 3, will be hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.
Ed Crespo works at Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ and on two separate occasions in 2014, he'd made it to the finals of a Tri-State Tour stop at his workplace. Scott Abramowitz came from the loss side to knock him out of the hot seat in January, while in March, he and Teddy Lapadula, who was in the hot seat, opted out of playing a final match. On November 29, Crespo came from the loss side to meet and defeat Paul Spaanstra in the finals of a $1,000-added event that drew 35 entrants to Clifton Billiards.
Crespo opened his day with a 7-4 victory over Paul Murphy, but was then moved to the loss bracket (7-5) by Shivam Gupta, with whom he would clash later. Spaanstra, who'd come from the loss side a week earlier, only to be defeated in the finals by Miguel Laboy, was busy chalking up five winners' side victories, including a double hill win over Gupta to get into the hot seat match. He faced Roberto Castilla, who'd defeated Jaydev Zaveri 6-4. Spaanstra and Castillo battled to double hill before Spaanstra prevailed to await the return of Crespo.
On the loss side, Crespo worked his way through four matches, including a 7-4 win over Arturo Reyes and 7-3 win over Stewart Warnock for a second chance against Gupta. Zaveri drew Dennis Quinn, who'd gotten by Roger Duronio 6-5 and Allison Honeymar 6-4. Crespo successfully wreaked his vengeance against Gupta 7-5 and in the quarterfinals, met Quinn, who'd eliminated Zaveri 6-3.
Crespo ended Quinn's day 7-5. He then battled to double hill before prevailing in his semifinal match versus Castillo.
Crespo and Spaanstra opened the event finals by trading racks to a 2-2 tie, with Spaanstra taking the single-rack lead each time. In rack #5, Crespo took the initiative, and won four in a row. Spaanstra fought back to win a single game, before Crespo completed his first successful Tri-State bid of the year with three in a row.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Clifton Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Qpod, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Focus Cases by John Bartron, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Focus Apparel. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for December 6, will be hosted by Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ.
Must be something about the combination of month and location because for the second year in a row, Raphael Dabreo has chalked up a victory on the Tri-State tour in August at Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ. This most recent event was a $1,000-added A-D handicapped event, held on the weekend of August 3-4, that drew 48 entrants, including Will Nunez, with whom DaBreo eventually split the top two prizes.
Those two met first among the winners' side final four, while Chris DeCaprio and Eddie Perez were going head to head in the other winners' side semifinal. DaBreo took the first of his two against Nunez 7-5, and in the hot seat contest, faced DeCaprio, who'd sent Perez over 6-4. DaBreo, an A-ranked player, was challenged by the C player, DeCaprio; forced to play a deciding 15th game, which he won.
Meanwhile, Nunez was working his way back from the loss bracket. He picked up Keith Adamik, who'd gotten by Carl Yusuf Khan 7-4 and survived a double hill match against Paul Raval. Perez drew Dennis Quinn, who'd defeated Sam Hoffman, double hill, and Mike Strassberg 6-3. Nunez and Perez moved on to the quarterfinals; Nunez 7-4 over Adamik, Perez 6-4 over Quinn.
Nunez took the quarterfinal match against Perez 7-4, and downed DeCaprio in the semifinals 6-4. DaBreo and Nunez opted out of a final match, leaving the undefeated DaBreo in possession of the official event title holder.
Tour representatives, including new addition to the crew, Rick Shellhouse, thanked the ownership and staff at Castle Billiards, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics.
