With his victory this past weekend (Oct. 17-18) on the CueTec Dallas-Fort Worth 9-Ball Tour, Donnie Gregory turned an otherwise (for most people) disastrous 2020 into his best recorded earnings year to date. It took him five events to record what was his previous best earnings a year ago in 2019. It’s taken him only three 2020 events to surpass his 2019 earnings. This, of course, does not include money he may have earned by collecting additional monies outside the realm of official tour payouts or in tournaments not recorded with us for posterity.
Gregory had to earn this latest win, too. He made it to the hot seat, but the competitor he sent to the semifinals – Clint Palaci – came back to haunt him in the opening set of a true double elimination final. Gregory hung on to win the second set and claim the event title. The $1,500-added event drew 73 entrants to The Billiards Den in Richardson, TX.
Gregory was battling for advancement right from the start of this one. Awarded an opening round bye, he won his first four matches (all but one were straight up races to 7) by an average score of 7-5, including two double hill wins over Steve Raynes and Brian Cady. In between, in his second round, he defeated Walter Huenerfuerst (racing to 8). He then defeated Curtis Cardwell 7-4 in a winners’ side quarterfinal to face Jerry Yang in one of the winners’ side semifinals.
Palaci, in the meantime, had a slightly less harrowing run to the winners’ side final four, averaging 7-4 wins against his four opponents; Keith Atkins (4), Doug Winnett (double hill), Brendan Fuller (1), and Aaron Ramijio (6), to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal against Moe Harbaji.
Gregory got into the hot seat match with his ‘easiest’ victory to that point, a 7-2 win over Yang. Palaci joined him after sending Harbaji to the loss side 7-4. Gregory enjoyed his ‘easy’ 7-2 win over Yang so much that he repeated it to claim the hot seat over Palaci.
On the loss side, Yang and Harbaji walked right into their second straight loss. Yang had picked up Tony Top, who’d been defeated in the event’s opening round and was on an eight-match, loss-side winning streak, which had recently included victories over Robin Barbour 8-6 and Aaron Ramijio 8-4. Harbaji drew Juan Parra, who was working on a much more modest two-match, loss-side streak that started when he’d been defeated by Yang in one of the winners’ side quarterfinals. He’d opened on the loss side with victories over Jamie Cummings and Curtis Caldwell, both 7-5.
Top and Parra advanced to the quarterfinals; Top, stretching his loss-side streak to nine matches with an 8-6 win over Yang and Parra, downing Harbaji 7-4. Parra then stopped Top’s streak with a 7-4 win in those quarterfinals.
Clint Palaci, in turn, ended Parra’s short, loss-side journey 7-5 in the semifinals.
Momentum may have been the reason that someone came up with the idea of a true double elimination final. As the hot seat occupant is relaxing somewhere, or even just practicing, he/she is not engaged in actual competition and it can arguably take an edge off the ‘knife’ that is his/her competitiveness. Thus, a single win by the designated semifinalist seemed . . . unfair somehow, so someone came up with the idea of an extra match with both competitors having chalked up one loss.
Palaci took the opening set of this true double elimination final 7-4. In their straight-up race to 7, they battled to within a game of double hill in the second set, before Gregory pulled out to win it 7-5, claim the event title and go $600 over his previous best recorded-earnings year.
In addition to the 16 straight payout winners, cash was disseminated to the ‘last standing’ competitor in three different skill levels (SL). Tour director Monica Anderson and Joey Salazar tied for the privilege among SL4s. Dennis Hall took home the SL5 cash and Moe Harbaji grabbed the SL6 money. Anderson picked up extra cash as the ‘last standing’ female.
Anderson thanked Marcy Rothberg and her Billiards Den staff for hosting the event, as well as title sponsor CueTec Cues and Associate Title Sponsor Fort Worth Billiards Superstore. The next stop on the DFW 9-Ball Tour will be the tour finale, scheduled for November 14-15 at Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX.
Pool came back to Texas in the form of the Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour’s first stop since the weekend of February 22-23. Unwittingly, the tour paid homage to that last stop on the tour by repeating the final circumstances, albeit with different players. In the earlier event, Brian Cady took two out of three matches over Louie Pacheco, claiming the hot seat and the second set against him in the finals. On this past weekend (Aug. 22-23), it was Jim Ryan taking the same two out of three over Donnie Gregory to claim the event title. Both competitors were looking for their first tour win. Ryan, who was a member of the BCAPL’s 2017 National Championship Team (Top Shelf) was looking for his first cash finish on the tour. The $1,000-added event drew 63 entrants to Snookered Billiards, Bar and Restaurant in Frisco, TX.
Ryan’s path to his first appearance in the winners’ circle was no luck-of-the-draw walk in the park. After a shutout over Brendan Fuller in the opening round, Ryan survived his first of three double hill matches against JP Kinman. He then sent Texas veteran Greg Sandifer to the loss side 7-4 and Jersey Jack Lynch 7-1 to draw Doug Winnett in a winners’ side semifinal.
Gregory, in the meantime, had defeated Jim Tallman 7-3 and survived his first of three double hill matches versus Daniel Herring. He advanced to down Sabrina Henson 7-2 and his second double hill match versus Hector Guerrero to draw Robert Clark in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Ryan won his second double hill match versus Winnett and advanced to the hot seat. Gregory downed Clark 7-4 to join him. Ryan chalked up his third double hill fight, against Gregory, and claimed the hot seat.
On the loss side, Winnett picked up Tony Top, who, after being defeated in the opening round by Fahad Alrawi, set out on an eight-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the quarterfinals. He’d recently eliminated Jamie Cummings 8-4 and Greg Sandifer 8-6. Robert Clark picked up Jersey Jack Lynch, who, following his defeat at the hands of Ryan on the winners’ side, had defeated JP Kinman 7-6 (Kinman racing to 8) and Chris Ferguson 7-3.
Clark downed Jersey Jack 8-2 and was joined in the quarterfinals by Top, who’d survived a double hill fight versus Winnett. In a straight-up race to 8, Clark then ended Top’s winning streak 8-5 in those quarterfinals.
In the semifinals that followed, Gregory faced his third double hill challenge, which almost turned out in favor of Clark. In the flurry of shots in the final moments of the deciding game, after Gregory had snookered himself shooting at the 8-ball, Clark, with the table and the win staring at him, hit a ball too hard and ended up turning the table back over to Gregory, who proceeded to win his third double hill challenge.
The momentum from that semifinal, double hill win sent Gregory into the finals on a bit of a roll. He won the opening set of the true double elimination final 7-2. Ryan, though, collected his thoughts in time to challenge strongly in the second set. It came within a game of becoming, for each of them, their fourth double hill challenge. Ryan pulled out in front near the end and claimed the title with a second-set 7-5 win.
Nestled among the four players who shared the tie for 13th place in this event was Sabrina Henson, who, in addition to the $80 she earned for finishing in that spot, proved to be the event’s top female finisher and the best finisher at Skill Level 5. Each of those accomplishments earned her an extra $60, making her take-home at this event an even $200.
Tour director Monica Anderson thanked Craig and Janna Lucas for being the “hosts with the most,” along with title sponsor CueTec and the Fort Worth Billiards Store. The next stop on the CueTec DFW 9-Ball Tour is scheduled for the weekend of September 19-20, although the site for the event is yet to be determined. Local ordinances related to the Covid-19 epidemic could affect the choice. Visit the tour’s Facebook page or their Web site at http://www.dfw9bt.com.
Though he played more games and eventually, after winning five on the loss side of the double elimination bracket, met and defeated hot seat occupant, Clint Palaci, to claim the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) 9-Ball Tour’s season opener on the weekend of January 18-19, Clint Freeman did not end up with the highest game-winning percentage of the 106 entrants, who signed on to the $1,500-added tournament, hosted by Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX. That interior-event ‘title’ went to Walter Huenerfuerst, who, though he finished in the tie for 13th place, won 57 of the 80 games he played over the weekend (71%).
Event winner Freeman, at 65% (85-46), wasn’t even in second place for the game-winning percentage ‘title,’ though he did end up in third place. Second place went to a competitor who was the odds-on favorite to win the tournament; seven-time participant and 2019 Vice Captain of the USA Mosconi Cup team, and winner of the 1998 US Open One Pocket and 2003 US Open 9-Ball titles, Jeremy Jones. Jones, though he finished in the tie for 9th place, won 64 of the 96 games he played (67%).
That strange little ‘factoid’ emanates from a disparity of games-played and racks-given-up that doesn’t always figure into the bottom line of winning or losing a given tournament. If you play 10 games of pool in a tournament, all races to 8, and win them all, you win the tournament. But if each of your eight games goes double hill (8-7), you’re going to finish the tournament with a 53% game-winning percentage. Huenerfuerst lost his opening match, faced seven opponents on the loss side, and gave up an average of just under three racks per match to his opponents to win the game-winning percentage battle. Jones, who moved to the loss side after the fourth round, faced a total of only six opponents and gave up just over five racks per match. Event winner Freeman played 11 matches, to include the double elimination final and gave up just over four games per match.
Freeman’s path to the winners’ circle went through Jeff Williams (8-5), Paul Villa (8-2), and Shane Hvamsted 8-3, before running into Donnie Gregory for the first time. Gregory sent him to the loss side 7-5. Gregory then advanced to a winners’ side semifinal matchup against Clint Palaci. Meanwhile, Tony Top, who’d recently battled to double hill versus Jeremy Jones and sent him to the loss side, advanced to the other winners’ side semifinal against Harold “Woody” Paine.
Top got into the hot seat match with an 8-6 victory over Paine. He was joined by Palaci, who’d defeated Gregory 7-2. Palaci gave up only a single rack to Top and grabbed the hot seat.
On the loss side, Freeman began his loss-side campaign with his hands full, so to speak, by drawing Jeremy Jones, who’d just won his first loss-side match 10-6 over Daniel Herring. Freeman put an end to an extraordinarily brief loss-side run by Jones with an 8-5 win. Freeman moved on to a double hill battle that he eventually won over JP Kinman, that set him (Freeman) up to face “Woody” Paine. Gregory picked up Jud Hunter, who’d recently eliminated Billy Guy and John Doughty, both 7-5.
Freeman advanced to the quarterfinals with an 8-4 win over Paine, earning himself a rematch against Gregory, who’d defeated Hunter 7-5. Freeman went at the quarterfinal rematch with a vengeance, and allowed Gregory only a single rack in his 8-1 victory. Freeman completed his loss-side run with an 8-2 victory over Top in the semifinals.
Hot seat occupant, Clint Palaci began the double elimination finals against Clint Freeeman with one ‘bead on the wire’ in a race to 8. The two Clints battled to double hill in the opening set, before Clint finished it, forcing a second set. Freeman took the second set 8-4 to claim the DFW 9-Ball Tour’s season opener and for about a month, sit at the top of the DFW’s standings.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Rusty’s Billiards for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Anchor Predator Cues, Business Sponsor Ft. Worth Billiards Superstore and Associate Business Sponsors Aramith Balls, Outsville Racks, Rasson Billiards and JB Cases. The next stop on the DFW 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for Feb. 22-23, will be hosted by Billiard Den in Richardson, TX.
(l to r): Juan Parra, Greg Sandifer & Jeff Georges (Photo by Jesse Garcia, Bound by Imagination)
Juan Parra tried for a win on the 2019 DFW 9-Ball Tour three times; in May, June and October. His best effort was his first when he finished 3rd. His worst was the last in which he finished in the tie for 13th. At the tour’s season finale, on the weekend of November 16-17, he broke through to record a victory for the first time since he won a stop on the DFW 9-Ball predecessor, the Omega Tour in 2017. Parra had to get by the #2 player on the standings list going into the final event, Greg Sandifer, twice. The $3,000-added event, open only to tour members who’d competed in at least four of the tour’s 11 events in 2019, drew 56 entrants to Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX.
Parra and Sandifer wove their separate ways through the field to arrive at their first meeting, battling for the hot seat. Parra got an opening round bye before defeating Dario Gomez, Donnie Gregory and Curtis Caldwell to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Jesus Sorto. Sandifer’s path went through Gert Ehing, Chris Woody Smith, Jud Hunter and Jeff Georges to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal matchup against Amos Bush.
Sandifer gave up only a single rack to Bush in an 8-1 victory that put him into the hot seat match. Parra joined him following his 7-5 win over Sorto. In their first of three, Sandifer claimed the hot seat 8-4.
On the loss side, Sorto picked up Jeff Georges, who, following his defeat at the hands of Sandifer in a winners’ side quarterfinal, had defeated Friday Abismo 7-5 and the #1 competitor in the tour standings, Tim Larson, double hill (7-8). Bush drew Jesse Hernandez, who’d lost his second match, double hill to Sorto, and was in the midst of a six-match, loss-side winning streak that was about to end. Sorto and Hernandez would each fall one match short of a rematch.
In a straight-up race to 7, Georges downed Sorto 7-4. Bush and Hernandez battled to double hill before Bush prevailed to join Georges in the quarterfinals. Bush then won his second straight double hill battle in those quarterfinals.
Both combatants in the semifinals were looking for a rematch in the finals against Sandifer. If the score proved to be any measure of the desire, Parra apparently wanted it more and won handily 7-1.
With Sandifer racing to 8, Parra took the opening set 7-6. He did Sandifer one better in the second set, winning it 7-5 to claim the season finale title.
A Second Chance event drew seven entrants and was won Alberto Nieto Garcia. Billy Guy was runner-up and Rachelle Dytko was third.
In ceremonies following the event, Tim Larson, who’d competed in each of the tour’s 11 events, won two of them and finished as runner-up in a third, was acknowledged as the 2019 Tour Champion. Highway Sigadi won the tour’s 2019 Best Sportsmanship award.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Rusty’s Billiards for their hospitality as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, Fort Worth Billiards Super Store, Granite Guyz, Dallas 8-Ball, FargoRate, BCA Pool League, JB Custom Cue Cases, Accu-Rack, CSI and Internet Marketing Solutions. The 2020 DFW 9-Ball Tour season will begin where the 2019 season ended, at Rusty's Billiards in Arlington, TX on the weekend of January 18-19, 2020.
(l to r): Tim Larson, Walter Huenerfuerst & Angelo Innes
On the heels of his best recorded earnings year, to date (2018), Tim Larson opened his 2019 campaign with an undefeated run on the DFW 9-Ball Tour on the weekend of May 18-19. According to records here at AZBilliards, it is Larson’s first win on a regional tour since he first started cashing in tournaments about 10 years ago. A regular at the 8-ball and 9-ball BarBox Championship events in Reno, NV (5th in 9-ball in 2014), Larson finished in the money three times on the 2018 DFW 9-Ball Tour; 4th once and 7th twice. The $1,500-added event drew 62 entrants to Rusty Billiards in Fort Worth, TX.
Larson had to get by Walter Huenerfuerst twice in this one. Like Larson, Huenerfuerst was looking to chalk up his first major regional win, and as it turned out, his runner-up finish was his best showing, to date, in any tournament, dating back to his participation in events on the Omega Tour. It proved to be Huenerfuerst’s first cash win since 2016.
They met first in the hot seat match. Larson worked his way through four opponents, allowing each of them an average of two racks per match, to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against John Carlo Tuazon. Huenerfuerst, in the meantime, had a somewhat tougher route through his first four opponents, allowing each of them an average of five racks per match; to include his survival of a double hill match against TJ Davis in the third round. Huenerfuerst arrived at a winners’ side semifinal against Peter Villatorro.
Larson downed Tuazon 9-2, as Huenerfuerst sent Villatoro to the loss side 8-3. Larson claimed the hot seat 9-6 over Huenerfuerst and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Villatoro drew Donnie Gregory, who’d defeated TJ Davis 7-6 (Davis racing to 8) and Paul Guernsey, double hill (7-7) to reach him. Tuazon picked up Angelo Innes, who after a defeat at the hands of Davis, had gotten by Paul Villanueva 8-3 and Hector Guerrero 8-5.
It was Donnie Gregory advancing to the quarterfinals after a 7-5 victory over Villatoro. He was joined by Innes, who eliminated Tuazon 8-2. Innes was able to advance one more step, downing Gregory 8-3 in those quarterfinals, before having his loss-side streak stopped at four by Huenerfuerst, double hill, in the semifinals.
Larson completed his undefeated run with a second victory, 9-3, over Huenerfuerst in the finals.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Rusty Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsor Predator Cues. The next stop on the DFW 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for June 22-23, will be hosted by Click’s Billiards in Arlington, TX.
(l to r): Chase Rudder, Greg Sandifer & Steve Raynes
Chase Rudder has been bringing home cash from Texas tournaments for at least 15 years, having shown up in our database for the first time in 2003, finishing 9th at a stop on the Fast Eddie’s tour in Houston. Since that time, his participation and earnings at the table have ranged from sparse to prolific. He didn’t show up on payout lists at all from 2004 to 2008, and then, after finishing 5th and 9th on two separate Fast Eddie’s stops, he didn’t show up again until 2011, when his only recorded winnings came from a 5th place tie (with David Gutierrez) in the Houston Open. His attendance from that point has been consistent, up to and including his best earnings year to date – 2016 – when (among other appearances) he won the 3rd Junior Norris 9-Ball Shootout in Wichita Falls, defeating Alex Olinger in the finals. Rudder won a stop on the Lone Star Billiard Tour last year and finished as runner-up to Manny Chau in two other stops on the tour.
On the weekend of June 23-24, Rudder returned to the tournament winners’ circle for the first time in 2018, doing it the hard way. He won an opening match (against Jennifer Hooten) at the 6th stop on the Predator DFW 9-Ball Tour and was sent to the loss side in his next round by Suliman Abu Salem. Rudder then embarked on a 10-match, loss-side winning streak, and capped it by double dipping hot seat occupant Greg Sandifer in the finals to claim his first event title since early October of last year. The $1,700-added event drew 86 entrants to Click’s Billiards in Arlington, TX.
With Rudder on the loss side, working his way back, Sandifer and Steve Raynes advanced to the hot seat match. Sandifer had defeated Donnie Gregory 8-3 to get there in one of the winners’ side semifinals, while Raynes sent Joshua Keller over 7-5 in the other one. Sandifer claimed the hot seat 8-6 over Raynes and waited for Rudder to complete his loss-side run.
On the loss side, Rudder (racing to 9) was allowing his opponents an average of about four racks. TJ Davis, battling him in the first money round, was the only player to force a double hill deciding game against him, although Tony Top, two rounds before that, had managed seven. Rudder chalked up loss-side wins #6 and #7 against Aram Hasan (9-4) and Sean Black (9-5) to draw Keller. Gregory, in the meantime, picked up Douglas Pitts, who’d defeated Alberto Nieto Garcia and (denying Rudder any chance at a re-match) Suliman Abu Salem, both double hill.
Gregory eliminated Pitts 7-4, and in the quarterfinals, faced Rudder, who’d defeated Keller 9-2. Rudder moved on to down Gregory in those quarterfinals 9-6, and then, Raynes in the semifinals 9-2.
Over 22 games in the true double elimination finals, Rudder gave up only four to Sandifer. He took the opening set 9-3, and then, tightened the screws to allow Sandifer only a single rack in the second and deciding set. It had taken Sandifer seven matches to advance to the hot seat. It took Rudder 12 matches to meet him in the finals; a single win and a loss on the winners’ side and 10 on the loss side. Rudder played two more matches, for a total of 14, and when they were over, Rudder had claimed his first 2018 title.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Click’s Billiards, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, Fort Worth Billiards Superstore, JB Cases, Dallas Eight-Ball League, Outsville (Accu-Rack), Granite Guyz, BCAPL/CSI and Internet Marketing Solutions. The next stop on the Predator DFW 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for July 14-15, will be a $1,700-added event, hosted by The Hideaway in Dallas, TX.
A frequent competitor over the years in the annual US Bar Table Championships, Oklahoma's Justin Whitehead brought his small-table skills to the fourth stop on the Omega Billiards Tour on the weekend of April 29-30. Played on 8-foot tables, the $1,700-added event drew 95 entrants to JR Pockets in Denton, TX. Whitehead, who chalked up what proved to be his first major tour win four years ago, downing Sylver Ochoa in the finals of a Poison by Predator Tour stop in Houston, and this past February, was runner-up to Manny Chau in a stop on the Lone Star Billiards Tour, came within a single match of going undefeated in this most recent event. The single loss came in the opening set of a true double elimination final at the hands of Paul Geurnsey, who, following a defeat at the hands of Donnie Gregory in the opening round, won 11 matches on the loss side to challenge Whitehead in the finals. Whitehead came back from the first set loss to give up only a single game in the second set and claim the event title.
Whitehead's journey to the winners' circle was almost re-routed in the second round, when Jeremy Jones battled him to double hill. Whitehead prevailed, though, and arrived at a winners' side semifinal against Chuck Dement, having given up, on average, only 3.5 racks per match (the figure would have been less than 2, had it not been for Jones chalking up eight against him). Roman Bayda, in the meantime, who, like Whitehead, had been challenged in a double hill match in the second round by the tour's ranking leader, Rick Stanley, advanced for a winners' side semifinal match against Crispian Ng.
As is often the case, the challenges increased for Whitehead as the winners' side matches narrowed. He downed Dement 8-5, as Bayda was busy sending Ng to the loss side by the same score. Whitehead faced his second double hill challenge, battling Bayda for the hot seat . He won it and waited on Guernsey.
Moving to the loss side, it was Dement who had the misfortune of picking up Guernsey, who was eight matches in to his 11-match, loss-side streak, which had included the elimination of Stanley, and more recent victories over Cody Wright 8-4 and Robin Barbour 8-3. Guernsey's hopes for a re-match against Gregory fell short by a single match, spoiled by Barbour, who'd defeated Gregory 7-2 in the 9/12 matches. Ng drew Mike Nagaki, who'd just eliminated Brandon Thrasher and Albert Nieto, both 7-4.
Guernsey, apparently on something of a mission, shut out Dement, as Ng downed Nagaki 8-4. In a straight-up race to 8, Guernsey defeated Ng 8-4 in the quarterfinals, and in another straight-up race to 8, gave up only a single rack to Bayda in the semifinals.
Whitehead managed to slow Guernsey down a bit in the opening set of the true double elimination final, though not by enough, as Guernsey took that opening set 8-5. Whitehead dominated the deciding set, allowing Guernsey only a single rack on his way to claiming the event title.
Tour director Melinda Bailey thanked the ownership and staff of JR Pockets, as well as sponsors Michael Hoang of OMEGA Billiards Supply, FargoRate.com and OB Cues. The next stop on the Omega Billiards Tour, scheduled for May 27-28, will be a $1,700-added event, hosted by Puckett's in Fort Worth, TX.
Denny Sneed sent him to the loss side, so it was only fitting that Rick Stanley came back from a three-match visit to double dip him in the finals and claim the event title. The $1,700-added event, Stop # 3 on the Omega Billiards Tour, drew 85 entrants to Pockets in Euless, TX on the weekend of March 25-26.
Sneed's four-match jaunt to the winners' side semifinal against Stanley, saw him face opponents with increasing handicaps. Sneed (a "7") downed a "4" (7-0), a "5" (7-2), a "6" (7-5) and another "7" (7-1) to draw Stanley, a "9." Stanley came within a game of chalking up as many racks against Sneed (7) in the winners' side semifinal than all four of Sneed's previous opponents combined. The tie score, however (7-7), was not enough. Stanley moved to the loss side, as Sneed advanced to the hot seat match against Tony Sulsar ("8"), who'd sent Robby Cleland over 8-4. Sneed claimed the hot seat 7-5 over Sulsar and waited on Stanley's return.
On the loss side, Stanley's three-match trip back to the finals began against Phillip Palmer, whose eight-match, loss-side winning streak was about to come to an end. Wins #7 and #8 for Palmer came at the expense of Mark Szabo 7-4 and Cory Anderson 7-3. Cleland drew Mike Voelkering, who'd been sent to the loss side by Sneed in a winners' side quarterfinal match, and defeated Doug Winnett and Donnie Gregory, both 7-3.
Stanley defeated Palmer 9-3, as Voelkering was busy eliminating Cleland 7-5. Stanley then eliminated Voelkering 9-1 in the quarterfinals, and though Sulsar put up a respectable fight in the semifinals that followed, Stanley advanced 9-6 to his rematch against Sneed in the finals.
Sneed was racing to 7, while Stanley was racing to 9. Stanley took the opening set of the true double elimination final 9-2. Sneed chalked up an extra rack in the second set, but Stanley won it to claim the event title.
Tour Director Melinda Bailey thanked the ownership and staff at Pockets, in addition to sponsors Michael Hoang of OMEGA Billiards Supply, FargoRate.com and OB Cues. Stop #4 on the Omega Billiard Tour, scheduled for the weekend of April 29-30, will be a $1,700-added event, hosted by JR Pocket in Denton, TX.
On the weekend of March 19-20, the Omega Billiards Tour was hosted by Clicks Billiards in Arlington, Texas. The staff and owners treated the players well with great service and an amazing atmosphere, and we very much appreciate each and every one of them!
We were able to extend the field to 87 players for this third stop of the 2016 season. And it was tough to predict who would come out on top with all the great talent in the field!
Always a top contender and previous Omega Billiards Tour Champion, Tony Sulsar, had a great tournament coming in 3rd with many tight races. Phillip Palmer had another great finish as well through a lot of tough competitors and placed an impressive 4th. Nick Evans, all the way from St. Louis and not even 20 years old yet, had wins over Ricky Ferguson 7-1, Emily Sumrall 7-2, Phillip Autieri 7-4, Greg Sandifer 7-3, Douglas Pitts hill-hill, and Forest Boyd 7-4 before finding himself in the hotseat. CJ Wiley had a bye and then wins over Joey Salazar 9-3, Walter Huenerfuerst 9-1, Donnie Gregory 9-4, Anthony Shea 9-0 and Phillip Palmer 9-4 before meeting up with Nick in the hotseat. CJ would win the hotseat match decisively 9-2.
Nick was sent to the one-loss side and took care of Tony Sulsar 7-5 to get another chance against CJ Wiley in the finals. The first match of the finals was close the whole time and Nick edged out a win 7-7, which forced a second set in this true double elimination finals. And the second set was close again and this time it went hill-hill! CJ broke and ran beautifully the last game to win the whole tournament! BIG congratulations to CJ for snapping off this tough Omega event and to Nick Evans for placing an impressive 2nd!
5th/6th places were filled by newcomer Forest Boyd and Douglas Pitts, and 7th/8th finishers were Denny Sneed and newcomer Robbie Cleland who had a fantastic first event!
Congrats to ALL the players and fans for a great event!
A HUGE thank you goes out to our sponsors Omega Billiards Supply, Predator Cues, BCAPL/CSI, and OB Cues. We would also like to give a big thanks to our additional sponsors, Irving Ink and Thread, AZBilliards.com, Pool School, and BilliardsPress.com.
This year OB Cues is our Ranking sponsor and will be donating three OB Cues to the top ranked 3 players at the end of the year! BCAPL/CSI has joined again and will be giving away 5 BCAPL free entry fees the 2017 BCAPL Nationals.
Tournament Director Melinda Bailey would like to thank the Clicks Billiards owners and staff for their awesome hospitality all weekend! She would also like to thank her fabulous team: Heather Farr and Jeffrey Georges.
A big thank you also goes out to Michael Hoang, main sponsor of the Tour and owner of Omega Billiards Supply in Hurst, TX. Michael and Omega Billiards Supply are well known for the huge booths at many large tournaments across the country.
The next stop will be held April 30-May 1 at JR Pockets in Denton, Texas. $1,500 added and limited to the first 80 PAID players (already full). We will have ten stops total again in 2016. Pool is alive and thriving in Texas!
