This past weekend (Jan 26-27, 2019) Pool Players Factory in Puerto Rico hosted their first major event of the year with 5k added money thanks to the sponsorship of Predator Cues. The event was open to all Puerto Rican, Caribbean and Latin American Players.
Sixty-four (64) players showed up for the two-day tournament with many of the top Islanders not disappointing their fans with brilliant plays throughout the event. Format was two races to five with a sudden death match if necessary. Much to the surprise of the tournament directors was the fact that 42 of the 126 matches (33%) went to a sudden-death game. Obviously endurance and/or fatigue was a factor within the tournament. Nonetheless by the end of the first day we had 16 of the best tournament players ready to chalk-up for the first-place prize of $ 4,000.
The last four players in the event were Edwin Garcia and Julio Burgos in the winner’s side and Reinaldo Dendariarena and Ruben Bautista in the one-loss side. Reinaldo was sent to the one-loss side by Edwin Garcia, and Ruben Bautista was sent by Julio Burgos. Both matches were decided by sudden death wins.
Reinaldo and Ruben Bautista then met for the 4th place prize with a fairly easy win for Bautista. Edwin Garcia and Julio Burgos were now setup to meet each other to see whom was to claim the hot seat of the tournament. Edwin Garcia won the first set 5 to 3. Julio Burgos won the second set 5-2. Sudden death went to Edwin Garcia with a break and run.
A rematch between Julio Burgos and Ruben Bautista was now in play. Everyone was excited since Julio (Puerto Rico) had won against Ruben (Mexico) in their previous match. After the dust was cleared, Ruben had ousted Julio with two wins by score of 5-1 and 5-1 with Julio Burgos obtaining third place in the event.
For the Championship Match between Edwin Garcia and Ruben Bautista, more excitement was built-up. Ruben Bautista had been determined to be the tournament favorite at the get-go, and obviously there was a sense by some people that Bautista could snatch the event. Edwin Garcia is one of the best top 2 players in Puerto Rico and everyone was certain that Edwin would not go down easily; and that he too had a great chance of success.
On the last match of the night, Ruben took the first set 5-2. Edwin came back with a 5-3 win, and now the outcome of the event relied on the 42nd sudden-death match of the tournament. Edwin won the lag but came up with a dry break, Ruben played a safety on the one, Edwin returned the safety. Ruben had to jump the cue-ball leaving the one open. Edwin pocketed the one but tried to leave a safe on the two returning the table to Ruben. Ruben proceeded to pocket the two, three, and four ball. The five was straight-in to the upper right corner, a makeable ball but somehow Ruben rattled the 5 and that was it for Ruben’s performance. Edwin cleared the table and claimed the tournament Championship.
Jose Garcia and Alejandro Rodriguez, proud owners of Pool Players Factory, the largest pool hall in the Caribbean with (14) Diamond Pro Tables and six (6) 7ft Smart Tables greeted players and fans alike. Also on a very special and surprise appearance, Mr. Karim Belhaj, CEO of Predator Cues addressed the crowd on day two with encouraging words as to a sponsored tour for the Island, with future Predator sponsored events like this one. Needless to say, Mr. Belhaj made the day for all of us whom have been dreaming of something like this to happen. We thank Jose Garcia, Alejandro Rodriguez and Karim Belhaj for the great news and their combined willingness to help establish a Puerto Rican Tour.
Carrasco, Wong, Estevez, Avallone and Traynor chalk up separate division wins
The annual BCAPL-sanctioned NYC 8-Ball Championships, held under the auspices of Tony Robles’ Silent Assassin Productions, is always a masterpiece of logistical planning and execution. This year, in a two-day span, the combined $10,000-added event, coordinated six separate tournaments with a total of 241 entrants at Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY and managed to finish it all by late (very late) Sunday evening/Monday morning. In all, the event paid out just over $20K in prize money.
Four of the eventual winners of the six events went undefeated to claim an NYC 8-Ball title, while two chose the loss-side route to the winners’ circle. The top payout among the six division winners went to Erick Carrasco, who pocketed $2,000 for winning the $3,000-added, Mixed Open division of the event, which drew 39 entrants.
Carrasco earned it the hard way. After an opening round bye, Carrasco lost his first match to Paul Carpenter and then, went undefeated through nine loss-side matches before meeting and defeating Stephen Augustus in the finals. He never did get the chance for payback against Carpenter, but the payout more than compensated. Four of the nine matches Carrasco played on the loss side went double hill, including his loss-side opener against Ambi Estevez and his semifinal win over Chuck Granville. Runner-up Augustus had earned his way to the hot seat in similar fashion, winning five matches to get there, three of which, including the hot seat match against Granville, went double hill.
[photo id=48006|align=right]Jorge Rodriguez, winner of the $1,400-added Grand Masters event that drew 32 entrants, took a slightly shorter trip on the loss side to pocket his $1,500 first prize. After an opening-round shutout over event director Tony Robles, Rodriguez fell victim to Del Sim who battled him to double hill before sending him to the loss side. Sim advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Alex Kazakis, who defeated him, and then, downed Hunter Lombardo in the hot seat match. Rodriguez won five on the loss side, the last two of which, against Edwin Garcia and Lombardo, went double hill. With momentum to spare apparently, Rodriguez advanced to defeat Kazakis in the finals 9-3.
The $2,000-added Mixed Advanced division drew the largest field of 64 entrants. While Alberto Estevez went undefeated, his efforts were almost derailed in a double hill final against Shawn Sookhai in the finals. Sookhai had been defeated in the opening round and won eight on the loss side (four that went double hill) to face Estevez in the finals. Estevez had faced only two double hill challenges; his opening round match against Rhio Anne (“Annie”) Flores and the final against Sookhai.
The other three divisions (Mixed Masters, Men’s and Women’s Leisure) were all $1,200-added events that drew 32 entrants each. Brent Traynor went undefeated through the field to capture the event title in the Mixed Masters event, although his efforts were almost derailed by two opponents who challenged him in three double hill matches. Traynor downed Gary O’Callaghan twice; once, in a winners’ side semifinal and again in the finals. In comparison, Traynor breezed into the hot seat with a shutout win over Rob Pole in the winners’ side final.
Corey Avallone faced only one double hill challenge in his undefeated, five-match march to the Men’s Leisure title. Mark Ogawa, who would end up in the tie for fifth place, battled Avallone to double hill in the winners’ side semifinal, from which Avallone would advance to face Jerry Vasquez twice; first, in the hot seat match and then, in the finals. Avallone won them both 5-3.
[photo id=48011|align=right]Suzzie Wong, who entered the Women’s Leisure event as the #1-ranked female player on the Tri-State Tour and a week earlier had become the first D-ranked player to battle in a Predator Pro Am Tour hot seat match, went undefeated to capture the ladies title. She entered the tournament as that tour’s #3-ranked women’s player. Like Alberto Estevez in the Mixed Advanced division, Wong’s trip to the winners’ circle was almost derailed by an opponent – Michele Brotons – who’d lost her opening match and won every loss-side match (six of them, including three shutouts and one double hill challenge) to meet Wong in the finals. Wong’s five-match trek to the trophy featured one double hill match, against Irene Kim and separate opponents in the hot seat and finals. She downed Michele Ko 5-1 to move into the hot seat and finished Brotons’ six-match, loss-side run in the finals 7-5.
Event(s) director Tony Robles and his Silent Assassin Productions’ staff thanked event sponsor Michael Fedak for his continuing support of this event, as well as Steinway Billiards’ owner, Manny Stamatakis, and his staff for their hospitality. The event was also sponsored by the NAPL, Blatt Billiards, and PoolOnTheNet.com.
CueSports International, Henderson, NV (Aug. 26, 2016) — With cool determination, Justin Bergman iced his opponents to win the 9-Ball Division of the US Bar Table Championship (USBTC) Friday at the Westgate Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, beating Shane McMinn in the finals by a score of 9-7.
It was a perfect follow up to his victory Wednesday when he won the 10-Ball. Bergman, aka, “Iceberg” pocketed $4,100 for the win and locked up the $1,500 All-Around Bonus, making it a $9,400 week for the 29-year-old from Fairview Heights, Ill.
Bergman faced a touch field in the 9-Ball Division, posting wins over Billy Thorpe, 9-6; Donny Branson, 9-6; Chris Stanfield, 9-8; Max Eberle 9-3; Ryan DeBerg, 9-2; and Edwin Garcia, 9-1, before sending Shane McMinn to the loser’s bracket after a 9-7 win to take the hot seat.
McMinn, a former Oklahoma State champion, beat Roberto Gomez Jr., 9-6; Josh Roberts, 9-5; Julio Burgos Torres, 9-5; and Mike DeWitt, 9-6, before losing to Bergman, 7-9. Then McMinn beat Jason Klatt to meet Bergman in the finals.
The finals of the 9-Ball Division, which had an alternating break format, started with each of the players breaking and running a rack. In the third rack, McMinn, who had won the lag, jawed the seven ball, giving Bergman the rack and an advantage that McMinn was unable to overcome.
Bergman is also still undefeated in the 8-Ball Division, which began Friday, so he has the opportunity to win the USBTC’s Triple Crown, a feat that has never been accomplished by any player.
In addition, he’ll receive Mosconi Cup points for his wins — a fact that is very important to him. Before the start of the USBTC, Bergman was 14th on the Mosconi Cup rankings.
“I want to make the Mosconi Cup (team) so bad,” said Bergman, who represented the USA as part of the Mosconi Cup team in 2015 and 2014. “So that’s my main goal this year.”
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Rebecca Wagner of Las Vegas (photo at right), who placed second in the Women’s 10-Ball Division, found her way to another finals and was able to capture the 2016 USBTC Women’s 9-Ball Champion title early Friday, beating Susan Williams of Chandler, Ariz. in the finals posted wins against Mary Coffman, 7-4; Debra Aarens, 7-1; and Tina Larsen, 7-1. She beat Williams in the hot seat match, 7-4 on Thursday and repeated that feat in the finals.
Williams tournament included wins over Sierra Reams, 7-5; Grace Nakamura, 7-6; Anne Carmona, 7-5; and 10-Ball Champion Jessica Frideres, 7-5, before being sent to the B side of the bracket by Wagner. Then Williams beat Frideres again, 7-3, to secure her spot in the finals.
The US Bar Table Championships continues through Sunday with the 8-Ball divisions in full swing. The Open 8-Ball Division has 101 players and there are 26 players in the Women’s Division.
Players who place in the top 32 of each open division receive Mosconi Cup USA Team points on a sliding scale. The top three American players with the most points at the end of the year will be selected for the USA Mosconi Cup Team.
Sponsors of the $20,000-added tournament include: OB Cues, the Official Cue; Kamui, the Official Tip; Diamond Billiard Products, Cyclop Balls, Simonis Cloth, BadBoys Billiard Productions, FargoRate, Magic Ball Rack and Matchroom Sport.
The 2016 US Bar Table Championships are produced by CueSports International, the parent company of the BCAPL and USAPL. CSI also produces independent events, such as the US Open 10-Ball Championship, the US Open 8-Ball Championship and much more. For more information, visit www.playcsipool.com or call 702-719-POOL.
CueSports International, Henderson, NV (Aug. 25, 2016) — The 93-player field in the Open 9-Ball division at the 23rd Annual US Bar Table Championships was trimmed to just six players Thursday at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. On the winner’s side of the bracket, Shane McMinn of Ponca, Okla. faces Justin “Iceberg” Bergman of Fairview, Ill. in the hot seat match at 2:30 p.m. Friday.
On the B-Side of the bracket, Billy “Thorpedo” Thorpe will play Jason Klatt at 4 p.m.The winner of that match will play the loser of the hot seat match in the semi-finals. The finals are scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be live-streamed. For live-streaming information, go to http://www.playcsipool.com/live-streaming.html.
To get to the hot seat match, McMinn (photo below right), a former Oklahoma State champion, beat Roberto Gomez Jr., 9-6; Josh Roberts, 9-5; Julio Burgos Torres, 9-5; and Mike DeWitt, 9-6.
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Bergman, who won the 10-Ball division on Wednesday, posted wins over Billy Thorpe, 9-6; Donny Branson, 9-6; Chris Stanfield, 9-8; Max Eberly, 9-3; Ryan DeBerg, 9-2; and Edwin Garcia, 9-1.
In the Women’s Division, Rebecca Wagner of Las Vegas, who placed second in the Women’s 10-Ball Division will play Susan Williams of Chandler, Az. in the finals match at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Wagner posted wins against Mary Coffman, 7-4; Debra Aarens, 7-1; and Tina Larsen, 7-1. She beat Williams in the hot seat match, 7-4 on Thursday.
Williams (photo below right) tournament included wins over Sierra Reams, 7-5; Grace Nakamura, 7-6; Anne Carmona, 7-5; and 10-Ball Champion Jessica Frideres, 7-5, before being sent to the B side of the bracket by Wagner. Then Williams beat Frideres again, 7-3, to secure her spot in the finals.
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The US Bar Table Championships continue through Aug. 28, with the 9-Ball Division concluding Friday, as the 8-Ball Division begins. The 8-Ball Open Division has 100 players and 20 players in the Women’s Division.
Players who place in the top 32 of each open division receive Mosconi Cup USA Team points on a sliding scale. The top three American players with the most points at the end of the year will be selected for the USA Mosconi Cup Team.
Sponsors of the $20,000-added tournament include: OB Cues, the Official Cue; Kamui, the Official Tip; Diamond Billiard Products, Cyclop Balls, Simonis Cloth, BadBoys Billiard Productions, FargoRate, Magic Ball Rack and Matchroom Sport.
The 2016 US Bar Table Championships are produced by CueSports International, the parent company of the BCAPL and USAPL. CSI also produces independent events, such as the US Open 10-Ball Championship, the US Open 8-Ball Championship and much more. For more information, visit www.playcsipool.com or call 702-719-POOL.
