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Hosang goes undefeated in his second win on the Tri-State Tour

(l to r): Eugene Ok & Geovani Hosang

Until this past weekend, it had been one week shy of three years since Geovani Hosang had won a stop on the Tri-State Tour. It was, according to our records, Hosang’s best earnings year at the tables (2013), with an undefeated win on the Tri-State Tour, a fifth on the Predator Tour and a 13th place finish in the Ginky Memorial’s Amateur tournament. Hosang chalked up his second victory on the Tri-State Tour on Sunday, November 5, once again, going undefeated, this time in a $1,000-added event that drew 20 entrants to Cue Bar Lounge & Billiards in Bayside (Queens), NY.
 
Hosang was challenged by separate opponents in the hot seat and finals in this one. He’d advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against John Francisco, as Mike Strassberg faced Bob Toomey in the other one. Hosang’s hot seat challenger proved to be Strassberg, who defeated Toomey 6-2, as Hosang sent Francisco west, double hill. In his second straight double hill match, Hosang sent Strassberg to the semifinals, where he’d run into the event’s runner-up, Eugene Ok, who’d end up winning eight on the loss side to meet Hosang in the finals.
 
On the loss side, it was Francisco who ran into Ok, who’d defeated Tony Cosenza and Jaydev Zaveri, both 7-5, to reach him. Toomey drew Esteban Morrell, Jr., who’d eliminated Irene Kim 7-2 and Allison LaFleur 7-3. Once Ok had defeated Francisco 7-4 and Morrell had downed Toomey 6-3, it was Ok and Morrell, who’d both lost in the event’s opening round, duking it out in the double hill quarterfinals that followed.
 
Ok advanced to the semifinals, where a 7-5 win over Strassberg gave him a shot at Hosang in the finals. Ok’s eight-match, loss-side winning streak came to an end with a double hill win by Hosang in those finals.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Cue Bar, 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 Sunday, November 12, will be a $1,000-added, Double Points event, hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.

DaBreo goes undefeated to win his 7th Predator Pro Am title since 2009

(l to r): Raphael DaBreo, Suzzie Wong, & Jose Mendez

On average, Raphael Dabreo wins an event on the Predator Pro Am Tour about once a year, and has been doing so since 2009. In that same time frame, he’s won, on average, exactly one event on the Tri-State Tour every year. In the only year since 2009 that he failed to record a victory on either tour, he was runner-up in the Empire State 10-Ball Championships (won by Jorge Rodriguez) and the Mixed Masters division of the NYC 8-Ball Championships (won by Koka Davladze). On the weekend of October 28-29, DaBreo chalked up a second victory on the 2017 Predator Pro Am Tour, which he’d won in June. It was the first time in almost four years that DaBreo had recorded two wins on either or both of the tours. The $1,000-added Predator Pro Am event drew 59 entrants to Spin City Café Billiards in Woodside (Queens), NY.
 
Unlike his effort in June, when he won seven matches on the loss side to meet and defeat hot seat occupant, Koka Davladze, DaBreo took the undefeated route in this one. DaBreo was challenged by Jose Mendez in one of the winners’ side semifinals, while Suzzie Wong (about to record Predator Pro Am history) faced veteran Tony Ignomirello.
 
DaBreo got into the hot seat match with a 7-4 win over Mendez, as Wong was sending “Tony Iggy” to the loss side 8-5. Wong became the first D-class player to get into a hot seat match in the history of the tour. Though she battled mightily, and forced a deciding game, she did not become the first D-class player to sit in a Predator Pro Am hot seat, because DaBreo sent her to the semifinals 11-10.
 
On the loss side, Ignomirello picked up his second straight female opponent, Amy Yu, who’d defeated Pascal Dufresne 7-2 and Jerry Almodovar 7-3 to reach him. Mendez drew Geovani Hosang, who’d eliminated “The Warrior” (Carl Yusuf Khan) and Dave Shlemperis, both 7-5.
As Wong had done versus DaBreo in the hot seat match, Yu put up a double hill fight against Ignomirello, but he prevailed to advance to the quarterfinals. He was joined by Mendez, who’d eliminated Hosang 7-4.
 
Mendez ended Ignomirello’s bid for a win with a 9-7 win in those quarterfinals. In the semifinals, with both players looking for a re-match against DaBreo, Mendez ended Wong’s bid to become the first D-class player in a Predator Pro Am final by defeating her 11-8. DaBreo closed it out with a 7-5 win over Mendez in the finals.
 
A concurrently-run Second Chance event drew eight entrants, and was won by Pascal Dufresne. Dufresne pocketed $100 with a victory over Duc Lam ($50) in the finals.
 
Tour director Tony Robles thanked the ownership and staff at Spin City for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, the NAPL, Ozone Billiards, PoolOnTheNet.Com, Cappelle Publishing, and Delta-13 Racks. The next stop on the Predator Tour, scheduled for November 18-19, will be hosted by Cue Bar in Bayside, Queens.

Dennis “Spears” It 3 Years in a Row for ANDY CLOTH World Tournament of 14.1

 For their third consecutive year, Sandcastle Billiards hosted a qualifier event for the World Tournament of 14.1 Continuous Straight Pool. Only one slot remained available in the 16 man double-elimination qualifier tournament. The top 2 finishers were to be awarded a seat in the prestigious main event being held this year in New York from August 4th. A very talented and bloodthirsty field came out from various neighboring states to compete on this 12th with players by Noon time as they began practicing till the first round was called at 1pm. 
 
 Fans and players can attend the once a year special event August 4th-9th, 2014 at Steinway Billiards Cafe or watch online at www.worldstraightpool.com . $50 All Event Pay Per View special for the ANDY CLOTH World Tournament of 14.1 !! Price goes up on Aug 2. It will be a star studded gala with billiard super stars such as Mika Immonen, Shane Van Boening, John Schmidt, Stephan Cohen, Johnny Archer, Darren Appleton & many more with Charlie Williams as the event MC. The ANDY CLOTH World Tournament of 14.1 is  sponsored by ANDY CLOTH, Kamui Brands, OB Cues, Amsterdam Billiard Club, Realrealcool.com, Pool & Billiard Magazine , Aramith Balls, and George Beckman Kinetic Sculptures. Official patron 14.1 aficionados are Stu Mattana, Tom Gleich, Harold Siegel, and Dr. Greg Diehl Plastic Surgery.  Dragon Promotions and Dr. Michael Fedak are pleased to also bring the 4th Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame inducting "King" James Rempe and Frank "Sailor" Stellman. Since 1912, this will be the 74th production of the oldest billiard event in the world.
 
The pills had been drawn at random and the first round matchups were as follows;
Holden Chin vs. Sean Leinen
Sean “Alaska” Morgan vs. Gene Ok
Gerard Soriano vs. Flaco Rodriguez
Don Montalvo vs. Robert Madenjian
Dominic Noe vs. Jeff Crawford
Jim Heller vs. Eddie Culhane
 Geovani Hosang vs. Dennis Spears
 
Although any one of these competitors were very capable of winning this event, only two of these cue proficient warriors would be awarded the honors to advance and compete in the 74th World Tournament of Straight Pool.
 
The first to receive those honors by ripping through the field undefeated for the 3rd in a row was Sandcastle’s very own house player, Dennis Spears aka “Spider”. With victories over NJ local player, Geovani Hosang 100-19, then 100-32 over Eddie Culhane also from NJ, then a close one over a very impressive Dominic Noe 100-87 and finally over World Tournament veteran and solid player Bob Madenjian 100-39, Spears once again defended his home turf and rightfully claimed the 1st spot. 
 
The other valiant contender took a very scenic route with a first round loss. After getting sent to the one-loss side of the charts by Dominic Noe, Jeff Crawford originally from Elkhart, Indiana and currently residing in Parkesberg, Pennsylvania clawed his way through a gauntlet of skillful and commendable opponents. 
 
Crawford’s first round loss to Noe was followed by a 2nd battle began. First taking down the fierce Sean “Alaska” Morgan of NY with a score of 100-60, then Sandcastle’s own Gerard Soriano 100-41, he went on to defeat Raxx Pool Room owner, Holden Chin 100-45, then the well revered NY player, Flaco Rodriguez 100-34 and finally being victorious over the unyielding Bob Madenjian, Crawford claimed the 2nd year slot into the main event.
 
Special recognition goes out to Sean Morgan and Holden Chin as they had a nail biting final score of 100-95 in their match. Congrats to Michael Franzyshen, Sandcastle In-House 14.1 handicapped league 3 –Time Champion for stepping up to the big leagues and also squeaking out a 100-95 victory over Sean Leinen. Acknowledge Gerard Soriano, long overdue for getting his feet wet. It’s not the last time you’ll see his name for sure. Thank you Sean Leinen and Bob Madenjian for making those long trips out to compete once again, Don Montalvo for doing what it took to make it possible to come out, Geovani Hosang and Jim Heller for your continued support and improved games as you entered the battlegrounds, the well respected Flaco Rodriguez, always a pleasure to have, Gene Ok and Dominic Noe, such a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you all at the main event.
 
Sandcastle Billiards would like to thank all those who came out to compete this year and all of its loyal regular patrons that continue to work to improve their game and share the same passion for the game enjoying the beauty of its complexity, poetry, high demand for focus and freedom of individual expression and style of play. “We’re not here just to make a dollar- we’re here to make a difference!” Good luck and play well.

 

Robles comes from the loss-side to capture Open/Pro event on Predator Tour

Tony Robles

Sent to the loss side from among the winners’ side final eight, Tony Robles battled back through five matches to defeat Frankie Hernandez in the finals of the Open/Pro event of the Predator Tour stop on the weekend of February 11-12. The $500-added Open/Pro event drew 15 entrants to The Cue Bar in Bayside, NY.

Once he’d sent Robles west with an 8-6 victory, Geovani Hosang moved among the winners’ side final four to face Coco Davladze. Hernandez, in the meantime, squared off against Jennifer Baretta. Hosang downed Davladze 8-6 and in the battle for the hot seat, faced Hernandez, who’d defeated Baretta 8-5. Hernandez got into the hot seat with an 8-3 victory over Hosang and waited for the return of “The Silent Assassin.”

Said ‘assassin’ got to work on the loss side with a 7-3 victory over Oscar Bonilla and then defeated Jorge Rodriguez 7-4 to pick up Baretta. Davladze drew Juan Guzman, who’d defeated Alex Borukhovich 7-2 and Mhet Vergara, double hill, to reach him. Robles downed Baretta 7-5, and was joined in the quarterfinals by Guzman, who’d survived a double hill match against Davladze. 

Robles gave up only a single rack to Guzman in those quarterfinals, earning himself a re-match against the man who’d sent him west earlier, Hosang. Robles gave up only three racks in a 7-3 semifinal victory that gave him a shot versus Hernandez. Had Hernandez reached seven games first, it would have been over, but it was Robles hitting that mark, and extending the race to nine games. They battled, eventually, to double hill before Robles prevailed to capture his own event title.

As tour representative, Robles thanked Sam An and the staff at the Cue Bar for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCGrind.