Before the 10th stop on the Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour was over on Sunday, Oct. 24, tour representatives announced to all those in attendance that Daniel Herring, by virtue of how far he had already advanced in the $1,500-added, ongoing event that drew 84 players to Snookered in Frisco, TX, was the 2021 Tour Champion. It might have provided Jeff Franklin with a touch of motivation, because Franklin subsequently downed Herring twice, in the hot seat and finals, to go undefeated and claim the second-to-last 2021 tour title.
Though he started strong after a bye, downing Zeke Moore 8-3 and Quy Dao 8-1, Franklin would finish, having given up an average of five racks to his six opponents in seven matches (Herring twice). From his second match, he never gave up less than five the rest of the way. He downed Alberto Nieto Garcia (5) and Tony Top (6) to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal matchup against Robert Clark.
Herring, in the meantime, after a bye, started out 8-2 (Domingo Lazaro) and 8-4 (Steve Raynes), and even after his two late losses to Franklin, finished having given up an average of just under four racks to his eight opponents (Franklin twice). After Raynes, Herring downed Jim Calderon 8-2 and then, shut out Miguel Hernandez to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal versus Clint Freeman.
Franklin sent Clark to the loss side 8-6, as Herring was sending Freeman over 8-3. In their first of two, Franklin and Herring battled to double hill before Franklin prevailed and claimed the hot seat.
On the loss side, Clark picked up Miguel Hernandez, who’d followed his winners’ side quarterfinal loss to Herring with wins over Prashant Srivastava 6-2 and Jeff Georges 6-4. Freeman drew Tony Top, who’d followed his winners’ side quarterfinal loss to Franklin with victories over Mark Nanashee 8-5 and Chris “Woody” Smith 8-4.
Top downed Freeman 8-3. Clark joined him in the quarterfinals with an 8-5 win over Hernandez. Clark advanced one more step, defeating Top in those quarterfinals 8-5, before being stopped by Herring in the semifinals 8-4.
The finals looked as though it was going to be another double hill battle, but it fell short by a single game. Franklin sealed the deal and claimed the event title 8-6.
Tour director Monica Anderson thanked Craig and Jana Lucas and their Snookered staff, as well as title sponsor Cuetec and associate sponsor Fort Worth Billiards Superstore (Albert Trujillo and team). The Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour’s finale, scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 20-21, will be hosted by Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX.
Although one could spend a long time detailing the accomplishments of Jeremy “Double J” Jones on the local (Texas), national and international pool stage, a victory on the four-year-old CUETEC DFW 9-Ball Tour had eluded him. Until this past weekend, July 24-25. He joined 95 other competitors at the $1,500-added, Stop #7 on the tour, hosted by Rusty’s in Arlington, TX. Much to the surprise of quite a few, Jones had to come from the loss side to seal the deal, which he did to claim his first CUETEC DFW 9-Ball Tour title.
Jones seemed to be on a steady path toward the victory through his opening matches. A bye was followed by wins over Joe Pelayo 10-5, a shutout over Gert Ehing, a 10-3 win versus Eric Smith and a 10-5 win over Clint Palaci, which set him up to face Curtis Cardwell in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Cardwell had arrived, having won alternate 7-5, 7-4 wins over Jeff Turney, Ryan Lane, Bobby Martinez and Tina Soto. TJ Davis, in the meantime, had gotten by Benito Gutierrez 9-1, Monica Anderson 9-3, Friday Abismo 9-3, Greg Sandifer 9-5 and Jimmy Davis 9-6 to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal matchup versus Donnie Gregory.
Cardwell sent Jones off on a relatively short, three-match loss-side journey with a 7-5 win. Davis sent both Gregory and then, Cardwell over, both 9-5, claiming the hot seat, and, as it turned out, his last win.
On the loss side, Gregory picked up Jeff Franklin, who had started his tournament run in fine fashion, shutting out Charlie Roberts, only to have ‘fine fashion’ turn sour in the second round, when he lost to Jersey Jack Lynch in a double hill fight. Franklin then embarked on a nine-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently included a shutout over Tina Soto and 8-6 win over Robert Clark to draw Gregory. Jones drew Jimmy Davis, who’d dropped a winners’ side quarterfinal match to TJ Davis (9-6) and then defeated Friday Abismo, double hill, and Daniel Herring 7-4.
Franklin chalked up his ninth and final loss-side win, eliminating Gregory 8-4. “Double J” joined him in the quarterfinals after dispatching Jimmy Davis 10-2. Franklin put up a fight in the quarterfinals, tallying seven racks against Jones, which, in the end, only happened twice; the first time, versus Cardwell in the winners’ side semifinal match that had sent Jones to the loss side. Jones moved on 10-7 to a rematch versus Cardwell in the semifinals.
Cardwell, like Franklin before him, put up a fight for a second shot against TJ Davis in the hot seat. He fell one rack short of duplicating his effort against Jones the first time, when he won 7-5. This time, he battled Jones to double hill (6-9) before Jones finished it and advanced to the true double elimination final versus Davis.
Jones left little doubt of the outcome in the opening set, allowing TJ Davis only a single rack to force a second set. Davis got a few chances in that second set, but Jones was at 10 before Davis was able to chalk up a sixth rack. Jeremy “Double J” Jones added a CUETEC DFW 9-Ball Tour title, his first, to his lengthy resume.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Rusty’s, including Jeff Pitts, GM, for their hospitality, as well as their main sponsors, CUETEC and Fort Worth Billiards Superstore. The next stop (#8) on the CUETEC DFW 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for Aug. 21-22, will be hosted by Snookered in Frisco, TX.
Robert Newkirk, Jeff Franklin, Ryan Braselman, Blake Kamiab
Challenged twice by previously unknown competitor, Ryan Braselman
It happens, but it’s rare. While an unknown player might surprise a few players in a bar or pool hall with a good performance in a game or a match, instances of relative unknowns enduring the rigors of a lengthy tournament and challenging more established players in the hot seat and finals of such an event are few and far between. And there are generally rules in place to avoid some random entrant from sneaking up on a tour’s regulars and ‘stealing’ a tournament by understating his or her skill level.
“If we don’t know you, you don’t have a Fargo rating, can’t find any history on your skill levels and no one can vouch for you that you have one,” said Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour representative, Monica Anderson, “we start you out as a ‘7,’ for guys, mainly.”
And so it was, for Ryan Braselman, new to Texas and the Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour, having migrated recently from Louisiana. He made it all the way into the hot seat of the tour’s 5th stop, defeating tour veteran Jeff Franklin, whose history (in AZBilliards’ database, at least) dates back 16 years to his 3rd place finish in the Texas 10-Ball Championships in 2005. Franklin came back from the semifinals to double dip the newcomer and claim the event title. The $1,500-added event drew 108 entrants to Rusty’s in Arlington, TX.
“As you can see with Braselman’s finish,” said Anderson, “he is indeed a skill level 7.”
Both Franklin and Braselman began the tournament with a bye. Franklin opened with a shutout victory over Jacky Halper, who was the lowest skill level player (4) that he would face the rest of the way. Franklin then defeated Bobby Diggs, Jeff Georges and TJ Davis (#9 on the tour standings list) to draw Blake Kamiab in one of the winners’ side semifinals. After his ‘bye,’ Braselman opened against a skill level 7, Friday Abismo, and after sending him to the loss side 7-3, chalked up his shutout over Casey Dawson. Victories over Clint Palaci and Jim Tuley put Braselman in the other winners’ side semifinal against Tony Loeper.
Franklin defeated Kamiab 8-3, not knowing that he’d be facing him a second time, later. Braselman joined Franklin in the hot seat match after sending Loeper to the loss side 7-5. Given their respective records at the table, it’s hard to figure who was the more surprised when the ‘new kid on the block’ defeated Jeff Franklin 7-5 to claim the hot seat.
Six of the top 10 players in the tour standings competed in this event. Two made it to the fourth winners’ side round, two made it to the third round, and two played only a single match on the winners’ side. Of those six, only three took home any cash. TJ Davis (in a two-way tie for the 8th spot in tour standings) made it as far as the first money round and finished there in the tie for 17th. Robbie Cleland (#3) finished in the tie for 7th, while Daniel Herring (#1) got as far as the tie for 5th.
Moving over from the winners’ side final four, Loeper drew a rematch against Robert Newkirk, whom he’d sent to the loss side in a double hill, fourth round fight. Newkirk downed four on the west side, including Roman Bayda 7-3 and TJ Davis, double hill, to reach Loeper. Blake Kamiab picked up Daniel Herring, who’d also been sent over by Loeper, double hill, in a winners’ side quarterfinal immediately after Loeper had defeated Newkirk. Herring eliminated Miguel Hernandez 8-1 and Donnie Gregory, double hill, to face Kamiab.
Newkirk wreaked his vengeance on Loeper 7-3, leaving him in the tie for 5th place. Kamiab joined Newkirk in the quarterfinals after eliminating Herring 7-4.
Kamiab stopped Newkirk’s loss-side streak at five, with a 7-3 win in those quarterfinals, earning himself a rematch against Franklin in the semifinals. Franklin stopped Kamiab’s streak at two matches with an 8-4 win in the semifinals.
The true double elimination format required Franklin to defeat Braselman twice in the finals. He beat him in the opening set 8-3 and being satisfied with that result, did it again, defeating him a second time to claim the event title.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Rusty’s for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor CueTec and Associate Title sponsor Fort Worth Billiards Superstore. The CueTec DFW 9-Ball Tour will return to Snookered in Frisco, TX for stop # 6, scheduled for June 19-20.
It’s been a while since Jeff Franklin has made an appearance in our AZBilliards database that records all cash payouts for listed players; a little over five years ago, to be precise, when he finished in the tie for 13th place at the 1st Texas 10-Ball Championships at Skinny Bob’s in Austin, TX. His record in our database dates back 15 years to his first entry, finishing third at the 2005 Houston Open. He updated that database resume last weekend (Sept. 19-20) when he went undefeated to win a stop on the CueTec DFW 9-Ball Tour. The $1,000-added event drew 68 entrants to Snookered Billiards & Bar in Frisco, TX.
According to tour director, Monica Anderson, the event drew a lot of Texan ‘heavy hitters,’ which, in spite of his protracted absence, Franklin took down with relative ease; “slaying the masses,” as Anderson described it. He advanced through the double elimination bracket to down Daniel Herring 8-6 in a winners’ side quarterfinal to pick up Alex Acosta in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Gus Briseno, in the meantime, sent Juan Parra to the loss side 9-2 in his winners’ side quarterfinal to draw Robert Clark in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Franklin defeated Acosta 8-1, as Briseno sent Clark west 9-4. On a bit of a ‘roll,’ Franklin gave up only a single rack to Briseno in the hot seat match, to claim the seat and wait for Briseno’s eventual return.
On the loss side, Acosta drew Greg Sandifer, who’d recently defeated Jesus Sorto and Alberto Nieto Garcia by an aggregate score of 16-3; giving up two to Sorto and only one to Garcia. Clark picked up Herring, who, following his defeat at the hands of Franklin, had eliminated Curtis Cardwell 8-3 and Mohammed Alrawi 8-2.
Sandifer leapfrogged into the quarterfinals, when Acosta forfeited. He was joined by Clark, who’d sent Herring home 8-5. By the same score, Clark then sent Sandifer home in those quarterfinals.
Briseno put a stop to Clark’s brief sojourn on the loss side, downing him 9-5 for a second shot at Franklin in the hot seat. It was the second time in a row that Clark finished in 3rd place, having done so at the last stop in August.
The ‘second verse’ of the Franklin/Briseno competitive ‘song’ was nothing like the first. With Briseno racing to 9, Clark forced a deciding final game at 7-8, to win it 8-8 and claim his first-time-in-a-long-time event title.
In addition to the cash winnings they earned for their finish positions in the event, Mohammed Alrawi, who finished 7th, and Jennifer Hooten, who finished in the tie for 13th place, picked up some extra cash. Alrawi added $60 for being the last-standing Skill Level 6 in the event. Hooten picked up $60 cash twice, for finishing as the event’s last-standing lady and its last-standing Skill Level 4.
Tour director Monica Anderson thanked Craig and Jana Lucas and their Snookered staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor CueTec and Fort Worth Billiards Store. The next stop on the CueTec DFW 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for the weekend of October 17-18, will be hosted by The Billiard Den in Richardson, TX.
Our first, last year, was just a small tournament with local talent of 31 players to honor our hometown "Texas Legend" Junior Norris, Texas Pool Hall of Famer. But this year was a huge celebration and tournament. Junior Norris celebrated his 90th birthday in GRAND STYLE, surrounded by friends and family, for 2 days as FAST EDDY'S Billiards & Games of Wichita Falls, TX hosted an OUTSTANDING 64 PLAYER TOURNAMENT and VETERANS CELEBRATION!!!!!
Great players, good food, and just a wonderfully awesome time. Fast Eddy’s Billiards and Games in Wichita Falls hosted the 2 day event June 27th & 28th with some of the best players in the Southwest and some players came from as far as Las Vegas to compete. The 64 player bracket maxed out days before the event and more players were soliciting for a spot to test their talent for a chance to win their share of the $3,200 prize pool.
Watch for our 3rd Annual JUNIOR NORRIS 9 BALL SHOOT OUT in JUNE 2016. 128 PLAYERS OVER 3 DAYS OF PLAY. Don't miss it…Gonna be the BEST 9 BALL TOURNAMENT IN TEXAS. For information contact Sherrie “Norris” Glenn via email at sherrieglenn2004@gmail.com
The Texas Tornado (Vivian Villareal), and Clicks Billiards in San Antonio combined to present a dual event on the weekend of November 1-2, that was billed as both the Texas Tornado Tournament and as Clicks 9-Ball Open. A $3,000-added Open event, won by Manny Chau, drew 64 entrants, while the $1,500-added Ladies event, won by Gail Eaton, drew 32. Villareal, herself, figured in both events. She challenged Eaton twice in the ladies event to claim the runner-up title, and finished in the tie for fifth place in the Open event. The Ladies event ran a little late, offering Villareal and Eaton the opportunity to see the sunrise over San Antonio on Monday morning.
Both events featured the same players battling in both the hot seat and finals. In the Open event, it was Manny Chau and Greg Hogue. In the Ladies tournament, it was Villareal and Eaton.
In the Open event, Chau had sent Jeff Franklin to the losers' bracket 7-2 in one winners' side semifinal, while Hogue was busy sending Villareal over, 7-1, in the other. Chau claimed the hot seat 7-4 over Hogue and waited on his return.
Villareal picked up her second straight loss, 7-4, against C.J. Wiley, who'd survived a double hill fight versus Eric Aicenina and defeated Daniel Coffman 7-2 to reach her. Franklin drew "Hillbilly" (Charlie Bryant), who'd eliminated Chris Jowers and Ricardo Nixon, both 7-2, before Franklin eliminated him 7-5.
Wiley gave up only a single rack in his quarterfinal victory over Franklin, and then fought tooth and nail against Hogue, who eventually prevailed in the semifinals. Chau allowed Hogue only a single rack in the opening set of the true double elimination final, claiming the event's Open title.
In the Ladies' event, the hot seat match followed Villareal's 7-1 victory over Tricia Moses, and Eaton's 7-5 win over Sophie Lopez. Eaton took the hot seat 7-5 over Villareal and waited (a long, long time) for her return.
Lopez and Moses moved to the loss side and picked up their second straight loss immediately; Lopez falling to Ming Ng 7-2 and Moses being eliminated by Helen Hayes 7-5. Ng took the quarterfinal match against Hayes 7-2, and was then narrowly defeated, double hill, by Villareal in the semifinals. Eaton took the opening and only set needed in the finals 7-4 to claim the title.
On the weekend of January 11-12th, Jeff Franklin from Sherman, Texas claimed the top prize on the 2014 Season Opener of the Omega Billiards Tour at Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX. Jeff captured that first place spot by going undefeated through a field of 80 players!
Over $9,500 was given out in monies and prizes this weekend! (Tourney payouts + prizes + player’s auction.)
After a bye, Jeff defeated Don Denman and then got by 2014 Tour Champion Tony Sulsar 8-6. On Sunday, Jeff defeated Jerrell Eason 8-4, Viet My 8-5, and then slid by Daniel Herring hill-hill to have a spot in the hot-seat. Jeff would defeat Steve Raynes 8-3 in the hot-seat match before waiting to see who he would play in the finals.
Mike Voelkering started out with a bye on Saturday morning and then defeated Nick Conner and Carl Bodeker to last until Sunday on the winner’s side. On Sunday morning, Mike sent Robert Reighter west along with Chad Walker before barely losing to Steve Raynes hill-hill.
Mike then worked his magic on the one-loss side, taking care of John Plumlee 7-1, then prevailing in a hill-hill match against Daniel Herring to get another shot at Steve Raynes. Mike would win 7-5 to secure his spot in the finals against Jeff. Jeff was still on fire though and even though Mike put up a great fight, Jeff prevailed with great play with a score of 8-5 to win his first Omega Tour stop!!
Jeff earned $925 for First Place and Mike earned $530 for Second Place (his second time in a year!). Steve had another fantastic tourney placing 3rd place again (just in the Season Finale a month before) and earned $400, Daniel Herring rounded out the top 4 with $340 for his great play (payouts do not reflect the Player Auction).
Congratulations to ALL of the players for their fine play and great finishes!
This event was the Omega Billiards Tour’s Season Opener with $1,500 added with 80 players!! The Predator Player Tracker is back on and the top three players at the end of the year will win a plethora of Predator Prizes! Six more stops to see who gets all the Predator products! Further, fourth through eighth places at the end of the year rankings will each receive a free entry into the 2015 BCAPL Nationals!
A HUGE thank you goes out to Predator Cues, BCAPL/CSI, and Lucasi and Players Cues. We would also like to give a big thanks to our additional sponsors, OB Cues, Irving Ink and Thread, Pro Billiard Service, Wallace Custom Cues, AZBilliards.com, and BilliardsPress.com.
Tour Director Melinda Bailey would like to thank Rusty’s Billiards and their awesome staff for their great hospitality all weekend! 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 of the large tournaments across the country.
The 2014 Omega Billiards Tour calendar is already set with 6 more stops and a Season Finale. The second stop will be held at the Billiard Den in Richardson, Texas February 22-23, 2014! Each stop is limited to 80 players (an increase from 64) and the monies guaranteed added has increased to $1,500 for each stop!! Pool is alive and thriving in Texas!!
The 2014 Schedule is online and payments can be received via the Omega Tour website.
