Diamond thanks all the attendees for the unprecedented surge to 1469 entries.
Some say that there is no sportsperson better equipped to pull an all-nighter than the Pool Player.
Once in action, they can’t quit. They have to hang with it until their opposition collapses or is “broken” so to speak. That’s how they evolve to become Champions.
Muscovite, Fedor Gorst proved his commanding pro-pool omnipotence by retaining his Master of the Table title after competing, not just all day through the wee small hours but, past dawn until 10 o’clock in the morning.
The players were not alone in this adventure, the videos had to be captured not only for the Accu-Stats’ historic library but for posterity. Fans are going to reminisce about this one for decades. andwith Pat Fleming at the helm to keep an accurate score and press that all-important record button, it can be seen and believed.
Gorst, earlier in the week, repeated his 2022 Bank Pool title and this year’s 9-Ball Championship.
Asked at his acceptance speech how he was feeling, one word said it all, “Tired.” He was halfjoking. He had been awake for 28 hours.And, still had time for a smile.
Read on to the Final day’s activities in pool’s most punishing, and rewarding, arena.
Diamond Billiard Products would also like to honor the memory of Mark Griffin.
Mark was an important part of Diamond’s evolution. He was there from the beginning, developing with owner Greg Sullivan, the table that has made pocket billiard history.
Diamond Derby City Classic One-PocketChampionship
Semis 5:30 pm, Finals 8:30pm
The above times were when the 9-Ball Finals were planned…that was until the record number of entries threw the schedule into total chaos.
One-Pocket is a fickle game. It can take 5-minutes when a player runs all the balls into his pocket in one inning. Or, it can take hours when both players adopt safety strategy and start pushing balls up-table away from their pockets.
Regular readers may remember the recent comment: “Did someone say shot clock?”
As the Derby redraws after every round, if that round hasn’t been completed, the whole tournament stalls.
That’s the short version of how the One-Pocket event couldn’t be finished until Saturday evening – 2 days later than scheduled.
429 started, three remained: Efren Reyes, the 68-year-old living legend, 6-time DCC One-Pocket Champion, and 5-time Master of the Table.
Tony “T Rex” Chohan. Both respected and feared for his unbounded One-Pocket creativity, dominance, cool craftiness, and for often tossing caution to the wind when the win is big enough.
Fellow finalist, Johnathan “Hennessee” Pinegar. In 14 rounds of races to 3, he had lost only eight games. That tells how well he was competing. “I’ve been practicing a lot in the last months. I’ve been giving strong competition big handicaps, like 12-3, 12-4.”
The 44-year-old Tennesseean’s newfound enthusiasm has been rewarded.
He also got the luck of the latest draw by being unlucky earlier. He had never drawn the bye. As Tony, Johnathan, and Efren Reyes were the last three standing, the computer would, normally, randomly draw the “short straw,” who would go directly to roost in the hot seat.
The remaining two would compete in the semis for the right to fight for the trophy.
Tony and Efren had drawn byes in earlier rounds. DCC rules forbade the same player receiving a bye twice resulted in Johnathan automatically being in the finals.
The Semis #2: Reyes vs Chohan
The Accu-Stats Arena was crammed to the rafters. The crowd was intrigued to see if Tony, desperately seeking his first DCC title, could overcome pool’s most revered player in search of his 7th…at 68 years young!
The 41 year-old Chohan had garnered many accolades including two major One-Pocket wins: The US Open One Pocket Championship and The International Open One-Pocket division but the Derby, everyone agreed, was the toughest one to win.
He had gotten close in recent years. It had been 9 since Efren’s 6th.
Reyes quickly found his smooth, silky stroke, and aided by Tony’s missed opportunities, took the opening game.
Tony doesn’t miss for long, in the second rack Efren left a shot that was safe for aplayer. For Tony, the short rail bank was a hanger. 1-1
Game 3: Reyes, aggressive as ever, made one of his shots that earned him the moniker “Magician.”
The rack spread far and wide only, out of nowhere, the white was kicked into Tony’s hole: 2-1 Chohan…and breaking!
Within two innings, Efren had reversed the position and ran 5. Safety ensued. Reyes cue ball ran short leaving Tony an opening. He ran 3 only to miss a dogleg combo that left two, off-angle balls within inches of his hole.
Reyes, gotten by the 4 1/8” opening, as the ball wobbled and hung to ensure Tony’s ticket to the final.
On shaking hands, Tony respectfully raised Efren’s to the air in honor of his unparalleled performance.
Efren then left the Arena to a rousing standing ovation.
Tony Chohan (David Thomson – Medium Pool)
The Finals: Hennessee vs T Rex
Johnathan “Hennessee” Pinegar’s 15-round trip to the finals was the buzz of the arena. Such honor was the result of slaughtering many opponents at naught.
It took ’til round 12 before Tony “T Rex” Chohan sent the US Open All-Around Bar Box Champion to the buy-back booth, but how about out-shooting Shane Van Boening, Tyler Styer, Anton Raga, Billy Thorpe, just to mention a few? And let’s not forget, he gave Efren his first loss.
T Rex is another animal. At 3-1, he cold-bloodedly devoured crowd sentimental favorite Efren Reyes. He was so close to the title he could taste it.
Tony won the all-important lag. All important because, with alternate break a 2-2 tie means first crack at the last rack.
Expert commentary from US Mosconi Cup captain Jeremy Jones and 2010 DCC One-Pocket Champion Scott Frost.
Rack 1: Pinegar, back from overnight hibernation, attempted a touch shot: Tony ran 8-and-out: 1-0
Rack 2: Tony, attempted a touch shot: Johnathan, still cold, ran 8-and-out: 1-1.
Rack 3: An up-table battle, until Tony with 7 balls, on a makeable cross corner bank for the win, fouled. Pinegar pilfered the rack: 2-1.
Rack 4; Pinegar exercised discipline, determination, great defense, and the “Wedge.”
Tony grappled, one ball at a time until in need of one, undercut it. It hung in his hole as the cue ball bounced two rails to land diagonally near the side pocket. Luckily there were two balls blinding Pinegar from following it in and fouling.
He raised the butt of his cue to about 45 degrees, jumped over them, and bounced the dangling orb and the cue ball off the table. “FOUL,” cried emcee/referee Ed Liddawi.
Great shot in the poolroom where that would result in both balls being respotted.
The clearly written DCC rules dictated that the game be awarded to the non-offending player: 2-2.
Time-out. Time to reset. And for Pinegar to recover from the blunder.
The Decider: Chohan in control, He had won the lag, remember?
After Chohan snuck 3 ahead, the strategy quickly developed into another quasi-wedge affair.
Oh, no, thought the tournament registration crew, not another wedge; Chohan was an integral part of the 9-Ball event and his match was holding up the draw.
Tony had another agenda. He had Pool’s most important One-Pocket title in his grasp. And, as he had come from 1-2 behind, he knew he had the momentum!
Pinegar, disciplined dedicated, continued to contribute orbs to the wedge.
Like a sniper, Tony picked off the unsuspecting marks. Within minutes, one by one they.dropped until one remained.
Pinegar didn’t linger. He attacked the table, pocketed two, and jawed a third.
It offered Chohan the shot that had cost him the 3rd game.
Not this time. Calmly, he approached the ball and spun it across the table into the opposite pocket.
He followed that with something you don’t usually get from the normally stoic Chohan, he yelled with delight!
“How does that feel? he was asked
With a deep sigh of relief, he responded, “The monkey has dropped from my shoulders.”
Time for a very quick $16,000 check presentation, fist pumps with fans around the arena, and…
Now, who’s next in 9-Ball?
Tony “TREX” Chohan: $16,000 Johnathan “Hennessee” Pinegar: $8.200 Efren “The Magician” Reyes: $6,300
Diamond Derby City Classic 9-BALL Championship:
Race to 9, Accu-Rack, 9 on the spot, winner breaks.
Since Matchroom deemed the Derby’s 9-Ball Championship a Mosconi Cup point garnering tournament, 9-Ball has become DCC’s most populated event.
527 entries crushed the previous attendance statistic!
That number above, compounded by the 423 in One Pocket and 529 in Banks, made for the strangest Finals in DCC history.
Add a 3-hour One-Pocket final that helped stall the draw, and we have experienced the Derby Syndrome in spades.
THE DERBY SYNDROME
2023 took our sport’s nine most grueling days–and nights–of limited sleep; catching naps while standing; snacking on nutrition-less junk, and jousting non-stop from one discipline to the next to a whole new level, it’s a wonder some of these guys are alive.
Combating 15 rounds with these heavyweights can seriously damage your health, especially when there are 527 of them and “on call” as they had limited idea of when they were going to play.
Tony Chohan, down 4-8 against Mika Immonen must have been truly motivated by his stellar performance before in his One Pocket semis with Efren. Then, after the 3-hour Finals, Roland Garcia, understandably, ended him.
Fedor Gorst, at around 9 am on Sunday, having been up competing, and waiting, competing and waiting, on-and-off for 28 hours, at 9-2, ended Shane.
Both Cuetec-sponsored players were visibly physically spent. It seemed that both had made more accumulated errors than they had in the entire tournament; When have you seen SVB miss two simple shots…in the same rack!
FYI: Fedor’s route had doused Alex, twice; Skyler Woodward and Roland Garcia both were allowed one game each. (Accu-Stats TPA statistician was sleeping soundly to prepare for the early morning finals but, guesstimates suggest that Gorst shot near, if not, a back-to-back 1.000 TPA’s)
Earlier,Chohan, Tyler Styer, and John Morra were also left in Fedor’s wake–pun intended.
Shane was undefeated all the way to the 13th round when Alex sent him to buy-back. (Alex had just eliminated Joshua Filler in the 12th).
In the 11th, Shane had Skyler Woodward back at the buy-Back booth
Shane, in the 10th, had Hong Kong’s Robbie Capito capitulate. Beware: The 21-year-old Robbie won his first men’s national event when he was 12!
All in all, an incredible journey through the night and well past dawn.
As the cameras didn’t pause much, most of the above action is available as part of the Accu-Stats PPV+ until February 28th.
See it to believe it.
Fedor Gorst: $16,000 Shane Van Boening: $7,500 Alex Pagulayan: $5,500
ENDGAME.
DCC 2024 dates: Jan 19-27, 2024: Book your entries/seats now! You know that they’re going quickly.
Accu-Stats thanks its Arena Sponsors: Diamond Billiard Products, Simonis Cloth, Aramith Belgian Billiard Balls, Cuetec Cues, Lucasi Cues, Master Chalk, MEZZ Cues, McDermott Cues, National Billiard Academy, and Outsville Accu-Rack.
The 4-camera HD match-ups are available at accu-stats.com via Accu-Stats Pay-Per-View OnDemand;Approximately, 60 action-packed hours of pro-pool are projected, PLUS reruns.
With PPV OnDemand, , you choose when you watch, no matter what you’re timezone, until February 28, 2023.
accu-stats.com will have matches available on Vimeo On Demand, Subscription Service and, of course, HD DVDs of all the TV table productions.
Thanks to all who contributed to the daily DCC reports. You know who you are: The sultry voice of the event, Bonnie Jones, hubby Ric, Koby Pilgrim, Delana, and Diamond Paul.
badboysbp.com will have alternate Diamond Arena matches available in the coming weeks.
Diamond Derby City Classic XXIV, January 20-28, 2023
Caesars Southern Indiana, Elizabeth, IN
By David Thomson
Diamond BIG Foot Challenge
LIVE from the Accu-Stats TV Arena.
Format: Race to 11, single elimination, alternate break, foul on all balls, no jump cues. 10-Ball does not win on the break tho’ beware, caroms and combos do.
Mosconi Cup captains Jeremy Jones and Mark Wilson are mostly in the Accu-Stats’ commentary booth. Occasionally they have guests.
Reminder: when you see the balls bobbling or bursting out of the jaws, remember that BIG Foot’s biting, pro-cut pockets are now tighter – 4 1/8” tight!
Shane’s and Roberto’s Accu-Stats TPAs of .930 & .895 say a lot. You would say that both players pocketed well and didn’t make too many errors.
Then, when you see the final score of 11-3, you’d realize that Shane was doing all the shooting. And , that Roberto wasn’t making any errors because…Shane was doing all the shooting!
The world-class .933 TPA says it all – even on a 9 foot. But this was BIG Foot…about 50 square feet of Simonis with 2 1/4” Aramith Balls squeezing into Diamond, dare we say, “superpro-cut” 4 1/8” pocket openings.
Roberto wasn’t shot into submission. If he didn’t get a shot after the break that meant that Shane was in control of the table. And, when Shane is in control of the table, you don’t get to shoot at much.
Konrad Juszczyszyn’s .943 says a lot more. It says that he shot lights out!
Now sadly, Lee Vann Corteza’s .698 says that he had opportunity and didn’t capitalize on it.
“I scratched two times on the break. With the balls wide open, it cost me 4 games right there.”
It’s true; With ball-in-hand, Konrad cleaned up Corteza’s open racks plus, his own break was working for him. With rolls like that, it’s easy to streak ahead.
Slumped a little in his seat, it was obvious that Lee Vann wasn’t feeling it today. He was playing from memory: not able to summon in the moment the passion required to truly get in stroke.
Compassion be-damned! Konrad was taking no prisoners. He was feeling it. And loving it!
Finals: Shane Vann Boening vs. Konrad Juszczyszyn: 11-7
It looked like he was off to a fearsome start when strategy won Shane the opening rack and followed that with a break-and-run.
The third rack should have been his too, only he took a straight-in 9 for granted that bobbled and was left sitting on the shallow shelf of the pocket.
That focused him. He knew that he had to take Konrad seriously: Look at the damage he’d wreaked on his road to the final: Morra, Filler, Corteza – three DCC champions swept aside with the stroke of his cue.
Juszczyszyn, the 2017 American Straight-Pool Champion, was hungry. And his appetite for victory was strong. He could taste it. He knew he should have been down 3-0. Revitalized, he took the 4th game and they were tied at 2.
He then committed the ultimate sin; He scratched on his break. Shane devoured that rack then broke-and-ran, again: 4-2.
In fact, Shane had averaged 4 break-and-runs in his last three matches.
The gap continued to widen: 6-2. It’s hard to make a 4-game comeback with an alternate break format, especially against the big break of SVB.
Konrad’s fate had turned…and he felt it. Shane was missing, too. When he did, he left nothing. When Konrad missed, he left the rack.
The articulate Grady Mathews used to say, “The balls know who’s winning.”
Konrad later confessed, “I played terrible. When I began to miss balls I was making earlier in the tournament, I lost confidence. Then, when I made that long combo on the 10, I got it back for a minute.”
But, it was only for a minute.
In the next rack, Van Boening, with one of those “anything-you-can-do” moments, slammed home a similar length-of-the-table, 10-ball combo.
He later stated that he hadn’t played so well either. Not only had he slept thru that aforementioned 9 in the 3rd game, he actually missed a 10-ball later in the match.
Their respective TPAs were .843 and .730: That said it all.
Now Shane has 3 BIG Foot titles; tied with Jayson.
Watch out for fireworks in 2024, not just with their rivalry, it’s DCC XXV.
Shane van Boening: $16,000
Konrad Juszczyszyn: $8,000
Roberto Gomez: $4,000
Lee Vann Cortez: $4,000
No Master of the Table points are accredited for the 10-Ball event.
Their accumulation is generated by the Banks, One Pocket, and 9-Ball divisions.
And Diamond generously delivers an additional $25,000 in prize money.
More on that later.
The Accu-Stats PPV OnDemand service has all of the above entertainment available for your viewing pleasure thru. Feb.28, 2023.
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Diamond BANK POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Short Rack. Race to 3, Round 10
There were a record 497, now there are 14
Play begins at 11am.
With the DCC one-time Buy-Back formula, after every round, entrant’s names are reshuffled then redrawn. As DCC events are not seeded means that you could run into anyone.
But the most exciting encounter for him was his first time playing America’s number 1 player, Shane van Boening.
A crowd had gathered around the table. The word was out that Shabib was on the hill and Shane needed 2.
Now he felt he’d made it as a contender.
Of course, Shane won the 4th rack and they were all tied up…until Raed had 4 balls in the decider and, Shane only 2.
Then Shane got another, then another, then, they were both fighting over the last ball.
It took 20 minutes of serious safety strategy until Shane figured out Raed’s weak spot: Leave him long on the short rail.
Now all Raed has to do is figure out Shane’s.
Interestingly, Raed is still in and Shane isn’t. He’d dodged another bullet.
Meanwhile, Fedor got Shane, De Marco crimped Corey, Shane shot Justin Hall, Evan Lunda laid Josh Roberts to rest, Roland Garcia showed Tony Chohan the door, Pagulayan pickled Shannon Daulton, Fortunski had the misfortune of encountering Jayson, and Billy Thorpe get’s the credit for eliminating Efren.
The event entries were increased to 429 entries. Stay tuned!
The action-packed week continues:
Diamond Derby City Classic BANK POOLChampionship: Semis and Finals in the Accu-Stats TV Arena: Tuesday evening, Jan 25.
Diamond Derby City Classic ONE-POCKETChampionship: Sun Jan. 22 -Wed. Jan. 25. Semis and Finals in the Accu-Stats TV Arena, Thursday evening, Jan 26.
Diamond Derby City Classic 9-BALL Championship: Wed. Jan 25 – Sat. 28.
Friday Night Ring Game: Jan 27.
The captured match-ups are available via the Accu-Stats Pay-Per-View OnDemand, 4-camera HD production. Approximately, 60 action-packed hours of pro-pool are projected, PLUS reruns. After each match concludes, it is uploaded and available for your viewing pleasure. With PPV OnDemand, you choose when you watch, no matter what you’re timezone.
Diamond Derby City Classic XXIV, January 20-28, 2023
Caesars Southern Indiana, Elizabeth, IN
There are 29 more competitors than was considered feasible to complete the One Pocket division; 429 – A new DCC record!
Wait-listed 9-Ball players are hoping for a similar increase. They’ll know by Wednesday.
Diamond BIG Foot Challenge
$32k prize fund. 1st: $16,000. 2nd; $8k, 3rd/4th; $4k each
LIVE from the Accu-Stats TV Arena.
Format: Race to 11, single elimination, alternate break, foul on all balls, no jump cues. 10-Ball does not win on the break tho’ beware, caroms and combos do.
Mosconi Cup captains Jeremy Jones and Mark Wilson are mostly in the Accu-Stats’ commentary booth. Occasionally they have guests.
Reminder: when you see the balls bobbling or bursting out of the jaws, remember that BIG Foot’s biting, pro-cut pockets are now tighter – 4 1/8” tight!
Quarter Finals
4 past BIG Foot winners, all shooting well, began Sunday’s action. Now there are two. Read on for more details.
Even Eagle Eye had trouble with BIG Foot’s brutal pocket dimension. The damage it did to his TPA was unprecedented. When have you ever seen his average nosedive from near .900 to .770…within 2 racks!
Shane wasn’t happy either. Altho,’ the match commenced with his break-and-run to a 3-0 lead. Jayson quickly tied it up. Then, he couldn’t get much action on the break.
Shane sped ahead again and, to cut to the chase, had Jayson 10-6 when Van Boening’s cue ball wasn’t on a string, it was haywire: 10-7.
Jayson’s dry break plague continued.
Shane, again, lost the cue ball and had to resort to a safety that froze the cue ball to the top rail.
Far, far away, about a foot off the bottom rail, lay the 8. Whammo! Shaw drove it home. Sadly, his cue ball rested straight in on the 9…which was nowhere near the 10.
Then came his most miraculous shot of the tournament.
There was only one solution. He had to cheat the 4 1/8” pocket and draw whitey about 8 feet to the bottom rail then another four feet to the long rail where the 10-ball inconveniently lay.
Whammo! Part 2! His cue-ball screams back to land about 4” away tho,’ it’s an awkward angle demanding running back and forth to swap out which cue extension would work best.
The shot clock was about to explode. “Extension!”
So was his heart, pumping like an oil rig:
He pounded it into the back of the pocket: 10-8.
It was SVB’s turn at bat. It looked dry…until the last ball rolling trickled in. And snookered!
Now it was Shane’s shot of the tournament.
He had a kick-shot off the top rail on the dangling one ball with the trickiest 3-rail shape: long rail, short rail, long rail, through a minefield to the two.
Perfect! And he finished the match as he began it – break-and-run.
Shaw, gracious as always, approached Shane and commenced a post-mortem to dissect the action.
Fedor was not off to his ferocious formula of forging ahead to leave his opponents in his wake. In fact, it was nip-and-tuck until, at 4-3, Gomez reversed the score with back-to-back wins.
Gorst’s struggle continued as Gomez at 7-4 with every opportunity for a 4-game lead, fumbled and allowed Fedor to gain one back to 7-5.
Gorst, usually, when sensing weakness, his killer instinct would come alive: Not today.
Down 9-10, his break got him again.
There is a reason they call Roberto Superman. The out wasn’t a walk in the park. He made shots that would have been kryptonite to normal men.
He didn’t rush. He knew his cue ball had to be finite.
He also knew the punishment that Fedor was capable of administering.
Not today. The robot was in need of a reboot. Gorst’s loss, a replay of their 2018 BIG Foot final, is probably the motivation Fedor needs to keep moving forward.
He still has 2 lives in the Banks.
Gomez now faces the other surviving BIG Foot Champ, SVB.
Behind 4-6, Konrad began to miss makeable balls. A lucky kiss coming out of a snooker kicked in the 10.
He then put his mettle to the pedal and, with 5 in a row, got to 9-6 ahead. With Joshua’s break-and-run, he retrieved one and it’s 9-7.
At 9-8, it’s snooker time. Josh, after a multi-shot kick-safe exchange, rattled the 3 to leave it deep in the jaws.
Konrad, more focused than ever, is on the hill…and breaking!
His one hung in the hole, and it’s 10-9.
Joshua’s break is a carbon copy of Konrad’s; it’s dry, with his one-ball resting on the lip of the pocket!
More good news, nothing is tied up. All that is needed is some sweet negotiation to keep on the correct side of the object balls.
Cool, calm, and deliberate he plotted his way through the rack: Flawless execution…of Filler.
This surely is one of the most memorable matches in Konrad’s career. He raised ho cue in jubilation like he’d just won the tournament. Perhaps he will.
He’s in the semis facing Corteza.
Jayson Shaw vs, Shane Van Boening, 8-11
Roberto Gomez vs. Fedor Gorst, 11-9
Mieszko Fortunski vs. Lee Vann Corteza, 10-11
Konrad Juszczyszyn vs. Joshua Filler, 11-9
BIG Foot Schedule for Monday, Jan 23: Semis, 2.00 & 4:30 PM.Finals, 9:00 PM
Shane Van Boening vs. Roberto Gomez.
Lee Vann Cortez vs. Konrad Juszczyszyn
The Accu-Stats PPV OnDemand service has all of the above entertainment available for your viewing pleasure.
Diamond BANK POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Short Rack. Race to 3, Round 6.
497 entrants stormed the Derby City battlements. In this territory, Bank Pool’s popularity knows no bounds.
With the DCC one-time Buy-Back formula, after every round, entrant’s names are reshuffled then redrawn. As DCC events are not seeded means that you could run into anyone.
Visit results.derbycityclassic.com for more updates.
Diamond Derby City Classic ONE-POCKET
The event entries were increased to 429 entries. Stay tuned!
The action-packed week continues:
DIAMOND BIG FOOT 10-BALL CHALLENGE: Semis and FINALS on MONDAY the 24th at 2 pm.
Diamond Derby City Classic BANK POOLChampionship: Semis and Finals in the Accu-Stats TV Arena: Tuesday evening, Jan 25.
Diamond Derby City Classic ONE-POCKETChampionship: Sun Jan. 22 -Wed. Jan. 25. Semis and Finals in the Accu-Stats TV Arena, Thursday evening, Jan 26.
Diamond Derby City Classic 9-BALL Championship: Wed. Jan 25 – Sat. 28.
Friday Night Ring Game: Jan 27.
The captured match-ups are available via the Accu-Stats Pay-Per-View OnDemand, 4-camera HD production. Approximately, 60 action-packed hours of pro-pool are projected, PLUS reruns. After each match concludes, it is uploaded and available for your viewing pleasure. With PPV OnDemand, you choose when you watch, no matter what you’re timezone.
Diamond Derby City Classic XXIV, January 20-28, 2023
Caesars Southern Indiana, Elizabeth, IN
It’s official, DCC’s registration has broken all past records: 497 in Banks, 500 in 9-Ball, and 400 in One-Pocket. Did someone say shot-clock?
A plethora of wait listed players is begging to compete. The logistics of increasing the entries are a nightmare. Ask “Bad girl” tourney coordinator Bonnie Jones. When Diamonds’ Julie Creamer (you know, the curly blonde at the registration desk) called her to see if it was feasible, Bonnie responded, “Maybe, if you bring a gun to the tournament room, point it my head, and threaten to shoot me!”
You know what, when the impossible needs to get done, you want these ladies on the team.
Diamond BIG Foot Challenge
$32k prize fund. 1st: $16,000. 2nd $8k, 3rd/4th; $4k each
LIVE from the Accu-Stats TV Arena.
Format: Race to 11, single elimination, alternate break, foul on all balls, no jump cues. 10-Ball does not win on the break tho’ beware, caroms and combos do.
Mosconi Cup captains Jeremy Jones and Mark Wilson are mostly in the Accu-Stats’ commentary booth. Occasionally they have guests. Shannon Daulton has shared his expertise and a some favorite road stores.
Reminder: when you see the balls bobbling or bursting out of the jaws, remember that BIG Foot’s biting, pro-cut pockets are now tighter – 4 1/8” tight!
The match was progressing favorably for both players until Mika missed a simple 6-ball. Then things sped sideways for him. Now down 6-9, Mika found his feisty side and seized the next 2 games. He really looked like he’d overcome his earlier misstep.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know as Fortunski, constructing a fearless .883 TPA, respectably advanced to the semi’s.
As fellow Filipinos, these guys have grown up conferring, competing, even practicing together. Pool is in their DNA. The challenge now is to forget all that camaraderie stuff and deliver the death blow. There are 16 thousand on the line. Plus, bragging rights.
I guess Garcia didn’t get the memo. Lee Vann did: He was off and running…out! His TPA approached 900. Roland’s – in the low 7s.
Their friendship was more than apparent when, after delivering the death blow, Roland hit the floor and bowed at Corteza’s feet. Now that’s bragging rights!
Konrad and John have been BIG Foot contenders for around 5 years now. Their tenacity keeps them coming back. There is also nowhere on the planet to experience the BIG Foot “Challenge.”
John wasn’t on form today. His challenge was to find that Mr. Smooth moniker he had so righteously earned. And Konrad more confident than ever, capitalized on most slips presented to him.
Previously, John had the better performance average of the two.
Today, their roles were reversed. Konrad was the smooth one and needed two games. John’s “heart” has never been in question. His come-from-behind record compares with the best.
Summoning his firepower, he drove a distant long shot into BIG Foot’s jaws, then drew the cue ball back to leave perfect position on the far, far away short rail:Mr. Smooth was back. They were soon tied at 9 and looking for 2.
Konrad was not impressed. He was first on the hill. When John had the opportunity to join him, he uncharacteristically fumbled shape.
The 24-year-old Venezuelan was not at ease. The tight pro-cut pockets were not accepting his forced stroke-shots when he applied extra power to achieve prime position. The result was Jesus Atencio was leaving German Joshua Filler easy finishes.
The result, Joshua soon had an insurmountable lead. The cause, Jesus wasn’t getting out when he should have.
Joshua’s comfort zone on BIG Foot certainly can be intimidating: His poise, his superb ball-pocketing prowess, his mature shot choices. No more firing at fantasies. Patience was now part of his arsenal.
At one point a safety battle ensued. And Atencio was on the wrong end of it.
Yet, under fire, he could make some courageous decisions.
He summoned the gusto to just go for it. The object ball found its pocket. Buoyed, for an instant, he soon ran into trouble on the run-out.
Jesus later confessed that, in his eight years as a professional, he had never felt such fear; His hands were shaking and so wet with sweat that his cue actually fell from his slippery grip.
Joshua, to his credit, felt no sympathy. He wasn’t pussyfooting around, he wanted BIG Foot on his cv.
The Accu-Stats PPV OnDemand service has all of the above entertainment available for your viewing pleasure.
Diamond BANK POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Short Rack. Race to 3, Round 4.
497 entrants stormed the Derby City battlements. In this territory, Bank Pool’s popularity knows no bounds.
With the DCC one-time Buy-Back formula, after every round, entrant’s names are reshuffled then redrawn. As DCC events are not seeded means that you could run into anyone.
Konrad Juszczyszyn was served his second defeat by Mosconi Cup star Tyler Styer who since has lost a life.
Roland Garcia put Efren’s Bank title in jeopardy, 2022 titlist Fedor Gorst handed Dee Adkins his first loss. Corey Deuel, Ike Runnels, Tyler Styer, also have been sent to the buy-back booth.
Visit results.derbycityclassic.com for more updates.
Diamond Derby City Classic ONE-POCKET
The event, being capped at 400 entries, gets underway today!
Here’s how the action-packed week will continue.
DIAMOND BIG FOOT 10-BALL CHALLENGE: Fri. Jan. 20 – Sun. Jan 22. 2023.
Diamond Derby City Classic BANK POOLChampionship: Fri. Jan. 20 – Sun. Jan. 22. 2023. Semis and Finals in the Accu-Stats TV Arena: Tuesday evening, Jan 25.
Diamond Derby City Classic ONE-POCKETChampionship: Sun Jan. 22 -Wed. Jan. 25. Semis and Finals in the Accu-Stats TV Arena, Thursday evening, Jan 26.
Diamond Derby City Classic 9-BALL Championship: Wed. Jan 25 – Sat. 28.
Friday Night Ring Game: Jan 27.
The captured match-ups are available via the Accu-Stats Pay-Per-View OnDemand, 4-camera HD production. Approximately, 60 action-packed hours of pro-pool are projected, PLUS reruns. After each match concludes, it is uploaded and available for your viewing pleasure. With PPV OnDemand, you choose when you watch, no matter what you’re timezone.
Diamond Derby City Classic XXIV, January 20-28, 2023
Caesars Southern Indiana, Elizabeth, IN
Are you ready? it looks like we’re in for a raucous week.
To Diamond’s delight, the Derby’s demand has surpassed recent records as 497 Bank Pool competitors have deposited their entry fees.
If that isn’t enough, Wednesday’s 9-Ball has a waiting list as the 500 maximum was met…by Friday!
Logistics personnel Bonnie and Julie are in search of a solution.
We can bet that former World Champion Dynamite Darren Appleton, a huge fan of DCC, would have attended.
Daz you are conspicuous by your absence. We all wish you the speediest of recoveries. See ya next year!
Speaking of surgery, America’s #1 Shane Van Boening’s Cuetec was swinging confidently after a troublesome lump was removed from his bicep without incident.
He and Max Eberle were the opening act of the 2023
Diamond BIG Foot Challenge
LIVE from the Accu-Stats TV Arena.
Format: Race to 11, single elimination, alternate break, foul on all balls, no jump cues.10-Ball does not win on the break tho’ beware, caroms and combos do win.
Mosconi Cup captains Jeremy Jones and Mark Wilson are in the Accu-Stats’ commentary booth. Who better to impart the nuances of our sublime sport?
One more thing; BIGFoot’s tight, pro-cut pockets are now tighter – 4 1/8” tight! Do not try this at home!
OK, back to the opening round action.
Still swinging, Shane strode into a comfortable lead.
Max, soon swooning, struggled to get going. Sadly, he never quite caught the gear that led him toward the hill against Mika last year.
Until 6-6, Pagulayan was pulling his weight. But not the weight that had held every discipline at the Derby. Alex is the only player to have won every title
Gomez, also an entertainer, always likes to please the crowd with his power draws and superlative shotmaking.
The jaws of these diminishing pockets started spiting balls back onto the tabletop. When have you seen Alex’s TPA under 800? Gomez’s respectable .853 certainly won him the match.
One bonus was their multi-series exchange demonstrating their expertise of getting out of a snooker by laying a snooker – The Filipino kick-safe technique. Check it out.
Now to the last match for today.
The Billion-buck question on most minds was whether Fedor Gorst could replicate the 900+ TPA consistency that he dominated BigFoot with last year.
Alex DeLuna is no slouch. He’s also got a sledgehammer break.
The Break Demon speed tester software was capturing the action all day. FYI: No one got to 23 miles per hour.
Sure the break is important but not so much against Gorst. His cueball-on-a-string theory is truly mesmerizing. The beauty of his speed control as his orb spins 3 rails…to land perfectly on the necessary position to complete the rack.
De Luna couldn’t compete. Nor could his .694 with Gorst’s .939.
The Accu-Stats PPV OnDemand service has all of the above entertainment available for your viewing pleasure.
Diamond BANK POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Short Rack. Race to 3.
497 entrants stormed the Derby City battlements. In this territory, Bank Pool’s popularity knows no bounds.
With the DCC one-time Buy-Back formula, after every round, entrant’s names are reshuffled then redrawn. As DCC events are not seeded means that you could run into anyone.
How about this for first-round Karma: Joshua Filler over John Morra, Gomez got Juszczyszyn: Welcome to the buy-back Booth.
Yes, EFREN REYES, The 5-time DCC All-Around Champion and 6-time One-Pocket Champion refuses to retire: He has one accomplishment missing from his DCC career resumé; The elusive Bank Pool title.
Here’s how the action-packed week will continue.
DIAMOND BIG FOOT 10-BALL CHALLENGE: Fri. Jan. 20 – Sun. Jan 22. 2023.
Diamond Derby City Classic BANK POOLChampionship: Fri. Jan. 20 – Sun. Jan. 22. 2023. Semis and Finals in the Accu-Stats TV Arena: Tuesday evening, Jan 25.
Diamond Derby City Classic ONE-POCKETChampionship: Sun Jan. 22 -Wed. Jan. 25. Semis and Finals in the Accu-Stats TV Arena, Thursday evening, Jan 26.
Diamond Derby City Classic 9-BALL Championship: Wed. Jan 25 – Sat. 28.
Friday Night Ring Game: Jan 27.
The captured match-ups are available via the Accu-Stats Pay-Per-View OnDemand, 4-camera HD production. Approximately, 60 action-packed hours of pro-pool is projected, PLUS reruns. After each match concludes, it is uploaded and available for your viewing pleasure. With PPV OnDemand, you choose when you watch, no matter what you’re timezone.
Team USA took Day 1 of the 2022 Mosconi Cup 3-1 against Team Europe to a raucous 2,500 strong crowd at Bally’s Las Vegas live on Sky Sports in the UK, DAZN in the USA, Canada, Italy, and Spain, Viaplay in the Baltics, Scandinavia and Poland and networks worldwide.
Team Europe went into the team match looking to taste victory in the cup’s curtain-raiser for the first time since 2018 whilst the USA was hoping for the home crowd to bring the noise and they certainly did with an inspired opening point 5-3.
Match two was the first sight of Earl Strickland and Oscar Dominguez who were making their returns to Jeremy Jones‘ USA side and it was going to be a tall order with World Cup of Pool winners Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and David Alcaide getting their first taste of the action. Strickland and Dominguez had opportunities against the Spanish duo, but they proved too strong as Sanchez Ruiz found his groove in his first-ever Mosconi Cup with Alcaide guiding him through to an impressive 5-1 victory.
The crowd was baying for more from their USA side, and it came as playing vice-captain Skyler Woodward stepped up to face Joshua Filler. Woodward got out the blocks quickly before Filler reached the hill first at 4-3 but with alternate break Woodward had a chance to level up with a consistent eighth rack. The Blue Grass Bad Ass got more than he would’ve wanted with a golden break to make it the first hill-hill of the week. Some acute safety play started the ninth rack before it looked like Filler would have his moment only for the one to brush the three when pocket bound. That allowed Woodward up to take the roof off and deliver a second USA point of the day.
Momentum had swung in the USA’s favour, and they ensured they’d head into day two with a two-point cushion thanks to world champion Shane Van Boening and Tyler Styer who defeated Albin Ouschan and Jayson Shaw in another hill-hill thriller to conclude day one.
Man of the moment Woodward spoke on Off the Rail after the conclusion of the day: “It’s never easy playing Joshua. You must try and take advantage of every mistake even though I did miss the nine one day. I told myself to keep fighting and pushing and take chances where I can. I told the team; I wanted all the pressure on me. I like the pressure. Me winning that match takes the pressure off them ahead of the last match. There was a little pressure off them. They came out loose and I am glad I could get out there and get that point for the USA. The table is tight. The side pockets are unbelievable. They’re crazy. I like it. The side pockets are genius. They’re so tough. It’s how top-level pool should be.”
Tomorrow kicks off with the Fans’ Choice Singles Match before four more matches on day two of the 2022 Mosconi Cup. Voting is open until 10 pm local time for the Fans’ Choice match. Vote here.
Watch
Can’t make it to the 2022 Mosconi Cup? Watch the action wherever you are in the world. Broadcasters below. If you do not see a broadcaster in your country, you can watch on Matchroom.Live
Sky Sports UK & Ireland
AMC Network Hungary
Dazn Brazil, Canada, Italy, Spain, USA
Fox Sports Australia
Mena SSC
Nova Czech Republic and Slovakia
Saran Sport Turkey
Singtel Singapore
Sportklub Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia
LAS VEGAS, UNITED STATES. 29th Nov, 2022. Pre-event green screen during MOSCONI CUP 2022 at Bally’s, Las Vegas, USA on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 in LAS VEGAS NV.Credit: Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
Team USA and Team Europe clashed at the 2022 Mosconi Cup press conference with less than 24 hours to go until the two sides lock horns at Bally’s Las Vegas live on Sky Sports in the UK, DAZN in the USA, Canada, Italy, and Spain, Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Baltics and Poland and networks worldwide.
USA captain Jeremy Jones came out fighting when reflecting on what the home crowd can expect from his side ahead of the opening team match at 11 am local time tomorrow: “I feel great. My nerves are going but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The guys have had a great few days and they’re improving every single day. The foundations are the most solid I’ve been on. When it comes to doubles play these guys mix well. They respect each other. Everybody is held accountable and they understand it. We have one goal in mind.”
Jones will be assisted by Skyler Woodward as playing vice-captain this week and he hopes to lean on the two-time MVP for support: “Skyler is a big spirit in our team and he’s been a big part of the last few years. There are certain minds that sort of get it. You’d be ignorant to not ask what Skyler Woodward thinks. The home crowd means a lot they will embrace it. It won’t always be easy. It’s good we have the better half of 2,500 on our side. I don’t see it too much more difficult here in Las Vegas to London. We’ve been on one mission all year and that’s to come here and win the cup.”
“Last year we got into a great position and we let a few things get away. This year, we plan to get in that position again and have a better outcome. We’ve practiced the lag, we understand it better as a unit. The lag doesn’t look as meaningful this year but certainly, it’s important still and it’s something we’ve addressed,” Jones added.
Woodward said: “It truly is an honour to be playing vice-captain. It makes me want to prove myself more and show that the USA can still compete. I try to bring the team together we’re six guys but I’m just trying to make us one. I’m not going to let anybody get down, I will push everyone and try to get everyone to win their matches, that’s just the kind of guy I am.”
Alex Lely will lead Team Europe for a third straight year and acknowledged his team is full of big characters that he needs to control: “Any coach on either side will give 100% depending on the team and the set of players you have to focus on different things. They’re a handful and it’s enjoyable but they’re five champions and you have to find a way to make them bond and mix well. There are a couple of veterans who have been around. I can get back to the same things for certain things in my third year. There’s a backbone in the team.
“The team has looked sharp from day one. The downside is they’ve been traveling and playing a lot but the upside is they’re sharp. The pockets are tight. I think it helps them. If you’re playing on tight pockets you have to focus. I think because of that they’re looking sharp and focused.”
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz is set to make his Mosconi Cup debut in a glittering year that saw the Spaniard snap off the US Open: “It’s like a dream to be here at the Mosconi Cup. I am going to give everything for sure. It’s been an incredible year but to be honest I’ve only been thinking about tomorrow. It’s amazing to play alongside David Alcaide, to play together is going to be the best experience of our lives.”
There was a sharp focus on the tension between American legend Earl Strickland and Team Europe playing vice-captain Jayson Shaw with the pair trading blows on a variety of points. Strickland paid compliments to the tighter 4-inch pockets: “I will say one thing about this event that makes it a level playing field is the equipment. It’s the most difficult I’ve ever seen. If these guys over there (Team Europe) think they will make very shot, they’re fools.”
Shaw interjected to his side will make every ball before Strickland fired back to say he wouldn’t be engaging in any of the Brit’s ‘bullsh*t: “I am sure he won four or five world championships on five-inch pockets. He can say whatever he wants. I know what the pockets are like in the backroom. I know how tight they are but we shoot straighter than all of them and that’s fact. Under the gun, we produce better and that’s a fact too. When we step out there and under the gun, we won’t be ducking for no shots.”
Team news from both sides will follow tomorrow ahead of the first day of action.
Watch
Can’t make it to the 2022 Mosconi Cup? Watch the action wherever you are in the world. Broadcasters below. If you do not see a broadcaster in your country, you can watch on Matchroom.Live
Sky Sports UK & Ireland
AMC Network Hungary
Dazn Brazil, Canada, Italy, Spain, USA
Fox Sports Australia
Mena SSC
Nova Czech Republic and Slovakia
Saran Sport Turkey
Singtel Singapore
Sportklub Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia
Team USA’s Jeremy Jones and Team Europe’s Alex Lely are both revelling in the pressure ahead of the much-awaited 2022 Mosconi Cup at Bally’s Las Vegas from November 30 to December 3 live on Sky Sports in the UK, DAZN in the USA as well as other broadcasters worldwide.
Looking ahead to action getting underway in pool’s biggest event Jones acknowledges his side cannot get ahead of itself with the home crowd baying for the Europeans to slip up: “I want to keep it simple. I don’t want anyone over-excited. We will have our chance to win the cup. It will take a lot. Europe has a great team. It’s about who gets settled the most first. I know our team can win on any scoreline. I think whoever gets comfortable first will strike while the iron is hot. Winning on US soil would be something special.”
“Winning is incredible wherever but there’s something special when in the USA. It’s special in this team. It breathes USA all around. I expect to see a lot of resolve. You can almost get too giddy. This team has a collective goal in mind. You can expect a lot of great things.”
It’s hard to describe playing the Mosconi Cup, especially in Las Vegas. It’s like you’ve got back up out there for sure. The energy is crazy.
Lely meanwhile is looking to lead a victory on American soil since 2017 and he’s acutely aware of the challenge that faces him. The Dutch native is no stranger to winning with back-to-back triumphs for Europe in the UK losing only nine points in the process with an 11-3 win in 2020 and 11-6 last year at Alexandra Palace but this year promises to be a whole new challenge if Lely is to guide his side to a three-peat: “We are looking forward to playing in Las Vegas in front of the US fans. They deserve their up-close-and-personal experience with the biggest event of the year and it’s something they’ve unfortunately been starved of recently. I am sure they will give us a warm welcome…”
The training program under Lely is rigorous and to the point with members of Team Europe aware of exactly where they should be at certain times as they look to mastermind another win: “We get together well before the event starts and we will get some practice in but more so, I want the team to fortify our bonds and become as tightly knit as possible and as a unit. We go into battle as a team and stay together and focus right until the last ball.”
Last year didn’t start well for Europe losing the team match for the third straight year in a row before being 5-4 down going into the third day after a remarkable middle order from the USA. Lely admitted at the time it kept him up all night and called a team meeting at his room for early morning ahead of day three: “This is my 3rd consecutive year and this time we want to get out of the gates strong. All guns blazing, you could say. The start is important, and I want my team to show heart and wear it on their sleeves as they go out for each match. We know it will be a tough week and starting out well is the only way to tame the onslaught that will come our way.”
Hear more from Jones and Lely at the 2022 Mosconi Cup press conference on Tuesday, 29 November at 3 pm local time. Get your tickets to be there here.
Watch
Can’t make it to the 2022 Mosconi Cup? Watch the action wherever you are in the world. Broadcasters below. If you do not see a broadcaster in your country, you can watch on Matchroom.Live
Sky Sports UK & Ireland
AMC Network Hungary
Dazn Brazil, Canada, Italy, Spain, USA
Fox Sports Australia
Mena SSC
Nova Czech Republic and Slovakia
Saran Sport Turkey
Singtel Singapore
Sportklub Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia
Skyler Woodward and Jayson Shaw will be playing vice-captains for the 2022 Mosconi Cup at Bally’s Las Vegas from November 30 to December 3 live on Sky Sports as well as on DAZN in the USA, Canada, Spain, and Italy and on Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Baltics, and Poland.
Woodward will provide extra assistance to Jeremy Jones‘ Team USA side of Shane Van Boening, Oscar Dominguez, Tyler Styer, and Earl Strickland with the two-time Mosconi Cup MVP feeling like it’s a natural position for him to take up within the team: “I feel honoured to be in this position to represent my country as vice-captain. To know people are counting on me to help lead is a great feeling. I grew up playing all team sports. I always helped with lineups and pay attention to things needed in the lineup that is best for the team. I always do my homework to make sure things are the best they can be.”
“Fans and the team can expect a leadership role from me. I will be keeping everybody loose and supporting them on and off the table to help the team. I’m here for the team and to help take this cup back!”
Shaw relishes the opportunity to support Alex Lely as Team Europe’s Joshua Filler, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Albin Ouschan and David Alcaide look for their third successive title and their first on US soil since 2017 with last year’s MVP taking up the extra role: “It feels great to have a lead role in the team as vice-captain. Everyone knows I’m not scared to say what I think and I have a good bond with the players so I feel can get them ready and pumped up and keep them feeling confident if things are going wrong out there.”
“I’m looking forward to this Mosconi Cup even more now having been selected as vice-captain it’s an honour to be picked for this role. I bring passion fire and calmness when needed. I can help Alex get them fired up and help in the back room keeping things in shape so we are focused on the job ahead. We are coming for revenge in Vegas after 2018 and 2019 mark my words we will be 110% ready to punish every mistake they make,” added a triumphant Shaw.
Only 13 days remain until battle commences at Bally’s Las Vegas in a packed-out arena with the Mosconi Cup returning to the USA for the first time since 2019 where it was the Americans who reigned supreme 11-8 with a gutsy performance. Limited tickets are available for each day here.
The Brass Tap & Billiards of Raleigh, NC has a long history of hosting tournaments and this year was no exception. After a layoff since 2019 due to the pandemic, owner Richard Kuntz welcomed players and fans back to the $15,000 added Beasley Open.
Presented by Doug Beasley of Beasley Custom Cues and special sponsors PoolActionTV.com and Brass Tap & Billiards, this year’s tournament had two events – One Pocket and Open 9 Ball.
Posting their $200 entry fees, the $5,000 added double elimination One Pocket division drew 48 players. Played on Diamond tables and racing to three, the finals would be one extended race to four. After the players auction and draw, the matches began.
With twelve players receiving a first round bye, Josh Roberts and Can Salim were not so fortunate. Josh survived that match 3-1 and went on to defeat Asad Khan 3-0, Justin Hall 3-1 and Brandon Shuff 3-2. On a similar path, John Morra had wins over Francesco Candela 3-1, Larry Pierce 3-2, Hunter White 3-1 and Corey Sykes 3-0. Then, in a hard fought match to reach the hot seat, Morra prevailed over Roberts 3-2.
Meanwhile, in the other portion of the bracket, Alex Pagulayan and Tony Chohan were on the march to the hot seat. After drawing a first round bye, Alex defeated Carlo Biado 3-2, Tony Pete 3-0 and Shane Wolford 3-1. Tony was the victor over Jesse Gilbert 3-2 and then skunked Robbie House 3-0, Brady Norris 3-0 and Omar Al Shaheen 3-0. He then received his own 3-0 thumping by Alex!
The hot seat match was all Pagulayan as he beat back Morra – also 3-0. John headed west and Alex moved to the finals.
Morra watched as Chohan edged out Biado 3-2 only to be relegated to third place 3-0. Looking for revenge, Tony went to the finals.
Still on a tear, Tony sliced through Alex in under an hour winning four gamesstraight to claim the title. Congratulations, Tony! Good tournament, Alex!
Johann Chua and Bader Al Awadhi
The $10,000 added Nine Ball Open began on Friday night following the players auction and draw. Ninety six players posted their $150 entry fees to play. The format was alternate breaks, rack your own with the nine on the spot and the two in the back, no soft breaks and races to 9/7.
Racing across the top half of the bracket was Johann Chua and Chia-Chen Hsieh. Playing to get to the hot seat match, Chua spanked Hsieh 9-1. The bottom portion of the bracket saw Bader Alawadhi win over John Morra 9-5.
Hot seat action again was all Chua as he locked up his seat in the finals 9-1. Bader went to the one loss side to await an opponent. Morra defeated Roberts 7-5 and then was eliminated by the same score leaving John with another third place finish.
The finals were one extended race to thirteen. Chua rocketed out to a 7-1 lead until Alawadhi caught a gear and tied the match at eight games each! Johann finally won the next two games to reach 10-8. Bader fought back to win a couple more until his opponent pulled away to win the match 13-10. Congratulations, Johann! Good shooting, Bader!
PoolActionTV.com would like to thank Richard Kuntz and his staff for another fantastic event.
In addition, we’d like to thank our fans and sponsors. Our sponsors include JB Cases, Hanshew Jump Cues, Diamond Billiard Products, Lomax Custom Cues, Simonis, Aramith, Durbin Custom Cues, Savage Billiard Apparel, Fort Worth Billiards Superstore of Fort Worth, TX and the Action Palace of Dayton, OH.
Our next event is the 4th Annual $7,500 added Big Boi Classic at Peyton’s Place in Knoxville, TN. The dates are November 18th-20th – hope to see you there!
