Josh Roberts (Photo courtesy of Chris Lue, Next Action Media)
James Davis, Jr., “Junior”, of Austin, Texas, went undefeated in a 128-player field, to win the Space City Open VII, open 9-ball title, becoming the second player to win it twice. Josh “The Beast” Roberts not only defended his one pocket title, but finished second in banks, and thirty-third in the 9-ball, earning himself the “All-Around” title, and a hefty $1,500 bonus. First-time competitor, Evan Lunda of Detroit, Michigan, cleaned up in the 32-player, 9-ball banks division, going hill-hill with only a single opponent. In the 32-player, ladies 9-ball, Ming “The Empress” Ng redeemed herself in the second set of the true, double elimination final, securing her second title, and becoming the first, two-time winner in this division. Nine junior players, including eight young men, and one young lady, traveled from across Texas to compete in their very own division. Lazaro “Little Laz” Martinez, III, of San Antonio, Texas, went undefeated in this category, earning the first win in this division debut.
This year’s $7,500 added, Space City Open VII, was held December 6th-9th, 2018, and implemented a number of positive changes, including a $1,500 All-Around bonus, and a seventeen-and-under, juniors 9-ball division. In its seventh year, the “derby-like” event, now hosting five divisions over four days, was also held at a brand new venue. Big Tyme Billiards in Spring, Texas, stepped up to host, generously adding $4,000 to the purse, providing twenty Diamond bar tables and six nine foot tables, on which to compete. Twenty-six, brand new, Cyclop “Zeus” ball sets, and Accu-Racks by Outsville, were provided by Space City. The bar tables were a popular change from the eight foot tables used in previous years (for the open 9-ball division), and the format changes for one pocket and banks were also a huge hit. These divisions were still held on nine foot tables, but in a single elimination format as opposed to double, and the consensus was clear. Players loved the expediency, along with the added pressure and intensity of the “one-and-done” arrangement. For the first time, all divisions filled, with players on stand-by.
The open 9-ball division presented a monstrous, challenging field, played on the great equalizer; the bar table. On the road to victory, James Davis, Jr. defeated Matt Williams, Charlie Bryant, 9-8, Evan Lunda, 9-8, and Shelby Green, 9-5, to reach the winners’ side final eight. Espinosa logged wins over Angelina Dean, 9-1, Marshal Ward, 9-2, Eric Aicinena, 9-4, and Victor Rojas, 9-7, while Danny Smith defeated Mike Landry, 9-2, Colton Berzins, 9-1, John Morra, 9-5, and Mike Alonzo, 9-8. Jamie Baraks made quick work of Beto Cavazos, 9-3, Rick Moreno, 9-3, David Thomas, 9-7, and Shane McMinn, 9-4. Houston’s Andy Jethwa passed Grady Cooper, 9-1, Mark Galicia, 9-5, Sylver Ochoa, 9-8, and Corey Flud, 9-6. Richie Richeson ousted Alan Myers, Jerry Miller, 9-8, David Chow, and Billy “Big Tyme” Sharp, 9-4, while Alex Calderone overcame Chase Wheeler, 9-2, Ricki Casper, 9-6, Aaron Springs, 9-7, and Germany’s Can Salim, 9-8. On the one loss side and in the money, Kenneth Price upset Chris Robinson, 7-5, and bested Flud, 7-7, while Morra topped Curt Sheldon, 7-3, and Shelby Green, 7-2. Bryant subdued Angel Mentzel, but fell to Sharp by the same score, 7-2. Galicia upended Aicinena, 7-4, but fell to Salim, 7-2, while Moreno won an impressive five matches, ousting Springs, 7-3, and Rojas, 7-4. Following a second round loss to Morra, Ernesto Bayaua made a phenomenal comeback, securing five matches, including wins over Derek Fontenot, 7-3, and Poon, 7-0. Jesus Atencio, on a similar mission, marked up five on the one loss side, among the ruins, Reginal Samples, 7-1, and Alonzo, 7-5. Jimmy Krone racked up five victories on the one loss side, but was stopped by Ochoa, 7-4. Ochoa was taken out by McMinn, 7-6, wrapping up top sixteen action. Back on the east side, Espinosa throttled Perez, 9-1, Baraks triumphed over Smith, 9-7, while Davis, Jr. snuck by Jethwa, 9-7, and Calderone inched by Richeson, 9-8. Espinosa squeaked by Baraks, 9-8, and Davis Jr. served it up cold to Calderone, 9-4. The hot seat match-up marked an Austin-area shoot-out, and a short-lived set for Espinosa, who sustained his first blow from Davis, Jr., 9-5. On the west side, Morra took a stand, ending Price, 7-3, and Perez, 7-2, while Salim took out heavy hitters Sharp, 7-3, and Smith, 7-2. Bayaua recorded his seventh win on the one loss side, ending Moreno, 7-1, and Jethwa, 7-3. Ochoa finished off Atencio, 7-3, but fell to Richeson, 7-5. Salim went on to defeat Morra, 7-5, and Calderone, 7-3, while Bayaua buried Richeson and Baraks, 7-3. Bayaua registered his ninth win, but no more. Winning the case game against Bayaua, Salim secured his sixth win, and slid into third place. Espinosa was ready for Salim, but got off to a slow start. At a 6-3 deficit, Espinosa came back to win, 7-6, earning himself a second shot at Junior, and the title. Once again, Espinosa found himself in troubled waters, as Davis was in perfect rhythm with the table, and couldn’t be denied. Davis Jr. surged to a 9-3 win, and his second 9-ball title since the inception of Space City.
In the one pocket division, Josh Roberts took no prisoners, eliminating Charlie Bryant, Jamie Baraks, and Chris Robinson, 4-3, while Alex Calderone defeated Greg Trent, Jim McCary, and Sylver Ochoa, 4-2. Local favorite, Richie Richeson, defeated Marc Garza and Manny Perez, by the same score, 4-1, and John Morra, 4-1. Ernesto Bayaua rounded out the final four, booking wins over Bobby Roland, Aaron Springs, 4-3, and Evan Lunda. In the final four round, Roberts shut-out Calderone, 4-0, and Richeson slid past Bayaua, 4-3. For the first time, Richeson found himself at the end of the board, facing the defending champion. The pressure was on, as both players were in close running for the All-Around bonus. In the final, numerous games came down to the case ball. The fans were treated to an offensive juggernaut; a display of maneuvers and banks, not soon forgotten, but even the creativity of the venerable Richeson, was not enough. With an accounting of two, eight-and-out runs, Roberts was up 3-2, with one ball remaining in game six. Following an unforced error by Richeson, Roberts took it home, along with his second, Space City Open one pocket title.
Evan Lunda was in charge of the banks. The Detroit product eliminated Jim Walker, 4-0, Danny Smith, 4-3, and Jose Barbosa, 4-1. His upcoming challenger, Shane McMinn, took out Mike Alonzo, Gail Eaton and James Davis, Jr. by the same score, 4-2. Josh Roberts overwhelmed Marc Garza, 4-1, Kent Berthelot, 4-0, and John Morra, 4-1, while Richie Richeson completed the final four, with wins over Bret Harlan, 4-0, Jamie Baraks, 4-2, and Justin Hall, 4-3. Lunda ended McMinn, 4-2, and Roberts robbed Richeson, 4-1. Lunda and Roberts found themselves in their first, banks final, vying for new milestones; Lunda, aiming for his first title, and Roberts, going for first-time champion of two different divisions. Lunda’s casual style showcased epic moves, and wowed spectators as he banked his way to victory. He shut out Roberts in the final of the single elimination schedule, 4-0, to win his first Space City Open title.
On Sunday morning, thirty-two women started battling it out in the ladies 9-ball division. The 2013 ladies 9-ball division champion, Ming “The Empress” Ng, began her trek with wins over Terri Resendez, 7-2, two-time ladies 9-ball champion, Gail “Virginia Slim” Eaton, 7-6, and Kim “Texas Heat” Pierce, 7-1, as Robyn Petrosino plowed through Ruth Paine, 7-0, Brittany Kromer, 7-3, and Teresa “Princess of Pool” Garland, 7-1. Yvonne “Casher” Asher made her way to the cash, defeating Karen Reilly, Tam “MZ Tam” Trinh, 7-3, and Jillian Nickerson, 7-6, while Ricky “The Ghost” Casper, drifted past Matty Sword, 7-1, Sara Bork, 7-3, and Hopey “Hurricane” Lawrence, 7-2. Ng went on to shut out Petrosino, 7-0, and Casper stopped Asher, 7-4. In the hot seat match, Ng emerged victorious over Casper, 7-4. On the one loss side and in the final eight, Pierce and Eaton shut out Garland and Nickerson, respectively, 5-0. Pierce derailed Asher, and Eaton eliminated Petrosino, moving into the final four. Eaton went on to eliminate Pierce, 5-0, and Casper, 5-4, to meet Ng in the finals. Ng, going for her second title, and Eaton, searching for her third, battled to the bitter end. In the first set, Ng simply couldn’t get it together, and Eaton was on fire, taking the first set, 7-1. Following a five minute break, the second set got underway. This time, Ng took her turn, beating Eaton 5-3, to win her second, Space City Open title.
Nine players, seventeen and under, competed in the inaugural, juniors 9-ball division. Lazaro Martinez, III, aka “Little Laz”, outplayed April Gonzales, 5-2, and Alex Fonseca bested Jonathan Cortez, 5-1. Jacob Gonzales beat John Benavides, but fell to Kyle Yi, while Gabriel Martinez passed Nathan Garay, 5-1. Martinez, III logged a third win against Fonseca, 5-2, and G. Martinez ousted Yi, for a brother versus brother, hot seat match-up. G. Martinez denied his brother, and awaited his final opponent. On the one loss side, and in the final six, Fonseca eliminated Garay, and Yi overcame Benavides. Yi eliminated Fonseca, but fell to Martinez, III. Once again, “Little Laz” faced off with brother, Gabriel, in the final. The final told a different story, as Little Laz overwhelmed Gabriel, 5-2, 5-3, to win his first Space City Open title.
Space City Open VII goes down in the record books as the most successful one to date. “I have no words for the outpouring of support from the Texas pool community. Even with the last minute venue and format changes, the event over-filled. Billy Sharp and Deborah Sharp of Big Tyme Billiards came through for all of us” commented Kim Newsome, Space City Open Founder and Director. Space City Open extends a heartfelt “thank you” to everyone involved in the production of this event; John Newsome and Johnny Gonzales of Eagle Plumbing who sponsored the $1,500, All-Around bonus; staff members Kim Newsome, John Newsome, Erica Hanlon, and Chuck Adams who managed every facet of the event; Ceferina Ramirez and Ruth Paine for their contributions; Mike Fabacher with Southern Streaming who provided a free, four-day live stream; Chris Lue of Next Action Media, whose photographs captured the essence of the event; sponsors Roger Schuett with the APA of North Harris County, Mike McDonald of VaporKnightsUSA.com, Poison by Predator Cues, Cyclop Pool Balls, Chris Renfro with Outsville Billiards, Charlie and Heather Bryant of Brutal Game Gear, and David Taylor and Teresa Garland with Houston Best of Billiards; vendors Jerry Olivier Cue Repair, Joe Salazar Connoisseur of Custom Cues, Arthur Politte with Qxtender.com, Darrold Stiehl with Champions Cues, and Brutal Game Gear.
Finally, Space City would like to extend its deepest gratitude to the players who support this event, year in and year out. Without the players, none of this would be possible.
Space City Open is one of the biggest billiard events in Texas, and is held annually, the first week in December. For more information, visit www.SpaceCityOpen.com.
Paul Jobe, Jude Rosenstock, James Davis Sr. and Ruben Escalera
Joey Bourgeois, Jr., of Baytown, Texas, ran through the 64-player, amateur 9-ball division, in the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour, Texas Open Warm-Up 9-Ball Event, defeating Austin newcomer Jude Rosenstock in the final set, 5-1. This marked Bourgeois’ second, consecutive victory, in his Tour career. In the 64-player, open 9-ball division, local favorite James Davis, Sr. took down Jude Rosenstock in the final, 6-3, securing his fifth win on Tour, of the past nine Tour events held at Skinny Bob’s. Rosenstock came very close to winning both divisions, a feat only one player has accomplished in the Tour’s ten years, while Austin’s Kim Sanders became the highest female finisher in an open or amateur division, in Tour history!
On August 4th-5th, 2018, Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, Texas, along with tour title sponsor Poison by Predator Cues PoisonBilliards.com, and sponsors Cyclop Pool Balls, www.VaporKnightsUSA.com, APA of North Harris County, and OutsvilleBilliards.com, facilitated another successful event for the players of the Poison Lone Star Tour. Skinny Bob’s added a generous $1,000 to the two-day event, which paid out a whopping $8,745. The Tour would like to thank room owners John and Sue Cielo for their continued support, nine years running!
Each 64-player division kicked-off on Saturday afternoon, and brought back the final 32 in each, on Sunday. In the amateur 9-ball division, Joey Bourgeois, Jr. began his journey to the winners’ side final four with wins over Daniel Campos, 5-4, Mike Hoffman, 5-4, Nancy French, 5-1, and Jacob Case, 5-2, as Jose Ybarra tagged San Antonio’s Vance Rodriguez, 5-0, Lazaro Martinez, III, 5-2, Ryan Lane, 5-4, and Michelle Cortez, 5-4. Florida’s Chris Gentile plowed through Joel Acevedo, 5-2, Danny Wyatt, 5-1, J.C. Torres, 5-1, and Kim Sanders, 5-0, while Jude Rosenstock denied Chuck Adams, 5-3, Eddie Palmer, 5-1, Ricardo Espinosa, 5-3, and Shane Hvamstad. On the one loss side, J.C. Torres fell to Matt Wong, 4-2, and Oklahoma’s Micah Ott eliminated Ricardo Espinosa, 5-3. Kim Pierce passed Ryan Lane, and Eddie Palmer sent home Benito Cazares, 4-0. Wong was eliminated by Case, 4-1, and Cortez was shut out by Ott, 4-0, while Pierce caved to Hvamstad, 4-1, and Sanders dusted off Palmer, 4-2. Back on the east side, Rosenstock slid by Gentile, and Bourgeois, Jr. edged out a victory over Ybarra, both by the same score, 5-4. In the hot seat match, Bourgeois, Jr. eased pass Rosenstock, 5-4. On the west side, Case defeated Ott, but fell to Gentile, while Sanders ousted Hvamstad, then derailed Ybarra. Sanders went on to eliminate Gentile, 5-4, but fell to Rosenstock. Sanders settled into third place, becoming the highest female finisher in a Poison Lone Star Tour division. In the finals, Bourgeois, Jr. fought to avoid another hill-hill match. He ended Rosenstock’s run, 5-1, securing his second Tour victory of the 2018 season.
In the open division, James Davis, Sr. overcame Michael Parrott, 6-0, Laz Martinez, III, 6-5, Jacob Watson, 6-2, Laz Martinez, Jr., 6-2, and while Jason Roessler defeated Chris Habgood, John Demmett, 6-3, Justin Wright, 6-1, and Kim Sanders, 6-3. First-timer, Jude Rosenstock cut through Rene Rodriguez, Jose Ybarr, 6-5, Joel Acevedo, 6-4, and Paul Jobe, 6-1, as Jimmy Krone powered past Mike Englund, Vance Rodriguez, 6-2, Ralph Cardona, 6-5, and Benito Cazares, 6-5. On the west side, Eric Aicinena eliminated Joe Heinaman, 5-1, but fell to Jobe, 5-4, while Joey Torres took out Ybarra, and Cazares, 5-3. Upset by Ybarra in the first round, open-only player, Ruben Escalera, struck down Ryan Lane, and Kim Sanders, 5-0, marking up six wins on the one loss side, as Acevedo upset James Davis, Jr., 5-4, and Laz Martinez, Jr. Down to the final eight, winners’ side final four witnessed Davis, Sr. defeat Roessler, 6-1, and Rosenstock roll Krone, 6-0. In the hot seat match, Davis, Sr. wasted little time, overwhelming Rosenstock, 6-1. Back on the west side, Jobe edged out Torres and Roessler by the same score, 5-4, while Escalera ended Acevedo and Krone, both sets, 5-2. Escalera iced Jobe, 5-0, checking off his ninth win on the one loss side, but faltered against Rosenstock, losing 5-3. This was Rosenstock’s first Tour event, and first trip to the finals, where he faced the indomitable, James Davis, Sr. Although Rosenstock gave it his best shot, Davis Sr. took control and maintained the lead, securing his fifth Tour victory, 6-3.
The Tour would like to thank all the new players, some of which traveled from great distances, who competed in this event, and congratulate players who reached milestones. Paul Jobe achieved his highest finish to date, while Jude Rosenstock and Kim Sanders also made great strides, Jude finishing second in both divisions, and Kim, becoming the highest finishing, female player in a Poison Lone Star division. The Tour would also like to thank tournament co-director, Erica Hanlon, for all her assistance in running the boards and ensuring a smooth, seamless event, and photographer Mille Almaraz who captured some memorable, tournament moments. Finally, congratulations to this weekend’s Poison raffle winner, Louis Acosta from Jarrell, Texas. Acosta took home a Poison Arsenic3-2 playing cue.
The next event will be October 13th-14th, 2018, at Bogies Billiards West, located at 9638 Jones Road, in Houston, Texas. For more information, visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com. Alongside the next Poison Lone Star event, there will be a Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour 9-Ball Event. For more information, visit www.GulfCoastWomensTour.com.
It's been something of a sandwich, the three Texas Open 10-Ball Championships that have occurred since 2015. It's been two slices of Manny Chau bread, with a slab of Skyler Woodward in the middle. Chau went undefeated through the 95-entrant Open field at the Third Annual Texas Open 10-Ball Championships, held on the weekend of February 16-19 at Skinny Bob Billiards in Round Rock, TX. Chau faced the defending champion (Woodward) in a winners' side semifinal and separate opponents in the battle for the hot seat (John Gabriel) and finals (Shane McMinn). In a concurrently-held, $500-added inaugural Ladies Tournament, Ricki Casper went undefeated through a field of 37 (separate story). Gail Eaton, who finished third in that event, picked up an extra $500 for being the top female finisher in the Open portion of the tournament.
After an opening round bye, Chau got by Jimmy Krone 7-2, and then defeated, in order, Robb Saez 7-4, Charlie Bryant 7-2, and Jon Demet 7-3 to face defending champion Skyler Woodward in one of the winners' side semifinals. John Gabriel, in the meantime, had worked his way through Jason Harkrider, Jeff West, Blaine Barcus, and Billy Thorpe to face the tournament's eventual runner-up, Shane McMinn, in the other winners' side semifinal.
Gabriel got into the hot seat match with a 7-2 win over McMinn. Chau had his hands full with Woodward, who fought him to double hill before moving to the loss bracket. Chau claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Gabriel and waited on the return of McMinn.
Lurking on the loss side was the recent VA State 9-Ball Champion, and third-ranked player in the world, Dennis Orcollo, who, after being awarded an opening round bye, had been defeated in his first match by Roberto Gomez 7-1. As the defeated players in the winners' side semifinal moved over, Orcollo was in the midst of a nine-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the quarterfinals. He'd gotten by Shane Manaole and Josh Roberts, both 7-3, to draw Woodward, which was as clear a case of 'out of the frying pan into the fire' as you're going to find anywhere in the world of pool. McMinn, in the meantime, drew Jeffery DeLuna, who'd defeated Jon Demet 7-3, and shut out Jason Klatt to reach him.
Orcollo ended Woodward's bid to defend his title 7-3, and in the quarterfinals, faced McMinn, who'd eliminated DeLuna 7-5. A predictable double hill fight ensued, eventually won by McMinn, who moved on to meet Gabriel in the semifinals. McMinn gave up only a single rack to Gabriel and got a shot at Chau in the hot seat. Chau, though, dashed any hopes McMinn was entertaining to be the third different winner of the Texas Open 10-Ball Championships with a 7-5 win in the finals.
The entire event was streamed live over the weekend by Ray Hansen and his PoolActionTV crew.
James Davis Sr., Ernesto Bayaua and Hanni Al Howri
Hanni Al-Howri, originally from Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, now resides in Houston, Texas, and came close to achieving something only one amateur division pool player in the history of the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour has ever achieved; winning both divisions at the same event. After several attempts, Al-Howri finally broke the ice in Round Rock, Texas, with his first-ever tournament win, going undefeated in the 71-player, amateur 9-ball division, and finishing second in the open 9-ball division. Resident tour player Ernesto Bayaua went unscathed in the 64-player, open 9-ball division, defeating Al-Howri in the final, at an event which drew a total of 123 players, and paid out over $9,000 in prize money.
This year marks the 7th year that the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour has hosted the annual “Texas Open Warm-Up” event at the famed Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, Texas, amassing the highest attendance in the event’s history, besting its own record of 120 players in 2012. Home of the prestigious and longest-running billiard event in Texas, the “Texas Open”, Skinny Bob’s Billiards, along with title sponsor Poison by Predator Cues www.poisonbilliards.com, and sponsors Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com, Ozone Billiards www.ozonebilliards.com, APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, and Cyclop Billiard Balls, facilitated another monster event for players across Texas and beyond. Room owners John and Sue Cielo added a very generous $1,000 to the Poison Lone Star Event, and $485 to the Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Tour 9-Ball Event. The tour would like to thank Skinny Bob’s Billiards and their wonderful staff for hosting another first-rate, tournament.
In an effort to better accommodate the large number of players competing in the annual Poison Lone Star Texas Open Warm-Up Event, beginning in 2017, the ladies’ event will be staged at “Skinny Bob's II”, a smoke-free pool room, adjoining the main room, which houses eight new Diamond bar tables. “This event has presented some challenges over the years, with well over 100 players competing, and only two days in which to finish, on a limited number of tables. I’m confident that utilizing this additional space will provide a smoother tournament experience for all of the players,” says Tour Director, Kim Newsome.
In the amateur 9-ball division, due to the overwhelming number of participants, Saturday’s races were set at 5 and 4, and on Sunday, 4 and 3. Hanni Al-Howri logged wins over Tony Thompson, David Castillo, Brandon Tang, 5-1, John Demet, 5-1, and John Wright, 4-1. Also vying for the winners’ side final four, Daniel Herring overcame Gabriel Romo, Casey Crews, Elijah Hughes, 5-1, Rudy Sanchez, 5-4, and Ryan Lane, 4-2. Jose Ybarra took down Paul Jobe, John Eagle, David Ray, and Joe Garza, 4-1, while Justin Pena took out Paul Alderete, Jacob Watson, 5-3, Mark Wicker, 5-2, and Jimmy Krone, 4-3. On the one-loss side, David Escobedo took out Chad Henson, 3-1, Daniel Baker eliminated John Eagle, 3-1, Felder overcome Ray, 3-2, and Robert Stewart ousted Robert Smith, 3-1. After losing his second round match to Lane, Escobedo came alive on the one loss side, securing his sixth, match win over Joe Garza, 3-2. Baker went on to eliminate Jimmy Krone, 3-2, Wright ended Felder, 3-2, and Stewart eliminated Lane, 3-2. Down to the final eight, players were tightening up their games, and grinding it out. Back on the winners’ side, Pena slid by Ybarra, 4-3, and Al-Howri defeated Herring, 4-2. On the west side, Herring ended Escobedo’s run, 3-2, and Wright sent Stewart packing, 3-1. While Herring and Ybarra faced off on the one-loss side, the hot seat match teed off with Pena and Al-Howri. Determined to win his first event, Al-Howri was steadfast, and played with pocket-speed-precision. Although equally determined, and vying for his first tour win, Pena came up short, 4-2. On the one-loss side, Herring wasted no time making his way back to Al-Howri, dusting off Pena, 3-0, earning himself another shot at the title. In the final, Al-Howri came out of the gate, and never broke stride. Proving too much for Herring this day and time, Al-Howri took him out in the first set, 4-0, to win his first-ever, Poison Lone Star Tour amateur title.
In the open 9-ball division, Saturday’s races were set at 6 and 5, and on Sunday, 5 and 4. Ernesto Bayaua made his way through the 64-player field, unscathed, securing wins over Michelle Abernathy, 6-1, David Neumann, 6-5, John Demet, 6-5, and Rudy Sanchez, 5-4, while Junior Jueco decimated John Palmore, Keith Keithley, 6-1, and Jason Roessler, 5-1. David Henson also made his way to the final four winners’ side, with wins over David Escobedo, Matt Bickers, Matt Wong, 6-0, and Hanni Al-Howri, 5-0, while James Davis, Sr., took down Paul Jobe, Kim Sanders, 6-1, Robert Stewart, 6-5, and Jim Miller, 5-2. On the one-loss side, Stewart ousted Sanchez, 4-1, and it was Massingill over Roessler, 4-2. Al-Howri eliminated powerhouse Tommy Tokoph, 4-2, who had sustained an early hit from Robert Stewart, 6-0, and former junior phenom, Jacob Watson, took out Jim Miller, 4-2. Back on the east side, Henson overcame Davis, Sr., 4-3, and Bayaua bested Jueco, 4-3. Bayaua went on to secure the hot seat over Davis, Sr., 4-2. Action on the one loss witnessed Massingill defeat Stewart, 4-2, and Al-Howri eliminate Watson, 4-3. Henson made quick work of Massingill, 4-1, but fell to Al-Howri 4-2. Al-Howri went on to eliminate Davis, Sr., 4-3, for a total of 5 straight, match wins to meet Bayau in the final. Bayaua ended Al-Howri’s winning streak, taking the first and final set, 5-4, earning his second Poison Lone Star Tour tournament win of 2016.
The Tour would like to encourage everyone who loves to play pool and compete in a friendly atmosphere, to attend a Poison Lone Star Tour event. The final stop of this year is October 8th-9th, at Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar (3040 FM 1960 E.) in Houston, Texas, and hosts a Gulf Coast Tour ladies’ 9-ball event on Saturday, October 8th. On November 12th-13th, the Gulf Coast Tour will host a $1,000 added, stand-alone women’s 9-ball event and WPBA Masters Qualifier, at Fat Racks Sports Bar and Billiards and Lounge, in San Antonio Texas. The famed Space City Open V will be held December 1st-4th, 2016, at Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar (3040 FM 1960 E.) in Houston, Texas. For more information on these events, and how to become a tour or event sponsor, please email Kim Newsome at lonestartour@gmail.com. Find out more about the Poison Lone Star Tour at LoneStarBilliardsTour.com.
It was “all in the family” this past weekend, August 23rd-24th, 2014 at the Lone Star Billiards Tour event held at Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, Texas. James Davis, Jr. “Bastrop, Jr.” and James Davis, Sr. “Bastrop, Sr.” captured first and second, respectively, in the open 9-ball division while Frank Ferrer, Jr. captured the amateur 9-ball division, upgrading his status to “open” division player. The tour would like to thank Skinny Bob’s owners John and Sue Cielo for hosting another first-rate event, their 5th year as Lone Star Tour hosts. The Tour is proudly sponsored by Poison by Predator Cues, Delta-13 Rack, Ozone Billiards, ImproveYourShot.com, and APA of North Harris County.
First round action started Saturday at 3pm. James Davis, Jr. steadily worked his way through the winners’ side with wins over Jason Bagby, 7-4, Rudy Esteves, 7-5, David Henson, 7-6, and Manny Chau, 7-5. Another local favorite, Brian Sanders, made his stand as well, defeating Cesar Garcia, 7-5, Chuck Adams, 7-4, James Davis, Sr., 7-3, and finally Blaine Barcus to reach Bastrop, Jr. for the hot seat. New to the tour, Dallas player Roman Bayda suffered a second round loss to Barcus, 7-1, but made his way through the one-loss to finish in the money. Junior Jueco, Bagby, and Chris Smith also finished 9th-12th. John Eagle lost his bid for the final four winners’ side to Barcus, 7-3, and was subsequently eliminated by James Davis, Sr., 6-4. Frank Ferrer, Jr., suffered a loss in the same round to Chau, 7-5, and was eliminated by Henson, 6-4. These turn of events staged an all-too familiar shoot-out with veteran champions, Henson and Davis, Sr., playing for third place. On the east side, Davis, Jr. squeezed by Sanders to secure the hot seat, 6-5. Davis, Sr. squeezed by Henson and Sanders by the same score, 6-5. Father and son decided not to play the final match and instead split the winnings. It was agreed that Junior retain the title, perhaps a belated wedding gift after tying the knot with Emma Davis (formerly Stewart) at BCA Nationals this past July. They are expecting their first child, a boy, later this year.
In the amateur division, Frank Ferrer, Jr. faced off with Cesar Garcia for the hot seat. Ferrer’s victims included Aaron Isbell, 6-2, Cielo Velasquez, 6-0, Chris Salinas, 6-2, and John Eagle, 6-1. Garcia ousted David Escobedo, 6-4, Roger Senn, 6-4, Jason Bagby and Chad Hensen, 6-5. James Dugger suffered a first round loss and won 6 consecutive matches while Bagby made his way into the final four on the losers’ side as well. Dugger fell to Jacob Warriner, 5-4, while Bagby advanced over Rudy Sanchez. It was Hensen over Warriner and Bagby over Eagle. Hensen eliminated Bagby, 5-3, while Ferrer dominated Garcia for the hot seat. Hensen took down Garcia, but fell to Ferrer in the first set of the finals.
Congratulations to all the Poison VX Cue raffle winners; Jimmy Krone, Jerry Riley, James Smiser, and Chris James.
The Lone Star Finale is October 4th-5th at Bogies Billiards & Games, Houston, Texas. The ladies’ Gulf Coast Tour Finale will be on Saturday, October 4th, at the same venue. For more information, visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com.
