2021 Ocean State 9-Ball – Nick Abrantes v Marco Kam
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Danny Hewitt & Dave Mills Take Joss Stop At Salt City Billiards
Salt City Billiards in Syracuse NY was our host for stop #4 of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour's current 20th season with Danny Hewitt taking top honors in the main event. Hewitt's road to the finals was a relatively easy trip with wins over Dave Johnson 9-1, Rohit Aggarwal 9-2, former NYS Champ Alan Kiehle 9-6, Joe Darigis 9-4, Spencer Auigbelle 9-6 and Hendrik Drost 9-3 for the hot seat. His opponent in the finals, Martin Daigle, had a much tougher task at hand. Having lost a hard fought hill-hill 1st round match to Bucky Souvanthong, things were not looking good. But, that loss seemed to trigger a winning attitude as Daigle proceeded to knock off opponents one by one to the tune of 9 wins in a row for him to reach the finals verses Hewitt. Daigle's victories included wins over Lance Kellogg 9-2, Bruce Carroll 9-1, Dwight Dixon 9-3, Dave Grau 9-3, Joe Darigis 9-4, Ed Saur 9-7, Bruce Nagle 9-8, Spencer Auigbelle 9-3 and Hendrik Drost 9-4.
In the true double elimination format it appeared that Daigle had not lost any steam, winning the first set of the all Canadian finals over Hewitt 9-6. The set was somewhat close early on but hewitt was always slightly behind and seemed to have a little trouble getting his game in gear. The second set however was much different as Hewitt simply dominated Daigle to the tune of 9-2. Hewitt collected $1,000 while Daigle settled for second money of $700 and Drost earned $550 for a great 3rd place finish.
Our $20 entry fee Sunday second chance tourney saw Dave Mills come back from an early loss for the win. That event saw Jason Hall defeat Jerome Rockwell for the hot seat. Mills then beat Rockwell and went on to defeat Hall two sets in the final by scores of 3-2 & 3-2. Mills collected $280 for first, Hall $180 for second and Rockwell $120 for third.
The lucky winner of our $1,500 custom engraved Joss Cue raffle was a local player, Charles Maitland.
We are fast approaching our mid season championship "Turning Stone Classic XXVII 9-Ball Open" on January 5-8, 2017. If you would like to compete in this world class event, I suggest you contact Mike Zuglan immediately to avoid being left out. The event is limited to the first 128 paid entries and Always fills months ahead. If just coming to watch, spectator admission is Free once again. Mike Zuglan can be reached at 518-356-7163.
Main Event results:
1st – Danny Hewitt – $1,000
2nd – Martin Daigle – $700
3rd – Hendrik Drost – $550
4th – Spencer Auigbelle – $400
5/6 – Bruce Nagle & Aaron Greenwood – $300 each
7/8 – Ed Saur & Marco Kam – $200 each
9/12 – Bucky Souvanthong, Joe Darigis, Ron Casanzio & Mark Creamer – $100 each
Second Chance results:
1st – Dave Mills – $280
2nd – Jason Hall – $180
3rd – Jerome Rockwell – $120
4th – Nate Marshall – $80
5/6 – Lance Kellogg & Russ Randall – $40 each
The picture includes Frank Delconte, owner, Martin Daigle 2nd place Dan Hewitt 1st Jennifer Delconte, owners wife
Front Meane Daigle Nichole Delconte (daughters)
Front Meane Daigle Nichole Delconte (daughters)
Sossei comes back to win Syracuse Joss Tour Stop
Frank Delconte, Jennifer Delconte, Bucky Souvanthong, Jeremy Sossei and Mike Delconte
The adage is that the two hardest games to win in a set are the first and last. Bucky Souvanthong found that out the hard way at the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour stop at Salt City Billiards in Syracuse, NY on January 16th – 17th.
Fans in attendance would have been hard pressed to pick Souvanthong to be challenging for first place in the event, after a hill-hill loss to Jamie Garrett in his second match of the day on Saturday, but after nine straight wins he was ready to challenge for the win.
Bucky would have to get by Jeremy Sossei, which no one had managed to do over two days. Sossei cruised to the hot-seat match, where he defeated Ron Casanzio 9-7.
After a 9-8 win over Casanzio in the semi-finals, Souvanthong took complete control of the first set of the finals with an 8-3 lead. Then Sossei turned the tide. Sossei came back from a five rack deficit to win six in a row and take first place by the narrowest of margins at 9-8.
The second chance tournament on Sunday drew fifteen players, and it was Dave Ricci beating Marco Kam two out of three sets for first place. Ricci won the hot-seat match over Kam 3-2, lost the first set of the finals 3-1 and then won the second set 3-0 for first place.
Karen Clark was the lucky winner of the $1700 custom engraved Joss pool cue raffle drawing at this event.
Mike Zuglan is already taking sign-ups for the Turning Stone Classic XXVI on August 25th – 28th. This will be a Mosconi Cup point event and the field will be limited to 128 players.
The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour will be at Sharpshooters Billiards in Amsterdam NY for their next event on February 20th – 21st.
Casanzio and Kam win double events on Western New York Tour
Ron Casanzio went undefeated in a single elimination 10-ball event, while Marco Kam came from the loss side to win a concurrently-run triple elimination 8-ball tournament, under the auspices of the Western New York Tour. It all happened on Saturday, December 12, at Eastridge Billiards in Rochester, NY. With some duplication, the 10-ball event drew 12 entrants, while the 8-ball tournament drew 19.
In the 8-ball, triple elimination tournament, which has more twists and turns-of-event than your average fun house of mirrors, Jose Mirabel worked his way into the hot seat. He had defeated tour director Nick Brucato 3-2, as Jerry Sullivan downed Ron Casanzio 3-1 in the winners' side semifinals. Mirabel claimed the hot seat 3-2 over Sullivan, and waited on what turned out to be the fateful return of Marco Kam.
On the loss side, which, in a triple elimination format, sees players who lose, move to a third bracket to potentially re-appear in the second (normal) loss-side bracket, Sullivan and Brucato ended up battling in what amounted to the third bracket final; a single game, won by Sullivan, who advanced to the semifinals against Kam.
Kam defeated Sullivan 2-1, in what was a more or less normal losers' side final, and got a shot at Mirabel in the hot seat. He took full advantage, downing Mirabel in the final race-to-6, 6-3.
In the single elimination 10-ball event, a single round of play, with four byes, resulted in four matchups, moving toward a final. Casanzio downed Dave Grau 8-4. Dan Veinot defeated Andy Gibson 8-5. Nick Brucato avenged his loss in the 8-ball event by defeating Sullivan 8-3 in 10-ball. Marco Kam rounded out the tournament's reduction to four players with an 8-4 victory over Chris Braiman, owner of Eastridge Billiards.
Casanzio then defeated Veinot 8-4, as Brucato advanced to the finals with an 8-5 victory over Kam. Casanzio claimed the 10-ball title with an 8-5 win over Brucato in the finals.
The next stop on the Western New York Tour, scheduled for January 23, 2016, will again be hosted by Eastridge Billiards in Rochester.
Hewitt and Ketz win Syracuse Joss Tour Stop
Premium Billiards manager Mark Ruzekowicz, Bucky Souvanthong and Danny Hewitt
Danny Hewitt and Kevin Ketz were the big winners when the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour found itself at Premium Billiards in Syracuse, NY on the weekend of October 17th – 18th.
Hewitt took the main event with an undefeated run through a field of 48 players. His place in the hot-seat was no gimme though, as he narrowly defeated Marco Kam 9-8 in that match. On the one loss side, the story was Bucky Souvanthong. After losing his second match, Souvanthong had been mowing down opponents on the one loss side. Souvanthong eliminated Kam 9-5 for his spot in the finals. It was Souvanthong's second appearance in the finals in as many weeks, and he took early command with a 3-0 lead in the first set. Souvanthing led the match 5-2, when Hewitt took control and won seven straight games for the 9-5 win and first place. In addition to the $1000 first place prize, Hewitt was also the lucky raffle winner of the $1,700 custom engraved Joss cue for this stop.
Sunday's second chance tournament saw Keviin Ketz return to the winner's circle in a field of 19 players. Ketz defeated Jamie Garrett 3-0 for the hot-seat, and then defeated Dave Mils 3-1 in the finals.
The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour will be at Raxx Pool Room, Sports Bar and Grill this weekend (October 24th – 25th), for another $1500/$500 added event. With most of the big guns on the east coast in Virginia for the US Open, the timing is perfect for a newcomer to earn a win on the tour.
Tour director Mike Zuglan said that the upcoming Turning Stone Classic XXV is over 2/3 full, and players are urged to contact him at 518-356-7163 to get their entry fees in.
Souvanthong holds off Casanzio for Joss Tour Win
Bucky Souvanthong (Courtesy Erwin Dionisio)
Bucky Souvanthong held off a late charge from Ron Casanzio to win the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour stop at East Ridge Billiards in Rochester NY over the October 5th – 6th weekend.
Souvanthong’s Saturday consisted of three wins, 9-4 over Dan Sharlow and then back to back 9-3 wins over Sean Zeng and Dave Mills.
Joining Souvanthong on the winner’s side on Sunday were Lyn Wechsler, Casanzio and Sourith Thammavong. Casanzio made quick work of Wechsler 9-1, while Souvanthong had a slightly closer 9-4 win over Thammavong. That left Souvanthong and Casanzio to battle for the hot-seat, which Souvanthong took 9-6.
Thammavong had two tough 7-5 wins on the left side of the board (Brad Guthrie and Sharlow), but wasn’t ready for Casanzio as Casanzio ended Thammavong’s day in third place 7-2.
The first set of the double elimination finals went to Casanzio 9-7 in another close match, but Souvanthong took control of the second set and cruised to a 7-2 win for first place.
Sunday’s second chance tournament saw Mark Creamer come back from a first round loss to Marco Kam and win seven straight matches to take first. Creamer got his revenge over Kam 3-2 on the one loss side, and that match would contain the last rack he would lose in this event. He defeated Nick Coppola 3-0 and then proceeded to double dip Steve Winter 3-0 twice to take first place.
The next stop on the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour will be this weekend (October 12th – 13th) at Utica Billiards on the Boulevard in Utica, NY. Tour director Mike Zuglan is busy taking entries for January’s Turning Stone Classic XXIII and players are urged to contact him to get their entries fees paid asap.