If your favorite dictionary doesn’t define ‘frustration’ with pictures of countless pool players who’ve endured long, loss-side journeys, only to be defeated, double hill, in a tournament final, it probably should. Jason Rogers qualified for this hypothetical photo gallery by losing his opening match and winning nine on the loss side to reach the finals of the January 27-28 stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City-9-Ball Tour, hosted by Corner Pockets in Fayetteville, NC. Rogers was defeated in that final match by Don Lilly, who, in so doing, completed an undefeated run through a field of 34, a little less than a quarter of which (8) were women.

 

One of those women, Lauren Kauffman, was responsible for sending Rogers to the loss side in the opening round of play. She would go on to earn free entry to a future tournament for being the top female finisher at the event. Rogers, in the meantime, began his loss-side trek, as Lilly advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Bo Blakely. Walt Baldwin and Phillip Skibo squared off in the other one.

 

Lilly and Blakely battled to double hill before Lilly advanced to the hot seat match. He was joined by Baldwin, who’d sent Skibo to the loss side 8-7 (Skibo racing to 9). Lilly claimed the hot seat 6-4 over Baldwin and waited for what would turn out to be some anxious moments in his final match against Rogers.

 

On the loss side, Rogers and his opening round opponent, Kauffman, worked their way toward a meeting just outside the first money round. With four notches on his loss-side belt, Rogers downed a player known only as “Shaft” 8-4, while Kauffman defeated Blade Best, double hill. Both matches in the battle for 7th/8th place saw the winners shut out their opponents; Rogers’ re-match against Kauffman (8-0) and Mickey Hucks’ victory over Billie Spatafora (6-0).

 

Rogers drew Blakely, while Hucks picked up Skibo. Rogers and Hucks advanced to the quarterfinals; Rogers 8-2 over Blakely and Hucks 6-3 over Skibo. Rogers gave up only a single rack to Hucks and won the quarterfinal match. He gave up three to win the semifinal against Baldwin 8-3.

 

Rogers, with the higher handicap, was racing to 8 in the final, with Lilly racing to 6. They battled to double hill before Lilly finished it to complete his undefeated run.

 

Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Corner Pockets, along with title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for the weekend of February 2-3, will be hosted by Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.

J.R. Poste won two straight double hill matches to get into the hot seat of a Q City 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of July 30-31. Poste and B.J. Hucks ended up splitting the event's top two prizes, while, undefeated, Poste claimed the event title that drew 39 entrants to Breaktime Billiards in Wilmington, NC.

 

Poste's first double hill win of the final two came in a winners' side semifinal match against J.T. Ringgold, as Joe Blanton was busy defeating Andy Bowden in the other semifinal. Poste claimed the hot seat, double hill, over Blanton in what proved to be his last match.

 

Ringgold moved to the loss side, where he picked up Taz Holiday, who'd defeated Frank Owens (runner-up on the tour's last stop, July 23) 5-4, and Mickey Hucks (no relation to B.J.) 5-3. Bowden drew B.J., who'd gotten by Ed Leggett and Brandy Hodges, both 7-3.

 

Hucks, racing to 7, gave up only a single rack to Bowden, advancing to the quarterfinals. He was joined by Ringgold, who'd eliminated Holiday 9-4. With Ringgold racing to 9, Hucks survived a double hill fight, winning it 7-7, and advancing to take on Blanton in the semifinals.

 

Hucks chalked up his last of the night, 7-2, over Blanton. He and Poste then opted out of the final, declared Poste the official winner, and split the top two prizes.

 

Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Breaktime Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, and Delta-13 racks. The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for August 6-7, will be hosted by Brown's Billiards in Raleigh, NC.

Tyler Mayfield came back from a loss in the winners' side quarterfinals of the June 14-15 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour, to meet and twice defeat hot seat occupant, Wendell Thompkins. It was Mayfield's first win on the tour. The $750-added event drew 28 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.

 

It was Mike Slaughter who sent Mayfield west 7-3, during the winners' side quarterfinals. Slaughter moved on to face David Small, as Thompkins met up with Dan Woods. Slaughter sent Small over to follow Mayfield 7-4, as Thompkins downed Woods 9-2. Thompkins shut Slaughter out in the hot seat match, little knowing that the shutout would be his last win.

 

Mayfield opened his loss-side campaign with a 6-5 win over B.J. Hucks, and followed it with a 6-3 win over Mitchell Floyd, which set him up to face Woods. Small picked up Mickey Hucks, who'd gotten by Matt Collins 6-5 and Joey Stevens 6-2 (prior to being eliminated himself, Stevens had eliminated his wife, Kathy, 5-2).

 

Mayfield and Hucks handed Small and Woods their second-straight loss; Mayfield, 6-1 over Woods and Hucks, 6-5 over Small. Mayfield downed Hucks 6-3 in the quarterfinals, earning himself a re-match against Slaughter in the semifinals. He exacted his revenge 6-4 and then defeated Thompkins twice in the double elimination final – 6-5 and 6-6 – to claim his first GSBT title.

Described by tour director as a "known force at the beach," Greg Dix picked up his second 2013 win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC. His previous win came in May at the same location, as did his third place finish in January, and his second place finish in August. The $650-added stop on October 5-6 drew 25 entrants.

 

The undefeated express almost got de-railed in one of the winners' side semifinals, as Phillip Britt battled Dix to double hill, before giving way. Mickey Hucks, in the meantime, racing to 6, defeated Richie Somner 6-5 (Somner racing to 7). Dix dominated the hot seat match 9-2, in his first of two against Hucks.

 

Somner moved west to pick up  Greg Little, who'd defeated Willie Darrigan, double hill, Chad Lee 6-4. Britt had the misfortune of running into Ray Floyd, who was working his way to the semifinals, and had gotten by Hank Warner 5-4 (Warner racing to 6), and Karl Simmons, double hill. Somner dropped Little into the tie for fifth 7-4, and taking advantage of his handicap Floyd eliminated Britt 5-8.

 

Floyd completed his loss-side run with a 5-2 victory over Somner in the quarterfinals, and though he'd battle to double hill in the semifinals, Hucks prevailed for a second shot at Dix. Dix completed his undefeated run with a 9-3 victory in the finals.

 

Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards for their continuing support of the tour, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, Ozone Billiards and Lomax Custom Cues. The next stop on the GSBT, scheduled for October 26-27, will be a $1,000-added 9-ball tournament, to be hosted by Chalk It Up Billiards in La Grange, GA.

BJ Hucks and Trent Talbert went head-to-head twice; once, in the battle for the hot seat and again, in the finals of the June 1-2 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. Hucks won them both to capture the $1,000-added event that had drawn 30 entrants to Shore Thing Bar & Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.

 

Their first meeting came after Hucks had sent Scott Langston to the loss side 9-5 and Talbert had downed Wendell Thompkins 7-4. Hucks took the hot seat 9-5 and waited for Talbert to get back from the semifinals.

 

Over on the loss side, Thompkins picked up Sidney Champion, who'd defeated Kelvin Acres 9-3 and Gatlin Askins 9-6 to reach him. Langston picked up Phillip Britt, with two GSBT wins at Shore Thing Billiards to his credit (Oct. & Dec. '12) already, who'd defeated Mickey Hucks 9-6 and shut out JR Faircloth. The loss-side combatants advanced; Champion surviving a double hill fight over Thompkins and Britt ending Langston's day 9-4.

 

Champion took the quarterfinal match 9-6 over Britt but fell to Talbert in the semifinals 7-6. In their second matchup, Hucks held Talbert to three racks on his way to claiming the event title.

 

Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, and Lomax Custom Cues. The next stop on the GSBT, a $2,500-added, amateur 9-ball event, is scheduled for June 22-23 at Player's Place in Charleston, SC.