Congratulations to Stop # 15 event winners at Raxx, Jeremy Sossei ($1,000 main event), Mike Donnelly ($300 second chance)
Stop # 16, our final regular season event of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, will take place on June 1 & 2 at Snookers Billiards Sports Bar & Grill in Providence RI. This will once again be our third event at Snookers this season and we all owe owners Regina & Steve Goulding many thanks for their continued generous support. With this $2,000 added they have again added a total of $10,000 to our events this season. Thanks again from all of us! All that remains of the current season is our finale, The $25,000 Added, Turning Stone Classic XXX 9-Ball Open, August 22-25, 2019. Make sure to come see us at Turning Stone for this world class event with free spectator admission as always!
Snookers, in case you already didn't know, is one of the premier rooms in the United States and TWICE named the #1 room in the country by Billiards Digest Magazine! Snookers comes complete with 15 Gold Crowns covered in 860 Simonis (The Cloth Of Champions), is a world class sports bar, and has some of the best food in RI which is evident by the usual large crowds. So why not come to Snookers to play or watch, have a great meal and show your support to those who most generously keep supporting us. You might even win a custom engraved Joss Cue valued at $1,500 in Snookers cue raffle. The cue drawing will take place immediately before the final match on Sunday and, as always, you do not have to be present to win!! This gorgeous cue can be viewed here: https://josscues.com/joss-tour-2018-19-cue/
This event at Snookers will consist of a $1500 added Saturday and Sunday Main Event (entry Fee $120 for pro level or $70 for non pro level) and a $500 added consolation event on Sunday ($20 Entry Fee) for those non pro players eliminated from the main event on Saturday.
For those of you coming to play, please arrive on Saturday June 1, BEFORE 11:30 AM, and in proper dress please. Yes, jeans and sneakers are permitted in our billiard parlor events. But please, no T-shirts, tanks, shorts or sweats. Complete tour info can be found on our site www.joss9balltour.com
Previously I sent all of you the following motel info: Hampton Inn, 2 George St, Pawtucket RI, 02860, 401-723-6700$199+tax, includes breakfast and parking (mention Snookers Joss tournament) which is only good until May 17! Here is more that I just received from Snookers: the Providence Marriott Downtown which is the hotel that is across the street from at 1 Orms Street, Providence, RI 02904 has also agreed to honor a rate of $199/night for tournament players if they wish to stay there; however they cannot get the rate by calling the front desk. They must call Joanna Arrighie, Director of Sales & Marketing, directly at (401) 553-0485. Rooms are extremely limited, so they should call this week.
I am currently scheduling events for our 2019 – 2020 (Our 23rd!) season. So if you know of, or own a billiard parlor here in the Northeast that may like to hold one of our events, Please contact me NOW at 518-356-7163. Potential sponsors who would to be a part of our tour are also urged to do the same. I will be finalizing the schedule soon so it is important to contact me now.
Once again I ask all of you to please frequent your local billiard parlors and utilize the services of our most generous sponsors who are the backbone of our sport. Thank You & I hope to see all of you Snookers.
Jeremy Sossei made it “three in a row” with a win at the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour stop at Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY on May 4th.
Although Sossei ended up in the hot-seat, he didn’t get there without a challenge. Sossei started things off with a 9-4 win over Mike Salerno, but then things got a lot closer. Three of Sossei’s next four matches ended up within two racks with a hill-hill win over Mike Donnelly and 9-7 wins over Alex Osipov and then Jennifer Barretta for the hot-seat.
Barretta took the trip to the one loss side, where she found a red-hot Frankie Hernandez waiting. Hernandez had dropped a 9-8 decision to Alvin Thomas in his first match of the day, but then won six straight matches on the left side of the board. He would stretch that streak to seven matches, with a hill-hill win over Barretta in the semi-final match.
Hernandez was able to hand Sossei his first loss in the first set of the finals 9-6, but Sossei came back to win the second set 7-5 for his third straight Joss NE 9-Ball Tour stop win.
The second chance tournament saw Elvis Rodriguez in the hot-seat after a 3-2 win over Donnelly, but it was Donnelly coming back with 3-1 and 3-0 wins over Rodriguez in the finals.
In the pool world, it can sometimes be many tournaments before a player gets a chance to get revenge for a loss to another player. On the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour, it only took a week.
Last week, it was Bruce Nagle going undefeated and shutting down a streak of wins on the one loss side by Ron Casanzio in the finals. This week, at Brickhouse Billiards in Syracuse, it was Casanzio cruising through the winner’s side and taking the hot-seat with a 9-5 win over Mike Donnelly. Just prior to that hot-seat match, Donnelly sent Nagle to the left side of the board 9-6.
After that loss to Donnelly, Nagle won three tight matches on the one loss side with a 7-6 win over Sourith Thammavong, a 7-5 win over Qays Kolee and then a 7-6 win over Donnelly.
In a case of deja-vu, Casanzio ended Nagle’s winning streak with a 9-5 win in the first set of the finals. (Nagle had defeated Casanzio 9-5 in the first set of the finals last week).
Sunday’s second chance tournament saw Mark Creamer go undefeated with a 3-0 hot-seat win over Mike Hurley and then a 3-2 win over Dave Lebrun in the first set of the finals.
The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour returns to action this weekend with another $1500 / $500 added stop at Utica Billiards on the Boulevard in Utica, NY.
(l to r): Andrea Duvall (owner of Hippo’s), John McConnell, Ron Casanzio, & Matt Tetreault
Ron Casanzio has had several shots at the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour’s Al Conte Memorial over the years. He’s cashed in seven of the nine, to date. He was runner-up to Dennis Hatch in the first one (2009) and Shaun Wilkie in the fifth (2013). On the weekend of November 4-5, he became the event’s seventh winner, following in the footsteps of (in order) Hatch, Shane Winters, Mike Davis, Jeremy Sossei (three-time winner; ’12, ’14 and ‘15), Wilkie and Nelson Oliveira. The $1,500-added, 9th Annual Al Conte Memorial, the fourth stop on the 2017-2018 Joss NE 9-Ball Tour, drew 33 entrants to Hippo’s House of Billiards in Yorkville, NY.
Casanzio was one of three competitors at this event, along with Bucky Souvanthong and Angelo Hilton, who cashed in the first Al Conte Memorial. He became the only one of the three to do so in this one. Match by match, until the finals, Casanzio’s opponents steadily closed the margin of victory against him. He got by Bruce Nagle in the opening round 9-1, then Aaron Greenwood 9-3, and Marko Clarke 9-4 to join Matt Tetreault in one of the winners’ side semifinals. John McConnell, in the meantime, who’d sent Frank Cartani (9-4), Jerry Crowe (9-3), and Dwight Dixon (9-4) to the loss side, squared off against Mike Donnelly in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Casanzio got into the hot seat match with a continuation of the ‘reduced margin of victory’ phenomenon, downing Tetreault 9-5. McConnell joined him with a 9-5 victory over Donnelly. Casanzio claimed the hot seat 9-7 over McConnell and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Tetreault picked up Joe Darigis, who’d been sent over by Donnelly in a winners’ side quarterfinal and then defeated Nick Brucato 9-4 and Dwight Dixon 9-6. Donnelly drew Jose Mendez, who was on a modest four-match, loss-side winning streak that was about to end and had included recent wins over Norm Vernon 9-3 and Marko Clarke 9-5.
Tetreault advanced to the quarterfinals with a 9-6 win over Darigis, and was joined by Mendez, who’d handed Donnelly his second straight loss 9-7. Tetreault eliminated Mendez in that quarterfinal 9-3, but had his hopes for a re-match against Casanzio eliminated when McConnell defeated him 9-5 in the semifinals.
In their second of two, Casanzio broke the ‘margin of victory’ chain. He defeated McConnell 9-5 to claim his first Al Conte Memorial title.
A $500-added Second Chance tournament saw Willie Oney finish in the top spot, downing Mark Creamer in the finals. Aaron Greenwood finished third and Bruce Carroll took the fourth spot. Pete Khudc took home a $1,200 Joss Cue in the event’s raffle.
The fifth stop on the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour will be the 29th Ocean State 9-Ball Championship. Scheduled for the weekend of November 11-12, the $5,000-added event will be hosted by Snooker’s Billiards, Bar and Grill in Providence, RI.
Congratulations to stop # 7 winners Danny Hewitt ($1,000 – Main Event) & Mike Donnelly ($300 – Second Chance Tournament)!
February 22 & 23, stop # 8 of The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour will be at Trick Shot Billiards & Sports Pub in Clifton Park (near Albany) NY. Tim Berlin deserves many thanks from all of us for his continuing support and having already hosted 2 events this season at his other room, Sharp Shooters Billiards & Sports Pub!!! Thanks again Tim!! Trick Shot is a full service room with everything needed for a great weekend (or any time) of pool and fun. It is complete with a Great full food menu and a separate full service bar where you can watch all of your favorite teams in action. You could even win a gorgeous, custom, engraved, Joss Cue valued at over $1,500, by participating in Trick Shot's cue raffle. Anyone can participate and you don't have to be present to win! The drawing will be just prior to the final match of the main event on Sunday. This amazing cue that will be given away at Trick Shot can be viewed here:
For more info about Trick Shot, or to get directions and nearby motel info, please call them directly at 518-383-8771. Or visit their site at www.trickshotbilliardsny.com
This event at Trick Shot will consist of a $1500 added Saturday and Sunday Main Event (entry Fee $120 for pro level or $70 for non pro level) and a $500 added consolation event on Sunday ($20 Entry Fee) for those non pro level players eliminated from the main event on Saturday.
For those of you coming to play, please arrive on Saturday Feb. 22 Before Noon, and in proper dress please. Yes, jeans and sneakers are permitted in our billiard parlor events. But please, no T-shirts, tanks, shorts or sweats. Complete tour info can be found on our site www.joss9balltour.com
Our season finale, the $25,000 Added Turning Stone Classic XXII 9-Ball Open is scheduled for September 18-21, 2014. I am currently accepting entries and strongly suggest that you pay your entry early to avoid being shut out. Entry fee for this prestigious event is only $150 for Current tour members and only $200 for all others. As you can see, membership has it's privileges! If you would like to enter, please contact me at 518-356-7163 or see me at any of our Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour regular season events before it is full!!
I can't stress enough how important it is for all of you to please frequent your local billiard parlors and utilize the services of our most generous sponsors who are the backbone of our sport. These are the ones who keep our sport alive. So get out and play!
Danny Hewitt cruised – unbeaten and relatively untested – through a field of 45 players to win the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour stop at Sharp Shooters Billiards in Amsterdam, NY on February 8th and 9th.
An early Satruday 9-5 win over Paul Rozonewski was the closest any opponent would get to beating Hewitt all weekend. Hewitt wouldn't even break a sweat in the match for the hot-seat, as he defeated Jeremy Sossei 9-0.
On the one loss side, Rozonewski was on a six match winning streak and would have to get by Sossei to earn another shot at Hewitt in the finals. Rozonewski would have to settle for third place though, as Sossei handed him another 9-5 loss.
The final match between Hewitt and Sossei was just a little longer than their first meeting, with Hewitt scoring a 9-2 win in the first and only set of the finals.
The second chance tournament on Sunday drew fifteen players and Mike Donnelly scored an undefeated win, with victories over Demian Provost for the hot-seat and again in the finals.
The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour's next stop will be February 22nd and 23rd at Trick Shot Billiards in Clifton Park, NY.
Tour director Mike Zuglan urged players interested in participating in this year's Turning Stone Classic XXII on September 18th – 21st to get their entry fees in to him as soon as possible. The field is roughly 35% full already.
