Some folks might attach some measure of cosmic influence, probably associated with numerology, to the fact that Stop #2 on the New England 9-Ball Series was held on 02/20/22 and that the top 2 prizes were split by 2 members of the same family, Everett (the father) and Daren (the son) Belliveau. Here at AZBilliards, we’ll just let that go and move on to explain that the $500-added, Open event (no handicaps), for maximum Fargo rates of 680, drew six less than 22 entrants to Crow’s Nest in Plaistow, NH.
While the #2 is known in numerology as a “cooperative” number and represents partnerships, it is also known as a “supremely feminine force,” so we’ll skip that part, too, and note that instead of 2 brackets, normally utilized in NE 9-Ball Series’ stops to separate higher and lower-ranked players at the start of a given stop, this Open event had only 1 (one).
Daren went undefeated to the hot seat of the event, making him the official winner. Dad, Everett, lost his opening match to Ben Savoie, and chalked up six on the loss side, including a semifinal rematch against Savoie, for the right to negotiate with his son on the dispensation of their winnings. Might have been fun to watch father and son battle for the right not to pay their next dinner bill, but it didn’t happen.
Daren got by Mike Nicoloro and Daniel Simoneau to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal versus tour director Marc Dionne. Following his victory over Everett, Savoie went on to send Xhuljano Kamxhiu to the loss side and advance to the other winners’ side semifinal, against Rick Gatta.
Daren downed Dionne 7-4 and in the hot seat match, faced Savoie, who’d defeated Gatta 7-3. Daren claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Savoie.
On the loss side, Dad worked his way through Stacy Hamel, Josh Turansky and Jeff Furness, giving up 2 racks to each of them, to pick up Gatta, coming off his winners’ side semifinal gig. Dionne drew Kamxhiu, who, after falling to Savoie on the winners’ side, downed Jacqueline Loving 6-1 and Andy Downs 6-3.
Dad eliminated Gatta, you guessed it, 6-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Dionne and Kamxhiu struggled to double hill, before Kamxhiu prevailed to join Dad and then, be defeated by him 6-3. We’re not sure whether, by the time the semifinals began, father and son had already made the decision about a potential matchup (whether early in the proceedings or only after the semifinals), but what we do know is that Dad made a father/son matchup in the finals possible with a rematch victory over Savoie 6-4.
As noted at the outset, Father and son opted out of the final and split the equivalent of 4 times $220. No word on who bought dinner.
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Crow’s Nest, along with sponsors Predator, Poison, Arcos II, BCAPL, USAPL New England, Fargo Rate, AZBilliards, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, MJS Construction, Master Billiards, OTLVISE, Outsville, Salotto and Just The Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accessories. The next stop on the NE 9-Ball Series (#3, which is a more masculine number), scheduled for March 12, will be a $500-added event, hosted by Branford Cue & Brew in Branford, CT.
(l to r): Kyle Pepin, Tyler Boudreau & Kevin Bauccio
Pepin wins 11 on the loss side to meet him in the finals
Tyler Boudreau picked the 2019 New England 9-Ball Series Tour Championships to chalk up his first singles win on the tour. On any tour, according to our records. He and Tom D’Alfonso shared first-place honors during the tour’s 20th stop in May, a partners tournament and placed 4th in another partners event in August. Boudreau finished in 3rd place, behind Cullen Ryan and Lukas Fracasso-Verner at the tour’s Players’ Championship in March. Boudreau finished in 9th place in what was his only cash-earning appearance on the 2018 tour. He went undefeated at the $10,000-added event that drew 112 entrants to Bo’s Billiards in Warwick, RI on the weekend of September 7-8.
Boudreau, who, Fargo rated at 445, was the lowest ranked competitor among the event’s final 12, faced a total of eight opponents, with an average Fargo Rate of 522 (+). He faced a lower Fargo rated player only once; Don Roy (435) in the opening round of play. He faced separate much higher-rated opponents in the hot seat and finals – Kevin Bauccio (607) and Kyle Pepin (655).
Boudreau got by Don Roy, Josh Edmonds, James Stonkus, Josh Staples and Casey Olivieri to draw Justin Myers in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Kevin Bauccio, in the meantime, after victories over Rick Gatta, Tom D’Alfonso, Ricardo Diaz, Joe Dupuis (last year’s Tour Champion), and Ross Webster faced Cody Porter in the other winners’ side semifinal. Kyle Pepin, who’d opened his campaign with a 7-3 win over Rich Senna, fell to Mike Nicoloro 6-4 I the second round and embarked on an 11-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him into the finals against Boudreau.
In a straight-up race to 7, Bauccio defeatEd Porter 7-4. He was joined in the battle for the hot seat by Boudreau, who, in a straight-up race to 6, had defeated Myers 6-3. With Bauccio racing to 9 in the hot seat match, Boudreau gave up only three racks to him and claimed the hot seat 4-3.
Over on the loss side, Pepin was working his way through the field. He was six matches into his winning streak that had included two double hill wins (over Tom D’Alfonso and Chad Bazinet) when he ran into his third double hill win (over Gene Hunt) and then, eliminated Lukas Fracasso-Verner 6-4 to draw Cody Porter. Justin Myers picked up James Stonkus, who’d eliminated Casey Olivieri 5-2 and Josh Caesar 5-3.
Pepin advanced to the quarterfinals, chalking up his fourth double hill win over Porter. He was joined by Myers, who’d defeated Stonkus 5-2.
Pepin’s fifth and final double hill win of 11 loss-side matches came in those quarterfinals as he eliminated Myers. He then defeated Bauccio 7-4 for a shot at Boudreau in the hot seat.
With Pepin racing to 10, Boudreau completed his undefeated run with a first set 4-4 victory that earned him his first major regional tour win.
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Bo’s Billiards, as well as sponsors Predator Cues, USAPL New England, BCA Pool League, Fargo Rate, Bert Kinister, AZBilliards, Inside English, Professor Q-Ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, Delta 13 racks, MJS Construction, Bob Campbell with Lease Fundings, Master Billiards and OTLVISE Billiard Mechanics of America. The 2019-2020 season of the New England 9-Ball Series (Stop #1) will commence on Sunday, Sept. 22 and will be hosted by Crow’s Nest in Plaistow, NH.
(l to r): Rick Gatta, Mourad Idrais & Joe Callaluca
During the New England 9-Ball Series stop (#7) on Sunday, November 26, Mourad Idrais and Rick Gatta played 20 games of 9-ball over three matches. While none of the individual matches went double hill, the aggregate score did. With Gatta (a B player) racing to 6 and Idrais (C+) racing to 5 in those matches, they split the games evenly at 10-10, which would translate into a win for Idrais were they to have played a single race-to-11 match. Idrais backed up the aggregate score win by winning two out of the three matches, including the final one that broke their 1-1 match tie and earned him the event title. The $500-added event drew 34 entrants to Maxamillian’s Billiards in Tyngsboro, MA.
Idrais and Joe Callaluca (both C+) emerged from the event’s lower bracket to appear in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Gatta and Lozar Gurevich (both B) from the upper bracket appeared in the other one. Idrais sent Gallaluca to the loss side 5-1 and was joined in the hot seat match by Gatta, who’d defeated Gurevich 6-1. Idrais sent Gatta to the semifinals 5-3 in their first of three and waited on his return.
In a straight-up race to 5, Callaluca advanced to the quarterfinals, double hill, over Phillips. Gurevich joined him with a 5-2 win over the higher handicapped Morgan. Callaluca went on to win the quarterfinal match 5-2 over the higher handicapped Gurevich.
The semifinal match between two players (Gatta & Gallaluca) who’d already lost to Idrais once went double hill, with Gatta eventually earning the right to face Idrais a second, and, as it turned out, a third time. Gatta came into the opening set of the finals with proverbial ‘guns a-blazing’ and promptly shut him out. Idrais almost returned the favor. He allowed Gatta only a single rack in a 5-1, second set win that earned him the event title.
Tour director Marc Dionne thanked the ownership and staff at Maxamillians Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Molinari, Bert Kinister, AZBilliards, Inside English, Professor Q-ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, Delta 13 Racks, MJS Construction, Bob Campbell, Championship Cloth, and OTLVISE Billiard Mechanics of America. Stop #8, scheduled for Saturday, December 2, will be a $500-added event, hosted by World Championship Billiards in Manchester, CT.
