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Sim goes undefeated to win his first Tri-State Tour stop

Miguel Laboy, Del Sim and Emit Yolcu

The hot seat was a new experience for Del Sim. So was victory in the finals. He did both on Sunday, April 10, when he went undefeated at a Tri-State Tour stop, successfully navigating two matches versus Miguel Laboy to claim the title. The $462-added event drew 21 entrants to the Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.
 
Sim and LaBoy met first in a winners' side semifinal, as Emit Yolcu squared off against Tyrronnie Harlee in the other one. Sim took the first of two against Laboy 7-5. By the same score, Yolcu sent Harlee to the loss side. Sim claimed his first hot seat in a double hill win over Yolcu and waited in it for the return of Laboy.
 
On the loss side, Laboy picked up Riyadh Benghalem, who'd defeated Steve Kaminow 7-3, and Mike Harrington 7-2 to reach him. Harlee drew Pat Mareno, who'd eliminated Esteban Morrell 6-3 and survived a double hill battle versus Ambi Estevez. Laboy got by Benghalem 7-5, and was joined in the quarterfinals by Mareno, who benefited from a medical forfeiture by Harlee.
 
Laboy and Mareno battled to double hill, before Laboy finished it at 10-9 and turned to face Yolcu in the semifinals. Another double hill match ensued, with Laboy emerging for a shot at Sim in the hot seat.
 
Sim ended Laboy's loss-side streak and hopes for revenge. He claimed his first title with an 8-5 victory in the finals.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at the Cue Bar, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Bloodworth Ball Cleaners. With the Super Billiards Expo, scheduled for next weekend (April 14-17), and a subsequent Open Date, the next stop on the Tri-State Tour is scheduled for Sunday, May 1, and will be hosted by BQE Billiards and Bar in Jackson Heights, NY.

Morrison goes undefeated on Tri-State

Chumreon Sutcharitakul, John Morrison, Owner-Operator Kevin Buckley and Tony Liang

It was just about this time last year (June 6-8) that John Morrison won the Men's Leisure division of the five-event, New York City 8-Ball Championships, the first tournament held under the auspices of Tony Robles' Silent Assassin Productions. Now, a year later, on Sunday, June 7, at a $3,500-added Tri-State 9-Ball event that drew 39 entrants to Gotham City Billiards, in Brooklyn, New York, Morrison went undefeated and chalked up his first win on the Tri-State Tour.
 
Following victories over Jaydev Zaveri, Mike Strassberg, Amy Yu and Ambi Estevez, Morrison moved into a winners' side semifinal versus Raul Calderon. Chumreon Sutcharitakul, in the meantime, squared off against Morrison's eventual finals opponent, Tony Liang. Morrison downed Calderon 6-4 and faced Sutcharitakul, who'd sent Liang to the loss side 7-5. Morrison claimed the hot seat, and, as it turned out, his last win of the event 8-4.
 
Liang moved to the loss side, where he was met by Kazuya Takagishi, who'd just completed two double hill wins over Koka Davladze and Tim Fitzsimmons. Calderon picked up Jose Palacios, who'd defeated Pat Mareno 6-4 and Ambi Estevez 6-1. Liang and Calderon got right back to work; Liang eliminating Takagishi 7-4, and Calderon ending Palacios' day 6-5.
 
Liang then defeated Calderon 8-4 in the quarterfinals, and followed up with a 7-4 victory that put Sutcharitakul out of business, and effectively, ended the tournament. Morrison and Liang, due to the late hour, opted out of playing a final match, leaving Morrison, undefeated, to claim the event title.
 
Tour representatives thanked Kevin and Isabel Buckley and their staff at Gotham City Billiards for their continuing support of the tour, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Focus Cases by John Barton, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Focus Apparel. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Saturday, June 13, will be hosted by Rockaway Billiards in Rockaway, NJ.

Strassberg goes undefeated to win his first Tri-State

Ron Gabia, Mike Strassberg and Miguel Laboy

Mike Strassberg has gotten close a couple of times, but until Saturday, May 16, he had yet to chalk up an event title on the Tri-State Tour. On April 26, at Brooklyn's BQE Billiards, Strassberg was runner-up to Chumreon Sutcharitakul who claimed his first Tri-State title that day. They had opted out of a final match, awarding Sutcharitakul, undefeated in the hot seat, the event title. Strassberg picked up his first Tri-State title in the same way; sitting in the hot seat, and opting out of a final match versus Miguel Laboy. The $1,000-added event drew 38 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.
 
Strassberg's path to the hot seat went through Pat Mareno, Ramon Feliciano, and Raul Calderone before facing Ambi Estevez (also looking for his first win on the Tri-State) in a winners' side semifinal. Ron Gabia and Dave Shlemperis (both with Tri-State wins in their past) squared off in the other. Strassberg sent Estevez to the loss side 6-3, as Gabia was sending Shlemperis over 7-3. Strassberg claimed the hot seat and, in effect, the event title with a 9-7 win over  Gabia.
 
Over on the loss side, Shlemperis had the misfortune of running into Miguel LaBoy, who, following an opening-round loss to Kapriel Delimelkonoglu, was embarked on a 10-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him to the finals. He survived a double hill match against Basdeo Sookhai, and defeated Keith Diaz 8-5 to pick up Shlemperis. Estevez picked up Raul Calderon, who'd gotten by Chris DeCaprio 6-2 and Terrence Bryant 6-4. 
 
LaBoy and Calderon advanced; LaBoy defeating Shlemperis 7-2 and Calderon eliminating Estevez 6-5. LaBoy then downed Calderon 10-8 in the quarterfinals and completed his loss-side run with a 7-3 win over Gabia in the semifinals. Strassberg and LaBoy opted out of the final match, and Strassberg, in the hot seat, claimed his first Tri-State title.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Steinway Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Focus Cases by John Barton, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Focus Apparel. After the Tri-State does its part (along with the Predator and Mezz Tours) in running the 5th Annual George "Ginky" Sansouci Memorial on Memorial Day weekend (May 22-25), the next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for May 30, will be hosted by Rockaway Billiards in Rockaway, NJ.
 

An undefeated Kahn, and Spaanstra split top prizes on Tri-State Tour stop

Paul Spanstra, Carl Yusuf Kahn and Martin Carlucci

Carl Yusuf Khan and Paul Spaanstra allowed a single match between them to decide the January 10 stop on the Tri-State Tour. Khan advanced to the hot seat, which proved to be his final victory, as he and Spaanstra opted out of a final match, leaving Khan to claim the event title. The $1,000-added event drew 25 entrants to Rockaway Billiards in Rockaway, NJ.
 
They met, only the once, in a winners' side semifinal, while Martin Carducci and Chris Calabrese met in the other. Khan sent Spaanstra over 7-5, and in the hot seat match, met Carducci, who'd defeated Calabrese 6-5. Khan claimed the hot seat, and ultimately, the event title, 8-7 over Carducci.
 
On the loss side, Spaanstra met up with Duane Toney, who'd shut out Steve Kaminow, and defeated Fred Garcia 7-2. Calabrese drew Kevin Coyle, who'd defeated Pat Mareno 6-4, and Jaydev Zaveri 6-3. Spaanstra eliminated Toney 7-4, as Calabrese was doing the same to Coyle 6-5. 
 
Spaanstra took the quarterfinal match against Calabrese 8-4, and in what proved to be his final win, downed Carducci in the semifinals 8-5. Khan and Spaanstra chose to split the top prizes, and as the undefeated player, Khan claimed the title.
 
Tour representatives thanked sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics.

Aro goes undefeated on Tri-State Tour

Keith Adamik and Michael Aro

Michael Aro won his first Tri-State stop at Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ, five years ago. In the hot seat at the end, he and Joe Fego opted out of a final match. Aro's gone on to chalk up at least one Tri-State victory in each of the past three years, winning twice at House of Billiards on Staten Island (October 2012, and May 2013) and most recently, November 2, at BQE Billiards, in Jackson Heights, NY. He met up in the finals with Alex Osipov, who won eight on the loss side to challenge him. The $1,000-added event drew 29 entrants to BQE Billiards.
 
Following victories over Pat Mareno, Paulo Valverde, and Larry Chandler, Aro faced Todd Trent in a winners' side semifinal. Keith Adamik and Miguel Laboy (winner of three Tri-State stops this year) squared off in the other. Adamik sent LaBoy to the loss side 7-5, and faced Aro, who'd dispatched Trent 6-5. Aro got into the hot seat 8-6 Adamik and waited for Osipov to complete his loss-side trip to the finals.
 
Osipov had been on the losers' side of the bracket since the opening round, when he was defeated by Chumreon Sutcharitakul 7-5. After three loss-side victories, Osipov took out Akbar Karmoeddien 7-3 and Ambi Estevez 7-2, which set him up to face LaBoy. Osipov was denied a re-match against Sutcharitakul, who had forfeited out of his match versus Estevez. Trent drew Bob Toomey, who'd gotten by Larry Chandler 6-3, and Mike Esposito 6-4. 
 
It was Osipov and Trent who advanced to the quarterfinals; Osipov with a 7-5 win over LaBoy, and Trent 6-4 over Toomey. Osipov chalked up loss-side win # 7 with a 7-4 victory over Trent, and then survived a nail-biting double hill match against Adamik in the semifinals. 
 
Aro established himself early in the finals against Osipov, winning the first three matches. Osipov came back to pull within one, which he'd do a total of four times; at 3-2, 4-3, 5-4, and 6-5. Aro chalked up the win in rack 12 to claim the event title.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at BQE Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Qpod, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Focus Cases by John Bartron, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Focus Apparel. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for November 8, will be hosted by Rockaway Billiards in Rockaway, NJ.

Davladze goes undefeated on Tri-State, splitting top prizes with Adamik

Koka Davladze, Keith Adamik and Jaydev Zaveri.

Two of Koka Davladze's last three wins on the Tri-State Tour have come as the result of making it to the hot seat match and deciding, with a finals opponent, not to play a last match. A little over a year ago (September, 2013 in Brooklyn), he split the top prize with Chris DeCaprio. In March, this year, he went undefeated again; this time, playing and winning a final match against Keith Diaz. On Sunday, October 27, Davladze found himself in the hot seat again, and this time, opted out of a final match against Keith Adamik. The $1,000-added event drew 45 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria, Queens.
 
Davladze opened his six-opponent, undefeated run with victories over Carl Yusuf Khan, Ed Culhane, Chumreon Sutcharitakul and a 7-4 win over Adamik. This set him up for a winners' side semifinal against Miguel Laboy. Jaydev Zaveri, in the meantime, met up with Eric Hummel. Davladze sent LaBoy (7-5) to a loss-side meet-up with Adamik. Zaveri sent Hummel over 7-4. Davladze chalked up his sixth and final win against Zaveri 9-8.
 
On the loss side, Adamik, having moved past Stewart Warnock 7-6 and Sutcharitakul 7-5, met and defeated LaBoy 7-2. In the quarterfinals, he faced Ramon Feliciano, who'd gotten by Tony Ignomirello 6-2 and Pat Mareno 6-4, before eliminating Hummel 7-4.
 
Adamik defeated Feliciano 8-4, and then, in what proved to be his final match, downed Zaveri in the semifinals 8-6. Davladze and Adamik, who opted out of a final match, are among the tour's top five "A/A+" players. Going into the event, Adamik (A) was in second place behind Miguel LaBoy (A+) whom he'd defeated in the 5/6 matches), with Davladze (A+) in fifth place, behind Eric Grasman (A+) and Jose Mendez (A).
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Steinway Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Qpod, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Focus Cases by John Bartron, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics , and Focus Apparel. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, at BQE Billiards in Jackson Heights, NY is scheduled for November 2.

Chen wins seven on the loss side, downs Smith in the finals of Tri-State stop

Dennis Kennedy, Rhys Chen and Christian Smith

Rhys Chen's trip through a field of 58 players, on hand for the Tri-State Tour's $1,000-added, A-D 9-Ball event on the weekend of June 14-15 went through host venue (Castle Billiards, East Rutherford, NJ) owner, John Trobiano twice. They met in the third round, when Trobiano sent Chen to the loss side to embark on a seven-match winning streak that would pass through Trobiano and eventually lead to a winning effort in the finals against ChristIan Smith
 
Smith, who advanced to the hot seat, defeated Don Montavalo, Carl Yusuf Khan, Shin Sekine, and Jose Liz Domeneche before running into Keith Adamik in a winners' side semifinal. Dennis Kennedy, in the meantime, squared off against Tony Ignomirello. Smith downed Adamik 7-1, as Kennedy was busy sending Ignomirello west 6-5. Smith gained the hot seat 9-8 over Kennedy, and waited on Chen.
 
Chen opened his loss-side campaign with victories over Antonio G.evara, Vinny Ferri, Domeneche and successfully wreaked his vengeance on Trobiano 7-5, to pick up Adamik. Ignomirello drew Dave Jusis, who'd gotten by Pat Mareno 6-2 and Jan Mierzwa 7-2.
 
Chen moved on to the quarterfinals (five down, three to go) with a 7-5 win over Adamik. He was joined by Jusis, who ended Ignomirello's day 6-3. Chen then eliminated Jusis 7-4 and defeated Kennedy in the semifinals 8-7. In the extended-race finals, Chen took an early and what proved to be insurmountable 3-1 lead. Smith would chalk up only one more, as Chen went on to reach seven games, extending the race to nine games, and then run out the final rack for a 9-4 win.
 
Tour representatives thanked John Trobiano and his staff at Castle Billiards, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for June 21, will be hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.

Parker comes from the loss side to take Tri-State stop

Quin Y. Chen, Jud Parker and Yagif Alekberov

During the May 17 stop on the Tri-State Tour, Jud Parker made it as far as a winners' side semifinal, before being sent to the losers' bracket by Vagif Alekberov. Parker would return, after winning three straight to meet and defeat Quin Y. Chen in the finals of the $750-added, event, hosted by House of Billiards, on Staten Island.
 
Parker's winning side trail went through Marco Costello, and Edward LaLmiev, before encountering Alekberov in a winners' side semifinal. Chen, in the meantime, squared off against Mike Strassberg. Alekberov bested Parker 6-4, as Chen was downing Strassberg 6-3. Chen defeated Alekberov in the battle for the hot seat, and waited on the return of Parker.
 
Parker moved over to face Richard Anderson, who'd defeated Luis Lopez 6-5 and Marco Costello 8-2 to reach him. Strassberg ran into Robert Jew, who'd gotten by Pat Mareno 6-5 and Eddie Perez 6-2. Parker started his trip back to the finals with a 6-3 victory over Anderson, as Strassberg was being sent home Jew 6-2. Parker then downed Jew 6-3 and got a second shot at Alekberov in the semifinals.
 
Parker gave up only a single rack against Alekberov, and moved into the finals against Chen. Chen got on the board first, but Parker answered with five straight to take a lead he'd never give up. Parker had increased his lead by one at the 7-2 mark, before Chen came up with three straight to pull within two at 7-5. Parker ended it though in the next rack to claim the event title.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at House of Billiards, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, to be conducted in cooperation with the Predator and Mezz Pro Am Tours, will be the fourth annual George "Ginky" Sansouci Memorial Tournament, scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26, at Steinway Billiards in Astoria, Queens, NY.

Uzdejczyk chalks up his third 2014 Tri-State title

Andrew Cleary, Bogie Uzdjeczyk and Mike Zimny

With 2013 being the only exception, Bogie Uzdejczyk has won two events on the Tri-State Tour,  three out of the last four years. His only event victory last year was on the Predator Tour. He has apparently decided to make up for lost time. On Saturday, May 10, he chalked up his third win on the 2014 Tri-State Tour, following his January win in Brooklyn and a February victory in Queens; all by going undefeated. The $1,000-added AB-CD event was hosted by Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ, where 43 entrants came out to play.
 
Uzdejczyk's AB trail went through Paul Raval, Doug Youmans, and Borana "Queen B" Andoni, before drawing Vincent Ferri in a winners' side semifinal. Andrew Cleary, in the meantime,  playing on the CD side of things initially, went through Bernie Vogelsang, Eddie Perez, Pat Mareno and Jessica Lynn Greibeslad, to face Jan Mierzwa in the other semifinal. Uzdejczyk defeated Ferri 7-4 and turned to face Cleary, who'd defeated Mierzwa 6-4. Uzdejczyk claimed his third Tri-State hot seat with an 8-6 win over Cleary, and waited on what turned out to be Mike Zimny.
 
Zimny, who was among the final eight on the winners' side, had been denied a winners' side semifinal match by Ferri. He moved to the loss side and began his five-match march to the finals. He took out Youmans 7-2 and Andoni 7-4 to draw a re-match versus Ferri. Jan Mierzwa drew Dave Jusis, who'd eliminated Ed Huth and Eddie DaCosta, both 6-2.
 
Zimny took the re-match over Ferri 7-5, as Mierzwa defeated Jusis 6-3. Zimny completed his loss-side run with a 7-3 win over Mierzwa in the quarterfinals and a 7-2 victory over Cleary in the semifinals. 
 
Zimny got out to an early lead over Uzdejczyk in the finals, and was ahead by three when he reached seven games, forcing an extension to nine games. Uzdejczyk broke and ran the next rack, and then won four more to stop Zimny in his tracks and claim the event title.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Castle Billiards, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Saturday, May 17, will be hosted by House of Billiards on Staten Island. The following weekend – May 24-26 – the 4th Annual George "Ginky" Sansouci Memorial Tournament, with Amateur and Pro events and sponsored by the Tri-State, Predator and Mezz Tours, will be held at Steinway Billiards in Astoria, NY.

Parker goes undefeated to claim first Tri-State Tour win

Phil Davis, Jud Parker and Eric Tang

Jud Parker worked his way through six opponents, going undefeated on April 19, to claim his first event title on the Tri-State Tour. The $1,000-added event drew 30 entrants to the Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.
 
Parker defeated Brian Singh, Gil Costello, and Thomas Schreiber to move among the winners' side final four and a match versus Pat Mareno. His eventual finals opponent, Eric Tang, in the meantime, squared off against Phil Davis in the other winners' side semifinal. Parker moved into the hot seat match with a 6-2 win over Mareno, but it was Davis who met him, having sent Tang to the loss side 7-4. Parker claimed his fifth victim with a double hill win over Davis and sat in the hot seat, waiting on Tang.
 
Tang's first opponent on the loss side was Rhio Annie Flores, who'd gotten by Tony Ignomirello and Dave Ascolese, both 7-4, to reach him. Mareno drew Paulo Valverde, who'd defeated Schreiber 6-4 and Mike Figueroa 6-3. Tang and Mareno got right back to work, eliminating Flores 7-3, and Valverde 6-3, respectively and faced each other in the quarterfinals.
 
Tang ended Mareno's day 8-3 in those quarterfinals to earn himself a re-match versus Davis in the semifinals. He took advantage of the opportunity, downing Davis 7-4 for a shot at Parker in the hot seat. Parker, though, offered Tang limited opportunities in the final match, jumping out to a 3-0 lead, and then, after allowing Tang a single rack, adding three more to reach the hill. Tang chalked up one more rack, before Parker closed it out to claim his first Tri-State title.
 
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at the Cue Bar, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for April 27, will be hosted by BQE Billiards in Jackson Heights, NY.