Daniel Herring was going to be the Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour’s 2022 Tour Champion before the first rack was broken at the tour finale, held this past weekend (Nov. 19-20) at Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX. Though he’d finish in the tie for 17th/24th competing in the finale, Herring was ahead by 350 points in the tour rankings going into it and effectively, couldn’t be caught. As it happened, his closest competitor for the tour champion title, Joshua Paredes, who finished in the tie for 9th/12th in the finale, was able to narrow the points gap down to 45 points (from 350 to 305) and remain in 2nd place in the rankings. Matt Wilson, who was in a tie for 9th place in the tour rankings going in and finished about 35 points behind Paredes for third place in the final rankings, went undefeated in the finale, claiming his second tour stop title. He’d defeated Herring in the finals of April’s stop. The $3,760-added tour finale drew 36 by-invitation-only entrants to Rusty’s.
After being awarded an opening round bye, Wilson’s path went through Curtis Caldwell and Fahad Alrawi (double hill), before running into Joshua Paredes in a winners’ side quarterfinal. He downed Paredes, double hill and faced Mark Lawson in a winners’ side semifinal. At the other end of the bracket, Doug Winnett opened with a 10-2 win over Jennifer Hooten and then locked up into two straight double hill battles against Robbie Smith and Tony Loeper. Winnett won them both to pick up Alberto Nieto Garcia in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Wilson defeated Lawson 5-3 and was joined in the hot seat match by Winnett, who’d sent Garcia to the loss side 7-2. With Winnett racing to 8, Wilson claimed the hot seat 5-5 and waited on Miguel Hernandez, who’d lost a winners’ side quarterfinal to Lawson and was working on a five-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him all the way back to the finals.
On the loss side, Hernandez first ran into Curtis Caldwell, defeating him 6-6 (Caldwell racing to 8) and then, facing Don Baker, who’d arrived with Daniel Herring and Joshua Paredes as notches on his ‘gun belt,’ defeated him 6-3. Hernandez drew Garcia, coming over from the winners’ side semifinal. Lawson picked up Robert Reighter, who’d recently defeated Clint Palaci 7-5 and Tony Loeper 6-5 (Loeper racing to 8).
The two loss-side opponents in the 5th/6th matches advanced; Reighter defeating Lawson 5-3, while Hernandez dispatched Garcia 6-2. Hernandez and Reighter locked up in a double-hill, quarterfinal fight that continued Hernandez’ loss-side run and stopped Reighter’s.
With Winnett racing to 7 in the semifinals, Hernandez took another step. He defeated Winnett 6-5 and got a shot at the event title versus Wilson, waiting for him in the hot seat.
In a straight-up race to 6, the ‘570’ (Fargo Rate, Hernandez) faced the ‘536’(Wilson), Hernandez needing to win two matches to claim the title. Wilson took the first and only set to complete his undefeated run and claim the Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour’s season finale title.
Tour directors thanked the ownership and staff at Rusty’s Billiards, as well as title sponsor Cuetec, and associate sponsor, Fort Worth Billiards Superstore.
The Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour’s 2023 schedule is, at the moment, a work in progress. The schedule is expected to be posted ‘sometime in December,’ according to tour representatives.
As of this past weekend (Oct. 22-23), there were five pool players in a tie for the 28th spot in the Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour’s standings. It took Monti Albadi and Robert Reighter eight events to amass the 200 points associated with the current five-way tie. It took Robbie Cleland six events to earn them. It took Greg Sandifer three. It took Logan Miller, cashing for the first time on the DFW 9-Ball Tour, or anywhere else for that matter, just one. He went undefeated through a field of 72 entrants at the $1,500-added, second-to-last stop (#10) on the 2022 tour hosted by Snookered in Frisco, TX, to claim his first-ever (recorded) cash winnings and event title on the same weekend.
In the end, hot seat and finals, Miller used a handicap (Fargo Rate) to his advantage. In the course of his seven-match march to the winners’ circle, Miller’s Fargo Rate (536) had him battling people above and below his rating. He got by Bobby Coston (even), Monti Albadi (lower), Tony Matthew (higher) and Joshua Paredes, who would end this event in the tie for 5th/6th (even). This set him up to face Jeff Turney (higher) in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Ramon Rodriguez, in the meantime, was working his way to the hot seat match, sending Tina Soto, Tony Loeper, Highway Segadi and Jonathan Rawlins to the loss side and drawing Mark Johnson in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Rodriguez downed Johnson 7-3, as Miller was busy sending Turney over 5-3. With Rodriguez racing to 9, Miller claimed the hot seat 5-6.
On the loss side, Johnson picked up Paredes, who’d followed his loss to Miller with victories over Sigadi 6-2 and Casey Dawson 6-4. Turney drew David McNamara, who, racing to 10, had lost his opening match to Ricky Phifer 5-8 and embarked on an eight-match, loss-side winning streak that had just eliminated Robbie Smith 8-2 and Cody Pratt 7-2.
McNamara made it eight in a row with an 8-2 win over Turney. Johnson joined him in the quarterfinals after downing Paredes 8-3. Johnson and McNamara battled to double hill (Johnson with two ‘beads on the wire’ in a race to 8) before Johnson put an end to McNamara’s long, loss-side run, 6-7 in those quarterfinals.
Johnson started the semifinals with a single ‘bead on the wire’ in a race to 7 against Rodriguez and fought his way into a second straight double hill match. Johnson prevailed 6-6 for a shot at Miller in the hot seat.
With five appearances behind him on the 2022 tour and already poised to record his highest finish of the year no matter how the final matches turned out, Johnson (611) entered the finals. This time, he’d be the one giving up ‘beads on the wire, two of them, to his lower-rated opponent, Logan Miller (536). Even with the ‘two bead’ advantage, Fargo Rate odds gave Miller only a 35% chance of winning his first ever major tournament. He beat the odds, downing Johnson 6-6 to claim the event title, as Johnson’s runner-up finish elevated him into the tour’s top ten competitors..
Tour representatives thanked Craig and Jana Lucas and their Snookered staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Cuetec and Associate Sponsor Fort Worth Billiards Superstore (Albert Trujillo and team). The Cuetec DFW 9-Ball Tour will conclude its 2022 season in the place where it began, Rusty’s in Arlington, TX, where the season’s finale is scheduled for the weekend of November 19-20.
Rick Stanley cemented his hold on the top spot in the Omega Billiards Tour rankings with an undefeated win on the weekend of October 14-15. It was his fourth overall win on the tour since February, and his third undefeated trip. The $1,700-added event drew 64 entrants to The Hideaway in Dallas, TX.
Stanley had to face a relatively unexpected opponent in both the hot seat match and finals. Tony Top, who made his first appearance on the 2017 tour in September, finishing well out of the money, successfully navigated his way through six opponents – five on the winners’ side and one on the loss side – to challenge Stanley and in finishing second, rocketed from #170 on the rankings list to somewhere among the tour’s top 40 players.
Stanley sent Davis to the loss side 9-3, as Top was busy sending Guerrero over 7-3. In their first of two, Stanley claimed the hot seat over Top with a 9-4 win.
On the loss side, Davis picked up Robert Clark, who, following a defeat at the hands of Top in one of the winners’ side quarterfinals, had defeated Mike Voelkering (#2 in the tour rankings) 8-3 and Alberto Nieto 8-1. Guerrero drew Gerardo Perez, who’d dropped a winners’ side quarterfinal match against Stanley and then, over the next two matches, gave up only two racks; none at all to Michael Thomas and two to Curtis Cardwell.
Davis downed Clark 8-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals. He was joined by Perez, who’d eliminated Guerrero 7-4. Davis ended Perez’ three-match, loss-side streak 8-6 in those quarterfinals, and then had his two-match, loss-side streak ended in a double hill battle against Top.
The wait did nothing to slow Stanley down. He’d given up four racks to Top in the hot seat match, and reduced that number to one in the finals, claiming the event title.
Tour director Melinda Bailey thanked the ownership and staff at The Hideaway, as well as sponsors Michael Hoang of OMEGA Billiards Supply, FargoRate.com and OB Cues. The next stop on the Omega Billiard Tour, scheduled for November 11-12, will be a $1,700-added event, hosted by The Billiard Den in Richardson, TX.
Douglas Pitts chalked up his second victory (his first in a couple of years) on the Omega Billiard Tour with an undefeated run on the weekend of May 27-28. He had to get by David Faver twice to do it; once, in a winners' side semifinal and again, in the finals. The $1,700-added, 5th stop on the tour drew 87 entrants to Puckett's in Fort Worth, TX.
For a while there, about three matches, it looked as though Pitts was just going to breeze through the field. He shut out his first opponent (Eric Solomon), gave up three racks to his second (Travis Landsdowne), and surrendered a single rack to Robert Reighter before running into three straight double hill matches that eventually put him in the hot seat.
He survived his first double hill match in a winners' side quarterfinal against Tony Barrington, and then, in one of the two winners' side semifinals met up with Dave Faver, who'd arrived on the scene with a 'back story' that had a way of focusing a lot of attention on what he eventually accomplished as the event's runner-up. Last July, Faver was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and after a tough fall and winter, characterized by chemotherapy, radiation and a bout of pneumonia, had his esophagus (and the cancer) removed in April. Exhausted and weak all weekend, according to tour director Melinda Bailey, Faver literally battled through to his winners' side, double hill semifinal against Pitts, and then won three on the loss side to challenge Pitts a second time in the finals.
As Pitts and Faver struggled through their double hill ordeal, Juan Batista and Phillip Palmer battled in the other winners' side semifinal, won by Bautista 6-5 (Palmer racing to 7). Pitts claimed the hot seat 7-5 over Bautista and waited on Faver's return.
On the loss side, Faver picked up TJ Davis, who'd gotten by Oscar Araujo 9-4 (double hill), and Crispian Ng 9-5. Palmer drew Barrington, who, after his defeat at the hands of Pitts, had defeated Denny Snead 8-3 and Greg Sandifer 8-6. Barrington then downed Palmer 8-6 (double hill), and in the quarterfinals, met up with Faver, who'd eliminated Davis 7-7 (double hill).
As tired and exhausted as he was, Faver locked up in his third straight double hill fight (against Barrington) and won it (7-7). His second (possibly third or fourth) wind kicked in during the semifinals, in which he defeated Batista 7-3. Pitts, in the finals, ended Faver's extraordinary run. He defeated Faver 7-3 to claim the event title.
Tour director Melinda Bailey thanked the ownership and staff at Puckett's as well as sponsors Michael Hoang of OMEGA Billiards Supply, FargoRate.com and OB Cues. The sixth stop on the Omega Billiards Tour, a $1,700-added event, scheduled for June 24-25, will be hosted by Clicks in Arlington, TX. Further information about the Omega Billiard Tour can be found by visiting their Web site at Omegabilliardstour.com
On the weekend of January 11-12th, Jeff Franklin from Sherman, Texas claimed the top prize on the 2014 Season Opener of the Omega Billiards Tour at Rusty’s Billiards in Arlington, TX. Jeff captured that first place spot by going undefeated through a field of 80 players!
Over $9,500 was given out in monies and prizes this weekend! (Tourney payouts + prizes + player’s auction.)
After a bye, Jeff defeated Don Denman and then got by 2014 Tour Champion Tony Sulsar 8-6. On Sunday, Jeff defeated Jerrell Eason 8-4, Viet My 8-5, and then slid by Daniel Herring hill-hill to have a spot in the hot-seat. Jeff would defeat Steve Raynes 8-3 in the hot-seat match before waiting to see who he would play in the finals.
Mike Voelkering started out with a bye on Saturday morning and then defeated Nick Conner and Carl Bodeker to last until Sunday on the winner’s side. On Sunday morning, Mike sent Robert Reighter west along with Chad Walker before barely losing to Steve Raynes hill-hill.
Mike then worked his magic on the one-loss side, taking care of John Plumlee 7-1, then prevailing in a hill-hill match against Daniel Herring to get another shot at Steve Raynes. Mike would win 7-5 to secure his spot in the finals against Jeff. Jeff was still on fire though and even though Mike put up a great fight, Jeff prevailed with great play with a score of 8-5 to win his first Omega Tour stop!!
Jeff earned $925 for First Place and Mike earned $530 for Second Place (his second time in a year!). Steve had another fantastic tourney placing 3rd place again (just in the Season Finale a month before) and earned $400, Daniel Herring rounded out the top 4 with $340 for his great play (payouts do not reflect the Player Auction).
Congratulations to ALL of the players for their fine play and great finishes!
This event was the Omega Billiards Tour’s Season Opener with $1,500 added with 80 players!! The Predator Player Tracker is back on and the top three players at the end of the year will win a plethora of Predator Prizes! Six more stops to see who gets all the Predator products! Further, fourth through eighth places at the end of the year rankings will each receive a free entry into the 2015 BCAPL Nationals!
A HUGE thank you goes out to Predator Cues, BCAPL/CSI, and Lucasi and Players Cues. We would also like to give a big thanks to our additional sponsors, OB Cues, Irving Ink and Thread, Pro Billiard Service, Wallace Custom Cues, AZBilliards.com, and BilliardsPress.com.
Tour Director Melinda Bailey would like to thank Rusty’s Billiards and their awesome staff for their great hospitality all weekend! A big thank you also goes out to Michael Hoang, main sponsor of the Tour and owner of Omega Billiards Supply in Hurst, TX. Michael and Omega Billiards Supply are well known for the huge booths at many of the large tournaments across the country.
The 2014 Omega Billiards Tour calendar is already set with 6 more stops and a Season Finale. The second stop will be held at the Billiard Den in Richardson, Texas February 22-23, 2014! Each stop is limited to 80 players (an increase from 64) and the monies guaranteed added has increased to $1,500 for each stop!! Pool is alive and thriving in Texas!!
The 2014 Schedule is online and payments can be received via the Omega Tour website.
