Roland Garcia with Tommy Terrebonne and room owner Keith Hulin
It’s been several years since Keith Hulin hosted a major event at his room, Emerald Billiards, in New Iberia, LA. This year, he welcomed players back for the $16,000 added Bayou State Classic.
The star-studded field included two-time Derby City Classic Master of the Table Fedor Gorst, reigning Derby City Classic One Pocket champ Tony Chohan, 2020 Derby City Classic Nine Ball champ Lee Vann Corteza, current Music City Open champ Roberto Gomez, 2021 US Open One Pocket champ Justin Hall, BCA & One Pocket Hall of Famer Alex Pagulayan and the newly minted 2023 Cajun Coast Classic 9 Ball champ Roland Garcia. Others spotted around the room were two-time Derby City Classic One Pocket champ Billy Thorpe, current Space City Open X One Pocket champ John Gabriel, current US Open Bank Pool champ & One Pocket Hall of Famer Scott Frost, BCA Hall of Famer Rodney Morris, former ESPN World champ CJ Wiley, current Iron City Open One Pocket champ Josh Roberts and current Texas Open 9 Ball champ Vitaliy Patsura.
The event kicked off with the $1,000 added One Ball One Pocket Championship – $200 entry, single elimination and races to four. The eighteen player field was whittled down to two players. Fedor Gorst took it down 4-2 leavingRoberto Gomez in second place.
The main event – the $10,000 added One Pocket Championship – had 25 players who paid a $300 entry fee to compete in this double elimination, race to three alternate break format.
Notable first round matches saw Justin Hall defeat Jeff de Luna 3-1 and Roberto Gomez blitz Lee Vann Corteza 3-0 while John Gabriel edged out Mike DeLawder 3-2.
Next round had Alex Pagulayan squeak out a tough oneover Scott Frost as did John Gabriel against Hunter White – both matches 3-2 and in a repeat of the one ball one pocket finals, Gorst beat Gomez again 3-1.
In third round action, Gorst got past John Gabriel and Billy Thorpe succumbed to Justin Hall – both 3-1 while Tony Chohan went down to Roland Garcia in a close one 3-2.
Hall just got by Pagulayan 3-2 while the other winners side match saw Gorst smoke Garcia 3-0.
In dead punch, Gorst demolished Hall in hot seat action 3-0 and claimed a seat in the finals. Justin headed west only to be derailed by the Gomez freight train. After losing to Gorst, Roberto started mowing down his opponents – White 3-2 and then Drew Jordan, Thorpe, Garcia, Pagulayan and Hall – all 3-1.
Back in the finals again, the smoking hot Roberto got his revenge against Fedor and took the title down in an extended race to four – score 4-0.
The final event of this tournament was the $5,000 added Open 9 Ball Championship Playing on seven footers, a full field of 128 paid their $100 entries to compete in this double elimination, alternate break with races to 9/7.
Still red hot, Gomez plowed through Dallas Broussard 9-2, David Walker 9-3, Jeff de Luna 9-5, Derek Fontenet 9-6 and Scott Frost 9-7 to arrive as one of the final four on the winners side.
Making his way through the bracket, Roland had wins over Jeremy Howard and Rodney Morris – both 9-4, beat back a challenge from Jacob Pennison 9-8 and demolished Tookie Babineaux 9-0 and Hunter White 9-5. Finally arriving to play Gomez to get into the hot seat match, it was a hard fought battle but he survived 9-8 and Gomez headed west.
In the bottom half of the chart, Lee Vann Corteza was making his presence felt as his victims included Oscar Ruiz 9-3, Jason Procell 9-2, Chris Facundus 9-3, Fedor Gorst 9-7 and Sergio Rivas 9-4 making it to the final four on the winners side.
Meanwhile, Zach Marquardt was quietly working his way through the field as he notched victories over Brent Prade 9-5, Zack Louviere 9-4, Dillon Hayes 9-5, Steve Lenz 9-6 and Tony Chohan 9-1 to then face Lee Vann Corteza.
Lee Vann moved on to the hot seat match after handily defeating Zach 9-3. Hungry for a title, Roland dispatched Lee Vann 9-5 west and secured his berth in the finals.
Champions were falling right and left as they all battled for that other seat in the finals. When it was all over, Gomez had survived after eliminating Rivas 7-6, Gorst 7-5 and finally Corteza 7-6 to arrive at the finals battered and bruised.
As this was true double elimination, Roberto had to win two matches to claim the title. However, it was not to be! In a nailbiter of a match, Roland claimed the match and title 9-8 giving him back to back title wins!
Congratulations to the three Gs – Gomez, Garcia & Gorst – as the new Bayou State Classic champions!
Local sponsors for this event included APA Arcadiana, Oubre Memorial & Burial Vaults, LLC, Chops Meats, Arceneaux Ford, Global Vessel & Tank, FLOQUIP, Inc. and Emerald Billiards.
Sponsors for this event included Emerald Billiards and PoolActionTV.com as well as JB Cases, Durbin Custom Cues, Aramith and the Fort Worth Billiards Superstore of Fort Worth, TX.
Thanks go out to Keith Hulin and his staff for rolling out the red carpet for all the players and fans as well as Tournament Director Jimmy Rogers for doing a great job.
PoolActionTV.com would like to thank Larry Schwartz, Josh Roberts, Scott Frost, Hunter White, Mike DeLawder and Ray Hansen for their topnotch commentary.
We’d also like to thank our fans and sponsors. Our sponsors include JB Cases, Hanshew Jump Cues, Diamond Billiard Products, Lomax Custom Cues, Savage Billiards, Durbin Custom Cues, Simonis, Aramis, the Action Palace of Dayton, OH and the Fort Worth Billiards Superstore in Fort Worth, TX.
Our next event is the Inaugural $14,000 added Skinny Bob’s Nine Ball Classic in Round Rock, TX. Tournaments include a one pocket division, ladies nine ball and open nine ball. Dates are February 14th-20th – hope to see you there!
It was, in many ways, emblematic of the much larger pool community that has come so far while continuing to have a long way to go. Exhibition and/or Challenge matches happen all the time, but on Saturday, Sept. 10, two professionals squared off in a somewhat isolated venue in Wilmington, NC and played a double-hill exhibition match that was everything, as a spectator, one could hope for; ups and downs, lead changes and at the end of a race-to-17, a single game to determine the winner.
The event was organized by pro-player Justin Martin, who grew up and currently lives in Wilmington and for the past 15 months, has run the JUMP Billiards Pro Shop at Breaktime Billiards in the city. In coordination with the room’s owners, Jim and Margaret Grago, they transformed a restaurant space within the facility into a 60-seat arena, dismantled and re-assembled one of the room’s nine, 9-ft. tables and invited world-class pro player, Roland Garcia from the Philippines to be Martin’s opponent in the Exhibition match. Garcia is currently the #1-ranked competitor in the Predator Pro Billiard series.
“We’re good friends,” Martin explained, as he worked with a cue on a lathe in the Pro shop a few hours before the match. “We see each other out and about at the tournaments a lot and he’s definitely one of the few guys that I like to hang out with, spend time with out at the events.”
Garcia, sitting a few feet away, is asked whether he intends to emerge victorious in the upcoming match. Having arrived only a few hours before and still dealing with a bit of travel fatigue, Garcia yawned. And then suggested that it would be Martin who would be doing the butt-kicking in the near future. As the lathe continued to turn and Martin kept his eyes focused on the task at hand, he’s asked what prompted the decision to organize the match.
“I don’t gamble,” he said, “and I’m always looking for new ways to compete, to find new ways to stay sharp, so I always felt like exhibition pool is a good answer.”
Justin Martin
In addition to the exhibition match itself, they arranged for a VIP after-party at which spectators who had paid to sit at four VIP high-top tables and chairs, positioned a few feet away from one of the pool table’s long rails, would hang out after the match, play some pool and socialize. All things considered, the match, the VIP Party, and expectations of attendance went smoothly and met expectations. The crowd hovered throughout the match between 40 and 45 attendees, most of them with some form of personal relationship with Martin.
“I think you’d have been hard-pressed to find someone in the crowd who didn’t know me personally,” said Martin.
“Justin’s girlfriend (Katie Cool) is on our pool team here in Wilmington,” said Mike Tackett, seated at one of a number of folding tables and chairs on the opposite side of the table from the VIP area. “I take lessons from him, too; once a week for about the last month and a half.”
Grago and his wife, Margaret have owned Breaktime Billiards since November, 2015 and hosted their first exhibition match, fan-participation event about four months later, when Earl Strickland and Rodney Morris were the competitors. Though the room has since hosted tournaments at which personalities like Dr. Cue (Tom Rossman) and Venom (Florian Kohler) have been in attendance, this was the first such exhibition match since 2016. While personal-awareness-of- Justin-Martin was an important factor in drawing a crowd to Breaktime Billiards, Grago was also aware of the high-profile status of Garcia as a known, world-class competitor.
“So yeah, it was people coming because they know Justin and knowing that Roland was one of the top players in the world,” he said. “They saw our (FB) posts about the match, Garcia’s and Justin’s, too.”
Attendance got another boost because on the same day, the cities of Jacksonville, Morehead and Havelock, without a facility in their area to accommodate them, played their regional APA playoffs (known as the Tri-Cups) in the building; before, during and after the exhibition match. While at any given moment during the match, there were generally about 40-45 of the arena’s 60-seat capacity watching it, an estimated 10-15 of those were individuals who slipped into the room to watch briefly before heading out to compete in the area of the venue hosting the Tri-Cups. Had that transient part of the crowd all arrived at the same time, it would have exceeded the arena’s capacity, so in a word, sold-out.
Martin and the Gragos were happy with the result, Martin commenting the next day that they were “very happy” and that plans were moving forward “to do a lot more things, going into next year,” to include the creation of even more seating space and an upgraded streaming platform. Nothing, Martin added, really surprised him about the execution of this first-ever event at his hometown room and pointed to the involvement and engagement of the Gragos in the process to its overall success.
“They were integrally involved in being part of it,” he said. “They didn’t necessarily have tons of experience with this sort of thing, and neither did I, but everyone worked hard to make sure that everyone was satisfied, and we hope to be able to continue to do so in the future.”
And then, there was the 10-ball match. It got underway right at the time that Garcia had a meal delivered to the table where he sat with his manager during the match. His first few games were executed while he tended to be swallowing food. Garcia won the lag, broke dry, ran to the 3-ball and scratched. Martin executed a 9-ball combination shortly thereafter and took game one.
Martin broke, sinking two, ran to the 4-ball and then he scratched, allowing Garcia to finish and tie the score. They went back and forth to a 4-4 tie before Martin began to edge out in front. By the time they moved into double digits, about midway through the race-to-17 match, Martin had established a four-rack lead. Garcia began chipping away at that lead, growing closer and closer until Martin reached the hill first at 16-15. Garcia tied it up and won the final game.
“Neither one of us quite played to our level,” noted Martin, “but it was good and everybody was happy.”
So like pool itself, Martin (and company) started out with very little experience, brought what they did know to the table and put on a good show. Moving forward, also like pool itself, they’re taking lessons from their experience and using those lessons to prepare for the next stage of growth and development. Martin will be back on the road in about a week to attend the Michigan Open (Sept. 21-24), travel to Atlantic City for the US Open (Oct. 10-16) and eventually end up in Norfolk, VA for the International Open (Oct. 28-Nov. 5).
“There’s nothing set in stone right now,” said Martin of future plans for future events at Breaktime Billiards, “but going into next year, there are definitely plans.”
“We’ll be doing something that will serve the local community,” he added, “and get the local community involved.”
Johnny Archer’s new pool room is now open in Cartersville, GA, just a stone’s throw north of Atlanta off of I-75. “Archer’s” is equipped with 6 new Brunswick bar tables and three of the new Gold Crown VI 9-footers. It features a full-service bar and a kitchen serving up all the good eats you could want.
Archer’s is located at 138 South Tennessee Street in Cartersville. It is in the middle of a shopping center with lots of parking so there is no issue with parking. When we spoke to Johnny he was still waiting on some refinements like more TV’s for the walls but those have now arrived and the kitchen opens on October 28.
We first asked Johnny why he was getting back into the room business. He told us: “I have always wanted a room like this. It is not as large as the old Marietta Billiard Club and is just a lot easier to handle. Plus, this size of room is a lot more intimate and the bar is the kind of place where friendships are made and nurtured. Plus, I am really tired of the road. I have been traveling for so much of my life and I am ready to set down some roots. Having Rodney Morris here with me is another big incentive. You know Rodney, he is just a lot of fun to be around and I am simply tickled to be here with this opportunity. I have been planning this for a few years now and, while Covid slowed us down a bit, the day is finally here to open the doors and we are all excited to get going.”
Cartersville was once an Atlanta outlier but Atlanta has spread out so much that it is now one of the fastest-growing bedroom communities in the area. Johnny said: “This town is really growing fast. We expect the business to start well and grow as the town grows, so we really feel that this is a ground-floor opportunity here and we are fortunate to have this open when it has. As you know, I am a man of faith and I just feel that the good Lord has guided me to this point in my life.
From October 28th on, the hours of Archer’s will be from 11 AM until 2 AM, at least on the weekends. They will adjust their weekday hours as the business demands. They are installing a huge 24-tap beer keg system so no one gets thirsty and are looking forward to satisfying everyones hunger as well.
Archer’s is more than just pool tables. They have a beautiful shuffleboard setup and video games are lined up near the bar. These are called Georgia skill redemption games, run by the Georgia state lottery commission, so those with a gaming bent can enjoy their favorite pastime. They also have a Pacman machine, which will require getting Johnny off of it before any customers can play, and a Golden Tee golf machine as well.
Music will be well taken care of. The juke box is loaded and Johnny is looking forward to having local musicians perform as well. And Rodney has convinced Johnny to at least try a Karaoke night. Johny has promised not to sing.
There is also a private room with a Gold Crown VI that is to be called “The Scorpion Pit”. Johnny is still coming up with things to do in there but it is great for private parties and instruction. And it will be a great place for challenge matches and exhibitions when friends like Earl Strickland come to town.
Want to play a few racks and have a great time? Archer’s is waiting for you!
Scout Gaming, the leading provider of B2B daily fantasy sports, sportsbook and fantasy betting products, has made its debut in the US market after signing a deal with new sports league, the Masters Cup Series.
The five-year deal will see the Masters Cup Series leverage Scout Gaming’s Social Sportsbook Platform, a new product that has been developed specifically for the US market and aimed at online and retail operators as well as sports venues and franchises.
Scout Gaming’s Social Sportsbook Platform allows Master Cup Series to tap into the fast-growing sports wagering segment by offering a fun and low barrier of entry, next-generation ‘sports betting-like’ experience without the involvement of real money wagering. Through the combination of its proprietary Player Account Management system, award-winning B2B Daily Fantasy Sports solution and new Social Sportsbook, Scout Gaming offers US operators and franchises an end-to-end managed sports entertainment product.
The Masters Cup tour is a new sporting event spearheaded by industry legend and Hall of Fame pro billiard player, Rodney “Rocket” Morris. The event will comprise of eight professional players who will compete in weekly MCS Tour Stop events. Players will accumulate points each week, based on performance, to determine their playoff position, weekly winner, and overall Masters Cup Champion.
The event will be nationally televised and offer both on-screen real-time wagering like gameplay as well as next generation stats. In addition to Scouts standard games, fans will also be able to experience play on events directly tied to and developed in collaboration with the Masters Cup Series.
The partnership with Scout will allow the sports franchise to provide a way for fans and viewers to engage with sports game play action 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while also generating significant revenue for the series.
Andreas Ternström, Chief Executive Officer at Scout Gaming, said: “We are thrilled to be officially entering the US market for the first time and to also unveil another addition to the Scout product line that will be launching with the Masters Cup Series.
“We’ve noticed a gap in the market that we can fill and we’re hoping to unveil similar partnerships in the months and quarters to come.”
Rodney “Rocket” Morris, Chief Executive Officer at Masters Cup Series, said “I’m excited to have joined forces with Scout Gaming and feel honoured to be the first partner for the company in the USA. Its Social Sportsbook is an incredible product that will bring tremendous value to the series.
As the US business development partner for Scout Gaming Group, Stephen Crystal, CEO and Founder of SCCG Management said of the event, “We are proud of the success this team has realized throughout this process. The biggest winners will be the fans who get to experience highly engaging and competitive interaction through the real-time gameplay powered by the Scout Gaming platform. SCCG has been driving strategies to bring social sports betting to restaurants, bars, and arenas, and this is the first execution on this plan.”
ABOUT SCOUT GAMING
Scout Gaming Group is a multiple award-winning licensed and regulated premium provider of B2B Fantasy Sports & Sportsbetting. The company offers a flexible and customizable sports entertainment platform with the core pillar being the network-based Fantasy Sports solution (SGN) and a fully-managed Sportsbook capable of being tailored to market needs, whether real money Fantasy Sports, odds-based sports wagering or Free2Play. Technology and operations are 100% proprietary, having developed from the ground up and operated in-house, – allowing for virtually any sport, league, or game format to be offered. The company has achieved several industry-first’s such as the world’s largest globally pooled DFS network (SGN), Fantasy Matchups, Bet-on-my-team, Player Odds and the world’s first natively integrated DFS and Sportsbook solution – all via one single integration. The Group has 100+ employees and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden with development and operations in Bergen, Norway, and Lviv, Ukraine and Malta. Scout Gaming is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market and the Certified Adviser is Redeye AB. Contact details: Certifiedadviser@redeye.se, +46 (0)8 121 576 90.
ABOUT MASTERS CUP SERIES (MCS)
The Masters Cup Series (MCS) is a billiards tour with a revolutionary new scoring system, created by Hall-of-Famer Rodney “Rocket” Morris. The executive team, based in Oklahoma, has stellar reputations within and access to the entire billiard industry. Not only will the new scoring system inject excitement into the game, it will also open the game up to thousands more players and solve decades long issues for the community. MCS will be televised and streamed and utilize AR/VR experiences as well as licensed gaming, gambling and fantasy sports to create a continuous engagement loop with its customers. MCS has partnered with 21 Lakes Productions and GhostDawg Consulting for ideation and execution within the broadcast and gaming areas, respectively.
ABOUT SCCG MANAGEMENT
SCCG Management is a consultancy that specializes in sports betting, iGaming, sports marketing, affiliate marketing, technology, intellectual property protection, product commercialization, esports, capital formation, M&A, joint ventures, casino management, and governmental and legal affairs for the casino and iGaming industry. Visit us at https://sccgmanagement.com.
Though unable to physically appear at the latest tournament that was organized and held for her benefit,Jeanette Lee, the Black Widow, arguably the most recognizable name in billiard sports, did make a video-call appearance at Janet Atwell’s Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN on Saturday, April 17. In the latest of an ongoing series of Black Widow Legacy Tournaments, organized by her fellow professionals and legions of fans all across the country, Lee explained to those who had gathered in Borderline Billiards to help her as she battles ovarian cancer, that she will continue to fight and that efforts to help her and her daughters have not gone unnoticed.
“The support makes a difference,” she told the assembled crowd, who, as they had done a week earlier in Florida, stopped what they were doing to listen to her on the large screen that had been set up in Atwell’s room for the purpose. “You guys are just lifting me up and I will kick this cancer.”
Two days after undergoing a related operation, she explained to the crowd that she would have loved to be there in person, but that traveling on an airplane for her was just too dangerous.
“But I love you guys,” she said. “I’m so thankful and I’m looking forward to watching these matches.”
Lee, as well as those at the venue and any who watched the live stream were treated to a number of entertaining pool matches, not the least of which was a true double elimination set of final matches in which “Rocket” Rodney Morris, who came from the loss side, was defeated by a 16-year-old competitor by the name of Jaiden Hess. Earlier, he’d been sent to the loss side by a 14-year-old junior by the name of Precilia Kinsley. The event drew 106 entrants, including a number of strong area competitors like Kia Burwell, Reid Vance, Cole Lewis, Eric Roberts, Lisa Cossette, Ryan Fossum, Scott Howard and Corey Morphew (among others, Morris included).
“Rocket” was, of course, playing with an A+++ handicap and throughout most of the tournament was being required to win at least twice as many games as the opponents he ended up facing in individual matches. He got an opening round “bye” and won just a single winners’ side match before running into 14-year-old Precilia Kinsley, who sent him to the loss side. Nine matches later, he returned from the loss side and though he took the opening set of the true double elimination final against Jaiden Hess, Hess came back and fought to double hill in the second set, before dropping the final 9-ball and claiming the event title.
In spite of the handicap, “Rocket” was impressed by the youngsters he faced in this event.
“These kids are getting some good coaching, good teaching,” he said. “Of course, they have a long way to go, learning about the cue ball (among other things), but they have got the passion.”
“Somebody’s out there,” he added. “keeping them focused, instilling that love of the game. And then, that boy, Jaiden, ends up beating me in the finals, and we’ve got ourselves a couple of lifers now.”
Janet Atwell and Rodney Morris
Morris also had high praise for Atwell and the Legacy Tournament she’d organized to benefit her fellow professional.
“It was a very emotional weekend,” said Morris, who’d been able to speak to Jeanette just prior to her appearance on the big screen to talk to all of those present. “Everybody did a great job.”
“Janet was amazing,” he added. “She is top-notch, just a very genuine person.”
According to Atwell, she will be hosting another benefit for Lee in the future, at a date to be announced. She credited her landlords, Jeff and Terri Gregory, with donating $2,000, $1,000 of which will go towards added-money for the next event.
“Counting online donations, local donations and everything raised during the event, Atwell wrote later, “we raised $16,867.”
There will be another Black Widow Legacy Tournament in Florida on the weekend of May 8-9, the second to be organized by Jeannie Seaver and Sonya Chbeeb. The Black Widow Open Benefit Event will be hosted by Stroker’s Billiards in Palm Harbor, FL.
“With the support of hundreds of people like you,” the Black Widow had noted before the event at Borderline Billiards got underway, “I don’t think this cancer has a chance.”
On October 9, 2020, TSPN: The Social Pool Network announces its appointment of new CEO, Rodney Morris.
Hall of Fame Inductee, “Rocket” Rodney Morris, has an extensive history in Professional Billiards. Mr. Morris has earned over 14 major titles, represented the United States in the Mosconi Cup 10 times and was named the Mosconi Cup MVP in 2004, and has won numerous professional events. A few of his titles include:
1996 Grand Prix de Puerto Rico
1996 US Open Nine-ball Championship
2001, 2004 Reno Open
2003 World Pool League (Warsaw, Poland) 2003-2008 Mosconi Cup (MVP 2004)
2004, 2006, 2010 Seminole Florida Pro Tour Stop 2004 Houston Open
2006 UPA Pro Tour Championship (Las Vegas, NV)
2007 SE Open 9-Ball Tour Stop
2007 Seminole Pro Tour Steve Mizerak Championship
2008 World Cup of Pool (Outland, Rotterdam)
2008 Quezon City Invasion (Manila, Philippines)
2011 Interpool Open 9-ball (Gävle, Sweden)
2011 Turning Stone Classic XVII
2013 US Open 10-Ball
Based on his Character, and relationships with fellow players, the United States men’s professional governing body designated him as the United Pool Players Association (UPA) Lead Player Representative.
TSPN, (the first combination of Professional and Amateur Billiard League with a compensation plan designed to pay members for building the league), offered Morris this position:
Former TSPN CEO, Allan Hendrickson said this of Morris: “He’s got incredible intuition and the best combination of compassion and competition I’ve ever met. The future of TSPN is in good hands.”
When asked about the opportunity, Morris had this to say: “I’m so excited to be given this opportunity. I truly believe in The Social Pool Network and look forward to seeing what wonderful partnerships and fun creations are in store for the future of pool. Our current and future members are connecting so many people through this beautiful game of ours! This is the beginning of a new era, and the sky is not even the limit.”
TSPNs CFO, Vern McGee, who initiated the move had this to say about Morris: “I am excited and proud to welcome “Rocket” Rodney Morris as the new CEO of TSPN. He has many great ideas to make pool great again. Come rock with the Rocket and TSPN!”
As his first order of business, Mr. Morris is launching the TSPN Team League option as well as the Saratoga Rocket RunOut Series, where players can play in remote satellite tournaments without the need of an opponent.
Morris will replace founding CEO, Allan Hendrickson.
For further information or to inquire about establishing TSPN Team Leagues in your area, contact TSPNs’ Chief Operating Officer, Tanya Mapes-Stremler at (616) 822-5172 or Facebook Messenger: @Tanya Mapes-Stremler.
They’ve been popping up on the landscape like weeds in a garden; pool competitions utilizing some variation of pool’s ‘ghost’ games in which individual players pit their skills against an imaginary opponent that wins every game that they lose. This past weekend (May 22-24), The Social Pool Network (TSPN) joined the party and hosted six top-notch pool players, competing against each other in a modified single-elimination tournament of what’s known as Rocket Runout, one of a series of games invented by “Rocket” Rodney Morris and a friend, Ed Glode.
“We created these games about 12 years ago and hammered out these rules,” said Morris, “right before (Ed) became mayor of Saratoga, Wyoming.”
According to Tanya Mapes-Stremler, TSPN’s Chief Operating Officer, it was Morris, in fact, in his role as TSPN’s Vice President of player relations, who “took the lead’ on the initiative that led to this weekend of tournaments.
“We all worked together,” she said, “and did this as one team, but it was Rodney who came up with this idea.”
And then, “Rocket” called five of his pool buddies – Johnny Archer, Tony Crosby, Tony Robles, Raj Hundal and Oscar Dominguez – and invited them to take part in a benefit tournament that would aid First Responders and Food Banks in the five states, represented by the six players; Georgia, Florida, New York (2), California and Hawaii. All six played on Friday, May 22. The four top scorers on Friday played on Saturday, and on Sunday, two of those four played in the finals of the event. Though Oscar Dominguez ended up scoring the two highest scores of all 12 matches, it was the “Rocket” himself, who downed Dominguez on Sunday to claim the first TSPN Cares benefit tournament title.
It should be noted that while the tournament did end on Sunday, and we’ve just provided you with the ultimate ‘spoiler’ alert, readers can still view the matches themselves on the TSPNCares page on Facebook. As of Monday night, donations were continuing to be accepted on the tspntournaments.com Web site, as well as entries for a number of raffles for pool-related, donated items. The matches themselves, streamed live and commentated by the team of Neight Mindham (from CueItUp podcasts) and Mike Demarco (with ShiptheCash stream) offer some entertaining play by the six professionals, playing a unique game.
Rocket Runout is one of a series of pool games, designated by Morris as the Saratoga series of games, which are a hybrid of 8-ball and 9-ball. In each of these Saratoga games, including the 9-ball variant played at the TSPN Cares benefit, the rack is divided up between the lowest stripes and the lowest solids and the 8-ball. In the TSPN Cares benefit that meant the balls numbered 1-4, 10-13 and the 8-ball were organized in a 9-ball rack. Played as a solo game, each player plays a rack in a race to a designated number; in the TSPN case, it was 20 racks. The game(s) could be played in a two-player matchup, as well. The object of the game is much the same as 8-ball; break the balls, select either stripes or solids, sink ‘your’ four balls (in rotation, low to high) and the 8-ball. Each pocketed ball is worth a single point and the 8-ball is worth 6, making the total points possible per rack, 10. There are ‘less point’ options available and rule specifics that would make this report longer than it really needs to be, like the ‘Salvage’ rule that states that if you’ve sunk a certain number of your designated solid or stripe balls and miss one, you may take ball-in-hand and try to run the other ones, which, if successful, will score you five points.
Thus, with the specific race-to-20 racks, 10-points-available per rack rule firmly in mind, we have a perspective on the scores that were recorded, beginning with Friday’s six matches. As noted earlier, Dominguez, who played last among the six, recorded the day’s highest (and event’s second highest) score point total of 152. Morris was second with 138 and Hundal checked in with 127. Though absolutely convinced that he wasn’t going to be advancing to day two of this event, The Scorpion (Archer) recorded 120 to make the cut.
“I don’t think I’ll be playing tomorrow,” he said, right after completing his 20 racks. “120 probably ain’t going to make it.”
But it did. As low men on the proverbial totem pole on Day One, the two Tonys (Crosby, 118 and Robles, 111) didn’t make the cut.
On Day Two, Dominguez showed up with his ‘A’ game again and recorded the event’s highest score of 166. For the second time, Morris came in second, this time with 122. Archer and Hundal, who chalked up 114 and 96, respectively, didn’t make it to Day Three.
In the finals of the event on Sunday, it was Morris who showed up with his ‘A’ game, chalking up the third-highest point total of the 12 (131) and defeating Dominguez’ effort by 12 points at 119.
In concept, the Saratoga series of pool games, especially the 9-ball variant, would appear to be easier than either of their hybrid forebearers; 8-ball or 9-ball. But like a lot of things, appearances can be deceiving.
“The (9-ball Saratoga) game seems easy, like all you have to do is run five balls,” said TSPN’s Mapes -Stremler, “but it’s very deceptive.”
“You not only have five balls, but you have to shoot them in rotation,” she added, “so with calling shots and the other balls in the way, this is a challenging game.”
“It improves everything about your game,” said Morris. “There’s a lot of strategy and a lot of thinking going on.
“In games, like 8-ball and 9-ball,” he added, “normally, it’s like connecting the dots. People like the creativity that comes into play with this game.”
As with its streaming ‘ghost’ game predecessors – The Ashton Twins, Roy’s Basement, and the WPBA (among others) – TSPN will likely be doing this again.
This one, it should be noted, is still happening, with the videos available on the TSPN Cares Facebook page and donations and raffle purchases still being accepted at http://www.tspntournaments.com. The raffle and donations are being extended for an indeterminate amount of time, based on site traffic. According to preliminary reports on the ‘views’ associated with the stream, around 12K people watched over the three days of the event. Sunday’s finals recorded views of 6.2K.
Donated money, by the way, will be divided up among all six players and donated to their respective states in the following way:
Rodney Morris (File photo courtesy of JP Parmentier)
Though we’ll wait to tell the whole story until it’s over sometime tomorrow (Sunday), we wanted to let everyone know that starting at 6 p.m., EST, tomorrow (again, Sunday), Rocket Rodney Morris and Oscar Dominguez will be squaring off to compete in a match of Rocket Runout to determine the winner of The Social Pool Network Cares Rocket Runout to benefit First Responders and Food Banks in the five states that are being represented by the six pool players that have participated; New York (2, Tony Robles and Raj Hundal), Florida (Tony Crosby), Georgia (Johnny Archer), Rodney Morris (Hawaii) and Oscar Dominguez (CA).
You can watch the stream on TSPN’s event-specific Facebook page (tspncares) and make donations to the cause at http://www.tspntournaments.com, where a heart icon will provide you with the opportunity to do so. You can, when you donate, make it a general donation or opt to benefit a state of your choice. At this site, you will also be able to participate in a number of raffles, offering seven different items and multiple donation levels, including a signed painting of Rodney Morris and Johnny Archer together, training balls, cue shafts, a 50% discount certificate for a J. Pechauer Cue, and a Break-Rak with Radar.
The Rocket Runout format entails each player breaking a 9-ball rack, containing four stripes, four solids and the 8-ball. After the break, with ball in hand, the player has to run out either stripes or solids in order, from lowest to highest and then, drop the 8-ball. The player receives 1 point per solid or stripe that they sink and 6 points for the 8-ball; thus, 10 points overall per rack. Each player will play 20 racks.
The event began on Friday with the six players and was followed by the highest-scoring four from that first day, competing today (Saturday). Rodney Morris and Oscar Dominguez were the highest-scoring competitors of the day and will play in the event finals tomorrow.
With the lack of events to report on at the moment, we are teaming with the Supr Charged Agency to feature interviews with various European and American players. Hopefully this will give all of the readers a chance to get to know these players better.
The Maharaja means Indian king. A lot of people say I am the best Indian player in the world!!
Age: 47
City: London, UK
When did you get your start playing pool?
I started playing snooker first at the age of 13. I have five 147 breaks and I have beaten Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams in tournament play.
Who was your inspiration/idol when you were young?
Stephen Hendry was my idol when I was young.
Why Stephen Hendry?
Hendry took the game to the next level and invented 'one visit' snooker. He used to kill off a frame in one visit more regularly than anyone else! He also had a great temperament and his technique was outstanding!
Who do you admire amongst today's players?
I admire Alex Pagulayan because he is an all rounder, very good at all games.
Who is the next big thing in pool today?
In pool today, I think the next big thing is Joshua Filler. Well, he is already big.
What are your greatest accomplishments?
My greatest accomplishments are firstly making the Mosconi cup team, and then winning the World Team Championships and then winning a couple of Eurotour stops.
How big was it to get picked for the Mosconi Cup team?
It was massive for me to be selected for the Mosconi cup. I was ranked number 2 in Europe at the time. That's why I was selected. It's the biggest stage in the world of pool so I was over the moon to be selected.
Tell us about the experience of playing it.
The experience was to be honest quite unexplainable. I was playing for my continent and also my self dignity and pride. I wanted to test myself on the big stage and I passed the test with flying colours. I was under pressure a lot and was shaking but I handled the pressure very well. I beat Johnny Archer 7-2 in my singles and beat Earl Strickland and Rodney Morris in the doubles with my partner Nik Van den Berg. Strickland and Morris were undefeated in 6 Mosconi doubles matches previous to this, so it was extra sweet!
How often did you practice at an early age and how often now?
When I was younger I used to practice nearly everyday for 5 to 6 hours. These days I don't practice as much because I simply don't have the same energy as before. I practice maybe 4 times a week these days but I do a lot of coaching which keeps me in touch with the game. My memory gets refreshed a lot when I'm teaching so it's a good thing!
Do you use drills when you practice?
I don't do too many drills. I prefer playing people or playing the ghost. I have beaten all the ghosts from 9-ball up to 15-ball. It took me 7 months to beat the 15-ball ghost so I was very happy to beat it. I play snooker once a week as well, which keeps me in good stroke! Before a big tournament though, I will do some standard drills and practice the break a lot.
What should newcomers practice most?
Newcomers need to play a lot more big tournaments…throw themselves in the deep end. That's how they will improve and gain experience quickly.
What are newcomers doing wrong?
Some very good players lose matches because their break is weak!
What should advanced players practice most?
Advanced players should practice the break shot more as it is the most important shot in the game!
What is the strongest part of your game?
I don’t really have too many strengths or weaknesses. I am pretty good all round.
What is the weakest part of your game?
Maybe I could improve my kicking skills a little.
Is fitness important for pool players?
Yes, I think fitness is very important in all sports. I have been to the latter end of many big tournaments, for example the US Open and World Championships, but I think my fitness level hurt me because I seemed to lose energy! I think it's unfortunate for my pool career that my wife is a great cook and makes an awesome chicken curry…lol!
What is your favorite game?
My favourite game is 10-ball and I also love one pocket but it's unfortunate not too many people play it in Europe.
What are the 3 most important factors in a players game?
I believe that the 3 most important factors in pool are:
Self control first. Self control is 10 times more important than cue ball control!
Discipline – If you are playing pool at a high level you should treat it as a profession and do the right things on and off the table!
Self belief- You won't get anywhere if you don’t believe in yourself!
Who has the best stroke in pool today?
I think Joshua Filler has the best stroke in pool today. He can generate a lot of power effortlessly. He is a total natural talent and I believe he will dominate for many years to come!
How is your mental strength?
My mental fitness is quite good. Darren Appleton once told me I have very good composure, maybe one of the best in the world! I do work a lot on my mental game and also teach it a lot. I'm not scared to play anyone and don't get phased in pressure situations!
Do you have any advice/tricks for players?
Advice/tricks I can give is to follow your dreams and goals … don’t let anything get in the way!
Before a big match or tournament dont think about pool. Do something different like listen to music, watch a film or simply hang out with friends. Save your mental energy for the pool match ahead!
How important is the equipment?
I don't think equipment is that important. A good player can play with anything to a certain extent. For example, I saw Joshua filler win the China Open with a carbon fibre shaft, then after the tournament literally threw it in the bin. He then changed back to wood and won a couple of more major events!
Do you use TAOM because they are a sponsor, or because you like their products?
I use Taom products because they are extremely good. I especially like the new Fusion tips and the pyro chalk is a good combination with it.
What in your opinion is required to be a good ambassador/sponsored player?
A good ambassador for any company should promote the brand to their full potential. Advertising logos for any brand is massive so a sponsored player should always make sure the logos are intact when playing. Feedback about equipment is very important to any company, so keep them up to date with feedback…but truthful feedback. If you don’t like a product for some reason, you should tell the sponsors and maybe they can engineer the product to improve it.
What should the billiard industry do to get more recognition outside the industry?
I think the billiard industry should raise the profile of the game to attract external sponsors. Things like players wearing waistcoats and bow ties…also WWF style introductions to matches can all make pool more appealing to companies outside the industry. Maybe have a speed gun on the break as well, it all adds to great viewing for audiences!
Thoughts on Matchroom and their efforts to make pool great?
Matchroom are a blessing for the pool industry. They have put some second tier sports such as darts and poker on the map! They are the best sports promotion company in the business and we should work with them to make pool great! They are increasing prize money so it can only help players and the industry.
You do a lot of commentary, do you enjoy it?
Yes I do a lot of commentary, mainly for the Eurotour and some World Championships.
I enjoy it a lot and people give me good reviews about my commentary because I have the technical knowledge and can spice it up as well!
It also helps me to read the tv table to see how it is breaking, etc.
I can also promote my sponsors while commentating which goes out to a massive audience reach. That is good for my sponsors!
Recently, I have taken on a new commentating venture which is in the Oslo billiard centre in Norway. I commentate on the one and only Bragging Rights Challenge…lol!!
So yes, it’s a lot of fun and I enjoy it…I may be working with Kozoom in the near future.
Tell us about your 2019 goals and results
My 2019 season wasn't that great…had some personal problems. My only real notable result was 9th place at the US Open where I beat some great players en route.
My goal is to win a major event, which I am still trying for. Perseverance is the key and I will continue to pursue my goals, and I will succeed!!!
Was getting picked for 2019 Mosconi Cup a goal?
Yes, being selected for the Mosconi Cup was one of my goals! Not just a goal, but the ultimate goal!
Your thoughts on the outcome of Mosconi Cup 2019?
I feel that Team EUROPE missed a trick in 2019 with their team selection, especially for the doubles. There was a loophole with the fans choice and Johan spotted it and took full advantage. I think Alex Lely will do a great job now for team Europe and I predict they will win this time in 2020
You play lots of events in Europe these days.
What's the main differences between events in Europe and the US?
I feel that events in Europe have more strength in depth. For example, there are probably about 75/100 players that could win a Eurotour event, but a similar tournament in the USA could only have 10 possible winners. Players in Europe are willing to travel abroad a lot more to play tournaments so they will gain experience quicker…i think this is the underlying factor!
Goals for 2020
My goal for this year will remain the same to try and win a major, but with the current virus situation it looks like a lot of events will be postponed!
This is a bit heart breaking, because I have put in a lot of practice recently!
Who will win these majors this year?
– World Cup of Pool
I think Austria will win the Cup again…they are built for this particular tournament!
– US Open
I will win the US Open this year!….gotta be positive right?
– 9-ball WC
The WC is open to maybe 100 players to win. If I had to guess, maybe it's Svb's time!
Mike Zuglan, Rodney Morris, Suad Kantarevic and Snooker owner Steve Goulding
The stars were out at the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour’s 2020 New England Pool & Billiard Hall of Fame 9-Ball Open on March 7th – 8th, and it was “The Rocket” Rodney Morris that was the brightest star of them all.
An early Hall of Fame battle on Saturday between Immonen and Archer saw Archer sent to the left side of the board 9-5. Immonen followed that up with a 9-1 shellacking of Hernandez in his next match. He would then defeat Dupuis to remain undefeated on Saturday. He was joined on the winners side at the end of the day by Morris, Sossei and local hero Suad Kantarevic. Kantarevic is a regular at Snookers, who was having the tournament of his life on this weekend. His undefeated streak on Saturday had already guaranteed him his best career Joss Tour finish.
Sunday morning kicked off with Immonen beating Kantarevic 9-7, while Morris sent Sossei to the one loss side by a slightly more comfortable 9-5 scoreline. Morris and Immonen are certainly no strangers to each other, facing off in many tournaments throughout their Hall of Fame careers. What might have been a tough match to pick a favorite in, turned out to be a lopsided win as Morris got into his groove and raced to a 9-1 win.
On the one loss side, Dupuis ended Sossei’s day in 5th place in a 7-2 match. Meanwhile, Kantarevic was proving his day one results weren’t a fluke. He had three straight 7-5 wins, eliminating Steve Tavernier, Dupuis and then Immonen in the semi-final match.
Kantarevic wasn’t through though, as he came from the left side of the board and grounded Morris for a 9-2 win in the first set of the finals. Morris quickly regrouped and scored an equally dominating 7-1 win over Katarevic in the second set for the tournament win.
Sunday’s second chance tournament saw Rocha celebrate his Hall of Fame induction by coming out of the one loss side to double dip Nick Coppola in the finals 3-0 and 3-0 to take first place.
The Joss NE 9-Ball Tour is back in action on March 21st – 22nd for the Kevin Ketz 9-Ball Open at Trick Shot Billiards in Clifton Park, NY.
