Negotiations for opting out of a tournament’s final match are often, though not always, conducted, if not secretly, at least away from the person who is sometimes holding the cash for its eventual distribution. And sometimes, hearing or reading about it afterwards, can make you wonder whose idea it was. A person who was defeated in the hot seat match, as a random example, is generally motivated to take a second shot against the opponent who sent him/her to the semifinals. Reasons for the cash split at the end of a long day can range from the practical (a long drive home, a work shift that begins late at night, or even early the next morning) to the personal (the opponents drove to the tournament together and agreed upon arrival that if faced with a final match, they’d split).

 

On Sunday, July 14, the Tri-State Tour opened its 2019/2020 season with a $1,000-added 8-Ball event that drew 29 entrants to Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ, where the 2018/2019 season had ended almost exactly a month ago. At the end of the tournament, Bob Toomey, the tour’s 2018/2019 Sportsman of the Year, was sitting in the hot seat, waiting to see whether the opponent he’d defeated in the hot seat match, Jason Blanchard, was going to make it back from the semifinals. He didn’t. Instead, Joe Mazzeo, who’d lost in the event’s second round and then embarked on a seven-match, loss-side winning streak, downed Blanchard and was presented with the opportunity to face Toomey in the final. Mazzeo, according to tour representatives, “decided to take second and end the day,” leaving the undefeated hot seat occupant (Toomey) as the event’s official winner.

 

Toomey’s path to the hot seat featured five matches, three of which went double hill. He downed Amanda Andries 5-2 and ran into his first double hill match against Rick Rodriguez. He then defeated Allison LaFleur 5-3 to draw Artur Trzeciak in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Blanchard, in the meantime, got by Chris Schmidt, Sam Hoffman, and Raphael Castillo, who’d sent Mazzeo to the loss side in the second round, to pick up Joe Ganguzza in the other winners’ side semifinal.

 

Toomey chalked up his second double hill win of the day, over Trzeciak, as Blanchard defeated Ganguzza 6-2 to join him in the hot seat match. In what would prove to be the event’s ‘title match,’ battling for the hot seat, Toomey won his third double hill battle and sent Blanchard to the semifinals.

 

On the loss side, Mazzeo was working on his seven-match, loss-side winning streak. He’d gotten by Chris Schmidt 6-3, John Durr, double hill, Nick Serino 6-2 and Teddy Lapadula 6-4 to draw Ganguzza. Trzeciak picked up Manny Gomez, who’d recently shut out Allison LaFleur and defeated Mike Strassberg 5-2.

 

Mazzeo advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3 win over Ganguzza. He was joined by Trzeciak, who’d eliminated Gomez 5-3. Mazzeo took the quarterfinal match over Trzeciak 6-3 and completed his loss-side run (and the tournament) with a 6-2 victory over Blanchard in the semifinals. He opted out of a final match, leaving Toomey as official winner of the Tri-State Tour’s season opener. 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Clifton Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling Billiards, Kamui, DIGICUE OB, John Bender Custom Cues, Billiards Digest, Human Kinetics, Blue Book Publishing, Joe Romer Trophies and Phil Cappelle Publications. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Sunday, June 21, will be a $1,000-added 9-ball event, hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.

Though Miguel Laboy is on track to duplicate his 2014 earnings at the pool table, when he won four stops on the Tri-State Tour, it has taken him until Sunday, July 26 to win his first 2015 Tri-State stop. Sitting atop the tour's A+-A class, 140 points behind Keith Adamik, Laboy came from the loss side on Sunday to win the $1,000-added event that drew 34 entrants to Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.

 

Following wins over Ramon Feliciano, Tony Liang, and Fernando Paulino, Laboy moved into a winners' side semifinal match against Amir Rashed Uddin. Ambi Estevez, in the meantime, squared off against Bob Toomey. In a tightly-fought battle that went to double hill, Uddin defeated Laboy. Estevez downed Toomey 6-4 to join Uddin in the hot seat match; claimed by Uddin in his second straight double hill win.

 

Laboy moved over and picked up Jimmy Acosta, who'd defeated Fernando Paulino, double hill, and Lidio Ramirez 7-4, to reach him. Toomey drew Xavier Romero, who'd shut out Adrian Daniel, and eliminated Sam Hoffman 6-4. Laboy and Toomey advanced to the quarterfinals; Laboy 7-3 over Acosta, and Toomey 6-4 over Romero.

 

Laboy eliminated Toomey 10-8 in the quarterfinals, and then, spoiled Estevez' bid for a rematch against Uddin, with a double hill win in the semifinals that gave him the second shot at Uddin. The finals didn't begin well for Laboy.

 

Uddin opened up with three straight racks. Laboy responded with two, to pull within one. Uddin came back with two of his own to re-establish a three-point lead, at which point, the tide turned. Laboy ran four racks to go ahead by one. Uddin responded with a rack to knot things at 6-6, but it was his last. Laboy took three straight to claim the event title.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Steinway Billiards for their hospitality and continuing support of the tour, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics, and Bloodworth Ball Cleaners. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Saturday, August 1, will be hosted by Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ. 

Ada Lio, currently running neck and neck with Jennifer Pedutem in the D+/D-class rankings on the Tri-State Tour, and fourth among the tour's top female players, took a major step forward on September 6, when she went undefeated through a field of 28 to capture her first Tri-State title. She took down a couple of "A" class players to do it, too. The $750-added event was hosted by Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ.

 

Lio was in a winners' side semifinal before she'd given up more than two racks, downing Larry Chandler 6-1 and Dave Fitzpatrick 6-2 to move among the winners' side final four and a match against Jaydev Zaveri. Roberto Mendoza, in the meantime, squared off against Keith Adamik.

Lio and Mendoza moved into the hot seat match on the heels of identical 7-4 wins over Zaveri and Adamik. Lio claimed her first Tri-State hot seat with an 11-6 victory over the A+-ranked  Mendoza, and waited on what turned out to be the return of the A-rated player, Adamik.

 

Adamik and Zaveri moved to the loss side to compete in the first of the money rounds. Adamik drew Geovanni Hosang, who'd gotten by Chris Schmidt and Roger Hanos, both 7-5. Zaveri faced Sam Hoffman, who'd defeated Mike Strassberg 6-2 and Dave Fitzpatrick 6-5. Adamik and Zaveri advanced to the quarterfinals; Adamik 7-4 over Hosang and Zaveri in a shutout over Hoffman.

 

Adamik downed Zaveri 8-5 in those quarterfinals for a second shot against Mendoza in the semifinals. Adamik took full advantage, winning their re-match 7-2 and turning for a shot at Lio in the hot seat.

 

It didn't look good right from the start for Adamik, who watched Lio chalk up a six-pack before he responded with two racks of his own. Lio won rack # 9, and after giving up a third to Adamik, chalked up three straight to complete her undefeated run 10-3. 

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff of Clifton Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Qpod, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Focus Cases by John Batron, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics , and Focus Apparel. The next stop on the Tri-State tour, scheduled for September 13,  will be hosted by Rockaway Billiards in Rockaway, NJ.

 

It was one of those 6 a.m. deals, where two players who've spent all day, all night and into the next morning on their feet, look at the top two cash prizes and decide that the difference is not significant enough to make a final match desireable. Miguel "PeeWee" Laboy proved to be the 'title' beneficiary of this, finishing undefeated and chalking up his second win on the Tri-State Tour this year. Lidio Ramierez, a Predator Tour victor in June, grabbed the runner-up title, splitting  the top two cash prizes. The $2,000-added event, held on Saturday, August 16, drew 64 entrants to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.

 

Laboy and Ramierez did face each other in a winners' side quarterfinal. A 7-1 victory by Laboy sent Ramierez on a five-match, loss-side winning streak that would eventually get him back to the finals. Laboy moved on to face Junior Singh in a winners' side semifinal, as Amy Yue Yu met up with Chris DeCaprio. Laboy defeated Singh 7-4 and faced Yu, who'd sent DeCaprio west 6-3. In what would prove to be his final win, Laboy defeated Yu 9-8 to gain the hot seat.

 

It was Singh who had the misfortune of running into Ramierez on the loss side. Ramierez had defeated Eric Tang 7-4 and Thomas Rice 7-5 and then, eliminated Singh 7-6. He was met in the quarterfinals by Sam Hoffman, who, after shutting out Larry Chandler and defeating Mickey Xie 6-3, had downed DeCaprio 6-4.

 

Ramierez sent Hoffman home 8-4, and then, in the semifinals, with dawn approaching,  defeated Yu 9-7. LaBoy and Ramierez agreed to the money split, leaving LaBoy as the undefeated, official winner.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Gotham City Billiards, as well as sponsors Ozone Billiards, Sterling-Gaming, Qpod, Kamui Tips, Ron Vitello, Focus Cases by John Batron, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics , and Focus Apparel. The next stop on the Tri-State Tour, scheduled for August 23, will be hosted by the The Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.

Michael Farley took two out of three matches over Ed Sumner, coming back from the semifinals to defeat him twice in a true double elimination final during a May 31-June 1 weekend stop on the Tri-State Tour. The $3,000-added event drew 64 entrants to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.

 

Farley's path to the winners' circle went through Alberto Sanchez, Erick Carrasco, Ed Lalmiu and 14-year-old Sam Hoffman, before coming up against Vagif Laekberov in a winners' side semifinal. Sumner, in the meantime, faced Trevor Heal in the other. Farley sent Alekberov to the losers' bracket 6-4, as Sumner defeated Heal 7-4. Sumner took the first of his three versus Farley 7-2 and sat in the hot seat awaiting his return.

 

Over on the loss side, following his defeat against Farley, Hoffman began his trip back to the semifinals with a shutout over Mike Harrington, and gave up only a single rack to Andrzej Kaldan, which set him up to face Alekberov. Heal drew Lidio Ramirez, who'd defeated Ricardo Mejia 7-5 and the other teenager in the mix, Thomas Rice, 7-3. Hoffman chalked up a second shutout,  this time, 6-0 over Alekberov, as Ramirez downed Heal 7-2.

 

Hoffman took the quarterfinal match over Ramirez 8-6. Farley, though, put a stop to Hoffman's four-match, 28-7, loss-side winning streak with a 7-5 win that earned him a second shot at Sumner in the hot seat.

 

Farley and Sumner traded racks to 3-3 in the opening set, before Farley edged out to a 5-3 lead. Sumner chalked up rack #9, but Farley took the next two to win the opening set 7-4. In the second set, Farley was on the hill 6-0 before Sumner recorded a game victory. Sumner took three in a row at that point, but it was too little, too late, as Farley completed his quest for a first Tri-State title with a 7th and final rack.

 

A $500-added second chance event saw Dave Shlemperis collect at $440 first-place prize.

 

Tour representatives thanked Kevin and Isabel Buckley, owners of Gotham City Billiards, for their continuing support, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Qpod, Heptig Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics. The next Tri-State event, scheduled for June 7, will be hosted by Rockaway Billiards in Rockaway, NJ.

Raphael Dabreo picked up a victory on the Predator Tour back in January, and added a victory on the Tri-State Tour on Saturday, May 3, picking up where he'd left off in 2013, a year in which he won four stops on the Tri-State and one on the Predator Tour. In the finals of the recent $1,500-added Tri-State event that drew 36 entrants to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY, DaBreo had to stop a seven-match, loss-side winning streak by Koka Davladze, who'd been playing on the losers' side since the opening round of play. They opted out of a final match, leaving DaBreo as the official, undefeated winner of the event.

 

DaBreo's tournament trail included wins over Kapriel Delimelkonoglu, Nelson Marte, Rajesh Vannala, and Jamiyl Adams, before arriving among the winners' side final four and a match against Matthew Harricharan. Steve Wade, in the meantime, met up with Sam Hoffman in the other winners' side semifinal. DaBreo got into the hot seat match with a 7-4 win over Harricharan, as Wade was busy shutting out Hoffman. In what would prove to be his final win of the night, DaBreo downed Wade 7-0. 

 

Over on the loss side, Davladze was mowing 'em down; defeating, in loss-side win # 3, the opponent who'd sent him over, Basdeo Sookhai 7-2, and then, Vinny Ferri 8-5, to pick up Harricharan. Hoffman, in the meantime, drew Keith Diaz, who'd gotten by Jud Parker 7-6 and Ben Castaneros 7-4. Davladze and Hoffman advanced to the quarterfinals with identical 7-4 wins over Harricharan and Diaz.

 

Davladze took the quarterfinal match 10-6 and then had his final match of the night, defeating Wade in the semifinals 10-8. Another late-night decision was reached by DaBreo and Davladze, not to play a final match, they split the top two money prizes, and DaBreo went home with the event title.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Gotham City 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, scheduled for  May 10, will be hosted by Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ. 

On Sunday, April 13, Jessica "Asia" Cycak, last seen battling Karen Corr in the finals of a stop on the JPNEWT tour, worked her way, undefeated, through a field of 45 entrants on hand, for a stop on the Tri-State Tour. The $1,500-added event, marking Cycak's first victory on the tour, was hosted by Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY. 

 

Having worked her way through Rajesh Vannala, Miguel Laboy, and Luis Jimenez, Cycak faced Thomas Rice in a winners' side final four matchup, while Sam Hoffman faced Will Morales. Cycak sent Rice to the losers' bracket and in the battle for the hot seat, squared off against Hoffman, who'd sent Morales over 6-3. Cycak downed Hoffman 7-4 and waited in the hot seat for what turned out to be the return of John Morrison.

 

Morrison, who'd been defeated by Hoffman, worked his way through the losers' bracket, defeating Vagif Alekberov 7-3 and Bob Toomey 6-4, to pick up Morales. Rice drew Jamiyl Adams, who'd gotten by Tri V. Chau 7-4 and Bogie Uzdejczyk 7-5. Morrison and Rice defeated Morales and Adams by the same 7-3 score and faced each other in the quarterfinals.

 

Morrison ended Rice's day 8-4, earning himself a much-anticipated re-match against Hoffman in the semifinals. Morrison exacted his revenge 6-4 for a shot at Cycak in the hot seat. He took advantage, jumping out to a 2-0 lead before Cycak responded with seven straight to claim her first Tri-State title.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Gotham City 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, scheduled for April 19, will be hosted by the Cue Bar in Bayside (Queens), NY.

Sam Hoffman, 13, went undefeated through a field of 41 at the $1,000-added, October 19 stop on the Tri-State Tour, hosted by Clifton Billiards in Clifton, NJ. He joined Thomas Rice among the youngest players to ever win a stop on the Tri-State Tour. Sitting in the hot seat, Hoffman was to have been challenged in the finals by Paulo Valverde, who'd just finished a seven-match run on the loss side, but due to the lateness of the hour, the two opted out of playing a final match.

 

Hoffman almost had to come from the loss side, himself. He was challenged, double hill, in the opening round of play by Pat Mareno. He survived and went on to defeat Andrew Cleary 7-3, and Mike Figueroa 6-2, which put him into a winners' side semifinal against Michael Fedak. Victor Nau and Dave Ascolese squared off in the other.

 

Hoffman downed Fedak 6-3 and in the hot seat battle, met up with Ascolese, who'd squeaked by Nau in a double hill match. In what would prove to be his final win of the day, Hoffman got into the hot seat 9-7 over Ascolese.

 

Valverde, in the meantime, was working his way back. Loss-side victories (his second and third) over Teddy Lapadula 7-3, and Eddie DaCosta 7-5, set him up to face Fedak. Nau had to contend with Borana Andoni, who'd gotten by Shinichi Sekine 7-4 and just did defeat Antonio G.ererro 7-6. Nau ended Andoni's day 7-2, as Valverde picked up a forfeit victory over Fedak.

 

Valverde and Nau locked up in a quarterfinal battle that was won by Valverde 11-9. No doubt contributing to the 'lateness of the hour' that led to the decision not to play a final match, Valverde and Ascolese battled to double hill before Valverde prevailed to complete his seven-match, loss-side winning streak. In the absence of that final match, Hoffman, undefeated in the hot seat, claimed the event title.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Clifton 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, a B-C-D- handicapped event, is scheduled for Saturday, October 26 at Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.

Must be something about the combination of month and location because for the second year in a row, Raphael Dabreo has chalked up a victory on the Tri-State tour in August at Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ. This most recent event was a $1,000-added A-D handicapped event, held on the weekend of August 3-4, that drew 48 entrants, including Will Nunez, with whom DaBreo eventually split the top two prizes.

 

Those two met first among the winners' side final four, while Chris DeCaprio and Eddie Perez were going head to head in the other winners' side semifinal.  DaBreo took the first of his two against Nunez 7-5, and in the hot seat contest, faced DeCaprio, who'd sent Perez over 6-4. DaBreo, an A-ranked player, was challenged by the C player, DeCaprio; forced to play a deciding 15th game, which he won.

 

Meanwhile, Nunez was working his way back from the loss bracket. He picked up Keith Adamik, who'd gotten by Carl Yusuf Khan 7-4 and survived a double hill match against Paul Raval. Perez drew Dennis Quinn, who'd defeated Sam Hoffman, double hill, and Mike Strassberg 6-3. Nunez and Perez moved on to the quarterfinals; Nunez 7-4 over Adamik, Perez 6-4 over Quinn.

 

Nunez took the quarterfinal match against Perez 7-4, and downed DeCaprio in the semifinals 6-4. DaBreo and Nunez opted out of a final match, leaving the undefeated DaBreo in possession of the official event title holder.

 

Tour representatives, including new addition to the crew, Rick Shellhouse, 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.

Raphael DaBreo, who had his best year on the Tri-State Tour in the 2011-2012 season, finishing at #10 among the tour’s A players, chalked up an early 2012-2013 win, going undefeated on the Tri-State Tour stop on Saturday, August 11. The $500-added, A-D handicapped event drew 35 entrants to Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ. 

DaBreo had to get by 2011-2012’s #1-ranked B+ player, Ed Culhane, twice to claim the event title. They met first among the winners’ side final four, with DaBreo prevailing 7-4 to move into the hot seat match. He was met there by Sam Hoffman, who’d sent Dave Danchak west 6-2. DaBreo got into the hot seat with a 10-7 victory over Hoffman, and waited on Culhane’s return.

Culhane moved west and picked up Naldo Trancoso, who’d defeated Joe Palone 7-3 and John Trobiano 7-2. Danchak drew Mike Aro, who’d gotten by Paul Wilkins and Eddie Perez, both 6-3. Culhane got back into the swing of things with an 8-5 victory over Trancoso, but Danchak fell to Aro 6-3. 

In the quarterfinals that followed, Culhane ended Aro’s day with a 9-6 victory. He moved on to face Hoffman in the semifinals, and defeated him 11-8, for a second chance against DaBreo. DaBreo secured the event title, completing his undefeated run with a 7-3 victory over Culhane. 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff of Castle Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Sterling-Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Poison Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle,  BlueBook Publishing, and Human Kinetics.