Shades of Yogi Berra and his musing about ‘Déjà vu all over again.’ On the weekend of June 8-9 at JR Pockets Sports Bar and Grill in Denton, TX, Kelly Jones and Kim Pierce faced each other twice to claim an event title (Stop #4) on the Jerry Olivier Custom Cues Ladies Tour, just as they had on the weekend of April 13-14 (Stop #3) at the Diamond Sports Bar and Grill in Port Arthur, TX. With the same result – Kelly Jones claiming the title, Kim Pierce finishing as runner-up. At this most recent event, however, their first meeting came in the hot seat match (it was in a winners’ side semifinal back in April), while for the second straight time on the tour, they were the event finalists. The $2,000-added event drew 48 entrants to JR Pockets.

 

Jones’ path to the hot seat match was almost derailed at the outset. She was awarded an opening round bye before facing Michelle Cortez in the second round. Cortez battled her to double hill before giving way. Jones advanced to defeat Rachel Hurst and Belinda Lee, to face Angie Payne in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Pierce, in the meantime, without an opening round bye, defeated Ellen Robinson, Glynda Fuller, Tam Trinh, and Orietta Strickland to draw Ashley Nandrasy in the other winners’ side semifinal.

 

Jones got into the hot seat match with a 7-2 win over Payne and was joined by Pierce, who’d survived a double hill match against Nandrasy. Jones claimed the hot seat 7-5 and waited for the second straight time on the tour for the return of Pierce.

 

On the loss side, Payne picked up Tara Williams, who’d been defeated by Belinda Lee in the third winners’ side round and defeated Stacie Putnam 7-2, Rachel Hurst 7-4, picked up a forfeit win from Ricki Lee Casper and downed Kim Sanders 7-5. Nandrasy drew Aryana Lynch, who’d been sent to the loss side by Payne in a winners’ side quarterfinal and downed Michelle Yim 7-3 and Ellen Robinson 7-4 to reach Nandrasy.

 

Nandrasy advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-4 victory over Lynch and was joined by Williams, who’d eliminated Payne 7-2. Williams made it six in a row on the loss side with a 7-2 victory over Nandrasy in those quarterfinals.

 

Pierce stopped Williams’ loss-side run with a 7-4 victory in the semifinals for a second shot (a second time) at Jones in the hot seat. Second verse, same as the first, as they say. Jones took the semifinal match 7-4 to claim her second Jerry Olivier Ladies Tour title.

 

A Best of the Rest event with 11 entrants saw Rachel Hurst take the top prize, with Nicole McDaniel in 2nd place. McDaniel was in the hot seat, but left to get home to her family. Corina Campbell finished 3rd and Melissa Smith came in 4th.

 

Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at JR Pockets, as well as title sponsor Jerry Olivier Custom Cues, MzTam.com and a “huge shout out” to Rackem TV for providing a live stream. The next stop (#5) on the Jerry Olivier Custom Cues Ladies Tour, scheduled for the weekend of September 14-15, will be hosted by Slick Willie’s Family Pool Hall in Austin, TX.

Ming “The Empress” Ng went undefeated to capture the fifth stop on the 2019 Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour. Ng overcame Robyn Petrosino in the first set of the true, double elimination final, 7-3, earning her third title this season. On Sunday, Natalie Rocha crossed the finish line, unscathed, winning her first, second chance event, with new member, Verda Jones, claiming runner-up. 

 

On June 1st-2nd, 2019, sponsors Cyclop Pool Balls, Poison by Predator Cues, APA of North Harris County, Vapor Fiend, and Outsville Billiards, facilitated another successful event for the Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour, paying out $1,540 in prize money, for the two-day, $1,000 added women’s 9-ball event. This marked the Tour’s third and final event of the 2019 season, at the famous Slick Willies Family Pool Hall, located at 5913 Westheimer, in Houston’s upscale, Galleria area. The Gulf Coast Tour would like to thank the Slick Willies Corporation, and Director of Operations, David Kimmey, for hosting this season. The sixth stop on Tour will be held July 6th-7th, at Big Tyme Billiards, located at 100 Cypresswood Drive, Suite G, Spring, Texas, 77388. 

 

On her way to the winners' side final four, Ming Ng defeated newcomer Verda Jones, 7-2, Pamela Chavez, 7-4, and Natalie Rocha, 7-3. Stacie Putnam was on her way, with wins over Kim "Texas Heat" Pierce, 7-2, Hopey "Hurricane" Lawrence, 7-1, and Gail "Thunder" Roles, 7-6. New player, Samantha Laws, bested Michelle Abernathy, 7-6, and Tanyia Chuites, 7-3, while Robyn Petrosino ousted first-timer, Heather Taylor, 7-1, Ellen Robinson, 7-3, and Loretta "The Gem" Lindgren, 7-1. On the west side, vying for the final eight, Lawrence extinguished Lindgren, and Chuites slid by newcomer Veronica Buentello, 5-4. Roles dusted off Robinson, 5-2, and Rocha eliminated Abernathy, 5-1. Winners' side, final four witnessed Laws edge out Petrosino, 7-6, and Ng shut out Putnam, 7-0. In her Tour debut, Laws graduated to her first hot seat, but was cut short by Tour veteran Ng, 7-2. On the one-loss side, all making the final eight cut, Lawrence finished off Chuites, 5-3, and Putnam, 5-0. Roles upset Rocha, 5-2, but fell to Petrosino. Petrosino blew past Lawrence, 5-1, and Laws, 5-0, to meet Ng in the true, double elimination final. Coming off three strong wins, a determined Petrosino faced off with the veteran player. Ng hit the ground running, and Petrosino failed to keep pace, faltering the first set, 7-3. 

 

Natalie Rocha captured her first, second chance 9-ball event, with newcomer, Verda Jones, finishing second, and Ruth Paine, third. Also new to the Tour, Samantha Laws, finished third in her very first event. The Tour would like to congratulate all the top finishers, and those who reached a milestone during this competition. 

 

The Tour welcomes its newest, 2019 members; Verda Jones, Heather Taylor, Racheal Martin, Samantha Laws, Tanyia Chuites, Hopey Lawrence, Veronica Buentello, and Christina Morra. The Tour also extends its deepest appreciation to the Tour Committee members who directed this tournament. Ruth Paine performed a flawless job, along with Kim Pierce, Julie Acevedo, and Ming Ng, who assisted throughout the event.

 

The first annual, Gulf Coast Tour Invitational, $5,000 added event, will be held October 31st-November 3rd, 2019, at Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, Texas. This is an “invitation only” event. Players who participate on the Gulf Coast Tour, will be eligible for invites, along with a number of other regional tours in the U.S., which will be extended a number of promotional spots, for their players. For more information, please email Kim Newsome at lonestartour@gmail.com. This event is presented by Vapor Fiend, www.onlinevapestore.com, and Cyclop Pool Balls, www.Cyclop-Billiards.com. Sponsors include Poison by Predator Cues, www.poisonbilliards.com, Outsville Billiards, www.Outsville.com, and the APA of North Harris County. 

 

The sixth stop of the 2019 season is July 6th-7th, at Big Tyme Billiards, located at 100 Cypresswood Drive,  Suite G, Spring, Texas, 77388. For more information, visit www.GulfCoastWomensTour.com. 

 

Houston’s Ming “The Empress” Ng made her way through an elite field of 32 players to capture her second  Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour 9-ball event of the 2018 season. Ng overcame Tour newcomer Mille Almaraz in the final, who also booked her best finish to date.  Almaraz joined the Tour in 2017, and in only her second event, competed in her first hot seat match. 

 

On August 4th-5th, 2018, the Gulf Coast Tour held its 5th stop of the year at Skinny Bob’s Billiards in Round Rock, Texas. Room owners John and Sue Cielo, along with tour sponsors Cyclop Pool Balls www.facebook.com/CyclopPoolBalls, APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, www.VaporKnightsUSA.com, and www.OutsvilleBilliards.com facilitated another successful event for the women of the  Gulf Coast Tour. This “Texas Open Warm-Up” was a $700 added, 9-ball event on open bar tables, which paid out a generous $1,340. The accommodations featured a non-smoking, private playing area with eight (8) new Diamond bar tables, and “Zeus” Cyclop Pool Balls. “I’d like to thank John and Sue Cielo for their never-ending hospitality and generosity, spanning nine years. We greatly appreciate their continued support, and already look forward to 2019,” says Gulf Coast Tour and Poison Lone Star Tour Director, Kim Newsome.

 

Following a short players’ meeting on Saturday morning, action kicked off around noon, and Ming “The Empress” Ng began her trek to the winners’ circle. She booked wins over Yvonne Asher, 7-3, Margaret Fox, 7-0, and Gail “Thunder” Roles, while Tam Trinh overcame Kim “Texas Heat” Pierce, 7-4, Maria Requejo, 7-1, and Stacie Putnam, 7-3. Mille Almaraz bested Celeste Espinosa, 7-3, Ellen Robinson, 7-5, and Sissy “Voo Doo”, Lozano, 7-0,  while Gail “Virginia Slim” Eaton tagged Robyn Petrosino, 7-4, Jennifer Yo, 7-4, and Kris Wilburn, to complete the winners’ side, final four. On the one loss side, after taking a second round hit by Ng, newcomer Fox plowed through the one loss side eliminating Espinosa, 5-2, Brittany Kromer, 5-1, and Wilburn, 5-1. First-timer, Tina Soto, took out newbie Debbie Hammond, 5-3, Requejo, 5-2, and R. Petrosino, 5-4, but was snubbed by Lozano, 5-1. Also new to the Gulf Coast scene, Shar Dyer stayed alive on the one loss side with wins over Cardona, 5-2, Yo, and Lopez, 5-4, but was stopped by Roles, 5-4. Angleton’s Brandi Booth made a splash, defeating newbie Karyna Hahn, 5-2, and Lois Morgado, but fell to Robinson, 5-4. In turn, Robinson was eliminated by newcomer Stacie Putnam, 5-4, rounding out the final eight. On day two, final four action kicked off on each side of the bracket. On the east side, Eaton defeated Almaraz, 7-4, and Ng ousted Trinh, 7-6. Ng dealt Eaton her first blow, in the hot seat match, 7-1. On the west side, Fox was on fire, dusting off Lozano, 5-1, and Trinh, 5-2, while Putnam passed Roles, 5-1, only to be stopped by Almaraz, 5-4. Almaraz went on to eliminate Fox, 5-1, and Eaton, 5-2, meeting Ng for her first-ever, Gulf Coast Tour final. Almaraz was on fire the first set, extinguishing Ng, 7-3. In the second set, Ng regrouped and took charge, besting Almaraz, 5-1, to capture her second Tour victory of 2018.

 

Congratulations to Yvonne Asher and Kimberly Brown, who split first and second place in the second chance event! Margaret Fox and Stacie Putnam also reached milestones, playing in their very first event, Fox finishing 4th, and Putnam, 5th-6th. 

 

The Gulf Coast Tour would like to thank all the ladies who ventured out to Skinny Bob’s to compete in this very special event, and “welcome” its newest members: Margaret Fox, Stacie Putnam, Brandi Booth, Tina Soto, Karyna Hahn, Debbie Hammond, Kimberly Brown, Nina Dolman, Shar Dyer, Liana Butler, and returning members Diana Cardona, Tam Trinh, Lois Morgado, and Jennifer Yo. Gulf Coast Committee members who assisted in running a seamless event included Celeste Espinosa (Office Administrator), Gail Roles (Social Media),  D’Andrea McQuirter, Ming Ng, Kim Pierce, and Toni Esteves. Finally, the Tour would like to thank Mille Almaraz for taking some great photographs throughout the weekend, and sharing them with players, friends, and fans, via social media.

 

Our next event will be our First Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Event, October 13th-14th, at Bogies West, 9638 Jones Road, Houston, Texas. 

 

The Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour is open to all female, amateur players of all ages and skill levels. For more information about the Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour, visit GulfCoastWomensTour.com. Follow us on Facebook @gulfcoasttour1 and Twitter @gulfcoasttour.