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Roberts chalks up first 2021 event title on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour

Josh Roberts

Josh Roberts was among a fairly sizeable contingent of pool players who managed to stay active during the forced 2020 break, initiated by the pandemic. He cashed in 13 events last year, including an undefeated victory on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, in the 1st Annual Carolina Cup in October. He finished as runner-up at another stop on the Q City tour and the 2020 Scotty Townsend Memorial, and made appearances, as well, at the Music City Classic, Derby City, the 10th Texas Open 10-Ball Championship and the 47th Texas Open 9-Ball Championship.

He’s cashed in four events so far in 2021 (two of them, One Pocket tournaments) and has been in good company. He finished fourth behind Fedor Gorst, Jesus Atencio and Jeffrey De Luna at the Rack ‘N Grill 9-Ball Shootout in Augusta, GA in February, and fourth behind Dennis Orcollo, Warren Kiamco and Scott Frost at the Iron City Open’s One Pocket Division in Birmingham, AL a month later. The latest entry on his AZBilliards’ resume, which dates back to 2007, came this past weekend (May 15-16) when he joined 31 competitors who signed on for the Q City 9-Ball’s $3,000-added Stroker’s Classic at Stroker’s Billiards in Sumter, SC. Roberts went undefeated through the Open field to claim his first 2021 title.

Roberts would face separate challenges in the hot seat and finals of this Stroker’s Classic; Robbie Shelley in the former and Wendell Thompkins in the latter. Thompkins, sent to the loss side by Shelley in the second round, would win six on the loss side to earn a rematch against Shelley in the semifinals and then, challenge Roberts in the finals. 

After sending Thompkins to the loss side, Shelley advanced to face Allen Mixon in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Josh Roberts met up with Josh Heeter in the other one. Shelley downed Mixon 11-8, as Roberts advanced to join him in the hot seat match, with an 11-6 win over Heeter. Roberts claimed the hot seat 11-9.

On the loss side, Thompkins was four matches into his loss-side winning streak, when he picked up Mixon. Thompkins had most recently chalked up wins #3 & #4 against Russell Scott 9-5 and junior competitor Landon Hollingsworth 9-4. Heeter drew Eddie Wahdan, who’d eliminated Shane Wilson 9-6 and PJ Stabler 9-4 to reach him.

Thompkins and Wahdan handed Mixon and Heeter their second straight loss; Thompkins, 9-6 over Mixon and Wahdan, 9-3 over Heeter. Loss-side opponents were starting to gain a little on Thompkins, though not quite enough. Wahdan continued the trend into the quarterfinals, chalking up seven against him, before Thompkins won his 6th loss-side match.

Shelley, in the semifinals rematch that followed, fought him to double hill before Thompkins prevailed. Roberts, in the true double elimination finals, kept it going, by winning the first and only set 11-6 to claim the event title.

Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Strokers, as well as title sponsor  Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., AZBilliards, Federal Savings Bank mortgage division and Diamond Brat. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this coming weekend (May 22-23), will be a $500-added event ($1,000, with 64+ entrants), hosted by Payton’s Place in Knoxville, TN.

Stewart takes two of three over Collins to win Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball stop in Myrtle Beach

Donnie Stewart

Donnie Stewart made his first official appearance on the AZBilliards Money Leaderboard in 2018, when he recorded cash payout finishes in four stops on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour; finishing 9th, 7th, 5th, and (his best, to that point) 3rd at a stop in Cary, NC. On Saturday, November 2, at a $500-added stop, hosted by Shore Thing Billiards in North Myrtle Beach, SC, Stewart went undefeated into the hot seat, gave up the opening set of a true double elimination final to Matt Collins, but came back to take the second set and claim his first ever event title.
 
Stewart had to get by Collins twice, actually. They met first in a winners’ side semifinal, as Mitchell Floyd and Deon Rheuark squared off in the other one. Stewart sent Collins to the loss side 6-3. Floyd joined him in the battle for the hot seat, after shutting Rheuark out. Stewart claimed the hot seat 6-2 and waited for Collins to finish his three-match, loss-side trip back to the finals.
 
On the loss side, Collins drew Travis Guerra, who’d defeated Alex Stone 6-4 and Keno Patel 6-2 to reach him. Rheuark drew Wendell Thompkins, who’d gotten by Sugar Small 7-3 and survived a double hill (7-6) battle versus Greg Dix.
 
Collins got into the quarterfinal match with a 6-4 win over Guerra. Thompkins joined him, after eliminating Rheuark 7-1. The last recorded time that Collins and Thompkins had faced each other in a pool match, it was in the same location, in the finals of a stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour in 2015. Thompkins had defeated Collins in the hot seat match of that event, but Collins came back from a double hill win in the semifinals, chalked up a second double hill win in the opening set of the finals, and then took the second set to claim his first event title. Back at Shore Thing Billiards, just over four years later, Collins bested Thompkins again; this time, 6-4 to win the quarterfinal match.
 
Collins shut Mitchell Floyd out in the semifinals and strode into the double elimination finals with some momentum. He used it to chalk up a 6-2 win in the opening set. Stewart, though, came back in the second set to win it 6-2 and claim his first event title.
 
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (Nov. 9-10), will be a $500-added event ($1,000-added with 64 or more entrants) hosted by Break ‘N Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.

Collins double dips Thompkins to take GSBT stop in Myrtle Beach

Shannon Daulton, Matt Collins and Wendell Thompkins

Matt Collins had gotten as close as third in his attempts to win a stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. Returning to the site of that third-place, April 2014 finish, Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC, Collins took a short, loss-side route to the winners' circle; losing the hot seat match, and returning from the semifinals to double dip hot seat occupant, Wendell Thompkins, a veteran GSBT competitor with a few victory notches on his GSBT belt. The $600-added event drew 27 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards on the weekend of September 5-6.
 
Collins earned his spot in the hot seat match with a 6-4 win over Scott Crane. Thompkins had defeated B.J. Hucks 8-4 to join him. Thompkins claimed the hot seat 8-4, and waited on Collins' fateful return.
 
On the loss side, Hucks drew David Tootle, who'd defeated Phillip Britt 6-6 (Britt, racing to 9) and Tony DeGuzman 6-2, to reach him. Crane picked up Gatlin Askins, who'd eliminated Zach Baker 8-2 and Melody Duval 8-1. With Askins racing to 8, Crane defeated him 5-7, as Tootle downed Hucks 6-4.
 
Crane then came out on the right side of a double hill quarterfinal against Tootle. He came out on the wrong side of subsequent double hill semifinal versus Collins, who got a second shot at Thompkins in the hot seat. Collins locked up in his second straight double hill match and won it to force a second set. They came within a game of another double hill match, but with Thompkins racing to 8, Collins completed his first GSBT victory with a 6-6 win in the second set.
 
The next stop on the GSBT, a $1,000-added event (with 40 or more entrants; $1,500 with 60 or more), scheduled for the weekend of September 19-20, will be hosted by Michael's Billiards, in Fairfield, OH. Sign-ups and practice are scheduled for noon on Saturday, with match play commencing at 2 p.m.
 

Shannon “The Cannon” goes undefeated to win World Cup Billiards Open in Greenville, SC

Shannon Daulton, James Moore (TD), Han Choi and Mike Davis

They were a couple of marquee names in a field of relative unknowns. The $1,380-added World Cup Billiards Open in Greenville, SC, held over the weekend of July 26-27, drew 55 entrants, and to nobody's surprise, Shannon Daulton and Mike Davis faced each other twice; in the hot seat match and finals. Shannon "The Cannon" took both matches to claim the event title, undefeated. Normally to be found tour directing his great Southern Billiard Tour, it was only his third appearance this year in a tournament event (Derby City in January and the Smoky Mountain Shootout in April). 
 
Little had been seen of Mike Davis since he announced his retirement just prior to the 2013 George "Ginky" Sansouci Memorial Tournament in 2013. He came out of that retirement just long enough to win that Ginky Memorial, defeating Dennis Hatch in the finals. Davis settled down (so to speak) to become a time-share salesman in Florida, only to discover that he wasn't suited for the job. Just recently, he gave it up, and returned to the road, looking to get back into the game.
 
"It just wasn't for me," he said of his short-lived career as a salesman, "so I'm playing pool again for now."
 
Though he'd not announced any official retirement, Daulton, too, encountered aspects of getting back into the saddle on his way to this most recent victory at the World Cup Billiards Open. 
 
"It's very difficult," he said of getting back to the tables as a competitor. "The first day of this one, I was in survival mode. I did a tremendous amount of practicing in my teenage years, and I have to say that I've been very lucky and blessed to be able to survive off whatever natural talent I have when I get into something like this."
 
According to Daulton, about 90% of the players in this World Cup Billiards Open were people who play on his tour, throughout the year, including a couple that he beat on the way to the hot seat and finals; B.J. Hucks and Wendell Thompkins. "The Cannon" also took down John Jones and found himself in a winners' side semifinal against Travis Dorn. Davis, in the meantime, was facing Andy Twitchen. Daulton got into the hot seat match 11-7 over Dorn and was met by Davis, who'd sent Twitchen to the losers' bracket 11-6. Daulton took the first of two against Davis 11-6 and sat in the hot seat waiting for his return.
 
"He scratched once on the break," said Davis, "and that was the only mistake he made in that hot seat match."
 
Dorn and Twitchen moved to the loss side and faced Corey Morphew and Michael Clay, who handed them their second straight defeat; Morphew surviving a double hill match against Dorn, Clay downing Twitchen 7-4. Morphew eliminated Clay 7-3 in the quarterfinals, but was himself eliminated by Davis 7-4 in the semifinals.
 
From Davis' perspective, punctuating the difficulty of accomplishing pool's version of "climbing back into the saddle," Daulton took an early 6-0 lead against him in the finals.
 
"That's the type of game I was capable of," said Davis, "but I haven't really played quite up to that standard for a while."
 
That said, though Daulton went on to win, he won only five of the next 11 games. If they'd cleared the scoreboard with Daulton up 6-0, Davis would have won the subsequent race to 6, on the hill. As it was, Daulton stayed on top and completed his undefeated run to claim his first event title of the year.
 
Pool rooms interested in having their events become part of the Simonis Cloth Classic Tour, can reach tour representatives at 1-800-200-POOL.

Mayfield wins five on the loss side and double dips Thompkins to win GSBT stop

Tyler Mayfield came back from a loss in the winners' side quarterfinals of the June 14-15 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour, to meet and twice defeat hot seat occupant, Wendell Thompkins. It was Mayfield's first win on the tour. The $750-added event drew 28 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
 
It was Mike Slaughter who sent Mayfield west 7-3, during the winners' side quarterfinals. Slaughter moved on to face David Small, as Thompkins met up with Dan Woods. Slaughter sent Small over to follow Mayfield 7-4, as Thompkins downed Woods 9-2. Thompkins shut Slaughter out in the hot seat match, little knowing that the shutout would be his last win.
 
Mayfield opened his loss-side campaign with a 6-5 win over B.J. Hucks, and followed it with a 6-3 win over Mitchell Floyd, which set him up to face Woods. Small picked up Mickey Hucks, who'd gotten by Matt Collins 6-5 and Joey Stevens 6-2 (prior to being eliminated himself, Stevens had eliminated his wife, Kathy, 5-2).
 
Mayfield and Hucks handed Small and Woods their second-straight loss; Mayfield, 6-1 over Woods and Hucks, 6-5 over Small. Mayfield downed Hucks 6-3 in the quarterfinals, earning himself a re-match against Slaughter in the semifinals. He exacted his revenge 6-4 and then defeated Thompkins twice in the double elimination final – 6-5 and 6-6 – to claim his first GSBT title.

Vallario goes undefeated to take Myrtle Beach stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour

Wendell Thompkins got two shots at him, but couldn't get by Anthony Vallario, who went undefeated to win the May 10-11 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. The $700-added event drew 28 entrants to Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
 
Thompkins (racing to 9) had his first chance against Vallario in a winners' side semifinal, as Kevin Ping and Justin Martin were squaring off in the other one. Vallario (racing to 6) defeated Thompkins 6-5 and in the hot seat match, facEd Martin, who'd sent Ping to the losers' bracket 5-4. Martin battled Vallario to double hill, but Vallario prevailed to sit in the hot seat, awaiting the return of Thompkins.
 
Thompkins moved to the loss side and picked up Phillip Britt, who'd defeated Chad Lee 9-2 and Ken Cable 9-4. Ping drew Jason Martin (father to Justin), who'd gotten by Guy Faulk 6-2 and survived a double hill match against Matt Collins. Jason Martin downed Ping 6-1, as Thompkins was busy eliminating Britt 9-4. Thompkins then spoiled the possibility of a father-son semifinal with a defeat of the father, Jason, 9-3 in the quarterfinals. He then defeated the son, Jason, by the same score in the semifinals for a second shot at Vallario. 
 
Thompkins fared better in the re-match, falling a game short of forcing a case game. Vallario, though, hung on to win 6-7 and claim the event title.
 
Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked the ownership and staff of Shore Thing Billiards, along with sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta-13, Ozone Billiards, Tiger Products, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Cues, and Universe Clothing. The 10th stop on the GSBT, scheduled for May 17-18, will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.

Jones chalks up nine on the loss side and two in the finals to win his first GSBT stop

Shannon Daulton, Thomas Jones, Tracie Majors, & Marty Opyd, owner of Legends Billiards

Thomas Jones had himself quite a weekend. Looking for his first win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour on the weekend of March 1-2, he found his goal almost immediately frustrated by one Chris Zayas, who fought him to double hill and then prevailed. Jones moved to the loss side and began a nine-match winning streak that would carry him all the way back to the finals, where he'd win two more against hot seat occupant, Tracie Majors. The $1,000-added event drew 62 entrants to Legends Billiards (formerly Raisin' Cain's) in Inman, SC.
 
Zayas would move on past Jones and eventually found himself in a winners' side final four match against Steve Walton. Majors, in the meantime, squared off against Marty Free. Walton hung on to win 5-4 over Zayas and met up with Majors, who sent Free to the loss side 5-3. Majors moved into the hot seat with a 5-2 win over Walton.
 
Jones, in the meantime, had chalked up four, shut out Chandler DeGusman and eliminated Josh Newman 5-5 (Newman racing to 10). This set him against Free, coming off the winners' side semifinal. Zayas picked up Wendell Thompkins, who'd gotten by Gage Edwards 9-4 and Dayne Miller 9-1. Jones chalked up another 5-5 win; this time, over Free (also racing to 10), and was denied a re-match against Zayas, when Thompkins defeated him 9-5.
 
Jones battled Thompkins to double hill in the quarterfinals before prevailing to take on Walton in the semifinals. He brought the semifinals to double hill, as well, finally advancing for a double-elimination shot against Majors in the hot seat. Jones chalked up identical 5-2 wins in both sets to claim his first GSBT title.
 
Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked Legends' new owners, Marty Opyd and April Bradley, who were hosting their first-ever tournament. He also thanked sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta-13, Ozone Billiards, Tiger Products, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Cues, and Universe Clothing for their continuing support of the tour. The next stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour is scheduled for March 9-10 at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Mastermaker wins nine on the loss side, then double dips Thompkins to take GSBT stop

Brent Hudgins (owner of Shore Thing Billiards), Danny Mastermaker & Wendell Thompkins

He's been working his way up the ladder on the Action Pool Tour, and on the weekend of July 6-7, Danny Mastermaker chalked up a victory on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. The hard way, so to speak; dropping his opening match, and winning nine on the loss side to eventually meet and double dip hot seat occupant, Wendell Thompkins in the finals. The $1,000-added Amateur event drew 33 entrants to Shore Thing Bar & Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
 
With Mastermaker out of the way, temporarily, having been sent west 7-5 by Shawn Miller, Thompkins remained at work and advanced among the winners' side final four and a match against Brock Walker. B.J. Hucks and Kevin Brown squared off in the other winners' side semifinal. Thompkins defeated Walker 9-3, and in the battle for the hot seat, met Brown, who'd sent Hucks west 7-5. Thompkins gained the hot seat 9-3 over Brown and waited there for the return of Mastermaker.
 
With four down and five to go on the loss side, Mastermaker defeated Matt Collins 9-5, and Trey Frank 9-2 to pick up Walker. Hucks drew Kris Bailey, a C player, who'd gotten by two Bs; Trent Talbert, double hill and Chris Tuten 6-3. Bailey then eliminated A player Hucks, Mastermaker was busy ending Walker's weekend 9-2. 
 
Mastermaker chalked up his eighth, loss-side win by downing Bailey 9-5 in the quarterfinals. He then completed his trip back to the finals with a 9-3 win over Brown in the semifinals.
 
Mastermaker and Thompkins battled to double hill in the opening set of the true double elimination final, before Mastermaker prevailed to force a second set. The second battle stayed close, too, but Mastermaker pulled out in front by two at the end, claiming the event title with a 9-7 victory.
 
Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards for their ongoing hospitality and support, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, & Lomax Custom Cues. The next stop on the GSBT is a $1,000-added, Amateur 9-Ball event, scheduled for July 20-21 at Johnny Archer's room, The Marietta Billiard Club in Marietta, GA.

Hucks goes undefeated to take GSBT stop in Myrtle Beach

BJ Hucks, Trent Talbert, & James Carroll (manager of Shore Thing Billiards)

BJ Hucks and Trent Talbert went head-to-head twice; once, in the battle for the hot seat and again, in the finals of the June 1-2 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. Hucks won them both to capture the $1,000-added event that had drawn 30 entrants to Shore Thing Bar & Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
 
Their first meeting came after Hucks had sent Scott Langston to the loss side 9-5 and Talbert had downed Wendell Thompkins 7-4. Hucks took the hot seat 9-5 and waited for Talbert to get back from the semifinals.
 
Over on the loss side, Thompkins picked up Sidney Champion, who'd defeated Kelvin Acres 9-3 and Gatlin Askins 9-6 to reach him. Langston picked up Phillip Britt, with two GSBT wins at Shore Thing Billiards to his credit (Oct. & Dec. '12) already, who'd defeated Mickey Hucks 9-6 and shut out JR Faircloth. The loss-side combatants advanced; Champion surviving a double hill fight over Thompkins and Britt ending Langston's day 9-4.
 
Champion took the quarterfinal match 9-6 over Britt but fell to Talbert in the semifinals 7-6. In their second matchup, Hucks held Talbert to three racks on his way to claiming the event title.
 
Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Shore Thing Billiards, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, and Lomax Custom Cues. The next stop on the GSBT, a $2,500-added, amateur 9-ball event, is scheduled for June 22-23 at Player's Place in Charleston, SC.   

Roberts stops Britt charge to go undefeated on GSBT

Brent Hudgins (owner of Shore Thing Billiards), Josh Roberts, Phillip Britt, & Shannon Daulton

It was a good weekend to spend indoors in the lowcountry of South Carolina on the weekend of July 7-8. With outdoor temperatures into triple digits, 52 pool players opted for the air-conditioned comfort of Myrtle Beach’s Shore Thing Bar & Billiards at a $1,500-added event on the Great Southern Billiard Tour. Kept out of the GSBT winners’ circle at the same location in June by Mike Slaughter, Josh Roberts chalked up an undefeated weekend, completing it with a victory over Phillip Britt, who’d won five on the loss side to face him.

From among the winners’ side final four, Roberts faced Larry Jackson, while Jared McGee, who’d just sent Britt west, squared off against Shawn Padgett. Roberts sent Jackson to the loss side 11-6, while Padgett, a B player, sent McGee (AA) over 7-10. Roberts, who’d been denied the hot seat by Slaughter in June, got there this time, with an 11-4 victory over Padgett.

It was Jackson who moved west and had the misfortune of facing the streaking Britt, who’d gotten by Ben Fisher 9-4 and Gatlin Askins 7-2 to reach him. McGee met Wendell Thompkins, who’d defeated Larry Faulk 9-1 and Donnie Stewart 9-4. Britt won his third straight, defeating Jackson 9-7 and in the quarterfinals, faced Thompkins, who’d eliminated McGee 9-4.

In a straight-up, A-race to 9, Britt ended Thompkins’ weekend 9-6. He completed his loss-side trek back to the finals with a 9-4 victory over Padgett in the semifinals.

Roberts, though, was not to be denied. He took the opening set of the true double elimination final 11-4 to capture the event title.

Tour directors Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Shore Thing Bar & Billiards owners, Brent and Anne Hudgins, as well as their staff, and sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks.