U.S. Open Billiards Event Opens Field

U.S. Open Press Release

Due to rumors of the World 9-Ball Championship being possibly cancelled, The U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships has opened the field to give all the great players from America and all over the world the opportunity to play in this year’s U.S. Open.

Players you must have your $600.00 entry fee paid by October 12th, 2008 to avoid the $50.00 late fee. So please be sure to get it in on time.

In the event of the field exceeding more than 256 players, matches will still be held at the normal times of 11, 1, 3 & 7, 9, 11. Pre-designated looser brackets will be played at Q-master Billiards in order to stay on “cue” with all scheduled matches on Tuesday, Wednesday and possibly Thursday at 11, 1 and 3. Matches will be determined by the flow chart prior to the draw. The final day will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude with the finals beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Of course more players’ means more money added to the purse! All additional entries will be added to the total amount to exceed $250,000.00

Example 1
300 Players adds $26,400.00 to the purse and will pay up to 128 players.
Example 2
400 Players adds $86,400.00 to the purse!

We are looking forward to the 33rd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships. Thank you for your continued dedication and support throughout the years. We are excited to see if Shane Van Boening can repeat as Champion. Nick Varner is the only U.S. Open Champion in history to have achieved two consecutive championships in 1989-1990.

Barry, Shannon, Buddy and Staff

Chavez Cashes First Predator Tour Win

Chavez Cashes First Predator Tour Win
Predator 9-Ball Tour / Parsippany, NJ

by InsidePOOL Staff

Ignacio Chavez tore through the Predator 9-Ball Tour’s August 30-31 to trounce Mike Davis in the final match. The stop boasted a full field of 64 players and was hosted by Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ.

Battling through the one-loss side after losing their second-round matches, Mike Dechaine and Mike Davis won five matches in a row to make it to day two. Davis bested Paul Raval, Jonathan Castillo, Jay Plonski, and Vidal before knocking out Ralf Souquet 7-5. Dechaine posted wins over Steve Reynolds, McCreesh, Tamiko Kumaturi, Dan Heidrich, and Yesid Geribello.

The format for day two was a race to nine. Chavez started out the day defeating Allen Hopkins 9-3, while Joey Kong defeated Earl Herring 9-5 to set up the hot seat match. Chavez easily bested Kong 9-2 to become the sole undefeated player in the event.

On the one loss side, Davis defeated Jonni Fulcher 9-3 and advanced to meet Hopkins, who gave Davis a tough battle but fell short 9-8. Dechaine bested Manny Chau 9-3 and an impressive Herring 9-6 to earn a chance to play Davis. “Iron Man” triumphed again, eliminating Mike Dechaine 9-6 to earn a spot in the semifinals.

Davis and Kong battled as Chavez awaited the winner. Davis put up yet another strong performance, overpowering Kong 9-5 to face Chavez. The final match was nothing but Chavez, as he dominated Davis 11-4 to earn his first Predator 9-Ball Tour victory.

This coming weekend, September 6-7, will be the final open stop before the finale, which will be the First Annual Empire State Championship. The Predator 9-Ball Tour still will have an A/B/C/D stop on September 27-28 at Raxx in Long Island before the finale.

Please keep in mind that the only way to pay the normal entry in the finale is to play in three or more regular tour stops. Otherwise, you will have to pay double the entry.  All new registrations will also owe the $20 registration fee.

This weekend’s event will be a charity event to benefit the Michael Magro foundation. Michael Magro was a 13-year-old boy who died from leukemia, and it’s the Predator Tour’s honor to do this special event for these wonderful children who deserve an opportunity at life.

Please tell everyone about this event as Allison Fisher, Gerda Hofstatter, Jeanette Lee, Jasmin Ouschan, and Mika Immonen will be attending this special tournament to help raise money for kids with leukemia.

For tournament payouts and standings, please visit www.predator9balltour.com.

Gokhul Takes Aruba 10-Ball Classic

Gokhul Takes Aruba 10-Ball Classic

by Roland Acosta

Thirty-two players from eight countries competed in the Caribbean Mercantile Bank Aruba 10-Ball Classic the weekend of August 30-31.  The Caribbean Billiards Union event, sanctioned by CPB, was also a qualifier to the next year’s 2009 Predator International 10-Ball Championships to be held in Las Vegas, NV.  Well-known pro players such as Leo Campos from Peru, South America, and Ike Runnels, both living in Chicago, were among the early favorites to win the event, but Danny Gokhul had other plans in mind.

Representing Guyana but residing in the UK, Gokhul and local Aruban hero Allan Van Aanholt were to dispute the finals. “Zero Thunder” Van Aanholt went undefeated throughout the tournament, besting Ike Runnels in the third round and then sending “Danny” Gokhul to the one-loss side during the semifinals.  But Gokhul had other plans and worked his way to the final spot to match once again with Van Aanholt. 

Gokhul came out with a big 10-3 win against Van Aanholt and the with the cash prize of $3,000 USD.  Allan got $1,500 USD for his runner-up effort, with Victor Cuccuza from Venezuela making it to the third spot and collecting $750 USD.  In fourth place and from Aruba, Ransley “Psycho” Tromp cashed $500 with an unexpected surprise knock-out of Runnels for the title run.  Tromp had sent a message to all present on Saturday night when he eliminated three-time CPB Panamerican 9-Ball runner-up Luis Miguel Sanchez from Venezuela.

Runnels and Anthony Wever from Curacao were awarded $350 for finishing in fifth place.  Wever, who was just crowned CPB Panamerican 9-Ball junior champion in Nicaragua last week, surprised 2002 Panamerican champion Roland Acosta in the one-loss rounds with a great come-from-behind win.

Seventh place paid $275 each to Ryan Rampersaud and Acosta, who took out Leo Campos after Campos was sent to the one-loss round by Runnels.

Out of the money but in respectable ninth-place finishes were Roberto Martinez from Peru, Leo Campos (USA), Bryan Farah (Curacao), and Johnny Hellmund, also from Curacao.

A total of $7,000 USD were shared between the top eight finishers.  Sixteen players from Uruguay, Peru, Venezuela, Guadeloupe, Curacao, the USA, and the UK traveled to face off against sixteen local Aruban players. They all had a great time and are looking forward to next year’s event in the beautiful Caribbean Island of Aruba.

Special thanks to Caribbean Mercantile Bank, Classic Billiards, Iwan Simonis, and Poison Cues, the Official Tournament Cue of the Aruba 10-Ball Classic.

For more information about the tournament, please visit www.poolinaruba.com.

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