A couple of things to get this into some perspective. There are two buildings of tables this year: the Exectuvie West (as always) and the Executive Inn. The Inn is hosting the bar table events plus the 3-Cushion tourney.
What has happened the past couple of nights is that the mini bar table tourneys has "taken" several of the action players to the Inn. Bobby Pickle is in the house, playing at the Inn. That should end all of the other BP discussions for now.
Also, the Windy City tournament also had several players not even at the Derby... until yesterday
I have small video/still/voice recorder, so I attempted to video and record some action and banter. It might be understandable, but if not, written dialogue might be in the future.
Action:
Here is some action, light and heavy, with few results. Unfortunately, there are some games that are going to be marathon matches, and the grapevine needs to provide the results at some point.
Joyner vs. Durbin
These two have been in one hole action since day 1. First it Durbin was getting 9-7, but yesterday, he was getting 10-7! And someone will have to tell me, but I think the game wasn't too crazy. Maybe 5-ahead? I think Cliff is probably the best U.S. one pocket player, but I didn't like him in this game. The mill suggests that 40 large bags of sand were on the proverbial lamp (20 each player, I assume). Rumor has it that after a couple of days, Cliff took it down. And then someone asked Cliff if he had the money that he borrowed (about 3 bills) and Cliff ... didn't have it.
The Young Gun Ring Game
Fifty, then a hundred beans per man, per game, this 9-ball game had some go in and out. Sparky Ferrel, Lil Jon Macias, Jonas (someone help me with man’s name), Little Andy Friedenhof, and Keith Bennet. These are the next level of players that in a few short years will be the lions. Just a few years ago, names like Gabe Owen and Shane Van Boening would be inserted here, but look at them now! These guys are fearless. Each of them have absolultely thunderous breaks. And, they get out from everywhere. When they get that “professional control” that seems to differentiate great players from god-like players, LOOK OUT!
Sarah “I’m just a girl” Rousey vs. Mr. Baskin Robbins
Okay, I should know his name, but he owns a couple of ice cream shops he like to keep the stakes low, but will go a long time. And long they went. They started their straight up race to nine 9-ball sets at 4:30 AM, and called it quits at 5:00 PM. 12 ½ hours. Looked like Sarah had the best of this game, but she started to slow down, and in the final set with Sarah leading 7-2 he mounted a comeback filled with lucky breaks and kisses combined with uncharacteristic small mistakes by Sarah. He ended up winning the final set, with Sarah on top by I believe one set. Tough 12 hours. Here’s the winning shot:
START( %A[2\7%Bj3Y9%CF0H9%Dh8J4%Ec2M8%Fk7N6%GL9L1%Hh1W9%IE0E1%PS8N5 %Qs3[1%RB2[1%SD4L8%Uh7Y6%VT9O0%WD8[1%Xr1Z1%Yr7Z0%Zk2Y9 )END
The Ice Cream Man fired at the 2-ball to pocket A. He overcut it, and rocketed into pocket B. I have no idea what the path was, but the cueball ended up gently at point C. And that shut the door on the set. OUCH.
Shane Has Arrive
With the arrival of Shane Van Boening, the action room had its first full room buzz. Again, I video’d and voice recorded some, so as to hopefully share the experience at some point. I’m not sure when, but it’s be 5Mb at a time or something.
The entire day, the talk was that Shane was to play John Schmidt 10-ahead 9-ball, EVEN. I guess Shane really has turned that corner, because half the room liked Shane. Throughout the rumblings, Schmidt was nowhere to be found. In comes of all people, Johnny Archer. Archer isn’t unknown to the road world, but his elite status normally doesn’t make him a player in the pit. But he woofed the action, offering Shane the 7-ball. There was a slight stun as it seemed so out of character for the great Johnny Archer to partake in such banter. Shane didn’t bite, but he said he’d take the 7 and the 8. He proceeded to tell Corey Deuel that he’d take the 8 from him. No bites.
Kirkwood offered a bar table game to Shane. “The same one you beat me at in Vegas,” said Jason. But Shane decline saying “he’s not playing anymore bar tables.” But the word is that Shane just came from snapping off the Windy City… on bar tables.
At this point, we had about a hundred people crowding around the tables, with no action… but a game was made. Keith Bennett said he’d take the 8, 12-ahead for … no idea how many dimes. But, the dimes came out. The going odds on this game started at 5-4 with almost no takers. At 2-1, the takers came. Nobody seemed to like this game for Bennett, a young gun from the Carolinas.
Once everyone was seated, and the action started, I saw how far Shane has come. He treated this tight pocketed Diamond pros like bar tables. He pounded the balls in with an unwavering and extremely coordinated stroke. His break was the best I had seen in the room for days. Bennett is raw, compared to Shane. Good but not great position. Good but not great speed. Average patterns, but fantastic shotmaking. And a monster break.
Shane roared out to 4, and I think most people figured the match to last under 2 hours. But, Bennett showed all heart and refused to go down. “He can’t win all the game,” he shouted, as he won his first game. And suddenly, it was tied. The patterns started getting slightly loose for Shane, and the pockets didn’t like a couple of his shots.
Unfortunately an d fortunately, this match wasn’t done when I had had enough at 4:30 AM. It’s now nearly 10:00 AM. I’m heading down to see if it’s still on or if they went to bed, or if they’ve started back up.
Anyway, that’s the latest. I wish you all were here.
Fred
What has happened the past couple of nights is that the mini bar table tourneys has "taken" several of the action players to the Inn. Bobby Pickle is in the house, playing at the Inn. That should end all of the other BP discussions for now.
Also, the Windy City tournament also had several players not even at the Derby... until yesterday
I have small video/still/voice recorder, so I attempted to video and record some action and banter. It might be understandable, but if not, written dialogue might be in the future.
Action:
Here is some action, light and heavy, with few results. Unfortunately, there are some games that are going to be marathon matches, and the grapevine needs to provide the results at some point.
Joyner vs. Durbin
These two have been in one hole action since day 1. First it Durbin was getting 9-7, but yesterday, he was getting 10-7! And someone will have to tell me, but I think the game wasn't too crazy. Maybe 5-ahead? I think Cliff is probably the best U.S. one pocket player, but I didn't like him in this game. The mill suggests that 40 large bags of sand were on the proverbial lamp (20 each player, I assume). Rumor has it that after a couple of days, Cliff took it down. And then someone asked Cliff if he had the money that he borrowed (about 3 bills) and Cliff ... didn't have it.
The Young Gun Ring Game
Fifty, then a hundred beans per man, per game, this 9-ball game had some go in and out. Sparky Ferrel, Lil Jon Macias, Jonas (someone help me with man’s name), Little Andy Friedenhof, and Keith Bennet. These are the next level of players that in a few short years will be the lions. Just a few years ago, names like Gabe Owen and Shane Van Boening would be inserted here, but look at them now! These guys are fearless. Each of them have absolultely thunderous breaks. And, they get out from everywhere. When they get that “professional control” that seems to differentiate great players from god-like players, LOOK OUT!
Sarah “I’m just a girl” Rousey vs. Mr. Baskin Robbins
Okay, I should know his name, but he owns a couple of ice cream shops he like to keep the stakes low, but will go a long time. And long they went. They started their straight up race to nine 9-ball sets at 4:30 AM, and called it quits at 5:00 PM. 12 ½ hours. Looked like Sarah had the best of this game, but she started to slow down, and in the final set with Sarah leading 7-2 he mounted a comeback filled with lucky breaks and kisses combined with uncharacteristic small mistakes by Sarah. He ended up winning the final set, with Sarah on top by I believe one set. Tough 12 hours. Here’s the winning shot:
START( %A[2\7%Bj3Y9%CF0H9%Dh8J4%Ec2M8%Fk7N6%GL9L1%Hh1W9%IE0E1%PS8N5 %Qs3[1%RB2[1%SD4L8%Uh7Y6%VT9O0%WD8[1%Xr1Z1%Yr7Z0%Zk2Y9 )END
The Ice Cream Man fired at the 2-ball to pocket A. He overcut it, and rocketed into pocket B. I have no idea what the path was, but the cueball ended up gently at point C. And that shut the door on the set. OUCH.
Shane Has Arrive
With the arrival of Shane Van Boening, the action room had its first full room buzz. Again, I video’d and voice recorded some, so as to hopefully share the experience at some point. I’m not sure when, but it’s be 5Mb at a time or something.
The entire day, the talk was that Shane was to play John Schmidt 10-ahead 9-ball, EVEN. I guess Shane really has turned that corner, because half the room liked Shane. Throughout the rumblings, Schmidt was nowhere to be found. In comes of all people, Johnny Archer. Archer isn’t unknown to the road world, but his elite status normally doesn’t make him a player in the pit. But he woofed the action, offering Shane the 7-ball. There was a slight stun as it seemed so out of character for the great Johnny Archer to partake in such banter. Shane didn’t bite, but he said he’d take the 7 and the 8. He proceeded to tell Corey Deuel that he’d take the 8 from him. No bites.
Kirkwood offered a bar table game to Shane. “The same one you beat me at in Vegas,” said Jason. But Shane decline saying “he’s not playing anymore bar tables.” But the word is that Shane just came from snapping off the Windy City… on bar tables.
At this point, we had about a hundred people crowding around the tables, with no action… but a game was made. Keith Bennett said he’d take the 8, 12-ahead for … no idea how many dimes. But, the dimes came out. The going odds on this game started at 5-4 with almost no takers. At 2-1, the takers came. Nobody seemed to like this game for Bennett, a young gun from the Carolinas.
Once everyone was seated, and the action started, I saw how far Shane has come. He treated this tight pocketed Diamond pros like bar tables. He pounded the balls in with an unwavering and extremely coordinated stroke. His break was the best I had seen in the room for days. Bennett is raw, compared to Shane. Good but not great position. Good but not great speed. Average patterns, but fantastic shotmaking. And a monster break.
Shane roared out to 4, and I think most people figured the match to last under 2 hours. But, Bennett showed all heart and refused to go down. “He can’t win all the game,” he shouted, as he won his first game. And suddenly, it was tied. The patterns started getting slightly loose for Shane, and the pockets didn’t like a couple of his shots.
Unfortunately an d fortunately, this match wasn’t done when I had had enough at 4:30 AM. It’s now nearly 10:00 AM. I’m heading down to see if it’s still on or if they went to bed, or if they’ve started back up.
Anyway, that’s the latest. I wish you all were here.
Fred
ONLY IF I HAD A LAPTOP TO GIVE YOU FOLKS THE PLAY BY PLAY. SORRY! THANKS AGAIN CORNERMAN FOR THE RELAY. GREAT WORK!!!!
