Well, I was really fortunate to get 2 Omega/DPK cues and this is the 1st. Can't express how exciting I am. They don't show up often. And these two are even rarer. History speaks through them.
Previous owner bought them from Ed Boado, founder of Omega/DPK Cues.
Both cues were made for Hall of Fame player Vivian Villarreal, the only pro sponsored by Omega/DPK.
She was the top female player in the world with these cues, Women’s Player of the year, etc.
The cues have fancy piano key inlays (DPK style), five points, etc.
If you look at design it will remind you on Cognoscenti cues and it is because Joey Gold was hanging out at their shop and DPK certainly has an impact on his work.
Happens all the time in NYC! It's one of the nice things about living in a major metro area. They'll just randomly drop by and play our local tournaments, both handicapped and unhandicapped.
Francisco Bustamante just dropped by a couple weeks ago and took down one of the open ones. Here's me "beating" (aka shitting in the 9 ball a few times ) Moritz Neuhausen a couple years ago in a $80 handicapped tournament: Login to view embedded media
Just in the past two years, I've played 4 players that were rated 790+ just in these tournaments, and I don't even go to that many of them.
I wouldnt say you were shitting in the 9. If anything, he was doing that more than you as he won about 3 games via that method. You however played some really great safeties.
Also, I wanted to say that videos like those are perfect examples of those players who want to elevate their game to world elite level. Neuhausen was running all over the east coast a few years back getting into anything he could to make himself better. So players of that caliber playing in handicapped tournaments have value for their own growth and what they wish to accomplish.
The 1980s are a bit more complicated. The first names that come to mind are Nick Varner and Allen Hopkins. Allen, in particular, used to bet real high back then. I'm thinking that Jersey Red, Ronnie Allen and Eddie Kelly were all past their primes by then.
It's a handicapped 9 ball tournament. I've always said, at those tournaments it's about how well you do mentally vs physically on the table. If you are stars trucked, chances are you are going to lose mainly because you are distracted by who your opponent is.
I enjoy playing in some open tournament as usually the better players always give me some pointers or are impressed with my kicking ability even though I'm lower rated. It's a good learning experience, good or bad.
I disagree
You usually don’t grip the playing cue and the break cue the same, so balance and weight should not be the same. Any good instructor will teach you to grip the break cue more forward.
Grip the break cue more forward? I never heard that. That would tend to shorten your stroke...like telling a baseball player to hold the bat more in front of him.