Just finished eleven days at the Rio and the BCAPL extravaganza is now behind me. I only attended to sweat the three pro events, but I caught a few glimpses of the amateur events when some of my friends were competing. Thought I'd share my experiences and impressions of the event.
US Open 1-Pocket
When I arrived, the event was already in progress and the story for me was the fact that two members of the Philippines contingent, Orcullo and Biado, who'd never really shown form in one pocket before, emerged as contenders. Sadly, a lethargic pace of play in many of the matches rendered the event near unwatchable at times. Fairly loose pockets and slick rails gave the players headaches, but the cream rose to the top and the event produced a solid final four of Orcullo, Deuel , Biado and Frost, who had come back from the dead in his match with Van Boening in their losers bracket match.
Biado was too much for Frost, leaving a semifinal between Deuel and Biado, with the winner to play Orcullo for the title. There was a brutal rainstorm that affected the electricity and which delayed the one pocket final rounds, but in the end Dennis Orcullo won in a peculiar final. With Orcullo ahead 4-3 in the race to five final, Corey led 7-2 in the rack that would, it seemed, tie it up. The match was already about 6 1/2 hours long and I remember cringing at the thought of an 8+ hour final that might well last until 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM. Deuel's pace of play was particularly slow for the length of the match. Bedtime, mercifully, came sooner rather than later when a careless defensive error by Deuel followed by a truly remarkable run-out by Orcullo put the trophy in Dennis' hands.
One thing that baffled me was that in all the stream table matches, I never saw even one player practice their lag. In one pocket, countless matches go double hill and the value of owning the double hill break is huge. I noticed the same at the Derby --- nobody practiced their lag on the stream table. Isn't the lag something one should practice before a one pocket match? I had a chat about it with John Schmidt and he agreed that too few players practice the lag in one pocket.
US Open 10-ball
Got my first look at Wang Can, the runnerup to Immonen at the Ultimate 10-ball and he's for real, showing a solid all around skill set. Even before he beat Shane, I watched Jinhu Dang play and I was very impressed. He's a player to watch. Wu. who seemingly won the WPA World 9-ball championship ages ago, is still just 24 and he's playing great. Vann Corteza showed great form, too, as expected after his great win at the China Open, and I felt Orcullo got a few rolls in the semifinal that decided the match to deny Lee Vann a spot in the finals. It looked like the impossible would happen and that Orcullo would walk away with the first two trophies despite the fact he had seemingly been playing so much pool that he could hardly expect to have much gas left in the tank. Then, however, at 9-2 in the finals, something magical happened and Rodney Morris, the only non-Asian among the last six, found his highest gear, winning the next eight racks in a row to take a 10-9 lead and hoisting the trophy not too long after that. In a chat I had with Rodney, he noted that he'd been playing very well for a few months but had nothing to show for it. Well that has changed, hasn't it?
US Open 8-ball
I was disappointed that I wouldn't get to watch Darren Appleton, an eight-ball player by training, compete, but like a few others, he headed to Columbia for the World Games. Still, the field was strong and the play impressive. Many of the racks offered little challenge to the shooter after the break, so mistakes on the break were often fatal. Jayson Shaw showed very strong form and knocked off some top players. I'd only seen Jayson play once before, but it looks like he's a top echelon player. He'd already finished 9th in the 10-ball event, and added a 4th place finish in the 8-ball to it.
Perhaps the best match of the event prior to the final day was the winner's bracket quarterfinal between Ko Pin Yi and Shane. With near perfect play by both of them, the match got 7-6 with Ko a few simple shots away from making it double hill in the race to 8. Shockingly, Ko missed a relatively simple shot and that was that. It was the only ball he missed in the entire match! A player I'd never heard named Walter Cheng made a nice run all the way to the hot seat match but he laid an egg against Van Boening and just didn't break well enough to beat Biado in the losers bracket final.
The final was one for the ages as Biado and Shane put on a display of near perfect pool for twenty racks. Each ran nine of their first ten from the break and the score sat at 10-10. Biado scratched in Rack 21, but Shane missed in rack 22, so it was 11-11. Biado's miss in rack 23 was fatal and Shane ran the match out for the title. Wow, what a final!
What Happened to Europe?
Despite the presence of a very strong European contingent, it was a lost week for Europe. Jayson Shaw came 9th in the 10-ball and 4th in the 8-ball, but no other European managed a top ten finish in any of the three events. I count quite a few of the European players as close friends, and I know they'll bounce back very soon. Of course, it was just a month ago that Immonen produced a wonderful victory at the Ultimate 10-ball, an event in which Appleton came 3rd, so perhaps I shouldn't be too concerned.
Late Correction: Bernie Pettipiece, originally British, came 9th in the one pocket. Well played, Bernie!
Socially
It was an inactive week socially for me, although I did manage to have dinner, on three different evenings, with each of Ralf Souquet, Max Eberle, and Mike Dechaine (and his lovely girlfriend). Caught up numerous times with some other friends playing in the professional events including Tony Robles Hunter Lombardo, Thorsten Hohmann, Mika Immonen, Darren Appleton, Charlie Williams, Joe Tucker, John Morra, Shaun Wilkie, Mike Yednak, Ike Runnels, Rodney Morris, Jose Parica and many others. Didn't say much more than hello to Andy Segal, Mike Massey, Jeremy Sossei, John Schmidt, Corey Deuel, Oscar Dominguez, Scott Frost, Mike Davis, Mark Vidal, John Pinegar, Darryl Peach, Lou Figueroa, Billy Incardona and Mark Haddad. Other than when I was watching the bar table events, I didn't catch up with too many friends, but I did find time to chat with Mike Howerton, Jerry Forsyth, Ken Shuman, John Leyman and Mark Griffin. Also glad to say I was there when my friend Brittany Bryant snapped off the Women's Grand Masters 8-ball event. I'd say on reflection that I was a bit of a loner during my stay at the Rio.
Finally, I was touched by a personal invitation from Rodney Morris to attend the Mosconi Cup. During the World 8-ball Championships in 1996 held at the Riviera, Rodney and I went to the Mirage to see Siegfried and Roy's show together, and he told me that the Mosconi Cup is at the Mirage, where we have some good history.
Gambling
Most improbably, I actually won quite a bit of money in the casino over the trip, mostly due to a $1,500 Royal Flush I hit in a game called Pai Gow Poker on 7/25. Remarkably, my $10 side bet paid 150/1 odds. I'm still in shock.
Conclusion
It was a wonderful eleven days sweating matches. This event is the greatest pool show on earth and it gets better every year thanks to the tireless efforts of American pool's greatest innovator, Mark Griffin. On top of the countless amateur events, there was a trick shot event, a straight pool challenge, a Texas bumps event (something like bumper pool), several minis, and, of course the US Open in 1-pocket, 10-ball and 8-ball. The Rio is a great hotel. I loved my room and found the amenities to my advantage.
I'll remember Carlo Biado's efforts over the past eleven days for a long time. In the wake of his great win at Hard Times in early July, Carlo came 3rd in the US Open One Pocket, 5th in the US Open 10-ball and 2nd in the US Open 8-ball. Carlo must now be reckoned as one of the best all around pool players in the world, a superstar that has truly arrived.
Flying home to New York tomorrow. Then, I think I'll catch up on my sleep.
US Open 1-Pocket
When I arrived, the event was already in progress and the story for me was the fact that two members of the Philippines contingent, Orcullo and Biado, who'd never really shown form in one pocket before, emerged as contenders. Sadly, a lethargic pace of play in many of the matches rendered the event near unwatchable at times. Fairly loose pockets and slick rails gave the players headaches, but the cream rose to the top and the event produced a solid final four of Orcullo, Deuel , Biado and Frost, who had come back from the dead in his match with Van Boening in their losers bracket match.
Biado was too much for Frost, leaving a semifinal between Deuel and Biado, with the winner to play Orcullo for the title. There was a brutal rainstorm that affected the electricity and which delayed the one pocket final rounds, but in the end Dennis Orcullo won in a peculiar final. With Orcullo ahead 4-3 in the race to five final, Corey led 7-2 in the rack that would, it seemed, tie it up. The match was already about 6 1/2 hours long and I remember cringing at the thought of an 8+ hour final that might well last until 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM. Deuel's pace of play was particularly slow for the length of the match. Bedtime, mercifully, came sooner rather than later when a careless defensive error by Deuel followed by a truly remarkable run-out by Orcullo put the trophy in Dennis' hands.
One thing that baffled me was that in all the stream table matches, I never saw even one player practice their lag. In one pocket, countless matches go double hill and the value of owning the double hill break is huge. I noticed the same at the Derby --- nobody practiced their lag on the stream table. Isn't the lag something one should practice before a one pocket match? I had a chat about it with John Schmidt and he agreed that too few players practice the lag in one pocket.
US Open 10-ball
Got my first look at Wang Can, the runnerup to Immonen at the Ultimate 10-ball and he's for real, showing a solid all around skill set. Even before he beat Shane, I watched Jinhu Dang play and I was very impressed. He's a player to watch. Wu. who seemingly won the WPA World 9-ball championship ages ago, is still just 24 and he's playing great. Vann Corteza showed great form, too, as expected after his great win at the China Open, and I felt Orcullo got a few rolls in the semifinal that decided the match to deny Lee Vann a spot in the finals. It looked like the impossible would happen and that Orcullo would walk away with the first two trophies despite the fact he had seemingly been playing so much pool that he could hardly expect to have much gas left in the tank. Then, however, at 9-2 in the finals, something magical happened and Rodney Morris, the only non-Asian among the last six, found his highest gear, winning the next eight racks in a row to take a 10-9 lead and hoisting the trophy not too long after that. In a chat I had with Rodney, he noted that he'd been playing very well for a few months but had nothing to show for it. Well that has changed, hasn't it?
US Open 8-ball
I was disappointed that I wouldn't get to watch Darren Appleton, an eight-ball player by training, compete, but like a few others, he headed to Columbia for the World Games. Still, the field was strong and the play impressive. Many of the racks offered little challenge to the shooter after the break, so mistakes on the break were often fatal. Jayson Shaw showed very strong form and knocked off some top players. I'd only seen Jayson play once before, but it looks like he's a top echelon player. He'd already finished 9th in the 10-ball event, and added a 4th place finish in the 8-ball to it.
Perhaps the best match of the event prior to the final day was the winner's bracket quarterfinal between Ko Pin Yi and Shane. With near perfect play by both of them, the match got 7-6 with Ko a few simple shots away from making it double hill in the race to 8. Shockingly, Ko missed a relatively simple shot and that was that. It was the only ball he missed in the entire match! A player I'd never heard named Walter Cheng made a nice run all the way to the hot seat match but he laid an egg against Van Boening and just didn't break well enough to beat Biado in the losers bracket final.
The final was one for the ages as Biado and Shane put on a display of near perfect pool for twenty racks. Each ran nine of their first ten from the break and the score sat at 10-10. Biado scratched in Rack 21, but Shane missed in rack 22, so it was 11-11. Biado's miss in rack 23 was fatal and Shane ran the match out for the title. Wow, what a final!
What Happened to Europe?
Despite the presence of a very strong European contingent, it was a lost week for Europe. Jayson Shaw came 9th in the 10-ball and 4th in the 8-ball, but no other European managed a top ten finish in any of the three events. I count quite a few of the European players as close friends, and I know they'll bounce back very soon. Of course, it was just a month ago that Immonen produced a wonderful victory at the Ultimate 10-ball, an event in which Appleton came 3rd, so perhaps I shouldn't be too concerned.
Late Correction: Bernie Pettipiece, originally British, came 9th in the one pocket. Well played, Bernie!
Socially
It was an inactive week socially for me, although I did manage to have dinner, on three different evenings, with each of Ralf Souquet, Max Eberle, and Mike Dechaine (and his lovely girlfriend). Caught up numerous times with some other friends playing in the professional events including Tony Robles Hunter Lombardo, Thorsten Hohmann, Mika Immonen, Darren Appleton, Charlie Williams, Joe Tucker, John Morra, Shaun Wilkie, Mike Yednak, Ike Runnels, Rodney Morris, Jose Parica and many others. Didn't say much more than hello to Andy Segal, Mike Massey, Jeremy Sossei, John Schmidt, Corey Deuel, Oscar Dominguez, Scott Frost, Mike Davis, Mark Vidal, John Pinegar, Darryl Peach, Lou Figueroa, Billy Incardona and Mark Haddad. Other than when I was watching the bar table events, I didn't catch up with too many friends, but I did find time to chat with Mike Howerton, Jerry Forsyth, Ken Shuman, John Leyman and Mark Griffin. Also glad to say I was there when my friend Brittany Bryant snapped off the Women's Grand Masters 8-ball event. I'd say on reflection that I was a bit of a loner during my stay at the Rio.
Finally, I was touched by a personal invitation from Rodney Morris to attend the Mosconi Cup. During the World 8-ball Championships in 1996 held at the Riviera, Rodney and I went to the Mirage to see Siegfried and Roy's show together, and he told me that the Mosconi Cup is at the Mirage, where we have some good history.
Gambling
Most improbably, I actually won quite a bit of money in the casino over the trip, mostly due to a $1,500 Royal Flush I hit in a game called Pai Gow Poker on 7/25. Remarkably, my $10 side bet paid 150/1 odds. I'm still in shock.
Conclusion
It was a wonderful eleven days sweating matches. This event is the greatest pool show on earth and it gets better every year thanks to the tireless efforts of American pool's greatest innovator, Mark Griffin. On top of the countless amateur events, there was a trick shot event, a straight pool challenge, a Texas bumps event (something like bumper pool), several minis, and, of course the US Open in 1-pocket, 10-ball and 8-ball. The Rio is a great hotel. I loved my room and found the amenities to my advantage.
I'll remember Carlo Biado's efforts over the past eleven days for a long time. In the wake of his great win at Hard Times in early July, Carlo came 3rd in the US Open One Pocket, 5th in the US Open 10-ball and 2nd in the US Open 8-ball. Carlo must now be reckoned as one of the best all around pool players in the world, a superstar that has truly arrived.
Flying home to New York tomorrow. Then, I think I'll catch up on my sleep.
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(After a few days, I'm toast.) Good seeing you out there.
