Battles in Bangkok – Part 2
The pool fans got to see two of our local international crew go up against our American visitors in a special Scotch Doubles Ten ball event on Tuesday night. The international team was CoCoy Villafuerte of the Philippines joined by Stuart Pettman of England. The American team was of course Shane Van Boening and Corey Duel. Gambling is illegal in Thailand but most of the money was put down on the USA team and interestingly enough they seemed to be the crowd’s favorites, especially the Thai lades, getting big cheers for clever shots and when they won a game. A crowd of a hundred plus were packed into the house for the event with the English pool players, the biggest part of the international pool community in Bangkok, the bigger group and Thai fans the next largest.
The venue was Hustler’s pool hall. A new 9 ft. Brunswick tournament table with special lighting was erected just for the events this week and the pockets were tightened to less then two balls width. It was a call shot game with no jump cues allowed but jump shots with the game cue were allowed. It was winner’s break and a ten ball made on the break would be spotted.
The event was a race to twenty and it was nip and tuck all the way. Cocoy and Stuart started in front and set the theme for the evening. They would get up three or four games and then Shane and Corey would fight back. The score was 7-4 for the international team and then the Americans went ahead 8 -7. The international crew went up 13 – 9 and the American’s tied it at 14-14. The international crew went to 17 to -14 and the American’s tied it up again. It was tied at 19-19 before Cocoy put on a shooting demonstration and he and his partner Stuart took the last game.
Cocoy and Shane did the breaking for their teams and both had fantastic breaks. About a third of the breaks were dry but the teams were equal in the break department and in shot making overall. What won it for the international team was that they were much better at the safety game. It was poor safety play that lost the American team the last game and several before that. It’s just my opinion but as an American pool player living overseas I’ve come to believe that safety play in general is the weakness for American pool players. The brits , the Chinese including Taiwan, the philipinos all play great safe shoots.
Bottom line it was a great match. Neither Shane nor Corey abide losing and there will some intense matches in the coming days. Darren Appleton who was on the sidelines last night will be stepping in tonight teaming with Canadian Jason Klatt in another Scotch doubles match against Cocoy and Stuart. It’s going to be great!
BTW it was mentioned that Cocoy lost to an Estonian player this spring. As I remember he gave the guy five start to fifteen.
The pool fans got to see two of our local international crew go up against our American visitors in a special Scotch Doubles Ten ball event on Tuesday night. The international team was CoCoy Villafuerte of the Philippines joined by Stuart Pettman of England. The American team was of course Shane Van Boening and Corey Duel. Gambling is illegal in Thailand but most of the money was put down on the USA team and interestingly enough they seemed to be the crowd’s favorites, especially the Thai lades, getting big cheers for clever shots and when they won a game. A crowd of a hundred plus were packed into the house for the event with the English pool players, the biggest part of the international pool community in Bangkok, the bigger group and Thai fans the next largest.
The venue was Hustler’s pool hall. A new 9 ft. Brunswick tournament table with special lighting was erected just for the events this week and the pockets were tightened to less then two balls width. It was a call shot game with no jump cues allowed but jump shots with the game cue were allowed. It was winner’s break and a ten ball made on the break would be spotted.
The event was a race to twenty and it was nip and tuck all the way. Cocoy and Stuart started in front and set the theme for the evening. They would get up three or four games and then Shane and Corey would fight back. The score was 7-4 for the international team and then the Americans went ahead 8 -7. The international crew went up 13 – 9 and the American’s tied it at 14-14. The international crew went to 17 to -14 and the American’s tied it up again. It was tied at 19-19 before Cocoy put on a shooting demonstration and he and his partner Stuart took the last game.
Cocoy and Shane did the breaking for their teams and both had fantastic breaks. About a third of the breaks were dry but the teams were equal in the break department and in shot making overall. What won it for the international team was that they were much better at the safety game. It was poor safety play that lost the American team the last game and several before that. It’s just my opinion but as an American pool player living overseas I’ve come to believe that safety play in general is the weakness for American pool players. The brits , the Chinese including Taiwan, the philipinos all play great safe shoots.
Bottom line it was a great match. Neither Shane nor Corey abide losing and there will some intense matches in the coming days. Darren Appleton who was on the sidelines last night will be stepping in tonight teaming with Canadian Jason Klatt in another Scotch doubles match against Cocoy and Stuart. It’s going to be great!
BTW it was mentioned that Cocoy lost to an Estonian player this spring. As I remember he gave the guy five start to fifteen.
