SJM Sizes up 2021 in Pro Pool
The curtain has dropped on the pro pool year. It’s time to reflect. In 2021, pro pool was one experience in America, another in Europe, and yet another in Asia. In short, 2021 was a year unlike any in pro pool history, but one I greatly enjoyed sharing with the AZB community.
Europe
In Europe, Matchroom and Predator staged a new event called the Predator LCP in March. Following this event were the World Pool Masters, the World Cup of Pool and the World Pool Championship. These events made up the “Matchroom Pool Series.” With a tournament series and new rankings methodology in place, Matchroom has set the stage for something special going forward, and they will add the UK Open to the series in 2022. Last but not least, the Mosconi Cup returned to London after a one year detour to Milton Keynes.
America
In the US, 2021 began discouragingly, as the beloved Derby City Classic was cancelled. Neither of the two Turning Stone events scheduled happened and there was no Super Billiards Expo. Still, 2021 ultimately proved one filled with good earnings opportunities.
The inception of an event series with good prize money produced by CSI and Predator was fantastic. Big money at the World ten ball and at the Texas Open helped, too. September’s US Open 9-ball was superb, staged by Matchroom in Atlantic City. In October, Pat Fleming gave us a much improved International Open and Peter Burrows staged a first rate American Straight Pool Championship.
Asia
Little pro pool was played in Asia, with the China Open and the All-Japan cancelled and many Asian pros grounded by COVID. Three of the top ten by Fargo (Raga, Zheng, Ko Pin Yi) were not seen even once in major events. Ko Ping Chung could not even try to defend at the World ten ball.
Contrastingly, Dennis Orcullo spent 2021 in the US and had his best year, including silver at the International 9-ball and bronze at the US Open. Carlo Biado captured the US Open and had to fight back tears of joy. Aloysius Yapp emerged as an elite player and Naoyuki Oi had a fine year. I hope to see the full contingent of Asian players competing again soon.
Time to Size it All Up
What was pro pool's a) match of the year? B) shot of the year? C) best event of the year? D) best new event of the year? E) most improved event of the year? Who was pro pool's A) player of the year? B) most improved player of the year? C) sponsor of the year? D) best commentator of the year? I’ll try to answer these questions.
I Match of the Year Nominees
I’ll only consider pro events, but others may nominate tournament or action matches as they wish.
1. Orcullo 10 Pagulayan 9, Int’l 9-ball
This was a dandy and Alex ran out to a huge lead, 7-3 if memory serves, in the race to 10. Orcullo had to and did find his best game to avoid being eliminated in the round of 32. As he’d go on to win silver, this proved a big win.
2 Zielinski 11 Ouschan 5, US Open
This Stage 1 match intrigued me because I’d never seen Zielinski play live. The match was tight but Albin made an error with a chance to tie it 6-6, and Zielinski ran out that rack and broke and ran four more to win 11-5. Seeing a kid of twenty having his way with the reigning World Champion was unforgettable.
3: Kazakis 9 SVB 0, World Pool Masters
Can a blowout merit mention? Maybe. SVB had owned Kazakis, especially at the Mosconi, but also in the 2020 Turning Stone final. Alex Kazakis lost to David Alcaide at the 2020 World Pool Masters, playing too conservatively in the eyes of some in the double hill rack of the final. Drawing SVB in the 2021 final didn’t bode well, but Alex exorcised a lot of demons by winning. It was, perhaps, the feel-good story of 2021.
4: Ouschan 10 Martin 9, Int’l 9-ball
In the first single elimination round, young Justin Martin hung around and, with fine play, pushed the reigning world champion to the limit. The double hill rack was a classic and each player came with special stuff, but it was Albin Ouschan that managed a tough runout to avoid elimination. A few nights later, Albin won the title, underscoring just how important the Martin escape had been.
5: Alcaide 5 Jones 4, Mosconi Cup
This match was anticlimactic but captivating. David Alcaide was in dead stroke and ran out impressively to an early lead. Jeremy Jones changed the tide and pace of the match with great safety play. My view was that if Jones lost the match, the Mosconi was over, as Team Europe would then sleep on an insurmountable 9-5 lead. The crowd was on edge. The match reached double hill, and the last rack had a long safety battle won by Jones with exceptional play. A shot clock foul would ultimately cost Jeremy the match, but what a match it was!
And the Winner Is …
Match 4, Ouschan vs Martin at the International 9-ball. Watching Albin summon his best to fend off an inspired challenger was electrifying. When Albin hoisted the trophy a few days later, it was hard not to reflect on how close he’d come to being eliminated early in 17th place.
II Shot of the Year
The best shot I saw this year was by Omar Al-Shaheen in the International 1-pocket event. He back cut a long bank of the ten ball and, with inside-english draw, managed perfect three rail shape to the short side of the stack. It led to an almost unfathomable runout in his upset win over Alex Pagulayan. This shot had even Billy Incardona excited when he and I chatted post-match.
III Best Event of the Year
It’s the US Open 9-ball. Harrah’s Atlantic City was a nice venue. The final day offered two fine semis and a great final. Despite a huge field and double elimination down to sixteen, the ambitious schedule was adhered to. Stage 2 offered an unforgettable roster of pool’s elite.
IV Best New Event of the Year
With full respect for the fine new CSI series of events, I’ll go with Matchroom’s Predator League Championship event. The format was innovative and the conception of an $85,000 added event with no entry fee was a big deal.
V Most Improved Event of the Year
Pat Fleming brought the International Open to a new level in 2021. He added a ten ball event, a one pocket event and a junior event, giving the event a Derby City feel. The best changes for attendees were the large overhead digital scoreboards that could be seen from both sides of the table and better scheduling of streamed matches, in which there was less down time than in the past. Pat Fleming continues to be an innovator in pro pool, and the International must now be counted as one of the premier events on the world’s pool calendar.
VI Player of the Year
This was a really close call between Dennis Orcullo and Albin Ouschan. Dennis’s accomplishments were more numerous, but Albin’s play at events having the most elite fields was inspiring. After wins at the Predator LCP, the World Pool Championship and the International 9-ball, I gave the nod to Albin Ouschan as player of the year. That said, if one considers all disciplines, not just nine-ball, or if action match results are included, the scales might tip in favor of Dennis. This was a photo finish, but I always place the greatest weight on who prevails over the toughest fields.
VII Most Improved Player
Omar Al Shaheen and Oliver Szolnocki merit mention, but the most improved player in 2021 was Aloysius Yapp. At the US Open 9-ball, he beat each of SVB, Filler and Orcullo on his way to a silver medal. Simply amazing!
VIII Sponsor of the Year
It’s Predator for sure. They stepped up to the plate in a big way and are a big part of pro pool’s financial foundation. Predator is doing a lot to make pool a more lucrative career for pros. Predator teamed with both Matchroom and CSI to bring new events to our sport.
IX Commentator of the Year
The nominees are Bill Incardona, Jeremy Jones, Alex Lely, Karl Boyes and Mark Wilson.
I’m going with Alex Lely, who I believe has become pool’s best game analyst. He offers some tactical insights that few commentators have ever offered, and he has taken the profession of pool commentary to a new and higher level.
X Other Things I’ll Remember From 2021
I’ll avoid the obvious, which is how COVID turned pro pool upside down. In competition, a few things stand out.
1. Poland Lands Nine in Stage 2 of WPC
On AZB, we’ve been admiring the rise of pro pool in Poland for a while, but what they accomplished at the Word Pool Championships can’t go unmentioned. The Polish contingent showed up with nine players. All nine reached Stage 2. Wow!
2. Kuwait Becomes a Force in Pro Pool
Omar Al Shaheen rose to elite status with silver at the World Pool Championship. His countrymen, Bader Al-Awadhi and Abdullah Al-Yousef made big advances, each reaching Stage 2 at the International 9-ball.
3. Juniors Now Have a Tour in the US
Ra Hanna was the visionary behind the creation of a tour for juniors, both male and female, living in America, giving aspiring pros a path to refining their play against players of their age and skill level. This grass roots level addition to pool in America may take a while to bear fruit, but it’s a step forward. Good luck to Ra and all the juniors.
XI Conclusion
Take a deep bow if you made it to the end of this post. Anyway, those are my thoughts about the 2021 year in pro pool. What are yours? As always, corrections, additions, revisions and dissent are welcomed and encouraged.
The curtain has dropped on the pro pool year. It’s time to reflect. In 2021, pro pool was one experience in America, another in Europe, and yet another in Asia. In short, 2021 was a year unlike any in pro pool history, but one I greatly enjoyed sharing with the AZB community.
Europe
In Europe, Matchroom and Predator staged a new event called the Predator LCP in March. Following this event were the World Pool Masters, the World Cup of Pool and the World Pool Championship. These events made up the “Matchroom Pool Series.” With a tournament series and new rankings methodology in place, Matchroom has set the stage for something special going forward, and they will add the UK Open to the series in 2022. Last but not least, the Mosconi Cup returned to London after a one year detour to Milton Keynes.
America
In the US, 2021 began discouragingly, as the beloved Derby City Classic was cancelled. Neither of the two Turning Stone events scheduled happened and there was no Super Billiards Expo. Still, 2021 ultimately proved one filled with good earnings opportunities.
The inception of an event series with good prize money produced by CSI and Predator was fantastic. Big money at the World ten ball and at the Texas Open helped, too. September’s US Open 9-ball was superb, staged by Matchroom in Atlantic City. In October, Pat Fleming gave us a much improved International Open and Peter Burrows staged a first rate American Straight Pool Championship.
Asia
Little pro pool was played in Asia, with the China Open and the All-Japan cancelled and many Asian pros grounded by COVID. Three of the top ten by Fargo (Raga, Zheng, Ko Pin Yi) were not seen even once in major events. Ko Ping Chung could not even try to defend at the World ten ball.
Contrastingly, Dennis Orcullo spent 2021 in the US and had his best year, including silver at the International 9-ball and bronze at the US Open. Carlo Biado captured the US Open and had to fight back tears of joy. Aloysius Yapp emerged as an elite player and Naoyuki Oi had a fine year. I hope to see the full contingent of Asian players competing again soon.
Time to Size it All Up
What was pro pool's a) match of the year? B) shot of the year? C) best event of the year? D) best new event of the year? E) most improved event of the year? Who was pro pool's A) player of the year? B) most improved player of the year? C) sponsor of the year? D) best commentator of the year? I’ll try to answer these questions.
I Match of the Year Nominees
I’ll only consider pro events, but others may nominate tournament or action matches as they wish.
1. Orcullo 10 Pagulayan 9, Int’l 9-ball
This was a dandy and Alex ran out to a huge lead, 7-3 if memory serves, in the race to 10. Orcullo had to and did find his best game to avoid being eliminated in the round of 32. As he’d go on to win silver, this proved a big win.
2 Zielinski 11 Ouschan 5, US Open
This Stage 1 match intrigued me because I’d never seen Zielinski play live. The match was tight but Albin made an error with a chance to tie it 6-6, and Zielinski ran out that rack and broke and ran four more to win 11-5. Seeing a kid of twenty having his way with the reigning World Champion was unforgettable.
3: Kazakis 9 SVB 0, World Pool Masters
Can a blowout merit mention? Maybe. SVB had owned Kazakis, especially at the Mosconi, but also in the 2020 Turning Stone final. Alex Kazakis lost to David Alcaide at the 2020 World Pool Masters, playing too conservatively in the eyes of some in the double hill rack of the final. Drawing SVB in the 2021 final didn’t bode well, but Alex exorcised a lot of demons by winning. It was, perhaps, the feel-good story of 2021.
4: Ouschan 10 Martin 9, Int’l 9-ball
In the first single elimination round, young Justin Martin hung around and, with fine play, pushed the reigning world champion to the limit. The double hill rack was a classic and each player came with special stuff, but it was Albin Ouschan that managed a tough runout to avoid elimination. A few nights later, Albin won the title, underscoring just how important the Martin escape had been.
5: Alcaide 5 Jones 4, Mosconi Cup
This match was anticlimactic but captivating. David Alcaide was in dead stroke and ran out impressively to an early lead. Jeremy Jones changed the tide and pace of the match with great safety play. My view was that if Jones lost the match, the Mosconi was over, as Team Europe would then sleep on an insurmountable 9-5 lead. The crowd was on edge. The match reached double hill, and the last rack had a long safety battle won by Jones with exceptional play. A shot clock foul would ultimately cost Jeremy the match, but what a match it was!
And the Winner Is …
Match 4, Ouschan vs Martin at the International 9-ball. Watching Albin summon his best to fend off an inspired challenger was electrifying. When Albin hoisted the trophy a few days later, it was hard not to reflect on how close he’d come to being eliminated early in 17th place.
II Shot of the Year
The best shot I saw this year was by Omar Al-Shaheen in the International 1-pocket event. He back cut a long bank of the ten ball and, with inside-english draw, managed perfect three rail shape to the short side of the stack. It led to an almost unfathomable runout in his upset win over Alex Pagulayan. This shot had even Billy Incardona excited when he and I chatted post-match.
III Best Event of the Year
It’s the US Open 9-ball. Harrah’s Atlantic City was a nice venue. The final day offered two fine semis and a great final. Despite a huge field and double elimination down to sixteen, the ambitious schedule was adhered to. Stage 2 offered an unforgettable roster of pool’s elite.
IV Best New Event of the Year
With full respect for the fine new CSI series of events, I’ll go with Matchroom’s Predator League Championship event. The format was innovative and the conception of an $85,000 added event with no entry fee was a big deal.
V Most Improved Event of the Year
Pat Fleming brought the International Open to a new level in 2021. He added a ten ball event, a one pocket event and a junior event, giving the event a Derby City feel. The best changes for attendees were the large overhead digital scoreboards that could be seen from both sides of the table and better scheduling of streamed matches, in which there was less down time than in the past. Pat Fleming continues to be an innovator in pro pool, and the International must now be counted as one of the premier events on the world’s pool calendar.
VI Player of the Year
This was a really close call between Dennis Orcullo and Albin Ouschan. Dennis’s accomplishments were more numerous, but Albin’s play at events having the most elite fields was inspiring. After wins at the Predator LCP, the World Pool Championship and the International 9-ball, I gave the nod to Albin Ouschan as player of the year. That said, if one considers all disciplines, not just nine-ball, or if action match results are included, the scales might tip in favor of Dennis. This was a photo finish, but I always place the greatest weight on who prevails over the toughest fields.
VII Most Improved Player
Omar Al Shaheen and Oliver Szolnocki merit mention, but the most improved player in 2021 was Aloysius Yapp. At the US Open 9-ball, he beat each of SVB, Filler and Orcullo on his way to a silver medal. Simply amazing!
VIII Sponsor of the Year
It’s Predator for sure. They stepped up to the plate in a big way and are a big part of pro pool’s financial foundation. Predator is doing a lot to make pool a more lucrative career for pros. Predator teamed with both Matchroom and CSI to bring new events to our sport.
IX Commentator of the Year
The nominees are Bill Incardona, Jeremy Jones, Alex Lely, Karl Boyes and Mark Wilson.
I’m going with Alex Lely, who I believe has become pool’s best game analyst. He offers some tactical insights that few commentators have ever offered, and he has taken the profession of pool commentary to a new and higher level.
X Other Things I’ll Remember From 2021
I’ll avoid the obvious, which is how COVID turned pro pool upside down. In competition, a few things stand out.
1. Poland Lands Nine in Stage 2 of WPC
On AZB, we’ve been admiring the rise of pro pool in Poland for a while, but what they accomplished at the Word Pool Championships can’t go unmentioned. The Polish contingent showed up with nine players. All nine reached Stage 2. Wow!
2. Kuwait Becomes a Force in Pro Pool
Omar Al Shaheen rose to elite status with silver at the World Pool Championship. His countrymen, Bader Al-Awadhi and Abdullah Al-Yousef made big advances, each reaching Stage 2 at the International 9-ball.
3. Juniors Now Have a Tour in the US
Ra Hanna was the visionary behind the creation of a tour for juniors, both male and female, living in America, giving aspiring pros a path to refining their play against players of their age and skill level. This grass roots level addition to pool in America may take a while to bear fruit, but it’s a step forward. Good luck to Ra and all the juniors.
XI Conclusion
Take a deep bow if you made it to the end of this post. Anyway, those are my thoughts about the 2021 year in pro pool. What are yours? As always, corrections, additions, revisions and dissent are welcomed and encouraged.
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