Update for the local AzB-ers!
subprime said:
how many do you think will show up? my guess is 18. Probably all champions. just hope i can stay awake. see you there.
You guessed it right on the nose, Subprime! Eighteen players showed up, to include a few one-hole champions in the D.C. area. Locals Mike Davis happened to be competing in Las Vegas at the UPA event, One-Pocket Phenom Tom-Tom Wirth was dealing cards, Ryan McCreesh was up in Rochester, NY at a Joss tournament, Danny Green is on the road again, and Brandon Shuff was definitely an MIA. However, I must say that the Midnight Madness was a one-pocket feast enjoyed by quite a few midnight ramblers.
The players meeting was conducted by Mike Ricciardello, and rules were explained in their entirety, allowing a Q&A session for any inquiries. The winners' side matches of this double-elimination event was best 3 out of 5, and the losers' side matches were best 2 out of 3. [What's the difference between a race to 3 and a race to 2 and best 3 out of 5 and best 2 out of 3?] The finals was a true double-elimination finals, with the hotseat winner having to get beat twice. The entry fee of $60 was the perfect amount for the one-day or, should I say, one-night event, IMHO. The players also enjoyed free coffee and table play all night long. For the tournament soldiers, this is a great way to keep in stroke and enjoy competitive action, and believe me, in the D.C. area, there is no shortage of one-pocket lovers.
Brett Stottlemyer from PA made the trek, hoping to shine. Brett won the Planet-Pool 9-Ball Tour Season Finale year before last, and he's a tough competitor. By his own admission, he said one-pocket is not his best game, but he came to Arnold, MD and gave it his all.
When Max from Frederick walked into Bill and Billie's, he was my personal pick to win the whole shebang. One-pocket is his game, and though he flies under the radar, much like Danny Green, Max likes it that way, enjoying games of stake as opposed to following the tournament trail. Max is a rare breed in today's pool world and clings onto the old-school pool lifestyle as opposed to the new breed of player soldiers who follow the tournament trail. When we left the pool room at 8:00 a.m. or so at the conclusion, Max immediately had players waiting in the wings to play him. He was last seen engaged in a little action with a fellow named "Juicy" who came there looking to get played by Max.
Jerry Slivka was the crowd favorite to come out on top. One-pocket is his strongest game I think, and though his 9-ball game topnotch, especially his break, I think Jerry is a one-pocket machine. He played well this tournament, coming in a very respectable fourth place.
AzBilliards' Black-Balled scored a few major wins at this one-pocket tournament. He's another player who often flies under the radar, but the Virginia locals remember Walter well when he was a regular tournament soldier on the Camel Tour and continue to root for the home team when Black-Balled is in the house.
It's always a pleasure running into Henry from Baltimore, another one-pocket enthusiast. This kid's got personality plus, too. One-pocket is also the game of his choice. When he and Keith were battling it out for the hotseat, it came down to 2 to 2, best 3 out of 5, and the last game could have gone either way. Keith ended up getting the rolls, but had to put up a strong fight to win the set. Henry made one poor shot selection which cost him the hotseat, IMHO, allowing Keith to run out to the finish line. Henry wanted to beat Keith so bad, he could taste it, the two of them enjoying games of stake on previous occasions. He offered to bet Keith 2 baggies of sand
D) on the set before it commenced, but Keith didn't take him up on his kind offer, thanks to me, dag nab it.
All in all, I thought the one-pocket tournament at Bill and Billie's was a huge success. There is an abundance of tables at this facility, and if the player roster grew, more tables could be designated for a tournament to keep it running smooth, with little wait times. This is a nice clean pool room and very comfortable to hang out in. There is no shortage of pool events here either, to include weekly in-house leagues, straight pool tournaments (plus a qualifier for Charlie Williams/Dragon Promotions upcoming 14.1 event), and a weekly Monday night 9-ball tournament, just to name only a few.
A huge round of applause and thanks go out to Bill and Billie's Cuesports in Arnold, MD for giving the players and railbirds like me the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful evening of pool. It was really cool to just sit there and hang out with friends in the area. The hours went by like minutes, and Bill and Billie's may be the best facility in the area to experience pool at its finest, which is a rarity in today's pool world of sports lounges, billiard parlors subsituting as singles bars, and rooms with blaring loud head-banging music. Each time I go there, it's like walking into the home of an old friend. This is a player's pool room, and we're lucky to have it in our area.
JAM
