Chezka Centeno

[Monti]

As has so often been the case, Chezka lost with errors in judgment rather than errors in cueing. By my count, she misplayed three racks, including the rack in which she trailed 8-6, but despite finishing an inch from the next ball, she not only had a shot but one offering position. Jasmin played the table consistently better than Chezka and was the deserving champion.

When Chezka learns to make the kind of decisions that her legendary countrywoman Rubilen Amit makes, she will start to win more at the majors. Her cueing skills are comparable to those of Siming Chen and Han Yu, but her conceptualization skills have not developed well, and it is arguable whether they have developed at all in the last couple of years. She was already a very elite cueist at 18. At 26, she's no up and comer but instead a woman in her playing prime.

Chezka has the potential to mass produce major titles. Based in the Philippines, she will always be around some players that have super-elite conceptualization skills. That would seem to bode well for her, but she needs to tidy things up if she is to realize her amazing potential.

I'm a Chezka Centeno fan and would like to see her break out and start mass producing major titles as I feel she can.

Also, very small margins- Jasmine won the lag, so broke in the decider, which made all the difference

 

[sonoman]

As has so often been the case, Chezka lost with errors in judgment rather than errors in cueing. By my count, she misplayed three racks, including the rack in which she trailed 8-6, but despite finishing an inch from the next ball, she not only had a shot but one offering position. Jasmin played the table consistently better than Chezka and was the deserving champion.

When Chezka learns to make the kind of decisions that her legendary countrywoman Rubilen Amit makes, she will start to win more at the majors. Her cueing skills are comparable to those of Siming Chen and Han Yu, but her conceptualization skills have not developed well, and it is arguable whether they have developed at all in the last couple of years. She was already a very elite cueist at 18. At 26, she's no up and comer but instead a woman in her playing prime.

Chezka has the potential to mass produce major titles. Based in the Philippines, she will always be around some players that have super-elite conceptualization skills. That would seem to bode well for her, but she needs to tidy things up if she is to realize her amazing potential.

I'm a Chezka Centeno fan and would like to see her break out and start mass producing major titles as I feel she can.

good insights on winning at the highest level

 

[mikemosconi]

Watching the final match I saw Jasmine performing like the ultimate pro - just staying on her game in spite of that hurricane bearing down on her throughout the match.

This was the classic” play your own game- play within yourself” win. All of us know how difficult it is to maintain composure for long periods when someone like Chezka is firing at you - the way she performs- Jasmine’s final 8 ball pocket was just outstanding considering the degree of difficulty and almost guaranteed second place if she missed.
The thin hit required to pocket that final 8 limited available speed so that it made it to the side pocket by just a hair.
I really enjoyed this tournament on Amazon Prime Billiards channel all weekend- If they do it again here in the U.S. - I would enjoy spending a few days there live viewing

 

[sjm]

Watching the final match I saw Jasmine performing like the ultimate pro - just staying on her game in spite of that hurricane bearing down on her throughout the match.

This was the classic” play your own game- play within yourself” win. All of us know how difficult it is to maintain composure for long periods when someone like Chezka is firing at you - the way she performs- Jasmine’s final 8 ball pocket was just outstanding considering the degree of difficulty and almost guaranteed second place if she missed.
The thin hit required to pocket that final 8 limited available speed so that it made it to the side pocket by just a hair.
I really enjoyed this tournament on Amazon Prime Billiards channel all weekend- If they do it again here in the U.S. - I would enjoy spending a few days there live viewing

Nice post, and Jasmin's incredible straight pool skills translated well to eight ball, as I am sure you noticed and appreciated.

 

[The Old Jaybird]

Chezka is a great pool shooter.

Jasmin is a great pool player.

 

[JohnnyOzone]

As has so often been the case, Chezka lost with errors in judgment rather than errors in cueing. By my count, she misplayed three racks, including the rack in which she trailed 8-6, but despite finishing an inch from the next ball, she not only had a shot but one offering position. Jasmin played the table consistently better than Chezka and was the deserving champion.

When Chezka learns to make the kind of decisions that her legendary countrywoman Rubilen Amit makes, she will start to win more at the majors. Her cueing skills are comparable to those of Siming Chen and Han Yu, but her conceptualization skills have not developed well, and it is arguable whether they have developed at all in the last couple of years. She was already a very elite cueist at 18. At 26, she's no up and comer but instead a woman in her playing prime.

Chezka has the potential to mass produce major titles. Based in the Philippines, she will always be around some players that have super-elite conceptualization skills. That would seem to bode well for her, but she needs to tidy things up if she is to realize her amazing potential.

I'm a Chezka Centeno fan and would like to see her break out and start mass producing major titles as I feel she can.

I too, am a fan. Does she have a mentor / coach? Seems to me if she spent a month with Efren, she would be just about unbeatable.

 

[L.S. Dennis]

I too, am a fan. Does she have a mentor / coach? Seems to me if she spent a month with Efren, she would be just about unbeatable.

They both played great but I suspect that if Jasmine wasn't left that dead two ball combo after the break on that last game we most likely would have had a different winner. That's pool the pool Gods were looking after Jasmine in this match but as I said they both played fantastic.

 

[sjm]

I too, am a fan. Does she have a mentor / coach? Seems to me if she spent a month with Efren, she would be just about unbeatable.

I'd call anybody that learns all the conceptualization skills of pool in a year to be a miracle worker. I think it takes about two years of dedicated study to pick these skills up. I'm not sure that a month with Efren would make that much difference.

 

[sjm]

They both played great but I suspect that if Jasmine wasn't left that dead two ball combo after the break on that last game we most likely would have had a different winner. That's pool the pool Gods were looking after Jasmine in this match but as I said they both played fantastic.

Please. Chezka made what should have been a match-ending error at 8-6 behind when she left herself an inch from the 1ball. That she had a shot at all was pretty lucky, but the fact that the shot offered shape onto the only other solid on the table was a huge stroke of luck. This match probably should have been 9-6.

 

[L.S. Dennis]

Please. Chezka made what should have been a match-ending error at 8-6 behind when she left herself an inch from the 1ball. That she had a shot at all was pretty lucky, but the fact that the shot offered shape onto the only other solid on the table was a huge stroke of luck. This match probably should have been 9-6.

I always applaud your insight but they went into the last game of the match a 8-8 the dead two ball combo was a stroke of luck for Jasmine, as It didn't look like she had any other shot. I stand by this and I think either could have won this thing, sorry

 

[JohnnyOzone]

I'd call anybody that learns all the conceptualization skills of pool in a year to be a miracle worker. I think it takes about two years of dedicated study to pick these skills up. I'm not sure that a month with Efren would make that much difference.

I don't think she has to learn all the conceptualization skills, just the ones she struggles with. It's not like she doesn't know anything. I can't imagine that playing 40 or 50 racks a day, with Efren telling you what shot to shoot, what pattern to play, and WHY, wouldn't be transformational. It's obvious that her brain can process and execute just about anything she sees, she just needs to learn how to "see" better.
Chen Siming played those 2 or 3 days with Shane back in 2019,, and she was playing JAM UP by the time they were done. Then COVID hit and she pretty much quit playing amer. 9 ball. I remember Billy Thorpe asking Shane if he (Billy) should play her some 9 ball. Shane said "she would rob you".

 

[sjm]

I always applaud your insight but they went into the last game of the match a 8-8 the dead two ball combo was a stroke of luck for Jasmine, as It didn't look like she had any other shot. I stand by this and I think either could have won this thing, sorry

Jasmin being jacked up for the ten ball after the break was a bad roll, not a good one, but to suggest the rack goes the other way if she didn't have a dead combo is incorrect. She could have tried to run out stripes if she liked or tapped up to the ten ball for a safety that would have not conceded a good look at either a stripe or a solid. Neither player would have had the edge had she gone that way and the title would have come down to safety play.

 

[sjm]

I don't think she has to learn all the conceptualization skills, just the ones she struggles with. It's not like she doesn't know anything. I can't imagine that playing 40 or 50 racks a day, with Efren telling you what shot to shoot, what pattern to play, and WHY, wouldn't be transformational. It's obvious that her brain can process and execute just about anything she sees, she just needs to learn how to "see" better.
Chen Siming played those 2 or 3 days with Shane back in 2019,, and she was playing JAM UP by the time they were done. Then COVID hit and she pretty much quit playing amer. 9 ball. I remember Billy Thorpe asking Shane if he (Billy) should play her some 9 ball. Shane said "she would rob you".

Outside of the break, which is the one thing SVB and Siming worked on together at length, I'm not convinced she learned anything from Shane. She was already very elite with several major women's titles by the time she sparred with Shane, and I do not feel she reached a higher level after that. She did not win even one World 9-ball or World 10-ball title after sparring with Shane, although she had a silver at the World 9ball in 2024.

... and, yes, Chezka has a very long way to go in her conceptualization skills, but you are, of course, correct in that she has some of those skills in place already.

 

[jsp]

Please. Chezka made what should have been a match-ending error at 8-6 behind when she left herself an inch from the 1ball. That she had a shot at all was pretty lucky, but the fact that the shot offered shape onto the only other solid on the table was a huge stroke of luck. This match probably should have been 9-6.

Actually she should have had the 4 ball as well as the 1 ball to shoot at. So it wasn't a terrible shot choice...she just didn't execute it the best. She was unfortunate that she didn't have shape on the 4 ball but fortunate that she still had a tough shot on the 1...

Still, pretty clutch she made the 1 while maintaining shape on the 4.

I think both players played well enough to win. Jasmin simply made fewer mistakes. She deserved it.

 

[L.S. Dennis]

Jasmin being jacked up for the ten ball after the break was a bad roll, not a good one, but to suggest the rack goes the other way if she didn't have a dead combo is incorrect. She could have tried to run out stripes if she liked or tapped up to the ten ball for a safety that would have not conceded a good look at either a stripe or a solid. Neither player would have had the edge had she gone that way and the title would have come down to safety play.

It's all speculation at this point It could have ended up with a series of safety play, but had Jasmine been able to control the cue ball on the break this would have been academic. But given that dead combo was a stroke of luck, Stevie Wonder could have seen that, but maybe one cancels the other who knows. One of best women's matches I can remember seeing in quite some time. We'll leave it at that...

 

[sjm]

It's all speculation at this point It could have ended up with a series of safety play, but had Jasmine been able to control the cue ball on the break this would have been academic. But given that dead combo was a stroke of luck, Stevie Wonder could have seen that, but maybe one cancels the other who knows. One of best women's matches I can remember seeing in quite some time. We'll leave it at that...

Agreed. An entertaining match for sure.

 

[AtLarge]

... One of best women's matches I can remember seeing in quite some time. ...

I'd remove the word "women's" from that statement. The match was quite similar in quality to the Filler/Hsu final match at the men's world 8-Ball championship 10 months ago.

 

[skogstokig]

Actually she should have had the 4 ball as well as the 1 ball to shoot at. So it wasn't a terrible shot choice...she just didn't execute it the best. She was unfortunate that she didn't have shape on the 4 ball but fortunate that she still had a tough shot on the 1...

Still, pretty clutch she made the 1 while maintaining shape on the 4.

I think both players played well enough to win. Jasmin simply made fewer mistakes. She deserved it.

jasmin played better patterns, which isn't surprising with her age and background. chezka seemed quite unfamiliar with 8-ball going in to this, kling wrote in the other thread that she didn't even know the rules for a scratch on a potted 8-ball. and it's safe to say she hasn't played any straight pool. so the way i see it, getting to the final, especially through that half of the bracket, is a feat in itself

 

[jsp]

jasmin played better patterns, which isn't surprising with her age and background. chezka seemed quite unfamiliar with 8-ball going in to this, kling wrote in the other thread that she didn't even know the rules for a scratch on a potted 8-ball.

I saw that post, but I don't think that's quite accurate Chezka didn't know that particular rule. Below is the video where she scratches on the 8-ball. She was going to rake the balls afterwards but for some reason the ref hesitated to declare loss of game. It looked like the ref was the one who needed confirmation that Chezka indeed lost the rack...

EDIT: Looking at it a second time, the ref was the one who didn't know the rules...lol. He was about to spot the 8 when he saw a confused Chezka.

 

[L.S. Dennis]

I'd remove the word "women's" from that statement. The match was quite similar in quality to the Filler/Hsu final match at the men's world 8-Ball championship 10 months ago.

You are correct, this was one of the most 'thrilling' matches men or women that I've seen in quite some time. Kudos for pointing that out!