Earl Strickland vs. Alex Pagulayan at SML

[JAM]

It doesn't get much better than this. Two WPC champions, one from Canada and the other from the United States, battling it out for the hotseat at the SML tournament in Canada.

Earl defeats Johnny Archer and Alex beat Danny Basavich, but Johnny and Danny are still hanging tough on the B side of the chart.

Can't wait to see how this unfolds. It's getting pretty exciting (IMO)!

JAM

 

[JAM]

No sooner do I initiate this thread, I go to AzBilliards Home Page and read all about it. Alex Pagulayan defeated Earl Strickland, 11 to 3.

Earl is guaranteed third place and goes to the B side to play the winner of two matches in progress consisting of Johnny Archer vs. Mike Vidas and Danny Basavich vs. Brady Gollan.

JAM

 

[sniper]

I don't think it matters who Alex plays in the finals, he is in absolute DEAD STROKE. Basavich and Strickland are world class players and Alex simply dominated them, even Earl was in awe at how Alex was shooting he really is something else.

 

[NorthCarolinian]

Alex does not have to beat Earl or Archer in the finals. He is the likely favorite but at 0-0 its anybodys match especially with Earl and Archers experience in tourney finals. That said I am pulling for Earl and against Archer, which will probably lead to a 1,2,3 finish of Archer, Alex, then Earl

 

[Muxy]

Gollan Over Bassavich 11-7
Archer Over Vidas 11-10

 

[JAM]

Who won the SML?

I was hoping to wake up this morning and read about the winner of this magnificant SML tournament in Canada.

No results are in? I thought it ended on Saturday, April 23rd!

Last I looked at the brackets, Brady Gollan was to play Johnny Archer on the B side of the charts, with Earl Strickland waiting in the wings to play the winner. Alex Pagulayan was sitting might comfy in the hotseat, waiting for his opponent.

For the inquiring minds back home, WHO WON IN CANADA?

JAM

 

[sjm]

I was hoping to wake up this morning and read about the winner of this magnificant SML tournament in Canada.

No results are in? I thought it ended on Saturday, April 23rd!

Last I looked at the brackets, Brady Gollan was to play Johnny Archer on the B side of the charts, with Earl Strickland waiting in the wings to play the winner. Alex Pagulayan was sitting might comfy in the hotseat, waiting for his opponent.

For the inquiring minds back home, WHO WON IN CANADA?

JAM

1st Alex Pagulayan
2nd Earl Strickland
3rd Brady Gollan
4th Johnny Archer

 

[JAM]

Congratulations to Alex Pagulayan for winning the SML tournament! This is a great win!

With Alex and Earl in the finals, the caliber of play must have been awesome!

Brady Gollan had a good tournament in this tough field, and I'd be interested to hear more about him.

Hopefully, those who attended the SML in Canada will provide some details for the inquiring minds back home!

Thanks, SJM, for the results!

JAM

 

[sniper]

Alex does not have to beat Earl or Archer in the finals. He is the likely favorite but at 0-0 its anybodys match especially with Earl and Archers experience in tourney finals. That said I am pulling for Earl and against Archer, which will probably lead to a 1,2,3 finish of Archer, Alex, then Earl

I told you it wouldn't matter who we played in the finals, I watched him destroy Earl and Danny, they hardly even got to the table. I never watched the finals but at least it was alot closer at 15-10. Congratulations to Alex!

 

[telkwa]

mike vidas sure put in a good performance at this tourney.
he lost to pagulayan in the 3rd round, then won 6 in a row on the B-side before losing 11-10 to archer.

 

[Renegade]

congratulations to alex! with the way he is playing, could a repeat at the WPC be far behind?

 

[mel]

Alex & Edwin.....

Congratulations to Alex Pagulayan for winning the SML tournament! This is a great win!

With Alex and Earl in the finals, the caliber of play must have been awesome!

Brady Gollan had a good tournament in this tough field, and I'd be interested to hear more about him.

Hopefully, those who attended the SML in Canada will provide some details for the inquiring minds back home!

Thanks, SJM, for the results!

JAM

Hello, JAM

My buddy Edwin Montal asked me to say hi to Keith, and ask him if he remembers him.

They gambled some years back in Reno (barbox table) and he came out ahead
and said that he would try to play in upcoming tours here in the northeast.

Alex was shooting like there was no tomorrow against Earl and it showed in the score. He told us that Earl used to get under him when he play him but not anymore. He said that he thinks earl is funny and all you got to do is get ahead of him, play jammed up and don't look back. We think that he is quite right on that assessment.

 

[JAM]

Hello, JAM

My buddy Edwin Montal asked me to say hi to Keith, and ask him if he remembers him.

They gambled some years back in Reno (barbox table) and he came out ahead
and said that he would try to play in upcoming tours here in the northeast.

Alex was shooting like there was no tomorrow against Earl and it showed in the score. He told us that Earl used to get under him when he play him but not anymore. He said that he thinks earl is funny and all you got to do is get ahead of him, play jammed up and don't look back. We think that he is quite right on that assessment.

Hi, Mel! I asked him, and he, of course, remembers Edwin as a gentleman player and holds a great deal of respect for his game. With all the other gambling activities that goes on in Reno and Vegas, it's amazing that some pool players, at least the ones I know (LOL), do engage in games of stake among themselves.

The upcoming BCA Open in Vegas next month will be exciting for the UPA Touring Pros and invited foreign champion players, to include the four players who qualified in tournaments the BCA so generously provided around the country.

One of these days, I'm going to get me and mine to Las Vegas and check out the pool happenings. I've got several friends who moved from Maryland to Vegas and absolutely love it!

I was kind of pulling for Earl Strickland to win the SML, but I am pleased to see Alex Pagulayan snatch the big "W" in his home country. Both players are formidable opponents in any venue, and in this tournament, the cream really did rise to the top! It must have been one exciting finals match. I hope somebody recorded it because I sure would like to see it!

JAM

 

[recoveryjones]

mike vidas sure put in a good performance at this tourney.
he lost to pagulayan in the 3rd round, then won 6 in a row on the B-side before losing 11-10 to archer.

Mike Vidas is starting to take his game to the next level with his success in Calgary and last month in (Reno or Vegas ???) with another high finish against some very strong American competition.He beat Corey Deuel in that USA tourney.

Locally he rates himself as a pro player and not pro plus like locals Paul Potier, John Horsfall, and interior BC's Brady Gollan.The jump to pro plus status is definitley in the not to distant future if Mike keeps playing this well. RJ

 

[recoveryjones]

congratulations to alex! with the way he is playing, could a repeat at the WPC be far behind?

Alex started off with a second place finish at the 2002 US Open and also a second place finish at the 2003 WPC.He finally broke through and won the 2004 WPC. Those heart breaking second place finishes were a learning experience for him to see just how much more he had to dig down deep to win.Now that he's got the taste of blood,I look for him to go on to win many more major titles before his career is said and done. RJ

 

[X Breaker]

I took some pictures of some of my favorite players in Calgary. The SML is doing a great job hosting the tournament. I was pulling for Danny Hewitt but unfortunately, he could not get his break going on his B-side match. Here are some pictures for all you fans of Earl, Archer, and Alex the Lion.
I spent a night in Banff. I recommend anyone who has never been to Banff to at least try to visit there once. It is such an unbelivable place!
I went to the Banff National Park and saw a lot of wild animals. I will post some pictures in my next post.

 

[X Breaker]

Here are some pictures of Banff. I saw a Bear standing in a river, a bunch of big horn sheeps eating by the side of the road as I drove by, and some white tail deers in the jungle. I also went to downtown Banff and spend a lot of time shopping, which was a lot of fun...
The scenery is so unreal! The pictures really do not do the place justice.
For those of you who did not make it to Calgary this year, I would whole heartedly recommend that you try to play next year, and at least try to spend some time in Banff, which is only a two hour drive away from Calgary into the Rocky mountain, before you head back home.

 

[telkwa]

if i could draw people's attention to something i found interesting.

2 posts up, we were given some pictures, one of which is
http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=5902

with the medium shutter speed, the cueball is blurred, the back arm is dropping, his head is rising, and the tip of his cue is blurred (slightly).

the mighty strickland moves his head up on some of his shots

 

[X Breaker]

if i could draw people's attention to something i found interesting.

2 posts up, we were given some pictures, one of which is
http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/attachment.php?attachmentid=5902

with the medium shutter speed, the cueball is blurred, the back arm is dropping, his head is rising, and the tip of his cue is blurred (slightly).

the mighty strickland moves his head up on some of his shots

He does indeed drops his elbow on a lot of shoots including very soft speed shoots. He has a very beautiful stroke in my opinion, and I love his game. Another picture showing the "mighty Earl" with a different form--he had his back leg bent and his front leg straight.

 

[wahcheck]

Faulty Form?

He does indeed drops his elbow on a lot of shoots including very soft speed shoots. He has a very beautiful stroke in my opinion, and I love his game. Another picture showing the "mighty Earl" with a different form--he had his back leg bent and his front leg straight.

It's kind of amusing when you see PRO LEVEL players doing things which go against general accepted methods such as basic form, stance, and stroke...and yet they continue to run racks despite .... could it be that whatever is natural and comfortable, along with the talent they possess, overrides the apparent faulty actions? You see Efren do a lot of things which may go against general accepted form or methods, but it works for him....