Lou Butera's Pool Sharks had the largest field this weekend for IPT Qualifier No. 21, and this was the last chance for non-IPT members to qualify for the North American 8-Ball Championship, July 22-30, 2006, and shoot pool in a record-breaking $2-million-purse event
Players came from around the world to Las Vegas, and the 30-man field was strong, to say the least. Interestingly, looking at the player roster for Qualifier No. 21, every single player's name had an American flag next to it, with the exception of three: Ronnie Alcano, Antonio Lining, and Ramil Gallego.
Ramil Gallego put on a show by running an incredible 9-pack, racing to 10, in front of a crowd of onlookers. What a show! Although I'd have to say I feel sorry for his benched opponent who could only sit back and watch his demise.
A recent AzBilliards article last week stated that Ronnie Alcano was vying to do well in the States, and he follwed through by winning the IPT qualifier in the winners' side of the brackets.
The losers' side qualifier play-off was between Mark Trainer and Antonio Lining. Ronnie Alcano knocked Trainer to the B side of the charts, where he faced off with Lining, and it was the last call for Vegas. The winner of this round got the last available qualifier, and Antonio Lining made it to the finish line, making IPT Qualifier No. 21 a fine Filipino finish.
I asked IPT member Paul Brienza, who was on site at Pool Sharks, how the caliber of play was this weekend, and he said nobody left disappointed. Paul said that when the Filipino players do stand up at the table, they seem to take an extra few seconds to actually address the ball before pulling the trigger, one observation from the rail.
Everyone is excited about Vegas next month, and the IPT players are all getting in shape. I heard that several long-time smokers have quit cigarettes, and many are actually working out in the gym, wanting to be in tip-top shape, come July 22nd. The 10-hour-long daily sessions will be grueling, but all worth it. Win or lose, the North American 8-Ball Championship is going to go down in the history books as one of the best pool tournaments in the history of the sport, with players from around the world. I'm already counting the days, waiting for it to begin!
JAM
Players came from around the world to Las Vegas, and the 30-man field was strong, to say the least. Interestingly, looking at the player roster for Qualifier No. 21, every single player's name had an American flag next to it, with the exception of three: Ronnie Alcano, Antonio Lining, and Ramil Gallego.
Ramil Gallego put on a show by running an incredible 9-pack, racing to 10, in front of a crowd of onlookers. What a show! Although I'd have to say I feel sorry for his benched opponent who could only sit back and watch his demise.
A recent AzBilliards article last week stated that Ronnie Alcano was vying to do well in the States, and he follwed through by winning the IPT qualifier in the winners' side of the brackets.
The losers' side qualifier play-off was between Mark Trainer and Antonio Lining. Ronnie Alcano knocked Trainer to the B side of the charts, where he faced off with Lining, and it was the last call for Vegas. The winner of this round got the last available qualifier, and Antonio Lining made it to the finish line, making IPT Qualifier No. 21 a fine Filipino finish.
I asked IPT member Paul Brienza, who was on site at Pool Sharks, how the caliber of play was this weekend, and he said nobody left disappointed. Paul said that when the Filipino players do stand up at the table, they seem to take an extra few seconds to actually address the ball before pulling the trigger, one observation from the rail.
Everyone is excited about Vegas next month, and the IPT players are all getting in shape. I heard that several long-time smokers have quit cigarettes, and many are actually working out in the gym, wanting to be in tip-top shape, come July 22nd. The 10-hour-long daily sessions will be grueling, but all worth it. Win or lose, the North American 8-Ball Championship is going to go down in the history books as one of the best pool tournaments in the history of the sport, with players from around the world. I'm already counting the days, waiting for it to begin!
JAM
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