Open for only a few months, Pete Fusco's new pool room, The Spot in Trevose, PA, hosted a magnificant tournament on the Hampton Ridge Tour this Sunday, June 26th.
With nineteen 9-foot GC's, there was plenty of room for the 34 players in attendance. The room is beautifully constructed with 20-foot ceilings and comfortable seating available for everyone. There are also nine 7-footers, two ping-pong tables, and the Fizz Room in the back, a separate area adjoining the main pool room with multi-colored fluorescent lights where pool is played in the dark with day-glow balls and rails.
Some of the players who showed up to compete in the one-day event were Maryland Young Gun Shaun "The Shirt" Wilkie who was accompanied by his lovely grandmother and uncle, Frankie Hernandez proudly sporting his beloved Yankee baseball cap encrusted with rhinestones, Local Player Eddie Abraham who the last Hampton Ridge tournament, Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich, Pat McNally, Fastest Gun on the East Coast Mike Miller, Matt Kroh, and Keith McCready. The lovely Jade was the only lady player in the event.
A calcutta was held before the festivities began, and Frankie Hernandez went for the first blind bid, and Kid Delicious went for the second blind bid. Jose the TD then proceeded with the players meeting explaining the Hampton Ridge rules: double-elimination format, a race to 7 in the winners' and losers' side, 3-ball-foul rule in effect, call 9-ball except on the break, alternate break with the challenger racking the balls, and one extended race to 9 in the finals.
Danny Basavich was accompanied by his girlfriend, a young lady he has known since he was a teenager, and he looks better than ever, a young 26 years of age and very much in love! He won the tournament, defeating Keith 9 to 4 in the finals, pocketing $700 for first place, with Keith pulling in $500 as runner-up, and Frankie Hernandez came in third collecting $300. The tournament paid out 12 spots plus the Calcutta monies, which was icing on the cake.
I finally got a chance to see Bristol Bob in action, the player featured in Danny's upcoming movie and book, who was also on site.
Keith played pretty good his first round, but his opponent, whose name escapes me at the time of this writing, did manage to get the score close. The matches went fast and furious because of the size of this pool room, and there was little to no wait time, which was a bonus.
When Jose the TD announced Keith's second round, I had to chuckle: "Keith McCready versus Stevie Wonder." Well, Stevie Wonder was not a blind man, and the match developed into a nail-biting hill-hill, with Keith coming out on top.
A fellow from Louisiana by way of Canada named Claude Marrier also had a great performance, going hill-hill with Danny Basavich earlier in the day. After the tournament concluded, Claude and Keith decided to enjoy a little game of stakes, one-pocket even, which provided some railside entertainment for the spectators.
I really like this pool room. There is plenty of parking available out front, and inside the place is huge. The bathrooms were clean as a whistle and spacious, and the staff were friendly. The Hampton Ridge Tour is distinctive in that each tournament is held on one day only, Sunday, which is very easy on the pocketbook, with no lodging expense. All players who compete in at least eight tour events are eligible to play in the 2-day $10,000-added guaranteed season finale at Drexeline Billiards in Drexel Hills, PA, on December 10-11, 2005.
Danny Basavich had to hurry home after his great win because he's leaving on a plane for Taiwan on Monday for the upcoming World Pool Championship, and everybody wished him good luck and hopes he does well.
For more information about the Hampton Ridge 9-Ball Tour, check out their website: http://www.ec9ball.com
JAM
With nineteen 9-foot GC's, there was plenty of room for the 34 players in attendance. The room is beautifully constructed with 20-foot ceilings and comfortable seating available for everyone. There are also nine 7-footers, two ping-pong tables, and the Fizz Room in the back, a separate area adjoining the main pool room with multi-colored fluorescent lights where pool is played in the dark with day-glow balls and rails.
Some of the players who showed up to compete in the one-day event were Maryland Young Gun Shaun "The Shirt" Wilkie who was accompanied by his lovely grandmother and uncle, Frankie Hernandez proudly sporting his beloved Yankee baseball cap encrusted with rhinestones, Local Player Eddie Abraham who the last Hampton Ridge tournament, Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich, Pat McNally, Fastest Gun on the East Coast Mike Miller, Matt Kroh, and Keith McCready. The lovely Jade was the only lady player in the event.
A calcutta was held before the festivities began, and Frankie Hernandez went for the first blind bid, and Kid Delicious went for the second blind bid. Jose the TD then proceeded with the players meeting explaining the Hampton Ridge rules: double-elimination format, a race to 7 in the winners' and losers' side, 3-ball-foul rule in effect, call 9-ball except on the break, alternate break with the challenger racking the balls, and one extended race to 9 in the finals.
Danny Basavich was accompanied by his girlfriend, a young lady he has known since he was a teenager, and he looks better than ever, a young 26 years of age and very much in love! He won the tournament, defeating Keith 9 to 4 in the finals, pocketing $700 for first place, with Keith pulling in $500 as runner-up, and Frankie Hernandez came in third collecting $300. The tournament paid out 12 spots plus the Calcutta monies, which was icing on the cake.
I finally got a chance to see Bristol Bob in action, the player featured in Danny's upcoming movie and book, who was also on site.
Keith played pretty good his first round, but his opponent, whose name escapes me at the time of this writing, did manage to get the score close. The matches went fast and furious because of the size of this pool room, and there was little to no wait time, which was a bonus.
When Jose the TD announced Keith's second round, I had to chuckle: "Keith McCready versus Stevie Wonder." Well, Stevie Wonder was not a blind man, and the match developed into a nail-biting hill-hill, with Keith coming out on top.
A fellow from Louisiana by way of Canada named Claude Marrier also had a great performance, going hill-hill with Danny Basavich earlier in the day. After the tournament concluded, Claude and Keith decided to enjoy a little game of stakes, one-pocket even, which provided some railside entertainment for the spectators.
I really like this pool room. There is plenty of parking available out front, and inside the place is huge. The bathrooms were clean as a whistle and spacious, and the staff were friendly. The Hampton Ridge Tour is distinctive in that each tournament is held on one day only, Sunday, which is very easy on the pocketbook, with no lodging expense. All players who compete in at least eight tour events are eligible to play in the 2-day $10,000-added guaranteed season finale at Drexeline Billiards in Drexel Hills, PA, on December 10-11, 2005.
Danny Basavich had to hurry home after his great win because he's leaving on a plane for Taiwan on Monday for the upcoming World Pool Championship, and everybody wished him good luck and hopes he does well.
For more information about the Hampton Ridge 9-Ball Tour, check out their website: http://www.ec9ball.com
JAM
