Most of you know I'm fairly new to this game, and last June I played in and won a regional qualifier here in Delaware. The regional was played yesterday, and I was in the 4/5 bracket. 21 players in the bracket, and 2 tickets to the Vegas tourney were on the line.
I got to Fast Eddies late Friday afternoon, and it is a very nice establishment. More than 20 tables, most were 7' Diamonds with deep tight pockets and fast felt. After playing on the bar trash in my area for so long, I found it really hard to get a handle on my game. I spent a couple hours on the table before the "Top Gun" mini tourneys, ($7.25/hr...
)and played a mini tourney, and get my ass handed to me by a local player...Feeling discouraged I went back to the hotel to tend my wounds...
Saturday morning when the doors opened, I immediatly got on a table and started warming up. I was still hitting them too hard and having problems adjusting to the table. I draw my first opponent, we lag and start playing. I felt really out of sorts the first game and was quickly down by 1 in a race to 3. Game 2 was much better, but one mistake (got bad on my last ball and missed the kick at it), giving ball in hand and I'm 2 in the hole. I know I can beat this guy, so I pour it on needing to take 3 in a row to pull out the win. Game 3 I get control of the table (and myself) run my side of the rack and make a real tough bank (for me anyway) to win the game. Game 4 was very similar. I still didn't have complete control with the CB and when I got to the 8 I had to kick it in to win the game. We're both on the hill, I break come up dry and he gets to the table and runs 5 balls leaving a hanger by the side pocket and one other on the rail less than a diamond away from the corner pocket. I run 7 and again shoot myself in the foot with a hard shot on the 8. I had to bank it into the side pocket, missed, and left it square in the middle of the table. Roger (my opponent) killed his ducks and won the game and match.
I drew my second opponent (another sl4) and creamed her 3-1. Her one win resulting from me giving her a BIH. Another unforced error that cost me. It was the first game of the set and I didn't let her get a look at the 8 for the next 3 games.
Then I ran into Gerald Lapp sl5. I had beat him in the qualifier to get here, so I was feeling very good about my chances. We traded games for the first 4, with one of his wins being a 6 ball run from ball in hand. He came on strong in the last 2 games, and took the match 4-2, ending my day.
The net result was that I went 7-8 on the day taking both of my losing matches to the hill. 9-6 and I'd have stayed alive, but it just wasn't happening.
I got to spend quite a bit of time watching the 6/7 bracket and there were some really good players there. A couple notables would have to be Adam Davis sl7, from my state of Delaware, and a local guy they called Shorty (never got his name) I spent quite a bit of Friday night watching Shorty shoot, and this guy was pretty amazing. He seemed to have a great eye for the table, played great strategy, and made every shot look effortless. I love to spend a few weeks playing him just to see what I could pick up when I wasn't racking...
All in all it was a great time and well worth the money I spent for hotel and all that other stuff that goes with being out of town. There's another regional qualifier here next weekend for the regional in March, and I will be there. This is the best part about the APA. The individual tourneys will keep me participating in the league...
If anyone else was there feel free to add your insight as well....
McCue Banger McCue
I got to Fast Eddies late Friday afternoon, and it is a very nice establishment. More than 20 tables, most were 7' Diamonds with deep tight pockets and fast felt. After playing on the bar trash in my area for so long, I found it really hard to get a handle on my game. I spent a couple hours on the table before the "Top Gun" mini tourneys, ($7.25/hr...
)and played a mini tourney, and get my ass handed to me by a local player...Feeling discouraged I went back to the hotel to tend my wounds...Saturday morning when the doors opened, I immediatly got on a table and started warming up. I was still hitting them too hard and having problems adjusting to the table. I draw my first opponent, we lag and start playing. I felt really out of sorts the first game and was quickly down by 1 in a race to 3. Game 2 was much better, but one mistake (got bad on my last ball and missed the kick at it), giving ball in hand and I'm 2 in the hole. I know I can beat this guy, so I pour it on needing to take 3 in a row to pull out the win. Game 3 I get control of the table (and myself) run my side of the rack and make a real tough bank (for me anyway) to win the game. Game 4 was very similar. I still didn't have complete control with the CB and when I got to the 8 I had to kick it in to win the game. We're both on the hill, I break come up dry and he gets to the table and runs 5 balls leaving a hanger by the side pocket and one other on the rail less than a diamond away from the corner pocket. I run 7 and again shoot myself in the foot with a hard shot on the 8. I had to bank it into the side pocket, missed, and left it square in the middle of the table. Roger (my opponent) killed his ducks and won the game and match.
I drew my second opponent (another sl4) and creamed her 3-1. Her one win resulting from me giving her a BIH. Another unforced error that cost me. It was the first game of the set and I didn't let her get a look at the 8 for the next 3 games.
Then I ran into Gerald Lapp sl5. I had beat him in the qualifier to get here, so I was feeling very good about my chances. We traded games for the first 4, with one of his wins being a 6 ball run from ball in hand. He came on strong in the last 2 games, and took the match 4-2, ending my day.
The net result was that I went 7-8 on the day taking both of my losing matches to the hill. 9-6 and I'd have stayed alive, but it just wasn't happening.
I got to spend quite a bit of time watching the 6/7 bracket and there were some really good players there. A couple notables would have to be Adam Davis sl7, from my state of Delaware, and a local guy they called Shorty (never got his name) I spent quite a bit of Friday night watching Shorty shoot, and this guy was pretty amazing. He seemed to have a great eye for the table, played great strategy, and made every shot look effortless. I love to spend a few weeks playing him just to see what I could pick up when I wasn't racking...
All in all it was a great time and well worth the money I spent for hotel and all that other stuff that goes with being out of town. There's another regional qualifier here next weekend for the regional in March, and I will be there. This is the best part about the APA. The individual tourneys will keep me participating in the league...
If anyone else was there feel free to add your insight as well....
McCue Banger McCue
Last edited:
