Just got back from Atlantic City, New Jersey, and I think I have probably witnessed the BIGGEST money event in pool of all times, the Skins Billiards Championship. The event was a complete success.
The players meeting was held on Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m., and 15 players were in attendance. Poor Charlie Williams experienced what I do every single day living in D.C. and got caught up in a parking-lot traffic jam on I-95 driving up from Florida, but the promoters saved his spot, much to the disappointment of Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich who came to the players meeting with his dad, hoping to get in. He was the first name on the waiting list in case of a no-show. The 16-player field filled up well in advance, like most of Allen Hopkins' events do. Congratulations to Billiards International, Matt Braun, Olhaussen Tables, and every single sponsor who contributed to the success of the first Skins Billiards Championship, especially the Atlantic City Hilton Casino who provided a very ritzy venue.
The first round of the Skins tourney began at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. There were four brackets consisting of four players. Sixteen games were played in all four brackets on the first day. Each game was worth $500, and the player with the highest money count got to advance to the next day, which was recorded by ESPN. Eight players were to be eliminated, and the remaining eight would continue their quest to cash in one of the biggest money events in pool. Out of all four brackets, Charlie Williams had the highest intake of cash in his bracket on the first day, a cool $5,000.
The Atlantic City Hilton Casino has a rich history, and it is known as one of the favorites among the elites. The rooms were beautiful. We were on the seventh floor which overlooked the ocean front. There were restaurants open 24/7. The Oak, as it is called, was the most expensive and affluent, and the decor is in its original form from when this building was known as the Golden Nugget, according to the locals, consisting of stained-glass windows and hand-painted murals.
On day two, eight players advanced to compete for skins. The only way to win money from here on in was to win a skin, which elevated in value as the match continues. A skin is earned by winning three games in a row, and in this field of world-class players, this wasn't an easy feat. Every seat in the room was filled, and some of the spectators were familiar faces, Champion Mike Lebron, Eric of CCB, New Jersey's best-kept secret Jose Garcia, Karen Corr and Julie Kelly, Shawn "The Shirt" Wilke, The Little Prince from New Jersey. Ryan "Genie Man" McCreesh stopped by on Friday night to root Keith in on his way to the $5,000-added Joss Tour tourney at Ultimate Billiards in Berlin, CT. The lovely CarolNYC of CCB, a pro player on the ladies tour, was part of the staff who greeted folks as they walked in, handing them a program and directing them to the gallery.
Niels Feijen of the Netherlands was the big winner of the day, winning $42,500, and he was lit up like a Christmas tree after it was all said and done, but there were a few other smiles in the room coming from Rodney "The Rocket" Morris, Charlie "The Korean Dragon" Williams, and German WPC Champion Thorsten Hohmann, each stuffing their pockets with over $20,000. The $130,000 total prize purse was paid in full, and almost every single player came away with a little jingle in their pockets, but you couldn't tear any of them away from the arena when the finals were in progress. It was exciting pool. Imagine playing one game for $18,000 in a sudden-death face-off. There were some agonizing misses, but there were definitely some thrilling wins.
This format is innovative and exciting, and Billiards International, the promoters of the event, made history (IMO). This is pool at its finest, and never before has there been a platform with this kind of money up for grabs.
After getting out of line and under pressure from the 30-second shot clock, Keith missed an 8-ball in the side pocket, which ended his streak. He walked away with $2,000, and even though he is disappointed he did not excel as high as he would have liked, we are both very grateful to have been given this golden opportunity to compete in this history-making tournament of champions.
Keith's melancholy mood was soon replaced when Vincent Pastore who played "Pussy" in "The Sopranos" walked into the tournament room and singled Keith out and said, "Hey, aren't you the guy who played in 'The Color of Money'? I've got that movie at home, and it's one of my favorites." Keith and Vincent talked about movie smut for a while, and Vincent Pastore asked Keith for his home phone number because he wants to interview him for his upcoming show called "The Wise Guys."
There was history in the making this weekend in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and I hope this is the first of many, many more to come.
The program will be aired on ESPN January 2nd, 2005.
JAM [Will post a few pictures soon]
The players meeting was held on Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m., and 15 players were in attendance. Poor Charlie Williams experienced what I do every single day living in D.C. and got caught up in a parking-lot traffic jam on I-95 driving up from Florida, but the promoters saved his spot, much to the disappointment of Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich who came to the players meeting with his dad, hoping to get in. He was the first name on the waiting list in case of a no-show. The 16-player field filled up well in advance, like most of Allen Hopkins' events do. Congratulations to Billiards International, Matt Braun, Olhaussen Tables, and every single sponsor who contributed to the success of the first Skins Billiards Championship, especially the Atlantic City Hilton Casino who provided a very ritzy venue.
The first round of the Skins tourney began at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. There were four brackets consisting of four players. Sixteen games were played in all four brackets on the first day. Each game was worth $500, and the player with the highest money count got to advance to the next day, which was recorded by ESPN. Eight players were to be eliminated, and the remaining eight would continue their quest to cash in one of the biggest money events in pool. Out of all four brackets, Charlie Williams had the highest intake of cash in his bracket on the first day, a cool $5,000.
The Atlantic City Hilton Casino has a rich history, and it is known as one of the favorites among the elites. The rooms were beautiful. We were on the seventh floor which overlooked the ocean front. There were restaurants open 24/7. The Oak, as it is called, was the most expensive and affluent, and the decor is in its original form from when this building was known as the Golden Nugget, according to the locals, consisting of stained-glass windows and hand-painted murals.
On day two, eight players advanced to compete for skins. The only way to win money from here on in was to win a skin, which elevated in value as the match continues. A skin is earned by winning three games in a row, and in this field of world-class players, this wasn't an easy feat. Every seat in the room was filled, and some of the spectators were familiar faces, Champion Mike Lebron, Eric of CCB, New Jersey's best-kept secret Jose Garcia, Karen Corr and Julie Kelly, Shawn "The Shirt" Wilke, The Little Prince from New Jersey. Ryan "Genie Man" McCreesh stopped by on Friday night to root Keith in on his way to the $5,000-added Joss Tour tourney at Ultimate Billiards in Berlin, CT. The lovely CarolNYC of CCB, a pro player on the ladies tour, was part of the staff who greeted folks as they walked in, handing them a program and directing them to the gallery.
Niels Feijen of the Netherlands was the big winner of the day, winning $42,500, and he was lit up like a Christmas tree after it was all said and done, but there were a few other smiles in the room coming from Rodney "The Rocket" Morris, Charlie "The Korean Dragon" Williams, and German WPC Champion Thorsten Hohmann, each stuffing their pockets with over $20,000. The $130,000 total prize purse was paid in full, and almost every single player came away with a little jingle in their pockets, but you couldn't tear any of them away from the arena when the finals were in progress. It was exciting pool. Imagine playing one game for $18,000 in a sudden-death face-off. There were some agonizing misses, but there were definitely some thrilling wins.
This format is innovative and exciting, and Billiards International, the promoters of the event, made history (IMO). This is pool at its finest, and never before has there been a platform with this kind of money up for grabs.
After getting out of line and under pressure from the 30-second shot clock, Keith missed an 8-ball in the side pocket, which ended his streak. He walked away with $2,000, and even though he is disappointed he did not excel as high as he would have liked, we are both very grateful to have been given this golden opportunity to compete in this history-making tournament of champions.
Keith's melancholy mood was soon replaced when Vincent Pastore who played "Pussy" in "The Sopranos" walked into the tournament room and singled Keith out and said, "Hey, aren't you the guy who played in 'The Color of Money'? I've got that movie at home, and it's one of my favorites." Keith and Vincent talked about movie smut for a while, and Vincent Pastore asked Keith for his home phone number because he wants to interview him for his upcoming show called "The Wise Guys."
There was history in the making this weekend in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and I hope this is the first of many, many more to come.
The program will be aired on ESPN January 2nd, 2005.
JAM [Will post a few pictures soon]
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