If you were not at the Casino del Sol in Tucson playing or sweating the B Championship you really missed something. The venue is superb, the staff world class, multiple restaurants to choose from AND VERY LIBERAL SLOTS.
Friday night MG and myself hit the "high roller" gambling room where they have dollar slots. MG had never played one before so I gave her 20 ONE DOLLAR bills [I had another 20 Oners for myself] and we got to work. I told her put just one dollar in at a time and just play one line, to play 5 lines cost $5. We sat down at adjoining machines and one her first pull she won $120. Being the smart person she is she then moved from the machine on my left to the one on my right. $3 and three pulls later she hit for another $120. Meanwhile, I had lost all of my $20 and never got a sniff. At that point we were $240 up minus her $4 and my $20 SO WE QUIT AND CASHED OUT. Not bad for 15 minutes work.
AT ANY RATE, BACK TO THE TOURNAMENT: although, for the most part the averages were just that, average, but the level of excitement and drama was as intense as I have ever experienced. I should know as povpool.com allowed me to comment on some of the matches and for the first time in my life enjoyed watching others play, rather than playing myself. MANY matches went hill-hill.
JUST TO MENTION A FEW NAMES: Bobby Page of Boston went 4-2 in his round robin pre-lim bracket [there were 8 brackets with seven in each one] and had he scored ONE MORE POINT in either of his losses he would have made the finals. Alas it was not to be. Pete Folsom, the oldest man in the tournament [78], made the SWEET SIXTEEN single elim finals and averaged a respectable 0.581 overall but lost in the round of sixteen.
FIVE of the players were Americans of Vietnamese Heritage and three made the sweet sixteen, Trinh Do [0.863], Tung Nguyen [0.923] and Ta Nguyen [0.750, all going 6-0 in the RR brackets. Mercedes Gonzales [0.698] was the only other player to go 6-0 in the RR brackets.
SO THE STAGE WAS SET for the Sweet Sixteen to start the single elim finals.
Ta Nguyen was eliminated by Craig Powers while Tung Nguyen lost to Ramses Verlinden on the hill. Both great matches. WHEN THE DUST SETTLED there were two players left stand, both with 9-0 records: Mercedes and Trinh Do who showed no mercy to the lady and ended up on top but then Mercedes shot too many fantasy shots and missed too many of them. My congratulations to Trinh for his victory and I hope he will be playing in the upcoming nationals as he may surprise some of the "old names, as might well Tung Nguyen.
I WISH I COULD NAME ALL THE NAMES but if you want to see all the names and all the data go to the USBA web site [thank you DD] for that info. I would however be remiss in not mentioning two BCA Hall of Famers who put up with a lot and put on a great show in THE CAROM CLASH EXHIBITION with Mazin and Gilbert Najm, namely Mike Massey and Tom Rossman. I must mention also another pool player who has decided it is more fun to play caroms than try put ball in a pocket, Dan Louie, a name I have known for years and finally got a chance to meet in person. He will be back and all you carom players better watch out for him in the future.
SPECIAL THANKS to both Paul Feltmans, Jr and Senior, for their kindness and generosity for helping the USBA put on this event.
AND THE BEST IS YET TO COME: The USBA National Championships will be held late May with $10,000 added by the Casino del Sol and even if you can't play I would urge you to come out and sweat this event. Open up your wallets, let the moths fly out, come out and have a marvelous time, bring your wife and see old friends you may never get a chance to see again.
Friday night MG and myself hit the "high roller" gambling room where they have dollar slots. MG had never played one before so I gave her 20 ONE DOLLAR bills [I had another 20 Oners for myself] and we got to work. I told her put just one dollar in at a time and just play one line, to play 5 lines cost $5. We sat down at adjoining machines and one her first pull she won $120. Being the smart person she is she then moved from the machine on my left to the one on my right. $3 and three pulls later she hit for another $120. Meanwhile, I had lost all of my $20 and never got a sniff. At that point we were $240 up minus her $4 and my $20 SO WE QUIT AND CASHED OUT. Not bad for 15 minutes work.
AT ANY RATE, BACK TO THE TOURNAMENT: although, for the most part the averages were just that, average, but the level of excitement and drama was as intense as I have ever experienced. I should know as povpool.com allowed me to comment on some of the matches and for the first time in my life enjoyed watching others play, rather than playing myself. MANY matches went hill-hill.
JUST TO MENTION A FEW NAMES: Bobby Page of Boston went 4-2 in his round robin pre-lim bracket [there were 8 brackets with seven in each one] and had he scored ONE MORE POINT in either of his losses he would have made the finals. Alas it was not to be. Pete Folsom, the oldest man in the tournament [78], made the SWEET SIXTEEN single elim finals and averaged a respectable 0.581 overall but lost in the round of sixteen.
FIVE of the players were Americans of Vietnamese Heritage and three made the sweet sixteen, Trinh Do [0.863], Tung Nguyen [0.923] and Ta Nguyen [0.750, all going 6-0 in the RR brackets. Mercedes Gonzales [0.698] was the only other player to go 6-0 in the RR brackets.
SO THE STAGE WAS SET for the Sweet Sixteen to start the single elim finals.
Ta Nguyen was eliminated by Craig Powers while Tung Nguyen lost to Ramses Verlinden on the hill. Both great matches. WHEN THE DUST SETTLED there were two players left stand, both with 9-0 records: Mercedes and Trinh Do who showed no mercy to the lady and ended up on top but then Mercedes shot too many fantasy shots and missed too many of them. My congratulations to Trinh for his victory and I hope he will be playing in the upcoming nationals as he may surprise some of the "old names, as might well Tung Nguyen.
I WISH I COULD NAME ALL THE NAMES but if you want to see all the names and all the data go to the USBA web site [thank you DD] for that info. I would however be remiss in not mentioning two BCA Hall of Famers who put up with a lot and put on a great show in THE CAROM CLASH EXHIBITION with Mazin and Gilbert Najm, namely Mike Massey and Tom Rossman. I must mention also another pool player who has decided it is more fun to play caroms than try put ball in a pocket, Dan Louie, a name I have known for years and finally got a chance to meet in person. He will be back and all you carom players better watch out for him in the future.
SPECIAL THANKS to both Paul Feltmans, Jr and Senior, for their kindness and generosity for helping the USBA put on this event.
AND THE BEST IS YET TO COME: The USBA National Championships will be held late May with $10,000 added by the Casino del Sol and even if you can't play I would urge you to come out and sweat this event. Open up your wallets, let the moths fly out, come out and have a marvelous time, bring your wife and see old friends you may never get a chance to see again.
