Just got back from Atlantic City where I enjoyed all six days of the US Open 9ball event. It is the easiest event of the year for me, just over two hours by car from New York City.
As so much has been written about the play already on AZB, I will skip over it. Aloysius Yapp’s accomplishment of winning three consecutive 256-player field Matchroom majors is something very special, and it probably almost wraps up player of the year in 2025. He also won $40,000 at the International 9ball in November, so that is four major titles in just nine months. Wow!
The Arena
As is usually the case at the Matchroom majors, the arena setup was superb. I will add that the room was a bit brighter than at the recent Florida Open, and that helped. The 28-table setup offered good seating at nearly all the tables. Outside of the Hanoi Open fans, I think the US Open fans are the most enthusiastic fans in the world, and they came out in droves to watch the event. The vibe of the event was Mosconiesque (I think I just invented a word) at times, and much of the music usually played at the Mosconi was played during the US Open to fire up the crowd, including the Mosconi cup signature song “Freed from Desire” by Gala. The event was a lot of fun because of this.
Socially
I caught up just briefly with many of the Matchroom staff members, including Emily Frazer and Karl Boyes. I also caught up a few times with Billiards Digest editor-in-chief Mike Panozzo. I caught up with countless players during the event, but had substantial time with only these: Max Lechner, Mario He, Francesco Candela, Albin Ouschan, Daniel Guttenberger, Josh Filler, and Felix Vogel. I saw countless friends from the New York pool scene and was pleased to greet them. The three fans I spent the most time with in the arena were Kathy, Darlene, and Kristine, and thanks to each of them for their good company.
The Hotel
My room was nice enough and the hotel is clean, but there is not that much to do at Harrah’s and, unless you want a steak, the food is nothing special. In fact, I went out to dinner twice with friends at both The Golden Nugget and Caesar’s. To be fair, though, you could get a nice breakfast at The Country Kitchen every morning, and that is what I did. My best guess is that I spent a total of three hours in the casino over the six days and broke even.
So How did Matchroom Do?
Brilliantly! It was a wonderful US Open 9ball and it is sad that we must wait another year for the next one. Thanks to Emily and all those at Matchroom for a great week in Atlantic City. Nobody produces better events in our sport.
As so much has been written about the play already on AZB, I will skip over it. Aloysius Yapp’s accomplishment of winning three consecutive 256-player field Matchroom majors is something very special, and it probably almost wraps up player of the year in 2025. He also won $40,000 at the International 9ball in November, so that is four major titles in just nine months. Wow!
The Arena
As is usually the case at the Matchroom majors, the arena setup was superb. I will add that the room was a bit brighter than at the recent Florida Open, and that helped. The 28-table setup offered good seating at nearly all the tables. Outside of the Hanoi Open fans, I think the US Open fans are the most enthusiastic fans in the world, and they came out in droves to watch the event. The vibe of the event was Mosconiesque (I think I just invented a word) at times, and much of the music usually played at the Mosconi was played during the US Open to fire up the crowd, including the Mosconi cup signature song “Freed from Desire” by Gala. The event was a lot of fun because of this.
Socially
I caught up just briefly with many of the Matchroom staff members, including Emily Frazer and Karl Boyes. I also caught up a few times with Billiards Digest editor-in-chief Mike Panozzo. I caught up with countless players during the event, but had substantial time with only these: Max Lechner, Mario He, Francesco Candela, Albin Ouschan, Daniel Guttenberger, Josh Filler, and Felix Vogel. I saw countless friends from the New York pool scene and was pleased to greet them. The three fans I spent the most time with in the arena were Kathy, Darlene, and Kristine, and thanks to each of them for their good company.
The Hotel
My room was nice enough and the hotel is clean, but there is not that much to do at Harrah’s and, unless you want a steak, the food is nothing special. In fact, I went out to dinner twice with friends at both The Golden Nugget and Caesar’s. To be fair, though, you could get a nice breakfast at The Country Kitchen every morning, and that is what I did. My best guess is that I spent a total of three hours in the casino over the six days and broke even.
So How did Matchroom Do?
Brilliantly! It was a wonderful US Open 9ball and it is sad that we must wait another year for the next one. Thanks to Emily and all those at Matchroom for a great week in Atlantic City. Nobody produces better events in our sport.
