The event is produced by CSI – CueSports International, and features live streaming of feature matches by TheActionReport.com.

Below are the scheduled live stream matches for today:

Wednesday, May 16 TAR Stream Schedule

Each match in the event is a race to nine games, in a double-elimination tournament format, with the semifinal and final matches being races to eleven.  As the US Open 10-Ball Championships is running alongside the BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships, it makes for an ideal opportunity for amateur players and fans to watch world-class competition.

Both major international names and the toughest competitors in the U.S. have made up the star-studded field… which will attempt to topple defending champion Shane Van Boening.

Thus far, two rounds of play have been completed in the winner’s bracket of this event… and the first eliminations on the one-loss side have been made following the 10am session of play.

2011 US Open 10-Ball runner-up David Alcaide & winner Shane Van Boening

While most of the matches have resulted with strong favorites rising to the top… some of the event’s giants matched up early on, resulting in big names heading to the left side of the bracket.

2011 US Open 9-Ball semifinalist Shawn Putnam was matched up with 2011 US Open 10-Ball runner-up David Alcaide in the first round, sending Putnam to the one-loss side at 9-6.  However, it didn’t get any easier for Alcaide in the next round, as he fell to Alex Pagulayan at 9-5.

Other early monster match-ups included Francisco Bustamante defeating Thorsten Hohmann (9-5) Round 1, Charlie Bryant defeating Charlie Williams (9-3) in Round 2, and Mika Immonen defeating Stevie Moore in Round 1, among other great match-ups.

For more match results, brackets for the US Open 10-Ball Championships can be found online here: http://www.ctsondemand.com/BracketViewer.aspx?BracketID=21562030

Interesting upsets from the early rounds included Matt Krah defeating Rodney Morris (9-8) in Round 1, California’s Sal Butera defeating Johnny Archer (9-7) in Round 2, and Manny Chau defeating Raj Hundal (9-8) in Round 2.

A number of players hailing from the Northeast have held their own on the winner’s side thus far, including Shaun Wilkie, Tony Robles, Mike Dechaine, Mike Wong, Dennis Hatch, and Robb Saez.  Hatch and Dechaine recently clashed in TAR 25, a three-day 10-ball battle… and the potential for a rematch at the US Open would present some big drama for spectators.

Stay on the NYC Grind for more news as action at the 2012 US Open 10-Ball Championships unfolds…

The $10,000-added event was once again produced by the CSI CueSports International team, and live streaming was presented by The Action Report. With the recent passing of one of the game’s greatest legends, Grady Mathews, this year’s US Open One Pocket Championship was dedicated in his name.

Following his takedown of the Derby City One Pocket Championship in January, many may have waged that “The South Dakota Kid” Shane Van Boening would be an unstoppable force in this event.

And indeed, Van Boening had little difficulty making it through the winner’s bracket at the US Open, defeating Phil Mission 4-1, Robert Hart 4-0, Jeremy Jones 4-1, Jason Chance 4-1, and Francisco Bustamante 4-1 to move on to the hot seat match.

Shane Van Boening in the 2012 DCC One Pocket (Photo by Ricky Bryant)

Meanwhile, England’s ‘Dynamite’ Darren Appleton also worked his way through the winner’s side, to eventually match up in the final four with Texas player Sylver Ochoa. Ochoa had a tremendous event at the US Open One Pocket, with notable wins over John Schmidt 4-3, 2012 DCC One Pocket runner-up Joey Gray, and Jose Parica 4-2 to then take on Appleton… who put an end to his run with a hill-hill win at 4-3.

Moving on to the hot seat match, Appleton and Van Boening were the two players left standing in the winner’s bracket. While both players displayed great shot making and battle to hill-hill, Van Boening made a few too many errors, allowing Appleton an advantage to win the case game at 4-3.

On the lower half of the one-loss side bracket, Ike Runnels made a strong run of four match wins, including a final win over “Hillbilly” Charlie Bryant at 3-2 before being eliminated by Sylver Ochoa 3-2, to end up tied for 5th place.

Likewise, “The Lion” Alex Pagulayan charged through the one-loss side with four wins over Louis Ulrich 3-2, Mika Immonen 3-0, Jose Parica 3-2, and Santos Sambajon 3-1. Pagulayan then lost to Francisco Bustamante at 3-2 to tie with Runnels for 5th place.

Next was the quarterfinal match at 4pm on Sunday, May 13, where Sylver Ochoa defeated Bustamante at hill-hill (3-2)… to move on to the semifinal, where Shane Van Boening would be waiting, following his loss to Darren Appleton. Van Boening would prove to be dominant in this match, winning 3-1 to move on for a rematch in the finals against Appleton.

The final match was to be a single race to five games, which kicked off at 10pm.  Appleton took an early lead to go up 3-2, but an untimely error handed the table over to Van Boening, who ran out to tie 3-3.  In the following game, Appleton had another chance to take the lead, but missed an easy out, instead giving Van Boening the lead at 4-3.  Appleton had a chance to make it hill-hill, but a missed bank left an opening for Van Boening to clinch the win at 5-3.

In addition to his great shot making, Shane Van Boening showed his ability to take advantage of key opportunities… helping to earn him the title of 2012 US Open One Pocket Champion.

At only age twenty-eight, Shane Van Boening has become a true multi-disciplinary champion, and is now returning to defend his title in the US Open 10-Ball Championships, which is also being held at the Riviera in Las Vegas.

Stay on the NYC Grind for our upcoming coverage of the US Open 10-Ball Championship…

US Open One Pocket Championships Payout:
1st: Shane Van Boening – $7,500
2nd: Darren Appleton – $4,500
3rd: Sylver Ochoa – $3,200
4th: Francisco Bustamante – $2,200
5th/6th: Alex Pagulayan, Ike Runnels – $1,600
7th/8th: Santos Sambajon, Charlie Bryant – $1,000
9th-12th: Jose Parica, Bernie Pettipiece, Jason Chance, Mark Haddad – $600
13th-16th: Mika Immonen, Jeremy Jones, Chip Compton, Chris Gentile – $300

This evening, the New York duo of Tony Robles and Gail Glazebrook will be moving on to the finals of the Masters Scotch Doubles event. The finals will be a rematch between Robles/Glazebrook and the undefeated team of Wes Largen Jr. & Janet Atwell. Yesterday, Robles/Glazebrook defeated fellow NYC team Zion Zvi & Borana Andoni in the semifinal to earn a shot in the finals. Stay on the NYC Grind for more updates to come.

The 9-Ball events at the BCAPL National Championships have already crowned winners in three divisions… the Open Women’s Division, Open Men’s Division, and 9-Ball Challenge. Check out the latest news on the event in the story from CSI, CueSports International… and check out brackets online at www.ctsondemand.com.

Vegas Heats Up as the 36th BCAPL National Championship Rolls into Town
(Photo of Mitch Ellerman courtesy of Fred Stoll of Filmless Art)

Las Vegas, NV.  -   May 14, 2012 - The 36th BCAPL National Championships rolled into the Riviera Hotel and Casino Wednesday, May 10th. Approximately 7,000 players congregate each year in Las Vegas to compete in the event known as “The Greatest Pool Tournament in the World.”

Produced by CueSports International (CSI) and taking place over 11 days, the group of events include; 23 BCA Pool League (BCAPL) divisions, three USA Pool League (USAPL) divisions and two professional tournaments (the 13th US Open One Pocket Championship and the 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship).

The BCAPL competition began with three 9-Ball singles events: the Men’s Open 9-Ball Singles, the Women’s Open 9-Ball Singles and the 9-Ball Challenge.

The Men’s Open 9-Ball saw a full field of 256 players compete for over $15,000 in prize money. Daniel McKenney (league #1073) from Texas beat out Matt Beckwith (league #23) from Wisconsin for the $2,100 first place check.

The Women’s Open 9-Ball Singles had 83 competitors. Jennifer Polik (league #1152 and 719) from Michigan reigned as the winner beating Valerie Franiel (league #497) from Alberta, Canada and taking home the $900 first place prize. Both 9-Ball Open events followed a single elimination best two out of three sets per match and are only for open rated BCAPL league players and CSI player members known to be open level.

The 9-Ball Challenge welcomes both league and CSI player members of all ratings. The more traditional double elimination race to 7 format event had 147 entrants. Known to attract a roster of seasoned players, this year’s champion was Arizona top gun Mitch Ellerman. Also a former Jay Swanson Memorial winner, Ellerman pocketed $2,600 and only lost a total of 16 games out of 9 matches beating out Marc Vidal-Claramunt, Nick Malaj, Melissa Little, Ramesh Gokhul, Phil Burford, Heath Bartley and Chad Lovelace.

9-Ball Challenge Champion Mitch Ellerman

As the 9-Ball Singles competition concluded, the Scotch events began with the Open Scotch Doubles kicking off May 11th at 7 pm. This year a new Advanced Scotch Doubles division was added and it and the Master Scotch Doubles started Friday, May 12th. All Scotch Doubles divisions will conclude Tuesday, May 15th.

Saturday saw the start of the highly competitive BCAPL Singles 8-Ball divisions. There are 11 total divisions and 2,295 entrants in the 8-Ball singles competition. The Grand Master 8-Ball Singles will conclude today and the other 8-Ball singles divisions will conclude Tuesday.

To view online all of the brackets for the 36th BCAPL National Championships, the 2nd USAPL National Championships, the 13th US Open One Pocket Championship and the 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship visit the CueSports Tournament System at www.ctsondemand.com. You may search a player or team by name or can view by division or tournament. For more information about the BCAPL visit www.playbca.com.

CueSports International (CSI) is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past seven years CSI has directly paid out approximately Seven Million Dollars to players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

CSI leads the billiard industry in the development of technology. For more information on the state-of-the-art software systems for league and tournament management visit www.leaguesys.net and www.ctsondemand.com.

The ladies of the JPNEWT at First Break on May 12

On day one, the winner’s bracket was dominated by Linda Shea and Megan Smith. On day one, Shea put a stop to Cindy Haefner 7-2, Nicole Vincent 7-1, Sharon O’Hanlon 7-5, and Pauline Mattes 7-2. Meanwhile, Smith took care of Cheryl Pritchard 7-1, Ji-Hyun Park 7-0, Nicole Nester 7-5, and a hill-hill victory over Tricia Tennant 6-5.

Day two began with Linda Shea vs Megan Smith from the winner-side and from the 1-loss side Briana Miller vs Tricia Tennant and Cheryl Squire vs Pauline Mattes (earlier defeated Kathy Friend 7-3, Cheryl Squire 7-5, and Eugenia Gyftopoulos 7-3). Linda win over Megan 7-4 put her in the hot seat. From the b-side, Briana eliminated Tricia7-2 while Pauline did the same against Squire 7-4. Mattes swept through Miller 7-1 putting her in the semi-finals against Smith. Megan wasted no time to get a second chance at Shea in the finals as she defeated Pauline 7-2. Down to the finals as Shea held firm to form, preventing a modified race to 9; she defeated Smith 7-5 to win this event.

Other top finishers were Megan Smith, Pauline Mattes, Briana Miller, Tricia Tennant, and Cheryl Squire. Although Mattes finished third, she accepted the qualifier spot to the US Open; she will represent her home pool hall, First Break Café. Another notable mention is Tricia’s first time in the money since joining JPNEWT. Congrats to a job well done ladies.

The JPNEWT thanks all the players, spectators, and ustream.tv viewers for supporting ladies in pool. A special thank you goes out to our sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues. Last but not least, thank you First Break Cafe and Pauline Mattes for sponsoring this great event! First Break’s venue, service, staff and food were great!

- By Kia Sidbury, JPNEWT

In 2012, Predator Cues is once again stepping up as sponsor of the World Tournament of 14.1, where many of the world’s toughest competitors will take the stage at Carom Cafe in Queens, NY.  Read on for more news on this year’s big event, taking place July 29-August 2.
…

Predator World Tournament of 14.1

Queens, New York – The oldest tournament in the world is now being headlined by the world’s #1 cue company. Predator Cues returns as the title sponsor of the 72nd Annual Predator World Tournament of Straight Pool. Predator has been the Official Cue of the World Tournament for 7 years straight, since the event’s revival in 2006.

This year’s event, July 29 – Aug 3, 2012, will be the biggest international 14.1 event in the world. Dragon Promotions, in partnership with Dr. Michael Fedak, will once again produce the event which will take place in New York City at Carom Cafe in Queens. The well renown billiard room will host the greatest straight pool players from around the world. Sixty-four top notch 14.1 masters will arrive on USA soil and attend this prestigious event to play for the coveted title of greatest straight pool player in the world.

“This is truly one of the game’s great events and this year’s tournament will only provide more evidence of the continuing revival of straight pool. As far as I know, this is the only event of its kind, anywhere, and Predator Group is is pleased to be a part of it. It’s a tradition that’s lasted a 100 years and we want to see it grow even more,” said John Forrester, Chairman of The Predator Group. The Predator Group manufactures leading cue brands Predator and Poison.

“14.1 defined so many of the greatest players and with that in mind, Predator Group is thrilled to be the title sponsor of this world class event. We’re looking forward to seeing some precision play and very high runs. The knowledge and consistency required to excel in 14.1 at this level is certainly befitting of the Predator brand and its innovative technology,” stated  Kyle Nolan, Associate Director of Brand & Communications at The Predator Group.

Devout Predator user and Women's World 10-Ball Champion Jasmin Ouschan of Austria during her victory over France's Stefan Cohen at the 70th World Tournament of 14.1

The World Tournament is the oldest tournament in history that still exists today. Invented by Jerome Keough and shortly after recognized as the official game of billiards. The first World 14.1 Tournament was held in 1911 and won by Alfredo DeOro. In its history due to war and economics, the World Championships had 29 tournaments that did not take place including a 15 year gap between 1990-2005 until Dragon Promotions revived the game and the World Tournament in 2006.

“Predator is not only a leader in cue innovation, but a leader in the entire billiard industry. They set the bar for many companies. What can I say, they are tops in my book!” said Charlie Williams, Founder of Dragon Promotions, and a longtime pro player and user of Predator Cue technology.

Williams was the 3rd Place Bronze semi-finalist at last year's World Tournament. Charlie has been using Predator for over 12 years on the pro tour

Players may also join qualifiers to get a chance to compete in the World Tournament with all the legendary greats. Qualifier info will be announced shortly and later can be found at www.DragonPromotions.com.

To host a qualifier or play, contact worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com. Pool rooms may also contact DP to host a qualifier.

Sponsors and private contributors are still needed for this year’s event. Final added money and fund raising for the 2nd Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame still must be generated. To help be a part of this treasured event, please contact Dragon Promotions.

Vendor spaces are also available, for more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978. Full event info is at www.dragonpromotions.com.

Predator Group, an international billiards industry leader, is focused on bringing constant innovation and game-improving equipment to billiards players worldwide. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Predator Group’s core brands include Predator Cues® – high-end (professional level) cues with revolutionary technology to enhance performance, Poison Billiards® – recreational cues with cutting-edge designs and Predator engineering for best-in-class playability, and Uni-Loc® – precision billiards equipment manufacturer. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorgroup.com.

Late in 2011, I had the chance to be a part of a unique and exciting experience playing pool at Eastside Billiards, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.  Matched up were students from Cathedral High School, the Saudi Arabian Billiards Coach and Qatari Junior Billiards Team coach, Mr. Monsour Al Khanfari, and me.  What is exciting is that we were really battling, and having a great time doing it.

This adventure started the year before, when I was giving a lesson to a student at Eastside Billiards.  I noticed a young man with a group of high school kids playing and practicing pool.  Now, I can’t resist watching people play and teach pool, so I went over and introduced myself to Mr. Mike Muldoon, Teacher and Billiards Coach at Cathedral High School.  We exchanged numbers, chatted a bit and then went our separate ways.

The following year in the fall, I called Mike to see if he was interested in having me do a three day seminar for his billiards club.  Mike was glad to hear from me and wanted to check with his club before he set a date.  We decided on three sessions on Wednesday afternoon.

A student shoots a shot as Mark Finkelstin looks on

The first two sessions went very well, with some of the students’ mothers coming around for the second session, as the kids were having so much fun.  Hold that thread for a minute, so we can bring in the other piece to this story.

Mark Finkelstein working with students from the Cathedral High School Girls Billiards Club

I had also recently returned from Marietta, Georgia, where I was teaching at Johnny Archer’s room, Marietta Billiards, with Tom Simpson.  One of the students was Mr. Monsour Al Khanfari.  He was in the United States to train with Tom Simpson and upgrade his Billiards Congress of America and American Cue Sports certifications, as well as play in the US Open.  Monsour also planned to come to New York City and study with me for about ten days.

Mark Finkelstein with acclaimed billiard coach Tom Simpson, and top pros Shawn Putnam and Johnny Archer during their pool clinic at Marietta Billiards

Monsour Al Khanfari is an amazing man.  He is a former police officer from Riyadh, is married, and has the cutest son.  We have know each other for three years now, and it has been my pleasure to work with him over the years.  I asked Monsour if he would like to help me work with some high school kids, and he was glad to help.

Monsour is a dedicated professional pool player who brings to the table passion, knowledge, and an unbelievable work ethic.  He really wants to get things right.  It is a real pleasure to work with him.

Mansour Al Khanfari was named the Saudi Arabian National Billiards Coach in 2011 and recently named the coach for Qatar's Junior Billiards Team.

Besides working at the pool table with Monsour, I had the pleasure of having him over to my home for dinner.  Monsour charmed my Japanese wife and I with his stories and experience.  What a fun time we had!

I called Mike, and he also was excited about the opportunity to meet Monsour and play pool.

We set the date, and before I knew it, it was time for our get together.  I was a little nervous at the time as to how would the kids react, if it would it be okay for Monsour, and if would Mike be ok with this.

As it turned out, that Wednesday afternoon was one of the highlights of my pool career!  After a brief lesson, the battle started.  Monsour, Mike, and I each had a student as a partner and went at it in a round robin format.

A Cathedral High School Billiard Club member looks over the table for her next shot

What a blast! Cheering, sharking, some top drawer pool, great shots, safeties, and just plain fun!  Time flew by and before we knew it, it was time to go.  We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.

Mansour Al Khanfari with Cathedral High School Girl's Billiards Club instructor Mike Muldoon and Mark Finkelstein

Mike is back at Cathedral High School, and I’m looking at getting together next year with him to run some seminars for his billiards club.

Monsour is now in Qatar, where he has been selected as the Qatar Junior Billiards Coach.  I’m hoping to catch up with him in the near future as he is a great pool player and wonderful man.

And me, I’m still here in New York playing pool every day and having the time of my life.

Reflecting on this experience, it is gratifying to me to see how different people from all backgrounds and walks of life for one day can get together over a game of pool and have such a wonderful time.  I will remember and cherish that afternoon for the rest of my life.

Mansour Al Khanfari with students from the Cathedral High School Billiards Club

Thank you to Mike and Monsour for helping me to realize just what a great game pool is, and how much alike we all are as human beings.  It is truly amazing how one game on a table can bring so many people from different cultures all over the world together around one passion and make for an amazing time.

On its face, the game of pool may seem to many like only a casual pastime… but time and time again, I have been shown how the game has the ability to bring people together in a fun atmosphere.

Through the work of people like Mansour Al Khanfari and Mike Muldoon and many others who are passionate about sharing the game… we are able to bridge cultural divides and bring about understanding, as well as growth for the sport.

With the advent of the internet, we now have even greater capability to break down barriers and do positive work for the world of pool… and I am grateful to be able to share these experiences with you on NYCgrind.com.

One of the players to highlight the winner’s bracket of this event would be Mike Zimny, who moved into the hot seat match after defeating Ed Culhane 7-1 in the final four.

Meeting Zimny in the hot seat match was one of NYC’s top lady players, Kim Meyer-Gabia…  who had previously defeated Mike Aro at 6-5 in the other final four match. Gabia and Zimny had a close battle to take the hot seat, but Mike Zimny took the hill-hill game at 7-6 to lock in a spot in the finals.

Busting through the one-loss side was another one of the area’s toughest female players, Castle house player Annie Flores.  Flores’ impressive run included wins over Paul Raval 7-1, Tri V. Chau 7-2, Ed Culhane 8-0, and Pat Mareno 8-5 in the quarterfinal.

Annie Flores then took on Kim Meyer-Gabia in the semifinal, where she started out with a 3-0 deficit… but fought back to win at hill-hill (7-6).

Waiting to take on Annie Flores in the final was undefeated Mike Zimny… but due to the late hour, the two players decided to call it quits. Zimny claimed the victory as he had no losses, and the prize for first & second was split between the two.

Congratulations to both Annie Flores and Mike Zimny, as well as third place finisher Kim Meyer-Gabia, for taking the top honors in this event.

Kim Meyer-Gabia (3rd), Mike Zimny (1st), Annie Flores (2nd)

Payout:
1st: Mike Zimny – $475
2nd: Annie Flores – $475
3rd: Kim Meyer-Gabia – $200
4th: Pat Mareno – $100
5th/6th: Ed Culhane, Mike Aro – $75

…

In the Tri-State Tour’s April 28 tour stop at Gotham City Billiards, Andrzej Kaldan would make an undefeated path to victory. This would make for Kaldan’s second win of the season, with the first also being at Gotham earlier this season on October 29, 2011.

On Andrzej Kaldan’s road to the finals, he defeated Eddie Perez 6-1, Inna Bediner 7-3, Jaydev Zaveri 6-5, Rick Shellhouse 6-5, Randy Mackin 6-2, and Shawn Sookhai 7-6 to take the hot seat.

Shawn Sookhai, who fell in the hot seat match to Kaldan, then took on the challenger from the one-loss side… who would be Daniel Dagotdot.  Sookhai and Dagotdot have become two of the top emerging area amateurs… but on this day, Sookhai would mark a decisive win in this match at 8-4.

Daniel Dagotdot would settle for third place at Gotham… and along with fourth place finisher Kim Meyer-Gabia, earns credit for a strong 6/2 win/loss record for the tournament.

Shawn Sookhai was lined up to take on Andrzej Kaldan once again in the finals. However, due to fatigue and the late hour, the players decided call it a night and split the prize for 1st & 2nd, with Kaldan taking 1st place as the undefeated player.

Shawn Sookhai, Andrzej Kaldan, Kevin Buckley

Payout:
1st: Andrzej Kaldan – $755
2nd: Shawn Sookhai – $755
3rd: Daniel Dagotdot – $370
4th: Kim Meyer-Gabia – $250
5th/6th: Dave Shlemperis, Randy Mackin – $150
7th/8th: Keith Adamik, Luis Novas – $110
9th-12th: Beau Baer, Bors Manzheley, Jaydev Zaveri, Rick Shellhouse – $90

Tri-State Tour staff would like to acknowledge Sterling Gaming, Ozone Billiards, Ron Tarr Cues, Kamui Tips, Phil Capelle, BlueBook Publishing, Human Kinetics for their sponsorship leading to this event.

The next Tri-State Tour stop will be held on Saturday, May 12 at Port Richmond Billiards in Staten Island, NY. This event will be open to A/B/C/D class players and feature $750 in added prizes.

For more information, visit www.TheTristateTour.com.

By NYC Grind Creative Director, Jerry Tarantola

A strong field of sixteen players competed in the Predator Tour’s Open/Pro 10-Ball event, which ran along side the Amateur 9-Ball events on the weekend of May 5-6. The event was held at Brooklyn pool room Gotham City Billiards.

This was the Predator Pro-Am Tour’s 7th stop of the season, and featured several top New York players, as well as Hall of Famer Earl “The Pearl” Strickland… who would make his way to the finals of this event after a second-round loss.

A crowd of players and fans watch Earl Strickland at work.

We recently featured the five-time US Open 9-Ball Champion, and winner of an impressive nineteen major Professional Pool/Billiards event in a player spotlight, click here to read the story.

Top NY names in this event included 2011 Predator Tour Pro Player of the Year Tony Robles, Jennifer Barretta, Joey Korsiak, and Jorge Rodriguez.

“The Giant Killer” Jeremy Sossei went through the winner’s bracket undefeated in impressive fashion. Jeremy defeated Alex Borukhovich 7-1, Earl Strickland 7-6, and Rob Pole 7-4.

Jeremy Sossei

After a second round hill-hill loss to Jeremy Sossei, Earl Strickland defeated Gregg McAndrews 7-2, Tony Robles 7-4, Jennifer Barretta 7-1, Justin Daniels 7-0, and Rob Pole 7-3 to reach the finals and take on Sossei for a second time.

In the finals, Earl Strickland would have a chance to avenge his earlier loss to Jeremy Sossei in the modified one-race final race. In the Open/Pro event in the Predator Tour, the player in the winner’s bracket has to go to 9 games, if he gets there first, but if the player in the one-loss side gets to 9 first, it becomes an extended race to 11.

The final was a close battle between the up-and-coming young gun, versus the seasoned veteran. Earl was able to get to nine first, and went on to close out a strong 11-9 win over Jeremy Sossei, one of the top rising players in the Northeast.

Congratulations to Earl Strickland for winning Stop #7 of the Predator Tour 2012 season… everyone at NYCgrind.com wishes him luck at the upcoming CSI US Open 10-Ball Championships in Las Vegas.

Along with runner-up Jeremy Sossei, 3rd place finisher Rob Pole and 4th place Justin Daniels from Ohio also deserve recognition for their strong performances.

Room owner Kevin Buckley, runner-up Jeremy Sossei, Larry Ross, and winner Earl Strickland

Tony Robles and the Predator Tour staff thank Gotham Billiards, as well as their sponsors Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCgrind.com

Final Open/Pro 10-Ball Results

1st: Earl Strickland – $600
2nd: Jeremy Sossei – $400
3rd: Rob Pole – $200
4th: Justin Daniels – $100

Click here to read the final story on the Amateur 9-Ball Division at the Predator Tour’s 7th stop.

Check out more photos from Stop #7 in the gallery below:

[View with PicLens]

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The next stop of the Predator Tour will be Stop #8 at Raxx Pool Room, Bar & Grill (www.RaxxPoolRoom.com) in West Hempstead NY on June 2-3.

The Predator Tour’s entire schedule can be found here: www.predatorproamtour.com/schedule.asp

The Predator Pro-Am Tour’s seventh stop of the 2012 season was hosted by Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn on the weekend of May 5-6.

Gotham City is a pool player-friendly room which has a knowledgeable group of regular players.  The family-owned pool room is run by Kevin Buckley, who was happy with the quantity and level of players in his room.

The two-day event kicked off on Saturday, May 5 with a full field of 64 players competing in the Amateur 9-ball Division. The final eight players would be invited back on Sunday to continue play as the event moved into the final rounds

Alongside the final rounds of competition in the amateur event, the Open/Pro 10-Ball event got underway at noon on Sunday.

Below is the breakdown of Day 2 action in the Amateur 9-Ball Division…

Winners Side Final Four:

Elvis Rodriguez (B+) defeated Joe Palone (B) 7-4
Vincent Morris (C+) defeated Kevin Falco (C) 7-5.

Hot Seat Match: Elvis Rodriguez (B+)  vs. Joe Palone (B):

A new player to the Predator 9-Ball Tour, Elvis Rodriquez, showcased an impressive speed in this match, bumping him up two levels after a dominant 7-4 win.  The 7-4 win was actually a 7-2 win, after Vincent counted in his two-game adjustment. Vincent had been playing extremely well up until that point, but seemed to have no answer in this match against the fast and loose style of Elvis Rodriguez.

Elvis Rodriguez shooting vs Kevin Falco

In the meantime, competition continued on the one-loss side, where players were busy trying to grind their way back for a chance at redemption. Here is the breakdown of the final one-loss side rounds, leading up to the final match.

One-Loss Side – Road to the Finals (Sunday’s Action) 

Michael Yednak (A+) defeated Steve Wright (A) 7-3

Junior Sanchez (A) defeated Chris Alan (B) 7-4

Wilfredo Albay (C+) Aaron Moody (C+) 7-4

Patrick Meyers (C+) defeated Joe Gibbons (C) 7-3

…

One-Loss Final Four:

Joe Palone (B) defeated Michael Yednak (A+) 8-3

Kevin Falco (C) defeated Aaron Moody (C+) 7-5

…

Quarterfinal:

Kevin Falco (C), who is from Smithtown, NY on Long Island, clutched out to defeat Joe Palone (B) in an exciting “hill-hill” battle. The win earned Kevin a chance in the semifinal against Vincent Morris (C+).

Semifinal: Vincent Morris (C+) vs Kevin Falco (C)

This was a pretty even match-up, as both players were having a strong event and playing with heart and determination. When the dust settled, Kevin Falco would clutch out another impressive moving him to the final match.

Kevin Falco was able to play tough in the semifinal to earn a rematch vs Elvis Rodriguez

Final Match: Kevin Falco (C) vs. Elvis Rodriguez (A+)

In the final match of the 7th Predator 9-Ball Tour event, Kevin Falco was matched up against the hottest player in the tournament, undefeated Elvis Rodriguez.

Elvis had been recently bumped up to an A+, and was coming into this match with a lot of confidence. While Elvis played well in the finals, Kevin’s aggressive play and fearless approach turned out to be superior, as he took a lead early and didn’t look back.

Kevin went on to win the event with a dominant performance, en-route to a 12-5 final score line. Congratulations to Kevin Falco for his gritty win.

Vincent Morris (3rd), room owner Isabel Buckley & son, Elvis Rodriguez (2nd), Kevin Falco (1st)

Tony Robles and the Predator Tour staff would like to thank Gotham City Billiards Billiards, along with their sponsors: Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCgrind.com, for their support of the tour.

Final Amateur 9-Ball Results:
1st:  Kevin Falco – $1,000
2nd: Elvis Rodriguez – $725
3rd: Vincent Morris – $475
4th: Joe Palone – $325
5th/6th: Michael Yednak, Aaron Moody – $230
7th/8th: Junior Sanchez, Patrick Meyers – $155
9th-12th: Chris Giannakouros, Wilfredo Albay, Steve Wright, Joe Gibbons – $115

Check out more photos from Stop #7 in the gallery below:

[View with PicLens]

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The next stop of the Predator Tour will be Stop #8 at Raxx Pool Room, Bar & Grill (www.RaxxPoolRoom.com) in West Hempstead NY on June 2-3. The Predator Tour’s entire schedule can be found here: www.predatorproamtour.com/schedule.asp

TAR 25: Hatch vs Dechaine

Two of today’s titans of pool are set to go head-to-head in Las Vegas… as The Action Report presents TAR 25: Dennis Hatch vs Mike Dechaine, sponsored by CSI (CueSports International) and Simonis Cloth.

This match-up of two of the toughest in the Northeast is set to kick off this evening (Friday, May 4) at 7pm EST at the TAR Studio, which features limited-seating for an intimate viewing experience… while the live PPV stream will also be available on TheActionReport.com.

Both players are former Empire State 9-Ball Champions and made their debut appearances in the Mosconi Cup in the last few years, making them two of the top American players to beat today. Hatch and Dechaine are also both known for their aggressive styles of play, which should make this an exciting match for fans.

Check out TAR’s recent interview with Dechaine and Hatch in TAR Podcast #19 in the video below to get insight from both of the players on the upcoming match.

Over the course of three days (May 4-6), Dechaine and Hatch will battle in 10-Ball, in a best two out of three races to 25 format. One race will be held on Friday and Saturday, and if necessary, go on to the third race on Sunday. With a prize fund of $5,000, the winner will receive $4,000 and the loser will take $1,000.

For more match information, check out TheActionReport.com.