2013 Derby City Classic - "St Louie" Louie Roberts Action and Entertainment Award Winner
After another successful 10 days of hard core green felt battle, Chicago’s Chris Gentile has emerged as the winner of the 2013 “St. Louie” Louie Roberts Action and Entertainment Award at the Derby City Classic (DCC). A threat to win the award every year, Gentile’s extremely close second place finished from 2012 is followed by this well-deserved landslide victory in 2013.
A consistent fixture in the action rooms of the DCC, Gentile started the event with non-stop 30+ hour action and never seemed to slow down. Mostly known for his one-pocket prowess, Chris also finished his yearly onslaught of the event with some full rack banks well into the morning hours against some of the current top players in that discipline. Known in the pool circles as primarily a poker player, Gentile has proven year after year that he is a force to be reckoned in our sport.
Among the nominees for the award were perennial contenders Jason Kirkus, Danny Smith, and Richie Richeson. Returning to the Derby City Classic and making an immediate impact on the spectators was Eric Durbin who matched up with infamous poker player Jean-Robert “Bobby” Bellande. Bellande himself received votes for the award as he had several high profile one-pocket matches with Durbin as well as with former Action and Entertainment Award Winner Jeanette Lee.
The “St Louie” Louie Roberts Action and Entertainment Award is an annual award given since 2003 by Greg Sullivan of Diamond Billiards and the Derby City Classic. The award is exemplifies Action and Entertain while paying tribute to one of the sport’s most entertaining players, the late Louie Roberts. The award is voted on primarily by members of the various internet billiard forums who are in attendance at the yearly event held at the Horseshoe Casino in Southern Indiana.
Winning the award, Chris Gentile will be granted free tournament entry and hotel accommodations at the DCC for life. He joins the exclusive list of past winners and will be added to the Louie Roberts Action and Entertainment Champions banner in the Derby City Classic main tournament hall.
