MAKE IT HAPPEN 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL – Match #9
Jeremy Jones 4 – Tony Chohan 3
NOTE: The format was changed to race to four (from race to three) for the final two days of play.
Tony Chohan made a billiard, left a shot, and Jones then ran two balls. Jones also made one for Chohan, so the score was 2-1, Jones. Jones kicked in a ball for Chohan and then the game turned into an uptable contest. After several of the balls were herded back to the foot half of the table, Jones pocketed a bank and ran six and out to capture game one.
Chohan made a long combo and hung another combo to take a 1 to -1 lead. Jones made the ball for Chohan, but left him a shot, and Chohan ran six and out to tie the match at 1-1.
Chohan opened with two fouls in game three, Jones kicked into the stack and made a ball, at which point he led, 1 to -2. Jones ran three, then made a long shot in a subsequent turn, and now led the game, 5 balls to minus two. Chohan made a tough shot but was a bit unlucky when he scratched, and Jones ran three and out to win the game, 8 to -3.
In game four the score was Chohan -1, Jones -2 when Jones left a hanger for Chohan. Tony ploughed into the balls, created a duck pond, and rapidly and precisely rattled off a game winning run of nine and out. The match was now tied at 2-2, and every game had been won by the breaker!
In game five Chohan made a bank but left Jones with a shot. He took advantage with a run of five balls, then pocketed a hanger for Chohan. At this point Jones led, 5-2. Chohan attempted a take-out shot, but scratched. Jones missed with ball-in-hand but made a ball for Chohan, so the score was once again 5-2, Jones’ favor. The game ended when Jones made a long shot, a crossover bank, and a tough cut to win 8-2.
In game six Jones fouled and Chohan made a bank with shape, ran six more, the closed out the rack with a gamewinning crossover bank to win, 8 to -1. Chohan also tied the match at 3-3. Double hill!
Jones twice made a ball on the break, but the rules call for a rerack if a ball is made on the break. On his third attempt he made an excellent break. Chohan fouled and Jones ran two balls. He then left Chohan a shot and he ran three, tying the score at 2-2. Jones made a bank and another ball, missed position and left the table with a 4-2 lead. Chohan made a bank, but scratched, and Jones ran two balls. Moments later he ran two and out to win the game, 8-1, and the match.
Interestingly, the breaker won all seven games! Jones evened his record at 2-2 and still has an outside shot at making it into the finals. Chohan, at 1-2, might also make it if he wins his final two matches. Both players would probably have to win a tiebreaker.
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MAKE IT HAPPEN 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL – Match #10
Efren Reyes 4 – Danny Smith 2
Danny Smith opened the scoring with a combo/carom, then made a second combo/carom (!) and ran two more to take a 4-0 lead. Smith extended his lead with a long shot and then two more balls before playing safe with the score 7-0. He finished the rack with a billiard to win game one, 8-0.
Reyes led with a bank in game two, then played a long rail bank off the stack and into his pocket! He made two more balls to assume a lead of 4-0. Smith might have thought that the 61-year old Reyes doesn’t like long shots, but he was wrong as The Magician made one, then two more balls to reach game ball with a lead of 7-0. Reyes inexplicably jumped up on the winner and missed it badly – and the game took an abrupt turn.
After Reyes scratched Smith made only one ball before missing shape. But in a subsequent turn Smith made a bank and ran four more to tie the game at 6-6! The end game went back and forth before Reyes, with the cue ball near a distant corner pocket, backcut a ball near the spot into his pocket! In another inning he made a crossover bank to claim a win that should have been closed out 20 minutes sooner.
In game three Smith sold out, but Reyes only made one before hanging another. Smith pocketed it for Reyes, who now led, 2-0. Reyes made a bank and ran three balls, then capitalized on an ill-considered safety attempt by Smith with a run of three and out to win the game, 8-0. Reyes now led in the match, 2 games to 1.
Smith hung a ball and Reyes made it to opening the scoring. Reyes then made a bank and ran four more before hanging up a ball and leaving Smith with a shot. Smith ran three and then took out Reyes’ ball. He now trailed, 5-4. Smith then missed a bank, left a shot, and Reyes made it, but he then missed an open shot. Smith made an excellent shot, then a bank to tie the score at 6-6. His next shot hit the point and he left Reyes a shot. A long distance safety rolled off a hair, leaving Reyes with a long rail bank, which he pocketed to win the game, 8-6. He now led, 3 games to 1.
Reyes opened game five with a long cut and one more before missing a bank. Several innings later Smith spun in a bank to tie the score at 2-2. In a later inning he powered in a bank and ran three more balls before hanging up a bank to grab a 6-2 lead. Reyes made one more but missed a combo and Smith ran two and out to win the game, 8-3.
In game six Reyes pocketed a lucky shot out of the rack, the balls spread widely, and he completed a precision run of eight and out to win the match, 4-2. Reyes is now tied for first with Shane Van Boening at 3-0. Reyes will play Alex Pagulayan tonight while Van Boening will face Tony Chohan. Smith is now at 1-3 and has no chance of winning.
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MAKE IT HAPPEN 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL – Match #11
Shane Van Boening 4 – Tony Chohan 2
Shane Van Boening fouled to trail, 0 to -1. He then tried a shot out of the rack that did not go! But Chohan did not have a shot. Van Boening made a ball, then in a subsequent inning made one for himself and one for Chohan. So the score was now 1-1. Chohan made a bank and ran three more balls to forge ahead, 5-1. He jawed his final shot, so after Van Boening made a ball, he then made one Chohan. Tony returned the favor by making a ball for Van Boening. Chohan made a two-rail bank, Van Boening made a ball, and Chohan pocketed one more to win game one, 8-4.
In game two Van Boening made a bank and three more balls before missing badly. Chohan answered with a combo out of the stack and ran four more to take a 5-4 lead. He did, however, leave Van Boening with a shot, but Shane made only one ball before another uncharacteristic miss. Chohan pocketed two balls, then jawed one. After Van Boening’s take out failed, Chohan made the final ball to win the game, 8-5, and he took a 2-0 lead in the match.
Chohan scratched on the break, but did not leave Van Boening with a shot – in fact, he was forced to knock balls away from Chohan’s pocket, and he made one for him in the process. A few turns later Van Boening sliced in a ball and opened the rack. He then ran six before jawing a shot. He now led, 6 to -1. Chohan ran three, then jumped up and missed. Van Boening made two easy shots to win the game, 8-2. He now trailed in the match, 2-1.
Van Boening opened the scoring in game four with a kick shot into a dead ball in the rack. He ran six more, then committed a foul. His lead was 6-0. Van Boening closed out the game moments later with a bank and a long shot to win the game, 8-0. The score was now tied at 2-2.
In game five Chohan missed a bank and left Van Boening with a wide open table. He took full advantage of his good fortune by quickly running eight and out to claim a 3-2 lead in this race to four games.
In this foul heavy game Van Boening fouled, then scratched to fall behind, 0 to -2. Chohan made a long shot and one more ball, but failed to get position and had to play a safety. Chohan then scratched on a safety and Van Boening ran seven to pull ahead, 5-1. Chohan surprisingly scratched again and Van Boening played a super position route up and down the table and ran three and out. He won the deciding game, 8-0, and the match, 4 games to 2.
Van Boening ran his record to 4-0 and locked up a spot in the finals. While Jeremy Jones is still mathematically in contention, Efren Reyes can secure his spot in the finals if he beats Alex Pagulayan in their match at 9:30.
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MAKE IT HAPPEN 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL – Match #12
Alex Pagulayan 4 – Efren Reyes 3
Alex Pagulayan broke, left Reyes a thin cut, and he made it, then a bank and two more to take a 4-0 lead. Reyes quickly was treated to another scoring opportunity and he ran four and out to capture game one. In game two, Reyes sold out and Pagulayan ran eight and out tying the score at 1-1.
Pagulayan left Reyes with a shot and he made two, then pocketed a bank in another inning to lead, 3-0. After Pagulayan left Reyes with an open shot, he ran four but missed the game ball! Pagulayan made the most of Reyes’ gift with another run of eight and out!
Pagulayan left Reyes with a shot after removing a ball in game four, and Reyes made it from long range, then missed a bank. Pagulayan then sold out and Reyes ran out – seven and out to be precise – to win the game, 8-0. He tied the score at 2-2.
Reyes began game five by playing a dead ball that wasn’t so dead after all. Pagulayan ran three before leaving a shot in the pocket. Reyes made a ball for Alex on his way to running eight and out – a run that was concluded with a difficult cross corner bank in which the ball was just below the side pocket.
Reyes began game six with a scratch, and Pagulayan ran three before getting a bad roll. Reyes left Pagulayan with a shot and he ran only one before missing. At this point the score was 4 to -1 in Pagulayan’s favor. Reyes then ran five balls and gave Pagulayan a ball. Alex then scratched and Reyes took ball-in-hand but could run only two before missing. He now led, 6-4. Pagulayan was in big trouble with the cue ball near the head rail, but he made a long carom shot and ran three balls to take the lead, 7-6. He kicked and left Reyes an easy shot, which he made to tie the score with a single ball remaining. After Reyes missed a long shot, Pagulayan speared in a long rail bank to win the game and tie the match at three games apiece.
In the deciding game Pagulayan made one ball, missed a bank, and left Reyes with a shot. Reyes made it, but had no other shot. He then scratched and Pagulayan took ball-in-hand and ran seven and out. He won his first match and is now 1-3. Reyes fell to 3-1 and must now play Shane Van Boening in his final match of round robin tomorrow.
DAY 3 RESULTS
Match 9 – Jeremy Jones 4 – Tony Chohan 3
Match 10 –– Efren Reyes 4 – Danny Smith 2
Match 11 – Shane Van Boening 4 – Tony Chohan 2
Match 12 – Alex Pagulayan 4 – Efren Reyes 3
STANDINGS AFTER 3 DAYS– (Today’s opponent)
Shane Van Boening----4 – 0 (Reyes)
Efren Reyes ------------ 3 – 1 (Van Boening)
Jeremy Jones-----------2 – 2 (Pagulayan)
Tony Chohan-----------1 – 2 (Smith)
Danny Smith------------1 – 3 (Chohan)
Alex Pagulayan---------1 – 3 (Jones
