Justin Hall
A little over a decade ago in July of 2012, Florida’s Justin Hall traveled to Tunica, MS, about 45 minutes south of Memphis, TN, two hours east of Little Rock, AR and a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River, to compete in the first-ever Southern Classic at Harrah’s Resort and Casino. He ended up winning the event’s One Pocket division, competing against familiar One Pocket competitors like Ryan Stone (runner-up), Shannon Daulton (3rd), Darren Appleton, Corey Deuel, Mike Davis, Jr., and Charlie Bryant. Hall went on to win the Banks division and while he finished 16th in the 9-ball event, he did claim the event’s Master of the Table title. It became the cornerstone of what would eventually become his best (recorded) earnings year to date in which he climbed to #16 on the AZBilliards’ Money Leaderboard.
Hall’s next best recorded earnings year came nine years later in 2021 when he chalked up three One Pocket titles, including one-on-one duels versus Corey Deuel and Evan Lunda, along with victories at the US Open One Pocket and in his Sunshine State backyard, Capone’s One Pocket. He also added a first-place trophy capturing the Diamond Open 2021 Banks tournament in Aiken, SC, ahead of (in order) Fedor Gorst, John Morra, Sky Woodward and Jayson Shaw.
In answer to any “what have you done for me lately?” questions, he can now respond with his undefeated One Pocket victory at this past weekend’s (Mar 29-April 3) inaugural 2023 Pro Cup Series, a four-event series with One Pocket and 10-Ball divisions, to be held from now until a week before Christmas, hosted by Capone’s in Spring Hill, FL. A point system for the entire series will award cash bonuses (in addition to normal payout amounts) to the top three competitors in the series; $1000 for 1st place, $600 for 2nd and $400 for 3rd. The $5,000-added One Pocket event drew a full field of 32 entrants, while the $5,200-added 10-Ball tournament (ongoing at the time of this report) drew a field of 50.
Hall’s undefeated run through the One Pocket field was challenged by Tony Chohan twice, first in the opening round and again, in the finals, when Chohan completed an eight-match, loss-side winning streak; a particularly significant and grueling loss-side run in a One Pocket tournament. Following that opening round victory over Chohan 4-2, Hall (who would end up playing six matches, total) went on to defeat Tony Crosby 4-2 and shutout Donny Branson to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Anthony Meglino. Hall would be challenged, double hill, in all three of his last matches.
In the meantime, Billy Thorpe opened his campaign, which would take him all the way to the hot seat match, with a double hill win over Randy Epperson and then shut out his next two opponents, Mike Sigel and George Saunders. He advanced to face his winners’ side semifinal against Warren Kiamco.
In the first of his three straight, double-hill battles, Hall defeated Meglino. Thorpe joined him in the hot seat match after sending Kiamco to the B side 4-2. Double hill, Hall claimed the hot seat over Thorpe and presumably watched with considerable interest as Chohan continued his relentless battle through the loss-side field, headed in his direction.
In races to 3 on the loss side, Chohan advanced to meet Kiamco, having previously given up only two racks, alternating shutouts over Jimmy Sarnia, Elvis Rodriguez, and James Adams with single-racks-against victories over Mike Sigel and John DiToro. Meglino picked up Lithuania’s Pijus Labutis, who’d lost a winners’ side, double-hill quarterfinal to Kiamco before shutting out Epperson and surviving a double-hill match versus George Saunders.
Meglino gave up only one, advancing to the quarterfinals over Labutis. Chohan joined him after surviving his first, though destined to be not his last, double hill fight. He then shutout Meglino and gave up only a single rack to Thorpe in the semifinals.
By the time Chohan stepped to the table to take on Hall in the final race to 5, he’d played 35 total games in nine matches of One Pocket. Oddly enough, in almost half as many matches (5), Hall had played 30 games. They were both about to add 9 games to their total. Hall chalked up five of them to claim the event title.
Tour director Carrie Vetrono thanked Rory McElroy and his Capone’s staff for their hospitality, as well as BigFamilyCustoms.com (for tournament plaques) and UpstateAl for event streaming services. The next stop on Capone’s 2023 Florida Cup Series is scheduled for June 7-12.
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