Back to back weekends of pool at Shooters Billiards in Wichita, Kansas, can't get any better than November 28th-30th which held a bar table nine-ball handicapped (rated 3-12) event; and then the following weekend (December 3rd-7th) one-pocket division and $3000 entry bar table ten-ball ring game – this all courtesy of the Midwest 9-Ball Tour and a very tired Evelyn Dysart.
First, the handicapped event in November brought in a whopping 128 players, paying down 32 of those spots. The $2000 added, $50 entry nine-ball tournament ultimately pitted Mike Banks, Jr. and Sam Cole together in the hot-seat match with Banks, Jr. coming out on top 12-4. Cole found his way to the one-loss side where he would wait for Randy “Bigg” Gordon in the semis. Cole being rated an eight and Gordon a five (pushing up to a seven), ended in a very tight finish, but it would be Gordon that would take the set 5-4 to attempt an upset in the finals with Banks, Jr. who was rated a twelve.
In the finals, Gordon forced his way past Banks, Jr. in the first set 5-2, but the second set was all about Banks, Jr. ending Gordon's run in a dominating finish of 12-2.
Honorable mention goes to Mary Scheer (rated 4) for snagging top woman in the event and a $60 prize.
Results (November 28th-30th – 9Ball Handicapped)
1st Mike Banks, Jr. (rated 12) $2000
2nd Randy “Bigg” Gordon (rated 5, up to a 7) $1000
3rd Sam Cole (rated 8) $400
4th Shane McMinn (rated 12) $200
5th/6th Joey Gray (rated 11)/David Caron (rated 9) $75
7th/8th Brian Phillips (rated 7)/Clegg Ratcliff (rated 7) $60
9th-12th Randy Kolpin (rated 8)/Mike Teder (rated 8)/Mike Lacy (rated 8)/J.R. Dodd (rated 8) $50
13th-16th Junior Brown (rated 10)/David Griffin (rated 6)/Eddie Sipes (rated 6)/Soup Louangrath (rated 9) $40
17th-24th Marshall Roney (rated 10)/Alan Martin (rated 9)/Jim Lee (rated 6)/Matt Low (rated 6)/Jesse Vogel (rated 8)/Steve Kakoulias (rated 6)/John Boster (rated 7)/Perry Gibson (rated 6) $30
25th-32nd Chuck Raulston (rated 11)/Bryant Bishop (rated 8)/Chris Weast (rated 10)/Jerry Keene (rated 7)/Bill Bolin (rated 5)/Jay Lara (rated 5)/George Trujillo (rated 8)/Dave Rymer (rated 7) $20
Next up, the one pocket division held over the weekend of December 3rd-7th. With a $1000 added incentive and a $100 entry, the competition was fierce this time around with several coming in to participate in the ring game as well. The one-pocket tournament was played on nine-foot tables and when the field dwindled down, the semis held Chip Compton and Buddy Hall. Hall wasted no time to jump into the finals as he took down Compton handily 3-1. Although the race was tight with Hall and Gabe Owen in the final round 3-2, Owen (after taking the hot seat match), sealed the victory going undefeated through the field of twenty-four.
Results (December 3rd-7th – One Pocket)
1st Gabe Owen $1100
2nd Buddy Hall $800
3rd Chip Compton $500
4th Joey Gray $300
5th/6th Tony Chohan/Scott Frost $230
But moving onto the big excitement and to cap off the triple play was the $3000 ten-ball entry ring game. This $5000 added battle of competitive spirit was a true test of ones steady handedness. The ring game was played on bar tables and limited to thirty-two players, but drew a total of sixteen entries. The format was four men on each table, randomly drawn to those tables, with the players picking numbers to determine their groups. The sessions were three hours long, with forty-five minute breaks, redrawing the order in the group every ten games. And of course, no safeties allowed.
The day began with $100 per game, then $200, and eventually the brackets narrowed to just eight players returning on Sunday where the money increased gradually throughout the day until a winner was named. The final two players played a single race to twenty-one with winner breaking. Those two lucky and talented players being Justin Bergman and Shane McMinn. The final score between them 21-18, with Bergman taking home a big block of cheese. Bergman showed exemplary play as did the entire field throughout the tournament, many stringing four plus racks in a grouping at a time.
Special thanks to all that made this triple play happen including Shooters Billiards management/staff; and the six cue makers that sponsored the ring game donating a cue from each including: Gilbert Custom Cues, Durbin Custom Cues, Patrick Custom Cues, Diveney Custom Cues, QB Custom Cues, and Shurtz Custom Cues. On-hand for the event were A.J. and QBall (QB Custom Cues); Doug Patrick (Patrick Custom Cues); Andy Gilbert (Gilbert Custom Cues); Mike Durbin (Durbin Custom Cues); Bob Owen (Shurtz Custom Cues) and Pat Diveney (Diveney Custom Cues). For those of you out there trying to figure out what cue to buy in the near future, remember these names – they support you, it would be great to see the favor returned.
Results (December 3rd-7th – Ring Game)
1st Justin Bergman $21500
2nd Shane McMinn $15500
3rd David Matlock $11000
4th Shane Van Boening $5000
