MAKE IT HAPPEN 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL – Match #1
Tony Chohan 3 – Alex Pagulayan 1
Alex Pagulayan, the winner of the last two Derby City Classic 1-Pocket titles, won the lag and then worked his way into a 3-2 lead in game one. After Chohan missed a bank, Pagulayan ran five and out to grab a 1-0 lead in this race to three.
Chohan, who finished second to Danny Smith in the Louisiana Pro One Pocket event in January and who beat Smith for first in a 1-Pocket event last week, won the second game, 8-2. He followed that with an 8 to -2 win in the third game.
In game four Chohan had ball in hand after Pagulayan scratched on a safety, but his run stalled at four. A couple of innings later Pagulayan gambled on a long rail bank, missed, and Chohan ran four and out to win the game and the match, three games to one.
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MAKE IT HAPPEN 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL – Match #2
Shane Van Boening 3 – Danny Smith 1
Danny Smith went for a bank in game one, missed, and Van Boening ran two. Smith ran two, but missed a shot to a partial pocket. Smith made a long combo and ran two more to lead, 5-2. Van Boening made one and then missed. Smith ran three and out to capture the first game.
Van Boening made two, including a bank. A few innings later Smith left an opening on a widely spread layout, and Van Boening ran six and out, tying the match at 1-1.
In game three Smith ran three, then made a hanger for Van Boening to lead, 3-1. He then opened another scoring inning with a bank, ran four, and reached game ball with a 7-1 lead. But then the momentum made a radical turn, and along with it, the match. First, Van Boening got an opening and ran two. Then Smith fouled and Van Boening ran a very artful five and out to win the game, 8-6. He now led in the match, 2-1.
Game four was pure entertainment for any fan of 1-Pocket. Smith took the early lead with a bank, but then Van Boening ran four. They each tacked on another ball, so Van Boening now led, 5-1. Smith ran six to move ahead, 7-5. Van Boening replied by hanging a long rail bank, which Smith made for him. 7-6, Smith in the lead.
Van Boening made a challenging crossover bank to knot the score at 7-7. Smith then tried to slice in a super thin cut across the table, but missed the ball entirely, so Van Boening now led, 7-6. He then slow rolled in the match ball from long range to win the game and the match, 3-1.
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MAKE IT HAPPEN 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL – Match #3
Efren Reyes 3 – Jeremy Jones 0
Efren Reyes opened his defense of the MIH 1-Pocket title that he won last June with a convincing 3-0 triumph over Jeremy Jones, a very knowledgeable player from Texas.
In game one the score was tied at 1-1 when Jones missed. Reyes answered with two balls before missing. He now led, 3-1. Jones made a bank out of the stack and ran four to take a 5-3 lead. The Magician made a long two railer, then two more. Needing two balls, he sliced in a ball jacked up AND deftly broke a cluster to complete a run of five and out.
Reyes began game two by missing a shot while jacking up. Jones made two, then one for Reyes, so the score was now 2-1 in Jones’ favor. He played a safety, leaving the cue ball just off the distant end rail, but Reyes rolled in the table length cut shot and proceeded to run seven and out! Advantage Reyes, 2-0.
In the third and final game Jones scratched on his break. Moments later he was forced to kick at a ball in front of Reyes’ pocket. After Reyes took an intentional foul the score was Reyes 0, Jones -1. Jones left Reyes in a tough position, but Reyes found a carom shot, pocketed, and ran 6 to lead, 6 to -1. Jones made a ball, but subsequently left Reyes with an opening and Efren sank the final to balls to win the game, 8-0.
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MAKE IT HAPPEN 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL – Match #4
Shane Van Boening 3 – Alex Pagulayan 2
After several innings of play Pagulayan held a 1-0 lead. Then Van Boening broke loose and ran seven before missing the game ball. A couple of turns later he kicked in the game ball to win game one, 8-1.
Van Boening ran three, but then missed position and his run stalled out. Pagulayan fouled and Van Boening did as well. Pagulayan then ran nine and out to tie the match at 1-1.
Van Boening led game three, 1 to -2 when my computer temporarily went down. By the time it came back up, he had won the game to take a 2-1 lead. In game four Pagulayan broke out to a 6-0 lead, but Van Boening fought back to close to within two at 7-5. But then he missed a bank and sold out, and Pagulayan pocketed the gamewinner to create double hill at two games each.
In the final game Van Boening ran five to take a 6-2 lead before hanging ball 7. Pagulayan executed a tough four ball run before following the ball in front of Van Boening’s pocket into the pocket. He now trailed, 6-5. Pagulayan made a bank to tie the score at 6-6, but missed a bank and scratched.
Van Boening made a ball, then hung game ball! Pagulayan followed it in, and now trailed, 7-4. Pagulayan once again followed in a ball the Van Boening had left in front of his pocket to trail, 7-3. After making a ball, Pagulayan accidently made Van Boening’s game winning ball, handing him an 8-4 win.
Van Boening is now 2-0 while Pagulayan suffered his second loss in the day’s two matches.
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DAY 1 RESULTS – Summary – MAKE IT HAPPEN 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL
Match #1 – Tony Chohan 3 – Alex Pagulayan 1
Match #2 – Shane Van Boening 3 – Danny Smith 1
Match #3 – Efren Reyes 3 – Jeremy Jones 0
Match #4 – Shane Van Boening 3 – Alex Pagulayan 2
STANDINGS
Shane Van Boening 2 – 0
Efren Reyes 1 – 0
Tony Chohan 1 – 0
Danny Smith 0 – 1
Jeremy Jones 0 – 1
Alex Pagulayan 0 – 2
