Rich Minichello chalked up his second victory on the current Rack 'Em Up Tour on Sunday, December 18. It was his fourth victory on the tour, in overlapping seasons, since February. As he'd done in the 2011-2012 season opener back in September, Minichello went undefeated in the Open, A, B, C event that drew 40 entrants to Snookers, in Providence, RI.
From among the winners' side final four, Minichello shut out Rich Senna, while Joey Dupuis was sending Dan Tankerly west 6-2. Minichello got into the hot seat with a 6-2 win over Dupuis, who would return from the semifinals to face him a second time.
On the loss-side, Senna picked up Larry DeThomas, who'd defeated Chris Arnold, double hill, and Dave Norton 4-1 to reach him. Tankerly drew Stacie Bourbeau, who'd been sent west from among the winners' side final eight by Minichello and then won two straight double hill battles against D.J. Hopkins and Dave Wright.
Tankerly and Dethomas took advantage of their handicaps to defeat Bourbeau and Senna, both 3-2 (Bourbeau needed to reach four games, Senna needed five). In the straight-up, race-to-four quarterfinals that followed, Tankerly downed DeThomas 4-1, setting up a re-match against Dupuis in the semifinals. The second verse, as it turned out, was identical to the first. Once again, Dupuis defeated Tankerly 7-2, and got his own second chance against Minichello.
Dupuis' effort in the finals was three games stronger than it had been in the battle for the hot seat. Minichello, though, needing to win only six games to Dupuis' seven, prevailed 6-5 to capture the event title. Minichello would end up winning more in the event's Break and Run contest than he did in the 9-ball tournament.
Dave Norton, who finished in the tie for seventh place in the main event, had his name drawn first for the Break and Run contest, but won only $29 when he failed to make a ball. He was consoled by the fact that in addition to his 7th place winnings, he won the door prize raffle and went home with a 24" LED Toshiba Flatscreen TV. Minichello's name was drawn second. He promptly broke and ran the table to collect $640 and a Sneaky Pete Predator Cue.
