QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES --- FORMER AZ Billiards Rookie of the Year Ronnie "Calamba" Alcano topped the Taco-Cue Masters Showdown for the second straight time Saturday to become the first two-time winner of the made-for-TV event here at the National Broadcasting Network (NBN-4) in Studio 6, Visayas Avenue in QC.
Alcano, also the Manila leg champ of last year's Asian 9-Ball Tour, beat Jerome Pena for his sixth straight rack win and ninth for the evening in the first-to-score-9 ring game organized by Star Interactive Inc. headed by Ramon Recto.
The win earned the lanky cue-artist the top prize of P30,000.
In a post-mortem interview after the game, the 33-years-old Alcano said to this writer that " In this Ring game format you need to be consistent,accurate and little luck," he said. "That's happened to me,".
Before the clincher,Alcano defeated Godofredo 'Boy' Ducanes, Jeffrey 'Jeff Bata' De Luna, Victor Arpilleda, Mario 'Aklan' Tolentino and Eduardo 'Pikoy' Villanueva.
On his first turn at the table, Alcano downed Asian 9-Ball Singapore leg winner Gandy "Sapsal" Valle, Leonardo Didal and first episode winner Antonio "Ga-Ga" Gabica.
Second episode winner Dennis "Surigao" Orcollo and Alcano's stablemate was no longer around, trying his luck in the US billiards circuit.
Alcano, Orcollo, Gabica and De Luna are handled by businessman Perry Mariano, owner of Bugsy's Lair Billiards Hall.
Supporting the 10-man event are Remate tabloid newspaper, Games and Amusement Board (GAB), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Brunswick, ACCEL, PAGCOR and Cristine Catering Services.
Valle finished second for P20,000 while De Luna placed third for P10,000.
