Ryan Braselman, Clint Freeman and Johnny Garcia
Briseno captures One Pocket event, Soto wins Ladies 9-Ball and Johnny Garcia takes 8-ball title
Texas is a really big state, but when you gather large groups of its best pool players together, particularly at a memorial event for one of its own, it becomes a very small world. For the eighth year, that ‘small world’ of pool players, comprised of those who were there eight years ago, those who were more recent attendees and a presumed contingent of people in attendance for the first time, gathered to celebrate the life of Royce Bunnell, former President and co-founder of OB Cues, who passed away in 2015. The 8th Annual Royce Memorial, held this past weekend (Dec. 7-10) at Stixx & Stones Billiards in Lewisville, TX, drew 126 competitors, with crossovers in five events; a $1k-added event in a 9-Ball Open (56 entrants), a Ladies 9-Ball Open (12) and a One Pocket tournament (12), along with two $500-added events in 8-Ball (31) and a Banks Ring Game (15).
The event has come a long way from its origin, a 9-ball tournament held as a fundraiser, 12 days after Bunnell died and won by a former OB Cues employee, William Howard. The 1st Annual Royce Memorial occurred in 2016 and was won by Shane McMinn, who would go on to win it two more times (’19/’21). McMinn finished out of the money at this year’s 9-ball tournament, while finishing as runner-up to Gus Briseno in the One Pocket event (Briseno was runner-up to Robert Clark in the 6th Royce Memorial’s One Pocket event in 2021). Briseno came into the 9-ball tournament as its defending champion and this year, finished in the tie for 5th/6th.
As noted, small world.
While McMinn was there at the start of this year’s 9-ball tournament, he lost his opening match, won two on the loss side and then, was eliminated by Clint Freeman. Briseno, in the meantime, won two winners’ side matches before being sent to the loss side by Shawn Morris and then, after winning four straight, lost to Morris a second time. Morris would go on to finish third.
Louisiana’s Ryan Braselman, who’s only been recording payout finishes with us here at AZBilliards since 2021, went undefeated in the event, after finishing as runner-up (after a split of the payouts) to Johnny Garcia in Friday’s 8-ball tournament. Braselman, who won six matches to claim the title, faced Doug Winnett twice in 9-ball, downing him 8-5 in the hot seat match and once Winnett had defeated Morris, double hill in the semifinals, defeated him a second time 8-3.
Backing up in time a bit to cover Friday night’s 31-entrant 8-ball event, the short races to 3 made for some interesting scores, given the fact that there were only three possibles; 3-0, 3-1 and double-hill. Garcia’s undefeated run through five opponents saw him chalk up all three. He shut out two opponents and gave up a single rack to one. He won his opening match and final match (the hot seat match vs. Braselman), double hill. Braselman went from the hot seat match to the semifinals, where, in even shorter races to 2 (two possibilities; 2-0, and double hill), he downed Clint Freeman, double hill. Braselman returned to negotiate a split with Garcia, who, as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat became the official winner.
Forest Boyd, Shane McMinn and Gus Briseno
Staying in the time frame, the 12-entrant One Pocket event got its start on Thursday as well, but given the nature of the game, it didn’t finish up until Friday night. In another event with races to 3 (this time, on both sides of the bracket), McMinn, who was awarded an opening round bye, went undefeated to the hot seat, giving up only two racks in 11 games. He gave up a single rack in his opening match, none at all in a winners’ side semifinal, and another one to claim the hot seat over Forest Boyd.
Boyd had defeated Briseno, double hill, in his previous winners’ side semifinal match and when he moved into the semifinals, met up with him again. By that time, Briseno had survived a double-hill battle in his first loss-side match against Frank Granados and shut out Robert Clark in the quarterfinals. Briseno shut Boyd out as well, and got a shot at McMinn, waiting for him in the hot seat.
Briseno took the opening set of the true double-elimination final 3-1. At that point, he and McMinn negotiated a financial settlement that split the top two One Pocket prizes.
On Saturday, as the 56 men started up their 9-ball tournament, 12 women joined the party and began theirs. Tina Soto and Jamie Wilson battled twice for the ladies title, both times in the double-elimination final. Soto went undefeated to the hot seat, while Wilson was shut out in her opening match by Rachel Dytko and won five on the loss side to meet Soto in the final.
Soto, after a bye, downed Jessica Demello 5-3 and in a winners’ side semifinal, shut out Monica Anderson to move into the hot seat match. Dytko, in the meantime, advanced after her victory over Wilson to defeat Deby Francsico 5-3 in the other winners’ side semifinal to face Soto in the hot seat match. A double-hill battle ensued, won eventually by Soto.
Tina Soto and Jamie Wilson
On the loss side, Wilson, moving into her third loss-side match drew Anderson, whom she defeated 5-2 to face Crystal Dunn in the quarterfinals. Wilson won that match 5-3 and in their semifinal rematch, defeated Dytko 5-2.
Momentum played its role in the finals, as Wilson stepped into the first set of a double-elimination final and defeated Soto, double hill. Soto came back in the second set to claim the Ladies title 5-1.
Last but not least, we go back in time again to pick up the 15-entrant Banks Ring Game which got underway on Friday night. They’re not the types of games that lend themselves to game-by-game narration, so suffice it to say that Briseno came out on top, with Jason Miller as runner-up and Chase LaFerney in third place.
Event director David Reyes thanked the ownership and staff at Stixx & Stones for their hospitality, along with sponsors OB Cues, Outsville Accu-Rack, TX2LV, Cavalli Pizzeria, Granite Guyz, the DFW 9-Ball Tour, DFW Pool TV, Dallas 8-Ball, Digital Pool, Doc’s Billiards Office and Eric and Becky Smith.
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