The Lone Star Billiards Tour held its Bogies Houston Classic IV this weekend, August 15th-16th drawing a whopping 90 player field! Saturday morning Bogies Billiards & Games was packed with talent including Louisiana's own Gary Abood and Derrick Fontenot, Mississippi's Jerry Slivka, and Texas' favorites Sylver Ochoa, Lanny Herrin, Dennis Strickland, Nick Hood, Rene Rendon and Billy Sharp. Pro Players included Charlie Bryant, Zaid Thweib, and Cliff Joyner.
Kim White kicked it off with a player auction that added $9,000.00 to the mix and a second player auction of the final 16 that added another $3,150. The tournament and auctions paid out $15,850. Not bad for a weekend of pool playing!!!
Saturday's play produced few upsets on the winner's side. However, Jerry Slivka's impressive 9-2 win over Charlie Bryant earned him a spot in the final 8 on the winner's side and a chance to come back on Sunday and snap it off. Sunday's winner's side final 4 included Mike Alonzo vs. Dennis Strickland and Zaid Thweib vs. Jerry Slivka. It ends up a Strickland-Thweib shoot out for the hot seat. After a few key misses, Thweib quickly capitalized over Strickland 9-5.
On the one loss side, Tony Scott fell prey to the Hillbilly, and Billy Sharp to Sylver Ochoa after Sylver also suffered a loss to the seemingly unstoppable Jerry Slivka. Slivka met up with Hillbilly on the one loss side and was laid to rest 7-3. Sylver also put away Mike Alonzo who suffered a loss to Strickland on the winner's side final 8.
It was an Ochoa-Bryant shoot out for third and a chance to fire at Dennis Strickland. The set went all Charlie's way 7-1, as well as with rival player Dennis Strickland who also fell prey 7-3. Hillbilly moved on to play Zaid Thweib in the true double elimination final.
First set was a race to 9. Zaid jumped to a 2-0 lead over Hillbilly and missed an 8 ball in the third rack to go up 3-0. Hillbilly is breaking and answers back 2-2. He gives up ball in hand in the 5th game and its 3-2 Zaid. Finally, after a rack running exchange, Hillbilly takes a two game lead, 8-6, and he's breaking! It went in Hillbilly's favor the first set 9-6. Now in overtime, it starts just about the same. Zaid jumps to a 3-0 lead and Hillbilly returns the favor tying at 3 all. Zaid takes a two game lead, 5-3 and Hillbilly takes it to 5-4 in the short race to 7, then 5-5. Zaid closes it out 7-5 and breaks the Hillbilly's three tournament winning streak! Way to go Zaid!
Congratulations to Jillian Martinez who snapped of the $300 added women's event from the loser's side!! The event had a total purse of $865! First place earned Jillian $200 along with $200 in auction money. Jillian fought long and hard against Cristina De La Garza capturing both sets 7-4/7-6. Also, congrats to Charlie Brown who won the Poison AR4 Cue and Brandon Turner, former junior player, who won the Predator Air Jump Cue. I know they will get great use out of their new Poison/Predator Cues!
Many thanks to our tour sponsors Poison Billiards(Official Cue), Delta 13(Official Rack), Cue Reach, and McDermott I-2 shafts. Big kudos to Cue & A Promotions aka “Big Truck” for streaming and promoting all of our events. Special thanks to our venue, Bogies Billiards & Games, and our gracious weekend hostess Georgia Williams standing in for husband and owner Jerry. We missed you Jerry!!!
The next Lone Star Billiards Tour Event will be September 25th-26th at Bradley's Billiards in San Antonio, Texas. Saddle up and ride with us on the Lone Star Trail……….where pool pays!!!!
