Reno, Nevada became pool central in the US Monday, February 25th. Players from all over the world, both amateur and professional, descended upon the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino to test their 7’ table skills at the 20th US Bar Table Championships (February 25-March 3).
The popular seven day event is produced by CueSports International (CSI) and sponsored by the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. The tournament features 6 divisions, all played on 7’ Diamond tables: Men’s 10-Ball, Men’s 9-Ball, Men’s 8-Ball, Women’s 10-Ball, Women’s 9-Ball and Women’s 8-Ball. This year there are a total of 583 entries, a 14% increase from 2012. Players who enter all three of their respective divisions are eligible to be awarded points based on their finishes towards a bonus payout. The top three men and the top two women with the highest overall points will receive bonuses.
In addition to the 6 main divisions, this year CSI added second chance single elimination events to each group, 10-ball, 9-ball and 8-ball. Joining CSI at the USBTC for a second consecutive year, the WorldPPA is hosting their organization’s World Championship for its members.
The first two and a half days of the US Bar Table Championships are dedicated to the 10-ball competition. In the Men’s 10-Ball Division 118 players competed for their piece of the $17,300 purse that was allocated for that division alone.
While he sustained a 5th round loss to Georgian Stevie Moore, Dennis Ocollo, hot off his win at the 17th Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball Tournament, plowed through his remaining opponents on the one loss bracket to pocket the $4,550 first place prize.
Although relatively new to the USBTC, the women’s divisions also saw growth this year. In 2010 CSI added for the first time a separate women’s 8-ball division to the USBTC. Bolstered by how well that inaugural women’s only division was received, in 2011 CSI added a separate women’s division in all three games.
This year the Women’s 10-Ball division saw 26 entrants with a division payout of $2,300. Canadian Brittany Bryant, who has been a dominant force in women’s pool in North America since she was barely a teen, went undefeated including beating “Texas Tornado” Vivian Villarreal in the finals to take the $875 first place prize.
Upon completion of the 10-ball divisions, the 9-ball action starts up then the seven day Reno event concludes with 8-ball from Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3rd. The Action Report (TAR) is steaming the entire seven days live. You can catch all the action at www.theactionreport.com.
Payouts for the Men’s 10-Ball Division of the 20th US Bar Table Championships
1st $4,550: Dennis Orcollo
2nd $2,600: Corey Deuel
3rd $1,800: Rodney Morris
4th $1,200: Ronnie Alcano
5th-6th $750: Shane Van Boening and Stevie Moore
7th-8th $475: Thorsten Hohmann and Jayson Shaw
17th-24th $175: Jason Klatt, Christopher MacDonald, Tim Larson, Rory Hendrickson, Mark Tafoya, Oscar Dominguez, Jose Parica and Darren Appleton
25th-32nd $150: Terry Johnson, Ernesto Dominguez, Rafael Martinez Chavez, Warren Kiamco, Amar Kang, Ramesh Gokhul, Manny Chau Duran and Sam Cole
Payouts for the Women’s 10-Ball Division of the 20th US Bar Table Championships
1st $875: Brittany Bryant
2nd $500: Vivian Villarreal
3rd $300: Melissa Little
4th $175: Mary Rankin
5th-6th $125: Leslie Bernardi and Jessica Frideres
7th-8th $100: Brooke Thomason and Suzanne Smith
