Dennis Orcollo, the 27 year-old from Surigao City, Philippines is the 2006 PartyCasino.com World Pool League Champion as he overcame Holland's Niels Feijen in an entertaining final at the NOT Building in central Warsaw on Sunday evening.
The diminutive Orcollo, had played well throughout the three day, six-man tournament and was a deserved winner of the US$20,000 top prize.
He joins the likes of Jim Rempe, Efren Reyes, Thorsten Hohmann, Rodney Morris and Francisco Bustamante as winners of this coveted invitational trophy.
Both players strode into the full arena with an air of determination and with the format now winner breaks it was Feijen who won the lag and nicely cleared the table to take the early lead.
Orcollo squared it though and stole the break as he set up a run out from an excellent long cut on the 2 ball.
Orcollo took the lead in the next and he looked very confident moving the cue ball around the table. There was more of the same in the fourth rack as Orcollo ran out from the break to increase his lead to 3-1.
Feijen regained the table when Orcollo pushed out and left enough of the 1 ball visible for the Dutchman to pot it. He took it on and set up a run out to reduce the lead to a single rack.
A good break from Feijen left him with no pot on the 1 ball though, and he played a snooker. Orcollo managed to connect with the 1 but failed to hit a rail, giving ball in hand. Feijen made no mistakes as he cleared up to level the match at 3-3.
Feijen potted a ball off the break but his safety on the 1 ball was weak and it allowed Orcollo to tuck the cue ball behind the 3 ball. Niels' escape left the 1 conveniently positioned for Orcollo who potted it to set up a run out. Disastrously though, he missed the green 6 down the rail and Feijen grabbed the chance to dish up the final three balls to regain the lead.
There was no joy for Feijen off his next break and he was forced to push out with the brown 7 obscuring the 1 ball. His push down table was badly weighted and the cue ball seemed to roll off into the pocket to give Orcollo a gift of ball in hand. He didn't hesitate to run the table to square the match.
There was another ball in hand opportunity in the ninth as Feijen potted the 1 ball but scratched into the middle pocket. The Filipino speedily dispatched the table to take the lead at 5-4.
There was more of the same from Orcollo in the tenth game as he broke and run to put a two rack margin between himself and Feijen.
Orcollo pushed out in the next frame and Feijen got the better of the safety battle. Desperately needing it, Feijen cleared the table to reduce the deficit to 6-5.
The Dutchman pushed out in the next, potting the 2 ball with the yellow 1 obscured. Orcollo clearly liked the situation as he banked the 1 ball into the middle pocket to set up a run out to reach the hill at 7-5.
There was no joy for Orcollo in the next as the 1 ball was blocked out by the 8, forcing him to push out. With a kick shot on the 1 ball the only option, Feijen put him back in and Orcollo left a very tough long pot on the 1 ball for the Dutchman. Feijen missed it and the Filipino deftly caromed the 1 in off the 9.
Just when luck was needed, Orcollo enjoyed probably the biggest slice all week as the 9 ball rolled over the middle pocket leaving the 2 in easy position for the combo.
The 26 year-old stepped up to the plate to sink the match winning 2/9 combination to claim the 2006 PartyCasino.com World Pool League title.
Orcollo leapt with delight at his victory, whooping and dancing around the table as the capacity crowd rose to their feet.
An emotional Orcollo said, 'I'd like to thank the Philippines community in Warsaw for coming out and supporting me.
"This victory is very, very big for me, I can hardly speak. I'd like to dedicate this win to the people of the Philippines," he added.
Feijen commented, "I was playing good all week but Dennis had too much for me tonight. It was a great game though."
Semi Finals
Dennis Orcollo (Phi) 8 - 5 Ralf Souquet (Ger) Niels Feijen (Ned) 8 - 2 Thorsten Hohmann (Ger) The Philippines' Dennis Orcollo reached the final of the 2006 PartyPoker.com World Pool League as he got the better of Ralf Souquet in an initially tight encounter at the NOT Building in central Warsaw.
He faces the Netherland's Niels Feijen in the final after the Dutchman had a slightly easier passage over 2003 World Champion Thorsten Hohmann.
With the winner breaks format now in operation, the lag was of critical importance and it was Orcollo who took the honours. He broke and ran the first to settle his early nerves but was forced to push out in the second, after nearly scratching on the break.
Souquet took the table and tied his opponent up in a tight snooker and with no realistic chance of escape, Orcollo played a strategic deliberate foul, tying up the 8 ball with the 5.
With ball in hand, Souquet put Orcollo in more trouble. The Filipino escaped but Souquet once again tied him up. The German played a 1/8 combo to set him up and he cleared to square the match.
A methodical clearance in the next saw Souquet take the lead and he looked even more determined in the fourth game to complete another break and run for a 3-1 lead.
There was more of the same in the next as the German racked up a 4-1 lead, and with the winner breaking, it was beginning to look a tough proposition for Orcollo.
Souquet looked to have come unstuck off the break in the next but a superb cut on the 1 ball allowed him to continue. He was hooked on the 2 ball though and although his jump shot made contact, he left it on for Orcollo.
Perhaps a little cold after sitting in his chair for a few racks, Orcollo badly missed the 2 ball and left it over the pocket. Souquet ran out of position going from 2 to 3 and his weak safety gave his opponent the chance to run out and reduce the arrears.
Orcollo ran out a tricky seventh game and added the eight to square the match up at four-all. Both players had visits in the next before Orcollo played a brilliant table length kick shot on the 2 ball and cleared up from there.
The Filipino took the next and at 5-4 ahead all the momentum was with him. He won the next to open up a two rack lead but was forced to play safe in the 11th. He left Souquet a chance to lay a snooker but the German wasn't precise enough and he found himself snookered himself.
Souquet missed the 1 ball and with ball in hand Orcollo put him in trouble again but the German was equal to it, kicking out and potting the 1 ball.
Although Orcollo got to the table it was of no significance and Souquet cleared to reduce the arrears to 6-5. The Filipino stole the next rack to get to the hill and a terrific break looked to have set up a match-winning run out. Orcollo, looking a little tense at times, held himself together to take the rack and the match 8-5
In the second semi-final Niels Feijen had an easier time of it as he racked up an 8-2 win over defending champion Thorsten Hohmann.
Hohmann won the lag but made a bad miss on the 3 ball and Feijen looked clinical clearing to take the first. The Dutchman won the second before Hohmann made his first positive contribution as he ran the third following a miss from Feijen to get to 2-1.
Hohmann was looking in good shape in the fourth but snookered himself with just three balls left on the table. He made contact but left the table open and from there Feijen dished to go to 3-1.
Feijen was forced to play safe in the next but was far too loose and left the 1 ball on. He got back to the table when Hohmann missed the 3 ball having to play tough position. From there Feijen got out to take his lead to 4-1.
A fantastic shot by Feijen hooked Hohmann in deep trouble but he escaped and after a safety exchange, the German took his chance to win the game and get back to 4-2.
The next rack saw visits by both players as they exchanged fluked snookers and it was Hohmann who fouled, going off three rails and failing to hit the 2 ball. With ball in hand Feijen ran out to take the score to 5-2.
The Dutchman took the next and then gained ball in hand in the ninth as Hohmann clipped the black 8 before the 1 ball when the yellow 1 was clearly visible up table. With ball in hand Feijen ran out to get to the hill
There were no mistakes from Feijen as he broke and ran the tenth rack to take the match and seal a spot in the final.
Payouts
1 Dennis Orcollo US$20,000
2 Niels Feijen US$10,000
3/4 Thorsten Hohmann, Ralf Souquet US$7,000
5 Chang Pei-wei US$3,000
6 Radoslaw Babica US$3,000
