Brian Butler
As we turn our attention north to Edmonton, the capital city of Canada’s Alberta province, we discover almost immediately that TopShots Billiards is one of the city’s “6 Best Clubs,” according to the BestinEdmonton.com Web site. According to its own Web site – topshots.ca – it is “the best thing to happen to pool since chalk.” Its 15,000+ square feet features 18, 9-ft. tables, four full-sized, tournament-class snooker tables, eight ping pong tables, six dart boards and a Trackman golf simulator that allows you to play on over 50 championship courses worldwide.
This past weekend (Feb. 9-11), TopShots played host to its own 6th anniversary celebration with a $1,000-added 10-Ball Tournament that drew 96 entrants to its location on the southern outskirts of Edmonton. Brian Butler and Stephen Holem battled twice for the title; winners’ side semifinal and the single set of a true-double-elimination final. They battled to double hill both times and though Butler went undefeated to win, it was not before he and Holem battled to their second and arguably more dramatic, final race to 9.
In addition to going undefeated to win the event, Brian Butler is the room’s owner and the event’s tour director, prompting an obvious question as to how he manages it all.
“That’s a good question,” he said. “I’m not sure I do.”
Butler and Holem were among the five competitors Fargo-rated above 700 in the event. Holem (764) headed that list, ahead of Rob Phillips (729; 13th), Aaron Arganoza (717; 5th), Butler (711) and Carlos Barbosa (702; 4th).
Though Butler would persevere in both of their encounters, Holem had the ‘better trip’ to their first meetup in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Butler arrived with an aggregate game score of 41-19 (68%). Holem, aided and abetted by a pair of shutouts in his second and third round and giving up only a single rack in his winners’ side quarterfinal, arrived to face Holem with an aggregate score of 32-4; an eye-popping 88% game-winning percentage. There aren’t many who’d step up to a table, brimming with any confidence, knowing that the opponent they’re about to face has, to that point, been winning nearly nine out of every 10 games he played.
Meanwhile, from the lower end of the 128-player bracket, with 32 opening-round byes, Ray Carter (who was awarded one of them) was wending his way through the field, destined for the hot seat match. Coming into his winners’ side semifinal against Aaron Arganoza, he’d won just six games more than he lost (33-27, 55%), including two back-to-back, double-hill wins against Percy Potts, Jr. and Jonathan Samson that put him into that winners’ side semifinal.
Apparently, Butler did not get the “88%” memo, indicating Holem’s level of play to their point of first contact. They battled to double hill before Butler prevailed for a place in the hot seat match. Carter joined him after sending Arganoza to the loss side 8-6. Butler slipped into the hot seat with a 9-4 win over Carter.
On the loss side, Holem drew Samson, who’d followed his winners’ side quarterfinal loss to Carter with victories over Asher Fabia 7-6 (Fabia racing to 8) and Leo Paskemin 7-4. Arganoza picked up Carlos Barbosa, who’d lost his second-round match on the winners’ side to Samson and was at work on a nine-match winning streak, that had almost been derailed by a double-hill challenge from Marcus Letendre-Alexis. Barbosa survived the challenge, advancing to eliminate Aljoy Lorilla 7-2, Jason Galenza 7-1, Rick Marshall (Glenn) 8-3 and Gary Nagel 8-4 before running into Arganoza.
Barbosa chalked up what would prove to be his last, loss-side win, eliminating Arganoza 8-6. Holem joined him in the quarterfinals after defeating Samson 8-5.
Barbosa put up a double-hill fight to extend his loss-side streak, but Holem had the last ‘say’ in that quarterfinal matchup. Holem then made short work of Carter, defeating him 8-2 in the semifinals for a second shot at Butler, waiting for him in the hot seat.
According to the bracket’s time stamps, the semifinal finished just minutes ahead of midnight on Saturday. It took just a little over two hours for Messrs. Butler and Holem to complete their second, double-hill battle, as, once again, the “88%” memo failed to reach Butler’s ‘desk.’ Butler won it, laying claim to TopShots Billiards’ 6th Annual Birthday 10-Ball event.
Butler expressed his appreciation for the Edmonton pool community – local customers and league players – who have contributed to the success of Top Shots Billiards over the past six years and for this event, in particular, Elaine Reaper (REMax Preferred Realtor) and daughter, Mahra Cormier for the event’s added money.
As to his industrious multi-tasking to include his undefeated claim of the event title, Butler spoke of a general mindset and the presence of good fortune.
“I mean, I always play to win,” he said, “though with a large field (like this one), you don’t really know how it’s going to go.”
“I was pleased to play well and hang on to win,” he added, “because I was getting pretty tired there at the end.”
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