JR Poste
It’s been a while since JR Poste chalked up a win on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour; five years, to be precise. And at that event in Wilmington, NC in August, 2016, he claimed the event title by virtue of being the undefeated hot seat occupant when he and BJ Hucks negotiated their way out of playing a final match. This past weekend (Sat., April 24), Poste chalked up another victory on the tour and once again, claimed the title by negotiating a split with his potential opponent in the finals. This time, it was Hank Powell. The event drew 32 entrants to Buck’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Poste and Powell met twice at this event. Powell advanced through the field to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal versus 14-year-old Bethany Tate, a Billiards Education Foundation National Champion; Girls, 11 and under, 2018. Poste, in the meantime, faced Bruce Campbell in the other winners’ side semifinal.
With Tate racing to four, she fought the veteran Powell to double hill before Powell sent her to the loss side 8-3. Poste downed Campbell 7-1 to join Powell in the hot seat match. Poste claimed the hot seat 7-5 over Powell, in what would prove to be the deciding match of the event.
Tate moved over to face Daniel Adams, who’d defeated Chris Petoletti 6-5 (Petoletti racing to 7) and Robbie Crosby 6-3. Campbell picked up Shane Hardie, who’d eliminated Krystle Schmidt 7-2 and Bethany Tate’s older brother Joey 7-6 (Joey racing to 8). The way the draw turned out, had Joey defeated Hardie, he would have drawn Campbell next. If he’d then defeated Campbell, he might have drawn his sister in a sibling quarterfinal, but she, of course, would have had to defeat Adams, which she did not do, losing to him 6-1. Campbell downed Hardie 6-5 (Hardie racing to 7).
Adams took the quarterfinal match versus Campbell 6-4 and in what proved to be the last match of the night, was then defeated by Powell 8-4 in the semifinals. Powell and Poste negotiated their settlement, leaving Poste as the official negotiated winner of his second Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball event.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Buck’s Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., AZBilliards, Federal Savings Bank mortgage division and Diamond Brat. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this coming weekend, May 1-2, will be a $500-added event, hosted by Break & Run Billiards in Chesnee, SC.
