Raed Shabib (Courtesy Chris Reinhold)
Originally from Nashville, TN, Raed Shabib entered our database in 2017 by winning a stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour in Atlanta, GA. About four years later, Shabib’s base of operations shifted to Houston, TX, where his career picked up at the tables with appearances at a number of regional tours. Last year, in what would become his best recorded earnings year so far, he opened his 2023 campaign with a return to his ‘roots,’ so to speak, competing in the Music City Classic in Madison, TN (25th) and a little over a week later, he finished 3rd at the Derby City Classic’s (DCC) Bank Pool Division. He would also begin competing on the newly-emerged DL Billiards Tour, including a win of its fifth stop and runner-up finish in its Grand Finale.
After competing in both the One Pocket (30th) and 9-Ball (25th) divisions of the 2024 DCC last month, Shabib chalked up his second victory on the DL Billiards Tour this past weekend (Sat., Feb. 10th), going undefeated at the $210-added, 8-Ball tournament that drew 21 entrants to Big Tyme Billiards in Spring, TX. Maintaining the pace he’s set in the first six weeks, Shabib is on (early) track to make 2024 his new, best recorded earnings year.
Shabib was challenged twice in the event (winners’ side semifinal and finals) by Houston’s Joey Torres, whose AZBilliards’ resume reaches back to 2010, when he entered our database with wins at the Houston Classic’s Juniors Division and a stop on the Tiger Texas Amateur Tour. Torres’ best recorded earning year, to date, was 2011, when he cashed in 13 of the Lone Star Billiards Tour’s events; five of them in its Juniors division (winning three of them) and eight in its Amateur division (runner-up twice). Last year was Torres’ best since then, and though not quite off to the start that Shabib has posted so far, his runner-up finish at this past weekend’s event (his first recorded cash finish of the year) was a step in the right direction.
Shabib’s path to their first encounter started off well. He got by Damion Manning 7-1 and shut out Dale Campbell, before Andrew Rodriguez gave him a double-hill run for his money in one of the winners’ side quarterfinals. He survived that challenge to draw Torres in the winners’ side semifinal. Torres, who’d been awarded an opening-round bye, defeated Robert Little 7-5 and Darryl Amos 7-2 to pick up Shabib. Two competitors motivated to and invested in making 2024 their best year at the tables.
There was, at this event, a potential obstacle to their plans and her name was Eylül Kibaroğlu, a three-time European (Turkish) pool champion and WPBA competitor, now living and offering pool lessons in Houston. Kibaroğlu got by Derek Segree 7-2, Charles Holan 7-1 and Chad Reece 7-5 to draw Kenny Price in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Both battles for advancement to the hot seat match finished 7-4; Kibaroğlu over Price, Shabib over Torres. Shabib grabbed the hot seat over Kibaroğlu 7-4 and sent her to the loss side to become a problem for Torres in the semifinals.
Over on the loss side, Torres and Price got right back to ‘winning’ work and advanced to the quarterfinals; Torres over Reece 7-5 and Price over Andrew Rodriguez 7-4. Torres eliminated Price 7-4 in those quarterfinals and advanced to take his shot versus Kibaroğlu in the semifinals.
Torres defeated Kibaroğlu 7-2 to earn his second, and potentially, third shot against Shabib in the double-elimination finals. It didn’t get that far. Shabib took the opening set to claim his first 2024 and second overall DL Billiards Tour title.
Tour director D’Andrea Leassear thanked Billy J. Sharp and his staff at Big Tyme Billiards for their hospitality, the McDermott Pool Cue Official Fan Page for its 2024 sponsorship of the tour, Jason Brodman, Shannon Gallo Petrick (photography) and her “always loving and supportive, wonderful husband, Dennis Leassear.” The DL Billiards Tour will return to Big Tyme Billiards in Spring, TX on the weekend of March 30-31.
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