Event format and setup:

10-ball Race to 7 on A-side, Race to six on B-Facet

No 10ball break, Early 10ball combo allowed

Winner Break

3-foul Rule in Impact

2-ball & 3-ball racked on the corners

A 52 participant match was hosted at Ox Billiards on Could sixth & seventh, bringing gamers from all around the NW Space; WA, OR & BC, Canada. NW legends Stan Tourangeau (722) and Dan Louie (675) had been drawn in a R1 match that went hill-hill with Louie clinching victory over Tourangeau, 7-6. This wouldn’t be the primary early bracket match the place a few of the match favorites would square-off, or “upset”, early on. 

BC’s front-runner Stephen Folan (718) decidedly received R1 over Bo Belonia (595) 7-1, after which instantly met Ox sponsored, Daniel Sardoncillo (693), in R2; to a lot shock Folan additionally handedly received this matchup 7-1. These outcomes meant that Tourangeau & Sardoncillo would match up in R2 of the B-side bracket. Tourangeau proved victorious and despatched Sardoncillo packing with a 6-3 victory.

Earlier NW Cup group members Clay Belvoir (683) (WA) & Paul Marquez (676) (OR) additionally faced-off in R1, with Belvoir defeating Marquez 7-1. Nonetheless, Belvoir would go on to lose R2 to native rising expertise, Shucheng Chao (623), in a hill-hill battle, 6-7.

There have been many extra examples of powerful competitors (too many to call, actually!) however all of those outcomes may be seen right here: https://challonge.com/5rxe7vvp?fbclid=IwAR0bsWD5Uuwwd9xIoNTGaPF8CvqY2XhngLt0KldUikv49uQC9hcUvTcuFIQ

Stephen Folan would stay on the A-side in dominating style (all matches received 7-1 aside from a 7-4 vs Aman Sunar (588) & and a 7-3 vs Joe Tamura (643)) by way of to the ultimate. Within the Semi-Finals, Folan defeated Lito Atendido (676) 7-1. Atendido would make a short cross to the B-side, eliminating Jason ‘Jay’ Copeman (645) 7-2. Atendido then struck again with a vengeance, having to double-dip Folan within the last. Atendido would go on to win the primary set 7-4 & the second set 7-6.

The Canadians proved victorious total, taking the highest 4 spots this match!

Match stream Day 1 (Morning/Afternoon): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBXfzOYqwXU

Match stream Day 1 (Afternoon/Night): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YpPlyoovSI

Match stream Day 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OauwNEYehS8

Match stream Day 2 Quarter-Finals by way of Finals: https://www.facebook.com/oxbilliards/videos/1077819233034554/

 

1st Place – Lito Atendido                    

2nd Place – Stephen Folan

third Place – Jason ‘Jay’ Copeman

4th Place – Dexter Ambang

Perspective from an underdog participant

As detailed within the chart at the start of this text, the record of gamers was huge with half the sector having a FargoRate of 600+. As a low-level participant (comparatively talking) sitting at a FargoRate of 484, my strategy to this match was as follows:

• I’ve nothing to lose (besides the entry payment).

• The prospect of enjoying competitors considerably higher than me in a match setting is unmatched, and the expertise gained is immeasurable.

• With no stress and expectations, I may give attention to enjoying to the perfect of my skills and testing my information.

I arrived at Ox round 8:45 AM to get some reps in, scope out the competitors, and get a really feel for the vibe. As soon as all 52 of us had been signed-up and our $150 entry charges paid, Ed Slade (match director) introduced everybody collectively for a gamers’ assembly. My first thought was, “guidelines and such,” as a result of a lot of the huge tournaments I had performed had been league affiliated; cashless spoils the place none go the richer except it’s a visit to Vegas, or for these items known as “respect” and “glory.” I’m certain skilled readers listed here are having their “oh, my candy summer season baby,” second, so go for it! Take pleasure in my glowing naive innocence, muahahaha.

After the gamers’ assembly concluded, motion began instantly. Slade known as out the primary match, “Desk One, Zak Ross,” oh wow that’s me!, “vs Mark Goodwin,” oh boy I’m doomed! Low-and-behold, I used to be drawn to play Mark Goodwin (682) in R1. Once more, I’m a 484, so for analogy’s sake, it’s like I’m a fish, and Goodwin is a barrel… of a gun… I’ll flop round inflicting a ruckus for a bit, however ultimately the barrel will discover its mark.

I had seen Goodwin play 8ball on bar field tables and knew he had a methodical strategy to the sport, scoping out photographs prematurely and planning his exits meticulously. He has a very strong stability of offensive and defensive technique. On paper, this match in all probability ought to’ve been a landslide in favor of Goodwin, however I dug deep and pulled out some miraculous photographs and positional play.

In rack 2, Goodwin performed an excellent protection, inserting the cue ball up in opposition to the 9ball as proven within the picture beneath: 

I took a protracted look and determined to financial institution the 9ball into the decrease left pocket, utilizing some exterior top-left english to pickup the angle wanted. I figured if I occurred to overlook, I might a minimum of depart the 9ball on the shortrail, and cue ball up desk, giving far. A lot to my shock, I executed it and ended up with nice form on the 10ball, bringing the match to a 1-1 tie. The subsequent few racks Goodwin and I might commerce, till it was 4-3 in favor of Goodwin. Though I ended up shedding 4-7, I used to be happy with the outcomes given his caliber (Goodwin would end the match in ninth place).

After this match, I chatted with fellow underdog Ed Caulfield (469) about his earlier match experiences, and he had this to share with me (paraphrased):

“I’ve a desk at residence so the way in which I put together for a match is, I’ll heat up and play for about one hour, to 1 and half hours. Then, I’ll sit on the sofa and principally do nothing for 2 and half, to 3 hours. I’ll then bounce again on the desk and see how shortly I can get again in stroke.”

As a result of endurance and stamina assessments of those tournaments (for instance, my first match was at ~10:30 AM, however my second match wasn’t till 5:45 PM), I feel it is a good technique for gamers making an attempt to determine find out how to beat one of many hardest opponents: the ready sport. Oftentimes, some gamers can have a protracted wait. In the meantime, their opponent shall be contemporary off a match. How do you get again in stroke and stay aggressive?

Coincidentally, I ended up enjoying Ed Caulfield within the B-side bracket after he misplaced to Dexter Ambang (687) (4th Place finisher). I had beforehand performed Caulfield in a 9ball match at The Breakroom through which I proved victorious, however I feel revenge had the sting on this final result. Caulfield and I performed a good race, with racks 8-11 going backwards and forwards, however he ended up profitable in a nail-biter, 5-6. This introduced my match enterprise to an finish, so it goes.

I ended the day 9-13 (41%) which, truthfully, was satisfying sufficient given the competitors and my lack of expertise enjoying 10ball tournaments.

On Day 2 of the match, I returned to Ox with my buddy Mason in-tow to take a look at the remaining competitors and likewise work some live-stream commentary from the sales space with Christian Youngers (570). It’s at all times good speaking sport with somebody who shares the identical ardour for our sport. Listening to his strategy to photographs and positioning by way of his commentary is invaluable to anybody seeking to enhance or alter their very own sport. Although nothing replaces repetition on the desk, having one other perspective in your repertoire can enhance your strategizing in a pinch.

After commentating on a number of matches, Mason and I took a break to seize a slice and a pint from Massive Mario’s, and continued discussing matchups we had been trying ahead to watching. As we had been speaking, none apart from Stephen Folan arrived to additionally seize a slice. He was type sufficient to hitch us and focus on how his match was going, with each of us being impressed along with his run up to now (he had simply defeated Dexter Ambang 7-1). I discovered Folan is the proprietor of Sneaky Pete’s Pool Cafe in Vancouver (https://www.sneakypetespool.com/) and as he was describing his venue to me, it dawned on me that I had simply performed there again in September 2022 whereas taking a day-trip with my accomplice to Vancouver. Small world made even smaller within the pool group it appears!

Folan stayed in a single day in a camper, and truly had a pair tournaments lined-up to play within the following days again in Canada. As he was describing his journey, it made me take into consideration how far pool has come as a sport. Not simply within the sense of the widening competitors and accessibility, however how word-of-mouth tournaments and gamers hitting the open highway to seek out competitors hasn’t actually been changed, it has merely been enhanced by know-how and on-demand data. Gone are the times of rolling right into a city and hoping for some motion, you may now assure motion. Gamers at the moment are in a position to actually fine-tune their match schedules.

We returned to Ox to observe the Semi-Finals match between Stephen Folan and Lito Atendido. Folan would snap-off two break and runs (barely lacking a 3rd) and do what he had been doing all match, dominating. He defeated Atendido 7-1 and claimed his spot within the Last.

The Last proved to be very contentious, with each gamers making some uncharacteristic errors (together with Atendido taking pictures the fallacious ball twice; that pink 4, purple 5 generally is a doozy), and what may be described as, “mild sharking,” between one-another. Personally, I might chalk these as much as fatigue, given the Last didn’t begin till round 11 PM and it being a protracted, 2-day occasion that went over 24 hours of play.

On the hill-hill rack of the ultimate set, Atendido broke, made three balls (3-7-9) on the break, however scratched the cue ball within the left aspect pocket, opening the door for Folan to stroll by way of and slam it behind him. Folan would make the 1ball and 2ball, however then miss the 4ball within the backside left nook, inflicting it to come back round and setup a 4ball protection for Atendido. Folan would get away the brief stick for a clear bounce on the 4ball into the left side-pocket, then continued his run, however would depart himself a steep 6ball slice into the higher proper nook. Folan would barely miss this and depart Atendido the chance to take the 6-8-10. Atendido would make routine work of those final three balls to take the title.

The general vibe of the match may be summed up in a single phrase uttered by Christian Youngers within the wee hours of Monday morning, “We received motion.”