Apr 28, 2009

2009 Midwest Day #2

After bumming a bed from Wathor and Russell, I managed about 4 hours of snore induced sleep before the early morning match. We rolled up the first team where I didn't miss a shot...this continued into the next match.

Our 2nd match was a team from Fremont and Jay had an ERO to get us up 25-14 after 3 games. Then my game came up...where they broke and ran, and I woulda bet anything that I was going to get a chance. I stood up out of my chair (preparing to shoot) after my opponents run seemingly stalled here...



Now this roll gave him a very possible opportunity to get out...luckily getting a breakout angle on a tough 13 ball to even get a shot at!



Of course he gets the perfect breakout and finds his way back to the 8.



This loss of mine was followed by a team member missing on a open table to lose 10-0 to get us behind 64-38 after 8 games. I won both of my next 2 games and the team won 5 straight to get to 88-88 with 2 games left a 50-24 run!

Both games started simultaneously with our break dry and theirs looking juicy! The guy from Fremont finished off the ERO with a bank 8 ball to take the match since enough balls were down on the other table. Of course a referee was again called for this shot...which kinda drove the guy to shoot the bank off the 3 ball and it turned out it was dead! No more refs for us!!



From:
25-14 through 3
38-64 through 8 (13-50 run)
88-88 through 13 (50-24 run)

Watched them shoot a little of the next match and it was a completely different team...they were looking to lose against a local team that we regularly beat. They stepped up their game with 2 EROs and another runout for a 10-0.

We really shoulda took this tournament down...got 9th-12th outta 128 teams for a $350 payday!

Apr 27, 2009

2009 Midwest Day #1

Our team headed up north this past weekend to Sioux City, IA for their team tournament. Our team squeaked into the open division and should definitely have won the dang thing. We started off winning our first match easily at 10 am in the shortened 15 game format, then in the 2nd match at noon we were up 15 through 9 games when our opponents got crazy hot.

I got ran out on here for a big loss...



Within literally seconds, a ref was watching the neighboring table on a jump shot that was being shot against one of my team members.



These guys were definitely not this good...but they ended up getting 16 up with 2 games left. Then Jay broke and ran for a 10-0 to get us within 6 needing a 10-3 to win. The guy broke and ran only 1 leaving him needing on more ball since they had more 8 balls wins. Overheard the other team saying that they needed 2 to win...this almost made a difference as I'll explain later. Rex gets up and runs off 4 or 5 and gets tied up with a ball and tries a safety. There is one easy ball to make on the table, but he takes the more difficult one since it'll set up the 2 ball victory. He rattles it in, but leaves himself nothing and their team groans as we walk over to shake hands and inform them that they have won....with a delayed victory cheer to follow.... ARGGGH

We won handily at 6pm, 7:30, and 9 to meet up with the same team again for our last match of the night at 10:30. We proceed to get up 16 with a couple games left and took the match. Now we play at 9 the next morning and decided to hit the bars and Perkins until 4am!

Apr 11, 2009

2009 City Pool Re-cap

The 10 days of Lincoln's city tournament were up and down, luckily ending on a high for the weekend.

Started off playing a rated 9 ball tournament, masters had to win 4, A had to win 3, and the rest had to win 2 games. My first match was against the eventual winner of the tournament, he needed 3 games and I needed 4 games. He made a 9 on the break and ended up beating me 3-3...somehow. My next match was against a 2, and he snapped the 9 the first game...making me win the next 4 straight and I failed. Out of the 9 ball, I played a mini tournament and won $25 on a $5 entry, 8 person tournament. The finals were against a team-mate, but he got $15.

Our masters team didn't do well, it was bracketed and as the 6th place team in the league...we got an "easy" match in the 11th place team in the league. Throughout the whole match, the runouts were a plenty... Our team had 4 (2 were mine) and the other team had 3. We built up a 13 point lead with 3 games left when they broke and ran for a 10-1. Now the lead was 4 and 2 games left with my game up... I broke and ran and missed my nudge on the 10 ball leaving myself a backcut for the runout and team match win. Then this happens...






My opponent gets ball in hand and runs out...now were are up 1 with a game left. And this is the situation the final two players were in...




Probably the same safety that I woulda played...but it ended up costing us the match with the bank luck going their way!




Our master team then managed to win one match, before losing out the next day for $150 payday. My wife had been at the tournament site the whole day and was still interested in playing a scotch doubles tournament at 8 (or 8:50 as it was) that night. We discussed going to the casino, but decided to play instead. The women break in the scotch doubles 9-ball and my wife fired the 9 in on the break while I was in the bathroom in our first match. The next 3 matches went that way until we found ourselves down 0-2 in a race to 3. We played great together and pulled it out to get to the final 4. Our next match was probably the best team in the tourney, and we again fell behind 0-2. This time a couple poor safeties got us the match in 3 straight games. The finals were a bruisin at 3-0 and we took the title!! Definitely had a blast...and got $160. Great ending to the weekend...here's a picture I took of the bracket!! :)