Sally Timko

Souquet & Ortmann March on

Germany 8–4 Hong Kong

Philippines A 8-3 Thailand

BUOYED on by a massive crowd at Robinsons Place Mall in Manila, defending PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool champions, Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante overcame a false start and a 15 minute power cut to extinguish Thai hopes and move into the next round where they will face Indonesia.

Expectations were high from the immense crowd inside the venue, estimated at over 2,000, and the atmosphere was incredible.

Bustamante broke off and made an illegal break but before the rack could be completed the power in the arena went and the players were forced to sit in their chair for a quarter of an hour while it was restored.

The Thais cleared the table and broke and ran the next to silence the crowd. The Filipino duo looked slightly apprehensive under the huge pressure of the crowd, but they took the next two racks to ease the pain.

The reigning champs then settled into it and took the next three racks to put the pressure firmly back on the Thais. Nerves crept in as the home team took the next to send the crowd wild.

Another illegal break from the Philippines in the next gave the Thais the rack but that was their last contribution to the match as the champions took the next three racks to make it through to the next round and set up an all-South East Asia clash with Indonesia.

“It was very difficult as they had us 2-0 in a race to eight. We thought it was alternate break but it was winners’ break and we didn’t know that!’ said Bustamante.

“My partner played great and without Efren we wouldn’t have won the match. My break wasn’t good and this was a surprise as Efren always wants me to break every time but I never made a ball on the break.

“We always try whoever we play but everyone here is a good player. I’ve played the Indonesian players in tournaments but never in doubles. If my partner plays like that again then we will win,” he added.

DESPITE having the reputation of not being the best of friends, the German axis of Ralf Souquet and Oliver Ortmann looked comfortable enough in each other’s company as they overcame the early hiccup to defeat Hong Kong 8-4 in the opening round of the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool.

The Hong Kong pair of Kenny Kwok and Lee Chenman was beaten 8-0 in the corresponding fixture at last year’s event so knew they had nothing to lose. However, at 2-0 down the Chinese duo must have had that sinking feeling.

However, two racks later they were all square and when Ortmann missed jacking up on the 2 ball, Hong Kong found themselves in the lead for the first time. That moved to 4-2 when the German ended up in an unlucky snooker and failed to escape to hand their opponents ball in hand.

That though, was to be Hong Kong’s last hurrah. A dry break started the rot in rack seven and then a scratch in the next levelled things up. Not looking their best, the Germans still had too much for their opponents as they negotiated the final racks for an 8-4 win.

“It was a game of two halves; we had a good run in the first half but I had a dry break when we were 4-2 up and that was the turning point,’ said a disappointed Chenman.

“Everything they did wrong, which wasn’t much, they got away with. It was a tough draw and they’re one of the favourites to win.

“Last year we played them and lost and they got to the final and should’ve won it. I’m sure they will go far again this year.”

Germany now faces Russia in the last 16.

With 32 teams representing 31 countries – home nation Philippines has two sides in the competition – the World Cup of Pool sees the gathering of some of the most decorated stars of the pool firmament. The event is taking place at Robinsons Place, in Ermita, Manila.

With a total purse of $250,000, the winning pair split $60,000 between them while first round losers are guaranteed $1,500 each. All the action will be carried live on Solar Sports in

The Philippines and other broadcasters across the region.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com

Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,100 hours of original programming across a range of sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the World Cup of Pool is one of a stable of pool events that include the Mosconi Cup and the World Pool Masters.

The 2010 World Cup of Pool is sponsored by PartyPoker.net, the world’s leading online poker room. Tables are supplied by Brunswick Billiards, cloth by Iwan Simonis, Super Aramith balls by Saluc and the Official Cue is Predator.

Souquet & Ortmann March on

Germany 8–4 Hong Kong

Philippines A 8-3 Thailand

BUOYED on by a massive crowd at Robinsons Place Mall in Manila, defending PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool champions, Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante overcame a false start and a 15 minute power cut to extinguish Thai hopes and move into the next round where they will face Indonesia.

Expectations were high from the immense crowd inside the venue, estimated at over 2,000, and the atmosphere was incredible.

Bustamante broke off and made an illegal break but before the rack could be completed the power in the arena went and the players were forced to sit in their chair for a quarter of an hour while it was restored.

The Thais cleared the table and broke and ran the next to silence the crowd. The Filipino duo looked slightly apprehensive under the huge pressure of the crowd, but they took the next two racks to ease the pain.

The reigning champs then settled into it and took the next three racks to put the pressure firmly back on the Thais. Nerves crept in as the home team took the next to send the crowd wild.

Another illegal break from the Philippines in the next gave the Thais the rack but that was their last contribution to the match as the champions took the next three racks to make it through to the next round and set up an all-South East Asia clash with Indonesia.

“It was very difficult as they had us 2-0 in a race to eight. We thought it was alternate break but it was winners’ break and we didn’t know that!’ said Bustamante.

“My partner played great and without Efren we wouldn’t have won the match. My break wasn’t good and this was a surprise as Efren always wants me to break every time but I never made a ball on the break.

“We always try whoever we play but everyone here is a good player. I’ve played the Indonesian players in tournaments but never in doubles. If my partner plays like that again then we will win,” he added.

DESPITE having the reputation of not being the best of friends, the German axis of Ralf Souquet and Oliver Ortmann looked comfortable enough in each other’s company as they overcame the early hiccup to defeat Hong Kong 8-4 in the opening round of the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool.

The Hong Kong pair of Kenny Kwok and Lee Chenman was beaten 8-0 in the corresponding fixture at last year’s event so knew they had nothing to lose. However, at 2-0 down the Chinese duo must have had that sinking feeling.

However, two racks later they were all square and when Ortmann missed jacking up on the 2 ball, Hong Kong found themselves in the lead for the first time. That moved to 4-2 when the German ended up in an unlucky snooker and failed to escape to hand their opponents ball in hand.

That though, was to be Hong Kong’s last hurrah. A dry break started the rot in rack seven and then a scratch in the next levelled things up. Not looking their best, the Germans still had too much for their opponents as they negotiated the final racks for an 8-4 win.

“It was a game of two halves; we had a good run in the first half but I had a dry break when we were 4-2 up and that was the turning point,’ said a disappointed Chenman.

“Everything they did wrong, which wasn’t much, they got away with. It was a tough draw and they’re one of the favourites to win.

“Last year we played them and lost and they got to the final and should’ve won it. I’m sure they will go far again this year.”

Germany now faces Russia in the last 16.

With 32 teams representing 31 countries – home nation Philippines has two sides in the competition – the World Cup of Pool sees the gathering of some of the most decorated stars of the pool firmament. The event is taking place at Robinsons Place, in Ermita, Manila.

With a total purse of $250,000, the winning pair split $60,000 between them while first round losers are guaranteed $1,500 each. All the action will be carried live on Solar Sports in

The Philippines and other broadcasters across the region.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com

Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,100 hours of original programming across a range of sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the World Cup of Pool is one of a stable of pool events that include the Mosconi Cup and the World Pool Masters.

The 2010 World Cup of Pool is sponsored by PartyPoker.net, the world’s leading online poker room. Tables are supplied by Brunswick Billiards, cloth by Iwan Simonis, Super Aramith balls by Saluc and the Official Cue is Predator.

Chinese Duo Power Through

Italy Beat Koreans Girls in Thriller

China 8–2 Belgium

Italy 8-6 Korea

CHINA, winners of the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool back in 2007, made light work of Belgium as they booked their second round spot with a comfortable 8-2 win.

The pairing of Fu Jianbo and Li Hewen cut contrasting figures at the table but their doubles play is second to none and they look in shape to have another go at winning pool’s most coveted team title.

There are six first round matches per day and all matches are played in a single table arena with 400 seats and literally thousands more looking from the expansive balconies at Robinson Place.

The Belgian pair of Noel Bruynooghe and Serge Das has had their share of glory moments in the World Cup and they won a qualifying event in Europe to book their spot in Manila. However, they never had a chance to settle as the Chinese twosome ran away with the match.

They now face Italy in the second round and will be a tough prospect for anyone.

With 32 teams representing 31 countries – home nation Philippines has two sides in the competition – the World Cup of Pool sees the gathering of some of the most decorated stars of the pool firmament. The event is taking place at Robinsons Place, in Ermita, Manila.

With a total purse of $250,000, the winning pair split $60,000 between them while first round losers are guaranteed $1,500 each. All the action will be carried live on Solar Sports in

The Philippines and other broadcasters across the region.

The second match of the second session was a thriller as Italy’s Fabio Petroni and Bruno Muratore edged out the girl power duo of Yu Ram Cha and Ga Young Kim by 8-6, in front of over 1,000 people.

“The crowd here in the Philippines is the best in the world – it’s like a soccer crowd in Italy or Brazil. Here everyone knows me as a player but in Italy only my mother and father recognise me!

“It was very difficult for us and I knew they were strong. We know pool and knew we would have to be lucky and play very good. For me the women are very tough, just like the men. Jasmin Ouschan plays better than me.

“I’m very happy we won and we played good. We’ve played pool for 15 years so we know the game and if we play well and get lucky then we can beat Efren and Francisco who are the best in the world.”

There were mistakes as well as quality play from both sides and at 6-6, the match was anyone’s. Both teams made mistakes in the 13th rack but it was Muratore who saved the day for Italy as he bagged a tricky 9 ball to get them to the hill.

Petroni, though, made a dry break in the next but the Koreans came unstuck on the 2 ball as Italy wrapped it up for the win.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com

Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,100 hours of original programming across a range of sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the World Cup of Pool is one of a stable of pool events that include the Mosconi Cup and the World Pool Masters.

The 2010 World Cup of Pool is sponsored by PartyPoker.net, the world’s leading online poker room. Tables are supplied by Brunswick Billiards, cloth by Iwan Simonis, Super Aramith balls by Saluc and the Official Cue is Predator.

Russia is First Team Through

India Blow Great Chance

Russia 8–4 Canada

Indonesia 8-7 India

PLAY got underway at the fifth annual PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool at Robinsons Place Mall in Ermita, Manila as 64 of the best players on the planet gathered to do battle for the $250,000 prize fund.

All first round matches are race to eight, winners break and the Russian pair of Ruslan Chinakhov and Konstantin Stepanov, making their fourth appearance together in this event, recorded an outstanding come-from-behind win to eliminate Canada from the competition.

The Canadians – Jason Klatt and John Morra – had looked solid in the early stages as they raced into a 4-0 lead. A mistake from Klatt though, as he missed a banked five ball onto the centre pocket, allowed the Russians to take their first rack of the match and the comeback was on.

They took the next two to get to 3-4 before Klatt suffered the misfortune of having a foul called on him by referee Nigel Rees when his shirt touched a ball whilst cueing. Russia didn’t hesitate and squared the match at 4-4.

It was the turning point in the game, as Canada failed to stem the Russian tide as Stepanov and Chinakhov won the next four racks to ease themselves into the last 16.

‘We were so nervous at the beginning and they played well. But we were just waiting for a mistake, they made one and we took two racks,’ said Stepanov after the match.

“We gave them the play again but they didn’t take it and made a stupid foul (when Klatt’s shirt touched a ball) and that was the main moment of the match.

‘We could play Germany and that will be a really tough match if they beat Hong Kong. The German team is really special and Ralf is a brilliant team player. But their relationship is not perfect and I don’t know how comfortable they feel so we will see what happens,’ he added.

India will rue the missed opportunities as they blew leads of 5-0 and 6-2 in the second match of the first session, to get dumped out of the competition 7-8 at the hands of Indonesia.

The Indonesian pair of Muhammad Zulfikri and Ricky Yang looked out of sorts in the early stages as Raj Hundal and Dharminder Singh Lilly got the better of the exchanges as their confidence grew.

At 5-0 to the good, the Indians looked in full control of proceedings but Indonesia took the next two before wasting chances in the ninth game and India moved into a great 6-2 lead.

Mistakes came from both sides but the Indonesian’s who looked dead and buried earlier appear to be in the ascendancy as they steal four racks on the spin to level the match at 6-6 and leave their opponents reeling.

A scratch from Zulfikri gave India the chance they were looking for and they moved to the hill and broke for the match. A poor safety from Lilly though left the ball on for Indonesia and that enabled them to level the match at 7-7.

India still had a chance but Hundal ran out of position going from 7 to 8 and Lilly’s bank shot fails and leaves the 8 ball hanging over the pocket to hand victory to Yang and Zulfikri.

With 32 teams representing 31 countries – home nation Philippines has two sides in the competition – the World Cup of Pool sees the gathering of some of the most decorated stars of the pool firmament.

With a total purse of $250,000, the winning pair split $60,000 between them while first round losers are guaranteed $1,500 each. All the action will be carried live on Solar Sports in

The Philippines and other broadcasters across the region.

Luke Riches, Matchroom Sport: luke.riches@matchroom.com +44 7785 395688

Notes: Matchroom Sport are one of the world’s leading producers of televised sport and are responsible for over 1,100 hours of original programming across a range of sports. Based in the UK and chaired by charismatic founder Barry Hearn, the World Cup of Pool is one of a stable of pool events that include the Mosconi Cup and the World Pool Masters.

The 2010 World Cup of Pool is sponsored by PartyPoker.net, the world’s leading online poker room. Tables are supplied by Brunswick Billiards, cloth by Iwan Simonis, Super Aramith balls by Saluc and the Official Cue is Predator.

Francisco Bustamante hopes he and Efren Reyes can claim the World Cup of Pool title for a third time.

The PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool begins on Tuesday at Robinson’s Place in Ermita, Manila, Philippines, with Bustamante and Reyes aiming to win the competition in front of their home fans for the second year running.

“It was huge for us to win in the Philippines last year as it was held here and it brought a lot of pride to the Philippine nation,” said Bustamante, who, with Reyes, also won the inaugural tournament in 2006.

“We’re practising every day, especially since winning last year and we were delighted to win the title – it’s a big deal for us.

“Now I’m trying to correct my break because of the problems I had with it last year.”

The main matches will be broadcast live in the Philippines on Solar TV and the Philippines A duo of Bustamante and Reyes will be in action on Tuesday night when they meet Thailand.

“I’m confident and relaxed as I’m used to playing in this tournament now and I’m relying on my partner who is now a world champion,” added Reyes.

Ralf Souquet was part of the German side that lost in the 2009 final and The Kaiser admitted it would be difficult to wrestle the trophy away from the hosts.

“There are some great teams and of course our goal is to win it this year – we don’t want to be runners-up again,” said Souquet.

“But there are two great Philippines teams as well as strong teams from USA, China and England, who have won so much this year.

“The World Cup of Pool is a great opportunity to play in front of big crowds and it’s a little more noisy than other tournaments.”

The Philippines B side consists of Roberto Gomez and Dennis Orcollo, a winner at one of the toughest competitions of 2010 when he claimed the World Pool Masters trophy in Las Vegas in May.

“It’s an honour to be representing the Philippines and we’re going to be doing everything we can,” said Orcollo.

“It’s going to be a tough tournament because of the talent that is here but all we can do is our best. I’ve told my partner we just need to practise and stay focused.”

Ralph Roy, vice president of business operations for Solar TV, said: “This is a great event, a big event for us and the Philippines and we’re proud to be hosting it.

“All of the best players in the world will be here and we’re glad they will be showing off their talents here.

“We’ll be showing the best matches and I invite all Filipinos to come and watch the matches.”

Luke Riches, Media Manager of Matchroom Sport, added: “We all love coming to this country. The people are all so enthusiastic, there are some great players and we have a great presence in the media.

“Last year was one of the greatest pool finals ever seen where the Philippines won 11-9 in front of a massive crowd. We look forward to seeing thousands of people watch this year’s fantastic event.”

For full match reports and reaction, go to the official website www.matchroompool.com and click on the World Cup of Pool tab at the top of the page.

1 Attached Images

Seminole Pro Tour Empire State Championship / West Hempstead, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

Mike Dechaine enjoyed an undefeated run at the Seminole Pro Tour Empire State Championship, defeating Corey Deuel twice to take the title. Held Labor Day weekend at Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY, this event boasted an $8,000-added prize purse and a full 64-player field.

Dechaine’s day started off with a narrow 8-6 win over Josh Brothers, and then he went on to meet Mike “The Mouth” Sigel in the winners’ side final four. To that point Sigel had won four matches without giving up a single rack, making his record 29-0. However, Dechaine was unfazed and sent the Hall of Famer to the one-loss side of the chart 8-6 to advance to the hot seat.

View the Seminole Raxx Pool Room tournament brackets (updated continuously)

His opponent was Deuel, who had won via fofeit over Earl Herring, a minister who had to return to work Sunday morning, and then bested Jeremy Sossei 8-6. In their first meeting, Dechaine dominated Deuel 8-4 and earned a rest, while Deuel headed west to fight his way back to the finals.

The left side of the chart was star-studded, with players such as Stevie Moore, George SanSouci, Dennis Hatch, and Tony Robles all making an early exit. “Iron Mike” Davis suffered a second-round loss to Luis Toumea 7-3 and struggled through the brutal bracket, eliminating players such as John Alicea, Matt Krah, Hatch, Robles, and Sigel before being ousted by Josh Brothers in fourth place.

After his late loss to Dechaine, Brothers eliminated Scott Freeman, SanSouci, Sossei, and Davis before running into Deuel in the semifinal match. Deuel was eager for a rematch with Dechaine and even more eager to add another Seminole Pro Tour notch to his belt—Deuel just won the August 13-15 event over Rodney Morris. He sent Brothers home in third place by winning their match 8-5 to face off with Dechaine once again, hoping for a different outcome. But in the extended race to 9, Deuel only pulled off as many racks as he did in their first meeting—four—before Dechaine swept across the finish line and won 9-4, taking his first Seminole Pro Tour title.

Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

Mezz Pro-Am Tour / Brooklyn, NY

by Jerry Taratola, NYCgrind.com

The Mezz Pro-Am Tour took the F train to Skyline Billiards in Brooklyn, NY, which hosted the Fifth Annual NYC 9-Ball Championships August 28-29. The $3,000-added, two-day event drew a field of 43 players, of which Stevie Moore successfully defended his championship to retain the title.

Reigning champion Moore went through the field undefeated with wins over Eddie Vasquez 9-1, Michael Wong 9-6, Manny Chau 9-6, and Brett Stottlemeyer 9-1, setting up the feature match. Meeting Moore in the match for the hot seat, Tony Robles had impressive wins over Rob Merklein 9-0, George SanSouci 9-3, and “Iron Mike” Davis 9-4.

In the match for the hot seat, Moore was determined to repeat as champion and notched a dominant 9-4 win over Robles, earning an undefeated spot in the finals.

Rising star pro Mike Dechaine was also strong in the winners’ bracket, scoring wins over Jerry Tarantola 9-5, Marc “Spain” Vidal 9-7, and Jorge Rodriguez 9-5 before being defeated by Moore 9-3 and Mike Davis 9-7 and ending the event in fifth place. Tied with Dechaine for fifth, Brett Stottlemyer edged out SanSouci hill-hill but was eventually ousted from the tournament hill-hill by Josh Brothers.

Brothers went on to eliminate Davis in fourth place after an epic hill-hill battle 9-8, going on to face Robles in the semifinals. Robles had knocked Brothers into the one-loss side earlier in the event, and Brothers was eager to wreak revenge. He kept Robles in his seat for the first three games, but Robles came from behind and won the nail-biting set hill-hill.

In the double-elimination finals, Moore held the lead in the first set throughout, but at 7-6 Robles was able to grind back to and win the next three games to take the set 9-6. Despite that, Moore stayed dominant in the second set and closed out a 9-4 win to defend his title as NYC 9-ball champion.

Results:
1st Stevie Moore $2,300
2nd Tony Robles $1,400
3rd Josh Brothers $800
4th Mike Davis $600
5th Mike Dechaine $400
Brett Stottlemyer
7th Barry Banks $300
George SanSouci
9th Marc Vidal $200
Jeremy Sossei
Ronnie Wiseman
Jorge Rodriguez

Tri-State Tour / New York City, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

Geoffrey Bauer returned from the one-loss side to double-dip Scott Simonetti in the finals to take the Tri-State Tour title September 4. The A-D, $1,000-added event drew 28 players to try out the new format at Amsterdam Billiards and Bar in New York City, NY.

Simonetti cruised through the winners’ side of the chart, besting Christian Smith 7-6 to reach the hot seat match against Ryan McCarthy, who had just sent Ramilo Tanglao to the one-loss side 6-4. The battle for the king seat was a hotly contested one, but Simonetti ultimately edged aside McCarthy 8-6.

Once on the west side, Smith ran into a determined Bauer, who eliminated him at fifth place 7-2. Tying with Smith was Nicholas Chan, who was ousted by Tanglao 6-2. Bauer and Tanglao went on to face each other in the quarterfinals, which went hill-hill, and it was Bauer who moved on 8-7. McCarthy next felt Bauer’s sting, as Bauer sent him home in third place 7-5.

Bauer really caught a groove in the double-elimination finals, though. In the first set he did not allow Simonetti a single rack, defeating him 7-0. In the second set, Simonetti recovered and took Bauer to the hill, but still it was Bauer who prevailed 7-6.

Results:
1st Geoffrey Bauer $770
2nd Scott Simonetti $490
3rd Ryan McCarthy $290
4th Ramilo Tanglao $150
5th Christian Smith $100
Nicholas Chan
7th Carl Yusuf Khan $80
Yomaylin Feliz

Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour / St. Pete Beach, FL

by InsidePOOL Staff

Valerie Dukich went undefeated to win her first Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour (BAAT) tournament at Stix Billiards in St. Pete Beach, FL, August 21. Dukich topped the field of 21 billiards players in the $420-added event.

On the one-loss side, Melissa Morlan matched up against Lana Loomis, who had arrived on the one-loss side thanks to a defeat by Sabra MacArthur Beahn. The opponents traded groups of three wins, with Loomis edging out Morlan 4-6. The other match of the round was between Stephanie Mitchell and Christine Brenner. The score see-sawed to a 7-4 win for Mitchell.

Mitchell kicked into gear against Loomis in the quarterfinals, reaching the hill easily. Loomis won the next game and was launching a comeback, but Mitchell was on a roll and foiled her attempts, winning the match 8-1.

The semifinal match featured Mitchell and Beahn, who was sent left on the chart with a 5-2 defeat by Dukich. Beahn started off the match by winning the first game of 9-ball. That was the last time she saw daylight, as Mitchell delivered her a 5-1 blow.

Dukich was sitting in the hot seat waiting for Mitchell. The match started with 9-ball, and Dukich took a 2-0 lead from the start. Mitchell won the next rack but missed the 9 ball in the following two games, bringing the score to 4-1 Dukich. Mitchell took one more rack but Dukich took the final game when Mitchell scratched on the 8 ball, winning 5-2.

Results:
1st Valerie Dukich $325
2nd Stephanie Mitchell $225
3rd Sabra MacArthur Beahn $150
4th Lana Loomis $100
5th Christine Brenner $60
Melissa Morlan

Seminole Pro Tour / West Hempstead, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

Mike “The Mouth” Sigel is poised to take a bite out of The Big Apple, as he is leading the pack at the Seminole Pro Tour’s Empire State Championship. The weekend event boasts an $8,000-added purse and is hosted by Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY.

Of the 64 players who gathered to vie for the top prize, only 32 remain after a long day of play. But Hall-of-Famer Sigel is the only one to go the distance without losing a game, let alone a match. He has dealt donuts so far to Darren Defilippis, Mike Wong, and Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie, an enviable record by any stretch. Sigel’s next match will be against Dustin Morris, who has sent west Brian Deska 7-6, Alex Gilvarg 7-3, and Robert Pole 7-4.

Other players still undefeated include Dennis “The Hatchetman” Hatch, who is defending champion at this event. Hatch’s victories include a whitewashing of Manny Chau, a 7-1 defeat of Barry Banks, and a 7-2 victory over Scott Freeman. Hatch recently took third place at the Turning Stone Classic XV. Hatch’s next opponent will be Jeremy Sossei, who has defeated George “Ginky” SanSouci 7-3, Tony Robles 7-5, and Jesse Ingall 7-3.

Corey Deuel is also going strong, having bested Bill Dunsmore 7-1, Rafael DaBreo 7-4, and Mike Miller 7-3. Deuel’s next challenge will come from Earl Herring, who has so far defeated Rob Owen 7-5, Sean Morgan 7-6, and Luis Tournea 7-3.

View the Seminole Raxx Pool Room tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Also unbested so far, Mike Dechaine has delivered losses to Oscar Bonilla 7-6, Bafdor Soolbhai 7-0, and David Deserio 7-3. Dechaine’s next opponent will be Josh Brothers, who has gone through Stevie Moore 7-2, Peter Ziemak 7-1, and Mhet Vergara 7-1.

Still alive but fighting for their life on the one-loss side include Tony Robles, Mike Davis, Joey Korsiak, Moore, and Krah.

Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.