Unfortunately , you have to lose sometimes which puts you on the one loss side. This page will have stories of interesting and close matches that I have lost! Please check back often for updates. Posted on 8.31.2010
MEZZ Tour, NYC 9-Ball Championships, Skyline Billiards, Brooklyn NY After my first round loss to Frankie Hernandez, I started playing a little bit better and managed to make it to the first round of the cash matches! I had to play Ronnie Wiseman and I was looking to send him packing! He started the match off strong with some easy outs and built up a 4 to 0 lead before I knew it. I started to play better and pulled back into the match. We were both making some mental mistakes so the match went back and forth un till I got up on him 7 to 6. I had a chance to run out the last rack but I made another simple mistake playing the 7 ball into corner by scratching into the side pocket. This gave Ronnie that game making it tied up at 7 games apiece. I had the chance to go up 8 to 6 breaking for the match which would have definitely made me the favorite. Ronnie got out the last two racks for the win which did not sit well with me. It really made me sick when Jose, the tour director, told me that that match was for some cheese, $200 worth of cheese to be exact!!!!!!! Oh well, 1 round short of the cash again!! Posted on 6.23.2010
Raxx Pool Room, Bar & Grill, Tuesday Night Open My doctors gave me the go ahead to start using my shoulder again so I played in the RAXX weekly open event to start getting back into top gear. I played pretty good but I lost one match to Oscar Bonilla and then I won a few on the 1-loss side setting me up against John Alicea. I started off pretty good but then the wheels came off!!! I didn't expect to play great but I made a bunch of mental errors probably from being away from competition for a while! I scratched once or twice giving him a game, I played a horrible safe leaving him an easy out for another game and then I missed an easy 9 for yet another game! He wasn't playing great at all but I still couldn't put away the set for the win!! One more game on his part and it was all over!!! A short race to 4 is brutal!!!!!! Posted on 11.29.2009
JOSS NORTHEAST 9-BALL, Raxx, West Hempstead, 11.15.2009
I was playing pretty good, winning my first round match against Greg McDaniels. I had to face Lenny Favata in my 2nd round match and I knew this guy could play! I was in stroke and I was playing with a lot of confidence and I beat him good 9 to 6! Then I faced another top local player name Sean "ALASKA" Morgan. I knew this guy could also play and I was playing good so I knew I could get past him. I played strong the entire match and I lead the match the entire way and I got on the hill first 8 to 5! That's when things started to turn on me. I wasn't getting on the correct side of the balls and every shot was harder than the last. I played an off angle bank on the 7 ball across side and I just missed it giving him another game. He then left me a table long bank on the 9 which I just missed rattling it in the corner. It came to rest on the short rail but I couldn't win that game and he moved closer 8 to 7 at that point. The next game I played a lot of good shots but again I was on the wrong side of all of them but I managed to get shape on the 6 ball into the side. I played a good follow shot from the end rail and when I hit it I knew I hit it good but it rattled off the facings on both sides of the side pocket giving him another game. I knew I hit that one good but the table said " NOT TODAY MY FRIEND". I couldn't believe it but the match was now all tied at 8 apiece. It had become another HILL HILL THRILLER! The last game set up to be a short rack with a 5 9 combo sitting close to the pocket! I managed to get on the 5 first but it was an off angle to the 9 ball and It was not an easy shot. I didn't look it over long enough to get my exact aiming point on the 5 and I hung up the 9 ball next to the pocket on the short rail with the 5 ball in line for him to make a combo himself and win the game. I could not believe I gave up a 3 game lead and lost the match but things just did not roll my way in the last few games and Sean played himself back into the match and he pulled out a great win for himself! THIS GAME IS NOT EASY!!!!!!
Posted on 10.29.2009
Marlon Manalo gets away!! US Open 9-Ball Championships 10.21.2009
I had to play Marlon Manalo in my 3rd round match on the winners side at this years US Open 9-Ball Championships. I was pumped having just beaten Nick Varner and I was looking to do the same to Manalo. I started the match off strong winning the first game by getting him on 3 fouls! I broke and ran the next rack and I was off to a great start. That however is where it went south for me. The previous match went so long that I only had time to hit one rack of ball to get warmed up and that wasn't enough time for me. I was not getting easy shots and I was making simple errors that cost me some games. I had a chance to tie it up at 5 apiece after making a dynamite shot on the 1 ball but I ended up between shots on the 7 ball and I missed it giving him another game. I also missed an easy 6 ball in the next game giving him yet another game. I wasn't playing good at all and it showed! I did manage to make a great run out bringing my total to 6 but that would be as far as I got and he won the match easily at 11 to 6!
Posted on 9.27.2009
Blaze Pro-Am Stop #30, Raxx, West Hempstead
I made it to the 1/4 finals of the event and I was playing ok. I had to play Mika Immonen in my next round and we were playing alternate breaks. I won the coin flip so I thought today could be my day to beat him! Oh how wrong could I be!!!! I scratched on my first break and he ran out. He broke and ran out and then I broke and the cue ball bounced around and was kicked off the table, he got out. He broke and didn't make anything so I had my chance. I ran to the 3 and then scratched cross side! He broke and ran out. Then I broke and scratched on the break again!!! How could this be!!!! He broke dry and I ran to the 4 and missed and he got out. Before I broke for the 4th time I told Mika,"how much do you want to bet I don't scratch on this break?" I was determined not to scratch again. I broke and the cue ball drifted towards the side of the table but it was not going into the side pocket..... until it got kicked in the hole and he ran out the set!!!!! YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!! I made more cue balls than I did object balls!!!! WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!!
Posted on 8.25.2009
Joss Tour Final, Turning Stone, Verona NY
On the losers side I had to play Yu Ram Cha. She had just beaten Thorsten Hohmann!! I knew I could take her and I played great and had her the entire match!! I was playing great and taking advantage of her mistakes and I played a few great safeties and made a full table 1 9 combo to win another game! At 7 to 6 in favor of me, I played a great safe on her but that's when things started to change. She jumped a ball to hit the 2 ball and it doubled the rail hitting the 5 ball into the corner down the long rail and she got out to tie the match. She won the next game putting herself on the hill first. The next rack was ugly with a bad safe on my part which left her with an easy safe behind the 9. I made a good kick and made the ball but was left snookered on the 4 ball!! I missed my kick and she had ball in hand with only 6 balls left to win the match but she came up short of position on the 5 which left her behind the 8 ball not being able to see the 6!! She missed and I ran out to the 8 which was an easy pot in the side but I had a lot of options on how to get down to the end rail for the 9 in the corner. that's when I made my only mistake in the match, and it was a doosey!!!!! I played the 8 into the side and I let the cue ball come across table and drop right into the corner pocket!!! Hence my new Pro Tip!!!
Posted on 6.1.2009
Predator 9-Ball Tour Stop #6 5.23.09
I was matched up against a young player from our area by the name of John Alicea. I had beaten him a few times before but I know this kid can play good. I started off the match not playing that great and he took advantage of it. He had my 2 to 0 before I knew it. He was not missing a ball! I tied it up at 2 apiece and then he took off. He played great and had me me 7 to 2 in no time! I was not playing my best and I suffered a few bad scratches but I pushed on!! The momentum switched and I started to climb back into the match. I brought it back to 8 to 7 in favor of him. He started to miss some shots and I knew I could pull this one out for a win. He left me a rail first spin shot on the 5 into the lower right corner. I had to hit a slight masse around the 6 and 7 with left hand spin hitting the rail first and spinning in the 5. I knew the cue ball would be going up table after hitting the long rail so I put a bit more on it so I would not leave myself a long shot on the 6 into the same pocket. After hitting the long rail the cue ball kept rolling into the short rail like I had planned but the cue ball just kept rolling and rolling and rolling. Then it rolled a bit more right into the side pocket!!!! Another tough scratch, I really could not believe it!!! John had ball in hand with 4 balls left for the win. He play the 6 ball in the corner and got straight in on the 7 ball in the same pocket. That was his mistake because he now had no pocket for the 8 ball. He rolled in the 7 leaving himself a straight in bank on the 8 into the side which would leave him straight in on the 9!!! Not my best performance but I am glad I brought it back to a respectable score!!
Posted on 11.1.2008
2008 US Open 9-Ball Championships After loosing my first match I had to play non other that Ralf Souquet, again no need to tell you who he is!! Our match started out pretty good with both of us getting out. the match was pretty close at 5 a piece and that is when I started to catch a stroke! I started using the cut break Ralf was using and I was making balls and running out and soon I was leading the set 9 to 5!! I did not want to get ahead of myself by thinking about beating him so I started to think about LUNCH! That's right, I was thinking about getting myself a spicy chicken burrito from TACO BELL! I also thought about getting one of those volcano tacos they had. I was trying to keep from getting worked up about the way the match was going. I missed a 7 ball and left Ralf tough, he made it into the side and he tried to double the rail to get back down for the 8 ball but came up short. He tried to bank at it but left me tough. The 8 ball was on the long rail about 1 and a half diamonds from the side and the cue ball was in line with the 8 into the opposite corner pocket making any shot I took tough! I thought about it for a minute and I said I had to go for it! I played the 8 ball cross corner with bottom left on the cue hoping that if I missed the 8 I would leave him long and tough to get on the 9! Well I didn't miss the 8 ball it split the corner pocket and I ended up straight in on the 9 putting me on the hill first!! THAT WAS A RELIEF! That is when Ralf started to get some rolls and some breaks! I scratched on the next break and he got out. He played a bad shot on the 1 ball in the next rack letting me see it. I made it into the side and I played the 2 ball into the top left corner and the cue ball came off the end rail and dropped straight into the side pocket!! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! You could shoot that shot for 2 days and not scratch like that!! Ralf won that game and the next making it a HILL HILL THRILLER!!! He hooked himself on the 3 in the last game which gave me some hope but he kicked at it leaving me safe!! I told him that wasn't very nice(I was joking!!!!) I kicked at it and after hitting it I left him almost straight in the side pocket. He began to run out that rack and he left himself tough on 2 balls but he was able to put down the 9 ball for the win!! I played better than him almost the entire match but was unable to get the W!! Man this game is tough!!
Posted on 10.21.2008
One Shot Billiards, Somerset, NJ, Blaze Pro-Am Tour, 10.5.2008 I had to play Jose Parica in my 2nd round match and I was determined to get past him this time because he had beaten me good at Drexiline Billiards to get into 3rd place the week before. I started the match off strong and I didn't miss a ball for the first 4 racks and took a 4 to 0 lead on him! I felt good about winning the match and I seemed to have the momentum on my side. I ran out the 5th rack to the 8 ball and I played a cut shot into the side pocket bringing the cue one rail down the side to shoot the 9 into the bottom corner but I over hit it a bit and I was forced to play a bank into the side. I tried to play it with the correct speed leaving him on the bottom rail if I missed and that is what happened. The cue came to rest in the middle of the bottom rail and the 8 ball was near the head spot. I figured this would prove to be a difficult shot for him since he hardly shot at all so far but he came with it and cut it into the left corner pocket with no problem!!! The momentum switched and he started to get the rolls and he was catching up. I had a chance to get to 5 games when he left the 8 in the jaws of the corner pocket. I played rail first to drift up for the 9 ball into the opposite corner but when the cue ball hit the 8, it stuck on the rail leaving me a difficult shot which I missed leaving him yet another game! It wasn't looking good for me at that point and I couldn't seem to get back into form. I had another shot on the 3 ball but I was near the side rail so I had to jack up and try to draw the ball out one rail for the 4 ball but I came off the rail and got stuck behind another ball. I was pissed at this point!! Nothing I seemed to do worked out for me. I could not get back on track and I eventually let Parica win the set 7 to 4!! I'm getting upset at giving away matches to these guys so I'm going to work on my game and I will not let this happen again!!
Posted on 9.8.2008
Raxx Pool Room, Bar & Grill, Tuesday Night Open After loosing my 3rd round match, I gained my composure while waiting for my 4th round match to start. I started off that match slowly but I caught a high gear and proceeded to win my next 4 matches to meet Bustamante in the finals! I started off the finals great by winning the first 2 games. Busty played a 5-9 combo in the next game and hung the 9 in the corner with the 5 coming to rest straight into the side. With most of the balls hanging in the pockets, he gave me that rack for a 3 to 0 lead!! Busty won the next 2 games closing the gap to 3 to 2! He broke dry and I made a great run out for a 4 to 2 lead and I won the next game increasing my lead to 3 games at 5 to 2!! I WAS PUMPED!!!! I broke the next rack and had a shot on the 2 ball. It was not an easy out but I had a chance to get to the hill first. I was straight in on the 2 with half a pocket into the side and the 3 ball was just off the rail in front of the same pocket so I could not get on the right side of the 3 for easy position on the 4. I stopped the cue on the 2 and cut the 3 into the same side pocket but I drifted a bit to far and had a long hard shot on the 4. I missed the 4 and left Busty an out which he ran for the win closing the gap a bit! He broke the next rack and played a safe on the 1 hooking me good! I kicked at it and missed, leaving him another rack to run which he did making the score 5 to 4. At this point I was still focused and confidant that when he missed I was going to run out for the hill! unfortunately playing one of the best players in the world, you don't always get back to the table!! He put a a 3 pack on me for the win!! I brought the HEAT.... and he put out the flame!! I'll get him next time!!
Posted on 7.31.2008
Master Billiards, Queens, NY, Predator 9-Ball Tour, Stop #12 I had just come off two good wins on the 1 loss side and I had to play Mika Immonen to make it into the cash rounds!! I started the match off really well and I should have had him 4 to 0, but it went back and forth. I found myself running out from everywhere and I took control of the match and brought the score to 6 to 4 in favor of me!! I really played my best pool of the tournament during this set. I did not let the fact that I was playing a world champ get into my head! I just played the table and I had him talking to himself!!! At 6 to 4 me, I played a good safety on the 4 ball and I figured to get out after he shot! That's where it all changed!!!! He banked at the 4 ball just clipping it at a 93 degree angle sending it into the corner(he admitted later he got really lucky with the hit) and he got shape on the next ball and ran out the rack. I broke the next rack and scratched into the side pocket and he ran that rack to tie the match at 6. He broke the next rack and left me a long shot on the 1 ball hanging in the opposite corner next to the 9 ball. I had to hit a full length draw shot with spin to get shape on the 2 and I hit it perfectly.....un til the cue ball fell into the cross side pocket!! He ran out that rack and all of a sudden I was behind in the match and he had the momentum on his side! He missed the 6 in the next rack because it skidded on him and I felt this was my chance to get back into the match. I played a spin shot on the 6 but I rushed it and it hung up in the corner giving him another game. He was now leading the match 8 to 6 and he played a great safety on the 3 ball ( I think it was the 3) and I tried to hit a 3 rail spin shot out of the far corner giving me my best shot at leaving him nothing if I hit it. I stroked it too hard and I was jacked up a bit so the cue ball jumped off the 2nd rail giving me no chance at making the hit!! He ran out the remainder of the rack for the win!! HE WAS MINE!!! At least until the momentum switched!! I played great even though I lost the set and I consider it a small victory because I did not fall to the pressure of playing a WORLD CLASS MONSTER!!! I'll get him next time!!
Posted on 6.26.2008
Rack 'n Roll Billiards, Stamford, CT, Predator 9-Ball Tour, Stop #10 I beat Park Shin in the first round of this weeks PREDATOR 9-ball event in Stamford CT, and as luck would have it I had to face him again in the match that would determine 3rd place! I had been playing pretty good and had just come off a good win against Jeremy Sossie so I felt pretty good. Park was quietly climbing up the 1-loss side and he was getting into dead stroke! The match started out in his favor and he took TOTAL CONTROL of the match! It was all Park Shin!! He was putting on a great exhibition of top level 9-ball!! He was making balls from everywhere and he just kept getting out!! Every time I had a shot, which were few and far between, I had nothing to work with. I never even shot at a 9 ball once the entire match!! He completely steam rolled me 9 to 0!!! Try not to get GODZILLA mad at you, he destroys everything in his path!!!!!
Posted on 6.3.2008
Comet Billiards, Parsippany, NJ, Predator 9-Ball Tour, Stop $7 I was playing in the Predator event at COMET BILLIARDS in NJ. this weekend, and I wanted to play well so I practiced a bit at home and I thought I was playing pretty good! My first round match was against Eric Hu, who I figured to beat easily (No offence to Eric, he is a great guy, and he can play!!!!) I started off good with a full table bank on the 9 for my first game and the I won the next rack leading the match 2 to 0!! That's when I started to leak some oil!! I would run to the 9 and miss!! I would run to the 7 and hang it up next to the 9! I scratched twice on the 2nd to last ball leaving him ball in hand on the 9!!! Man at this point the oil was POURING out, 3 tires were off, AND I WAS ON FIRE!!! He really did not have to do anything at all to rack up the games!! He got out when he needed to and before I knew it I was loosing 8 to 2!!! He made the set winning 9-ball but scratched cross corner to give me one last game but by this time I was being hauled off to the junker!!! I DID NOT GIVE UP, but no matter what I did it did not work out!!! I felt like I could not hit the floor if I fell over!! This match proves that no matter what you think the outcome might be, there is no telling what will actually happen!! YOU WILL LOSE MATCHES, IT HAPPENS!!! But you have to PICK YOURSELF UP, put out the FIRE, add some more OIL, AND GET RIGHT BACK IN THERE!!! I still managed a respectable 9th place finish!!!
Posted on 2.11.2008
Master Billiards, Queens, NY, Predator 9-Ball Tour, Stop #2 I won my first 3 matches, and had to play Tony Robles for my next match! This guy can play!!! I started out playing very poorly and my left eye was giving me some trouble. He won the first rack and I won the next two. We traded racks after that and the set was tied up at 4. I started playing a little bit better and felt I could have a chance. He reached the hill first, 8 to 5!!! I played a couple of great racks and got it back to 8 to 7. Tony broke the next rack, leaving the 9 in the corner with a ball blocking me from the 1. I jumped over it and made the 1 leaving myself a kick at the 2 ball. I hit a great shot leaving him safe, but he made the hit leaving me a shot! I played two good shots and with the 9 ball hanging near the corner I still had a chance for a HILL HILL THRILLER!!! I had to play the 4 in the side with follow to come out one rail for the 5 in the corner and then an easy 6-9 combo for the win and to tie up the match.....BUT..... I made the 4 in the side and the cue glanced off the 6 and went into the same side pocket!!!!! CRAP...HOW THE HELL DID THAT SCRATCH!!!! That would have tied it up with me breaking for the win!!! OH WELL!!!!
Posted on 11.2.2007
Atlantic City Billiards, Egg Harbor, NJ, Blaze Pro-Am Tour, 1.28.2007 My second round match was against a tough local player named Bill Smith Jr. I had recently beat him in a hill hill thriller in VINELAND NJ, so I felt confidant playing against him! The match went mostly his way with chances to run out after the break and some pretty nice rolls! I had a real hard time at the table and in no time he had a 6 to 2 lead!!! I told him that "after I WIN this set I was going to need a nap!!" I did not want to be knocked to the loser side this early in the tourney! I stayed focused at the table and started my climb!!! I managed to get back to HILL HILL! I was playing pretty well at this point and he was struggling a bit. He played a really well final rack up to the 7 ball. He got out of position on the 8 and I thought he would have to play a safe. I figured I was going to get out no matter where he left me so I just waited for my turn!! As it turned out he had just enough room to make the 8 in the corner leaving the cue 1 diamond from the corner pocket on the end rail! The 9 was in between the side and the corner pockets also on the rail. I watched him start to jack up and I said to myself "here's my chance, after he misses this , I'm out!!!" Well.... he fired at it, banking it cross side with draw making the 9 and almost scratching in the same pocket.... ALMOST SCRATCHING IN THE SAME POCKET!!! CRAP!!!
Posted on 9.17.07
Atlantic City Billiards, Egg Harbour TWP, Blaze Pro-Am Tour, 1.28.2007 I had the good fortune to draw my friend Shaun Wilkie in an early round match! He is a MONSTER, on the table!!! The match started off badly for me with him taking on early lead of 5 to 1!!! Things did not look good for me but I hung in there hoping the momentum would switch. And then it did!!! I started getting some good rolls, he started to miss some shots, and I took advantage of every opportunity I had!! Now I was on the hill, 6 to 5, breaking for the win!!!! I broke, sunk a ball, the cue stopped close to the side rail(I DIDN'T SCRATCH!!!) and nothing was tied up!!! I started thinking..."I'M OUT!!! I just orchestrated a huge comeback against a MONSTER PLAYER with alternating breaks!!!"........and then.......the 2 ball kicked the cue straight into the corner, without even hitting a cushion!!!CRAP!!!!!! I was devastated!!! All I could do was watch him take cue ball in hand and run out the easy rack! Now he was breaking, HILL HILL for the win! He made a great break, sinking a ball, leaving him close to the head rail almost straight in with the one in the far corner. He jacked up, and drilled in the one with some draw getting on the 2 and running out the rest of that rack for the win!!!! OH WELL..........
Posted on 8.28.07
Atlantic City Billiards, Egg Harbour TWP, Blaze Pro-Am Tour, 8.27.2006 This is a great story of the first time I played a pro player at a Blaze tour stop! I was playing very well and was staying on the winners side! I played myself into 5th place without a loss and I was getting excited about my next match!!! I spoke briefly with Dawn Hopkins about playing her husband next and she kind of patted me on the shoulder and said something like she was sorry to hear that (like I had no chance at all!!) Nobody really knew who I was so they were all talking about me trying to find out who I was and where I was from!! We started the match and I was nervous as HELL!! I wasn't playing that great and to my surprise neither was he!! The match went back and forth with him pulling ahead 6 to 4. I made a 9 on the break and then won the next game making the score HILL HILL(HILL HILL AGAINST ALLEN HOPKINS!!!) MAN WAS I NERVOUS!!! The last rack went back and forth until he missed the 5! That's when I really started feeling the pressure! I was looking at the 3 balls left on the table and I was telling myself that I was about to beat ALLEN HOPKINS!!!! I had a tough shot on the 5 in the side that I needed to play with high left to send the cue up to the end rail and back towards the side rail to play the 7 in the bottom corner on the same side of the table I had made the 5 on. From there I would play a stop shot on the 7 for the 9 in the opposite corner!! That's all I had to do!! I had just beat ALLEN HOPKINS I thought! He's a legend, a world champion, a US Open Champion, how could I beat such a player!! then I missed the 5!!!!!! CCCRRRRAAAAAPPPPPPP!!!! I worked myself up sooo much thinking I had already beat him that I didn't focus on making the shot! It was not a really easy shot but it was one I should have made! I learned a really big lesson that day! Stay in the moment, don't celebrate a win until the last 9 falls!!! Needless to say I had a really, really, long ride home back to Long Island!! I have not made that same mistake since!!