Pro9 - Europe's No.1 Pool Player Resource

2nd Annual Southern Classic
Harrah's Casino & Hotel
Tunica
Mississippi
USA
www.accu-stats.com - LIVE PPV streaming video
www.southernclassictournament.com
www.harrahstunica.com
www.mediumpool.com

21-29 June 2013

Accu-Stats LIVE Pay-per-View of the Diamond Southern Classic

9-BALL

All photography courtesy of �David Thomson / mediumpool.com
Diamond Southern Classic 9-Ball Championship

Lee Van's the man! Lee Van Corteza that is. Even he was surprised. "I have to beat Orcollo twice," he had questioned earlier? Dennis Orcollo is known for his no nonsense approach at the table. You don't often see him smile, or show any emotion�until he wins.

All the way through the brackets of the Diamond Southern Classic 9-Ball division Dennis had won. So, going into the finals he still had 2 lives, Corteza, only one. He had a loss and, therefore, to win the title, he had to beat Dennis twice.

Orcollo is regarded by some to be the toughest out there right now. Whether it's tournament tough or, for cold hard cash, he is a hard man to beat - especially, twice.

Lee Van had played extremely well all event long and was getting stronger. He'd just put a 7 pack on young Phil Burford in the semis. In a race to 9, that's hard for Phil to fade. He had sat in the "electric chair" as Accu-Stats' commentator Danny DiLiberto likes to call it. Nothing you can do from there but watch. And wait. And, if the opportunity comes, you'd better be ready.

Phil was. In the 8th rack, Corteza rattled a 2-Ball. It sat in the jaws of the pocket. Phil pried himself out of his seat, potted it, and calmly ran the rest of the rack. He made the 1 on the break but got no shot on the 2. He attempted a jump shot and, that was all she wrote. Van ran out, 9-1.

The rub was, Burford had just beaten another Filipino who'll match up with anyone; Carlo Biado. Carlo, earlier in the event, had harnessed a spectacular 7 pack�and out. His opponent, Nikos Economopoulos, got only one game.

Phil showed that heart as he reversed a 1-5 deficit to steal the set from Biado 9-8. Biado got fourth.

Phil settled for third. Add that to his 3rd in the 10-Ball and, all-in-all, he had fared pretty well in the deep South. His sponsor, OB Cues would be happy.

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Accu-Stats was happy, too. Pat had been auditioning his new Total Performance Average (TPA) app. It's compatible with all tablets, smart phones, computers and the like.

Now the world could see on the Pay-Per-View screens how well the players were really playing. Until Corteza's miss, he'd played prefect and, therefore, had a TPA of 1.000. A couple of errors cost him .024. He had to settle for a .976. Biado, with his 7 pack mentioned earlier, with only one error, had a TPA of .987! Try that at home.

The app will be available soon. You can download it and check out your TPA. It's a great way to improve your game as it points out the strengths of your performance and, more importantly, your weaknesses.

Filipino, Warren Kiamco was in the last six, too. Then he met Corteza. That's four of the last six 9-Ball competitors who hailed from the Phillipines. Pound for pound, these guys know how to grind. Remember, too, that Alex Pagulayan had won the banks and Francisco Bustamante, runner-up in 1-Pocket had snagged the Friday night Banks Ring game. Don't worry if you missed any of it; they'll soon be available on DVD.

Holland's Niels Feijen was the last to fall to Orcollo. Niels actually laughed about it. He felt comfort that he had gotten to the table twice in his match with Dennis�and it was to kick. Dennis ran 4, left a safe, ran 2, left a safe, and ran out.

And now he was in the finals. And, the odds-on favorite. Maybe, even Corteza thought his task was insurmountable. Otherwise, why would he have murmured, "And I have to beat him twice?"

The first set went back and forth with few errors and Lee Van was delighted to win. Dennis had no choice but to buy back.

Neither Lee Van nor Dennis had strung runs together, Sure there were 2 packs here and there. Then the break would stall them. Or, the odd, uncharacteristic miss would creep in there.

Remember, these guys have been competing for 13 days in back-to-back events. First with the Ultimate 10-Ball, then Diamond event started with the Banks, then the BIG Foot 10-Ball Challenge, the 1-Pocket and, finally, the 9-Ball.

This is worse than Wimbledon. At least there, when you win, you get a day off. These guys are playing all day. Then, rumor has it, nudge-nudge, a little extra curricular action at night. That's constant pressure,

And it was catching up with them. While ahead 7-5 in the second set, Dennis missed an easy 5-ball, The Pool Gods don't like it when you miss makeable balls. They've been known to punish players for losing concentration, taking the shot for granted, not capitalizing on opportunity, etc.

And, punish they did. Lee Van saw his moment and didn't look back. He found his rhythm and, four games later, the final 9 dropped. His heart, and fists, were pumped. His shoulders dropped and his winner's smile beamed from ear to ear. Now he could sleep, and dream the sweet dream; another title accomplished.

They'll be talking about it in the Philippines, that's for sure. Van's the Man.

Thank you Diamond for another great event. We'll see you at the Derby.

Accu-Stats thanks our sponsors: Simonis Cloth, Aramith Balls, MEZZ Cues,  OB Cues, Kamui Tips, Samsara Cues �and �Lucasi Cues

Accu-Stats LIVE Pay-per-View of the Diamond Southern Classic

ONE POCKET

All photography courtesy of �David Thomson / mediumpool.com
Diamond Southern Classic 1-Pocket Championship

121 entered and then there were three. And one of them surprised everyone.

Not only was St Louis resident Justin Bergman under the radar, this was his third ever pro event.

Last year, in the first round of the Southern Classic Banks, he drew Darren Appleton, got hill-hill and was so devastated by the loss�"It was Sick," he said, "And, now I was broke,�so I went home. Sure, I could've got a backer to buy back in�and give up half�to a stranger? NO Way! "

This year was different. He'd learned his lesson. How can you win if you ain't in? So money be danged; he had a good friend back him in all the events. $8000 later, they'll be talking about this to their grandkids.

And, that's a long, way away. Justin's only 25. In pool years, he's about 95. He's been playing since he was 5 and in constant action soon after.

His second event was the Ultimate 10-Ball, held the week before in Harrah's, where in his opening match took down Rodney Morris, Hunter Lombardo, Johnny Archer, until he ran into Wang Can who sent him to the loser's bracket. There he met Ralf Souquet. He had Ralf 6-1 before the "Surgeon" put the slow bleed on him.

Now he was competing in his 3rd pro event -- the Southern Classic II -- and in the 1-Pocket semi's�undefeated! That means he still had 2 lives and could exercise his "buy back."

His potential opponents, Corey Deuel and Francisco Bustamante, had only one life each. Had Bergman lost twice, and the odds makers were betting that he would, a Corey / Busty finals would have been a rematch of the 2013 Derby City 1-Pocket event.

That was not to be. Although Corey played well, Justin took control early and, at 2-1 and about to run out, fouled the cue ball. Corey, never to pass up an opportunity, ran the four balls that he needed and we were all tied up at 2. The good news is that it was Bergman's break, a definite advantage in 1-pocket.

Corey defended and back and forth they jostled until Bergman pulled a bank out of the hat that afforded him the opening to nip and tuck until all 8 balls were his. Corey, very disappointed, had to settle for 3rd. His sponsor, OB Cues, was very happy.

Corey has had an incredible year. Not only did he take down the 2013 Derby City 1-Pocket, he was voted to attend the Accu-Stats 1-Pocket Invitational on the Diamond BIG FOOT, and he is the 2103 US Open Snooker Champion. And now, a sweet 3rd at Tunica.

I guess it doesn't matter what size the table; 9,' 10,' or 12,' Corey's a contender.

Busty's hot, too. In fact, he was so on fire, he sent Justin to the buy back booth.

The quality of the play in these last three matches, by all players, is a 1-Pocket clinic. The strategy manifested in so many different moves, whether it's nipping and ducking, when to take an intentional foul, to attempt a four ball combination the length of the table�with a safety as back up if it were missed, it's all here. 8 balls and out were common. There is even a 9 and out from Busty; he needed 9 because of one of those intentional fouls.

But when it came to crunch time, Bergman did not falter. He even made a Believer out of Bustamante who commented, "This kid is good. You can't miss a ball."

Bergman's response, "I hate this game! I like game where I get to run balls, like in 9-Ball or Straight Pool." You can tell he loves 14.1/Straight Pool; the way he moves the cue ball, always on the correct side of the object ball to move to the next ball. Try that all in one pocket.

Humbly, he admitted that his 14.1 high run is only run about 150, "That was in practice, I've never competed."
'
Maybe, Accu-Stats should bring him to The Simonis Arena, at Sandcastle Billiards in New Jersey. Pat is hosting another MAKE IT HAPPEN event: The Accu-Stats 14.1 Invitational in early August.

The good news is that all these incredible matches will soon be available on DVD and for download from the Accu-Stats Home Theater.

Meanwhile, we still have to determine the Diamond Southern Classic II 9-Ball Champion. It will be done on Saturday.

Will it be Shane Van Boening, or Dennis Orcollo, or Scotland's Jayson Shaw who sent Shane to buy back, or Carlo Badio who ran 7 and out on Friday, or the aforementioned Chinese wonderteen out to Shanghai all of the above? At press time there were about 10 players left.

Visit accu-stats.com. Jim will have the schedule posted for you, all day.

Accu-Stats thanks our sponsors: Simonis Cloth, Aramith Balls, MEZZ Cues,  OB Cues, Kamui Tips, Samsara Cues�and�Lucasi Cues

Accu-Stats LIVE Pay-per-View of the Diamond Southern Classic

DIAMOND BIG FOOT 10-BALL CHALLENGE

All photography courtesy of �David Thomson / mediumpool.com
The British are coming, the British are coming!

Where's Paul Revere when you need him? Englishmen Karl Boyes and Phil Burford fought through a tournament-tough, international field of 16 to face South Dakota's Shane Van Boening and Tennessee's Jonathan Pinegar in the semis and finals in the Accu-Stats TV Arena.

Unlike the US War of Independence, there was nothing Americans could do to slow the onslaught.

The race to 11 matches on the Diamond 10 foot table--hence BIG FOOT, were not only PPV but, like all Diamond events, they were captured by Accu-Stats Media Productions for broadcast by FOX Sports in 26 countries in Asia. They will also be available on DVD and the Accu-Stats Home Theater.

2010 World 8-Ball Champion Karl Boyes, just coming from a 9th at the last week's Ultimate 10-Ball Championship, was feeling pretty perky against Pinegar. Jonathan, always a threat, was dispatched and tied for a very honorable third.

Van Boening was severely tested in semi's #2 by Burford who's been honing his game Stateside for about a year now. He has a respectable reputation as a player with a lot of heart. But tonight, in search of closure, Phil couldn't quite stifle the flutter.

The tournament tough Shane, his trusted Cuetec by his side, knew what to do. He took a break, shook it off, and strode back into the Accu-Stats Arena with that ambling, composed swagger of his that conveys victory. He closed out Phil at 11-9 to tie with Jonathan at third.

They each were paid a tasty $4000. $8,000 would go to the runner up, while the winner would receive a mighty $16,000. Diamond has rearranged the prize money in the Southern Classic and eliminated the Master of Table bonus so that more funds would be allocated to the 10-Ball and Banks divisions.

Without much of a break in the action, Shane now faced Karl who had derailed Pinegar a couple of hours earlier as their semi was scheduled first.

Karl was well rested. Shane, still in stroke from his win, was confident. Karl had to play catch up�until the 11th rack.

Karl jawed a 9-ball that would have gotten him ahead at 6-5. Shane closed that rack, broke, made the 10--which was spotted--then ran out: It's 7-5. He cracked the rack, and again, the 10 dropped and was replaced on the spot. He attacked the open table with that effortless precision until, up jumped the devil; Shane, too, jawed the 9! Remember; this is the Diamond "BIG FOOT."

That self-assuredness soon waned as, with the 10 hanging in the hole, that missed 9 could have given Shane 8-5, perhaps, an insurmountable lead

Instead, Karl changed the course of events and capitalized on the dangling balls and it was 6-7: A big swing from down 5-8 -- with Shane breaking.

Karl, now at the helm, also sank the 10 on the break to have it respotted before he ran out to tie the finals at 7. In game 15, Karl's dry break allowed Shane get to the 4, miss, and it was 8-7 Boyes.

Snookers, safes, and unforced errors ensued between the two and Shane managed only one more game. Karl, soon on the hill, was cool, calm, and composed on his approach to run the last rack. Unflappable, his final 10 fell. Now, all that was left was go collect that tidy 16 large.

Nice work, if you can get it.

And, there's more to come; the 9-Ball division has just gotten started. And, Karl is ready. 84 cuemen including Alex, Efren, Bustamante, Corteza, Orcollo, Carlo Biado, Neils Feijen, Huidji See, CJ Wiley, Corey Deuel, Phil Burford, Jayson Shaw, Chinese wonderteen Wang Can who has beaten just about all of the above and, of course, Shane are all snipping at Karl's heels. Revenge is bliss.

The Accu-Stats PPV continues with 9-Ball and the 1-Pocket semis at 7pm and the finals at 9pm, EST. Visit accu-stats.com for the complete schedule.

Thank you: Simonis Cloth, Aramith Balls, MEZZ Cues,  OB Cues, Kamui Tips, Samsara Cues�and �Lucasi Cues, we couldn't have done it without you!

Accu-Stats LIVE Pay-per-View of the Diamond Southern Classic

9-BALL BANKS

All photography courtesy of �David Thomson / mediumpool.com
Alex, dominant... Again!

123 bankers, no not those comforted by suits heading to LLoyds in London, but those armed with pool cues bound for the Diamond Southern Classic II, hosted by Harrah's Hotel & Casino in Tunica, Mississippi.

When Alex Pagulayan, sponsored by OB Cues and Puyat Sports, enters the packed Accu-Stats Arena you know you're in for a treat.

No matter what the cuesport, even snooker, Alex is going to excel. His modest approach, even charming approach, is filled with gyrations that are a sports photographer's delight, his self deprecating laughter after a miss captivates spectator's hearts, and then there's the skillset that scares the bewheezus out of opponents.

Maybe, this year, he was a little more determined after the disappointment of coming in second last year. Alex doesn't like second.

And who's this young gun entering the arena with him to determine the Southern Classic II Bank Pool Champion?

Skyler Woodward, born in bank pool country -- he's from Paducah, Kentucky -- really proved, at only 20, he's here to stay. Let's look at the world class players he ran through to get to the finals.

How about Niels Feijen, Efren Reyes, OK, he lost to Efren but on the hill at 2-2 and 4 balls each. How close can it get?

So, as is the Diamond tournament format, Skyler exercised his one and only "buy back" and proceeded to overthrow veterans Lee Van Corteza and Danny Harriman, Troy Jones, England's own, Chris Melling; Kudo's to Chris as he had never even played a game of Banks, never mind enter a Banks tournament. He was seen, wisely, stalking the likes of bank masters Scott Frost, Efren, Brumback, etc., to learn all he could to steal moves and, especially, in defense in this suicidally, aggressive pool discipline. Chris finished in the top 10!

Skyler then disposed of 2 time Derby City Banks Champion John Brumback, Richie Richeson - at 3-zip! Snuck a bye in the last 3 and, finally, faced Alex in the race to 3 title match.

Alex had a slightly easier route through Florida's Rob Saez, fellow Filipino Lee Van Corteza, England's Chris Melling, Southern boys, and no stranger to banks, John Brumback and Richie Richeson who finished 3rd.

Alex and Skyler had the Accu-Stats Arena, and world wide Pay per View, audience captivated. This wasn't "make a ball and play safe" strategy, this was gutsy, go-for-all-of-it action. For example, Alex, needed 3 balls to get on the hill. He ran 2 then timed the game winning ball to slowly trickle into the pocket--after traveling 4 rails!

How did Skyler fade that? In the next game, he ran 5 and out!

Did you miss it? Don't worry, Accu-Stats will have all the action for your home viewing pleasure on DVD or Home Theater soon.

Today is the 10-Ball semis and finals on the Diamond 10-foot. Tomorrow, back to the 9' and more one pocket, and the week will finish with 9-Ball on Friday and Saturday.

Don't miss a stroke; visit accu-stats.com and see it all in stunning HD.

Accu-Stats thanks our sponsors: Simonis Cloth, Aramith Balls, MEZZ Cues,  OB Cues, Kamui Tips, Samsara Cues  and Lucasi Cues

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