The Shuff Show Rolls Into First Break Cafe in Sterling, VA!

Mar 29, 2012

The Action Pool Tour (APT) held its 7th event of the 2011-2012 Session at First Break Cafe in Sterling, VA on the weekend of March 17-18, 2012. The event drew a respectable field of 54 players, including 5 females, despite the fact that four other tournaments were being held nearby.
Play began at approximately 1:15pm on Saturday, March 17th with no significant early upsets. With the Diamond Pro tables playing very tight, play continued until approximately 3:30am at which time only 12 players remained: eight (8) on the winners’ side and four (4) on the one-loss side. The winners’ side final eight included Sean Sporleder, Brett Stottlemyer, Mike Davis, Rafael Reyes, RJ Carmona, Brandon Shuff, Paul Helms and Paul Oh. The one-loss side final four included tour director Ozzy Reynolds, Brian Deska, Manny Orino, and UAE native Abdulla Mohammed.
Sunday began on the winners' side with Davis downing Reyes 8-3, Shuff squeaking by Carmona 8-7, Helms over Oh 8-4, and Stottlemyer destroying Sporleder 8-0 on the live stream table. The next round saw Shuff defeat Helms 8-3 while Stottlemyer got by Davis 8-4. This set up Shuff and Stottlemyer for the hot seat. Stottlemyer jumped out to a significant lead but couldn't seem to put Shuff away. Shuff fought back and eventually beat Stottlemyer in a hill-hill battle.
Meanwhile on the one-loss side, Carmona edged Reynolds 6-5, Sporleder got by Orino by the same score, Deska downed Oh 6-1, and Reyes eliminated Mohammed 6-3. This led Carmona to eliminate Deska 6-3 while Reyes eliminated Sporleder 6-4. In the next round, Davis defeated Carmona 6-4 and Helms eliminated Reyes 6-2. This set up Davis and Helms for a chance at Stottlemyer in the semi-final match. Davis took a commanding lead but Helms fought back and won in a double hill battle. However, he would not be as fortunate against Stottlemyer as he got thrashed 6-2. This set up Stottlemyer and Shuff in the final match in which Stottlemyer would have to defeat Shuff twice in the true double elimination format. Shuff quickly took command and did not relent as he won convincingly 8-4 and earned $950.
Other notable results of the event include the top female finisher, the 2nd Chance Tournament, and the Break & Run contest. Four (4) females: Ann Reynolds, Cheryl Sporleder, Daisy Blancaflor, and Shanna Lewis all finished in the same level to force a four-person playoff for the top female prize of $100. Lewis would eventually prevail and win the top female honors.
The Break & Run contest, which had a payout of $150 per ball, was conducted on Saturday night. Brandon Shuff had the winning ticket and the opportunity at the cash. Everyone crowded the table as Shuff plowed the 10-ball rack. The balls scattered in frenzy and a single ball found its way to a pocket. Shuff had an extremely difficult shot on the 2-ball and made it almost effortlessly while pocketing another ball in the process. The 3-ball looked like an easy shot but it was partially blocked by another ball. Shuff attempted to squeeze it by but it just didn't have enough room. Shuff finished with two balls and $300. The total purse will progressively roll into the next event with a payout of $140 per ball!
Finally, after being eliminated early on Saturday, Nilbert Lim bounced back to win the 12-player 2nd Chance Tournament and earn $120. Coming in 2nd was Chuck Sampson who earned $80, followed by Cheryl Sporleder in 3rd with $50. The completed brackets are posted on the Results page .
The Action Pool Tour would like to thank all of the players who came out to participate and the owners and staff of First Break Cafe for providing a fantastic venue, great food, and awesome 9-foot Diamond tables. We look forward to returning to this room many more times in the future for more great Action! A big thanks also to our sponsors: Lambros Cues, Magic Ball Rack (CSI), AzBilliards.com, PoolActionTV, and Steve Lingafelter.
The next stop for The Action Pool Tour is April 14-15, 2012 at Break Time in Salisbury, MD.
The Action Pool Tour is continually looking for sponsors. If anyone is interested in placing an ad during our live stream, on our website, or any other sponsorship arrangement, please contact Tour Director Ozzy Reynolds at admin@actionpooltour.com.
Payouts
1 – Brandon Shuff $950
2 – Brett Stottlemyer $550
3 – Paul Helms $400
4 – Mike Davis $250
5-6 – RJ Carmona $150
5-6 – Rafael Reyes $150
7-8 – Brian Deska $100
7-8 – Sean Sporleder $100
9-12 – Ozzy Reynolds $70
9-12 – Paul Oh $70
9-12 – Manny Orino $70
9-12 – Abdulla Mohammed $70
Top Female Finisher: Shanna Lewis – $100
Long Distance Travel Bonus: Mike Davis (Florida) $20