STEFAN BONNICI & JOHN HILL VICTORIOUS

Jan 18, 2014

On Thursday, January 16, 2014, Whitby’s newest pool hall, Michelle’s Billiards & Lounge, located at 601 Dundas Street West commenced their weekly blind draw scotch doubles tournament. This establishment provides ample seating around their 18 brand new 7 foot Diamond tables, live bands on weekends and an incredible menu. I would encourage anyone playing in this tournament to bring their appetite and take advantage of the $5 discount off the $20 tournament entry fee when you purchase dinner. You won’t be disappointed and you will also receive free practice time between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM.
Every 13th week, there will be a Quarterly Championship tournament additional added money which is limited to 64 players. Players will accumulate points each week they play and the top 32 will have reduced or no entry into the Championship. The first Championship is scheduled for Thursday, April 10, 2014. Every week a team will be drawn to attempt the 10 Ball Break & Run Jackpot and players can also win the 8 Ball Three Rail Bank Shot Jackpot by banking the 8 Ball off three or more rails during a match. For more details of this event including the format and rules, please go to Michelle’s Billiards & Lounge facebook page.
A field of 26 players gathered for the opening tournament and Tournament Director, Brian Belobradic separated the field, with each team being comprised of a high and a low handicapped player to form 13 teams which were place in three divisions in the round robin format.
In Division A, Colin Kerr 7 & Steve Horvath 4 and Gene Lew 7 & Randy Ricard 4, won their first two matches against Randy Johnson 7 & Tino Carinci 5 and Paul Widdifield 6 & Mark Simpson 4. This led to an exciting match whom Colin and Steve pulled off with a nail biting 3-2 win to win their division and advance to the money round.
In Division B, Steve Robbins 5 & Jason Maxwell 5 and Wayne Tate 7 & Jordan Hill 3 both won their first match prior to their duel in the second round. Steve & Jason jumped out to a 2-0 lead which included an 8 on the break. Wayne & Jordan battled back with the next two games to set up the hill-hill match, which was won by Steve & Jason. Steve and Jason won their last game as well against Steve Viau 7 & Vanessa Francis 3 to remain undefeated and advance to the money round.
Division C, which was comprised of five teams, provided all the drama with a bit of controversy. This division displayed one of the pitfalls of a round robin format, when the fate of two teams is dependent on another team that is mathematically eliminated from the tournament. Entering the last round, three teams were all in the running to win the division.
Marco Carinci 6 & Bonnie Reynolds 4 started off strong with a convincing 3-0 win over Stefan Bonnici 5 & John Hill 4. They split their next two matches by 3-1 scores to set up a potential division winning match against Leon Curtin 6 & Jenn Comeau 4 who also had two wins and one loss. Marco & Bonnie’s hopes were crushed as Leon & Jenn were on fire, with Leon making two clutch bank shots on the 8 Ball for a 3-0 victory.
After receiving the first bye in round one, Leon Curtin 6 & Jenn Comeau 4 defeated Blair Haslam 5 & Kelly August 3, and then lost a heartbreaker 2-3 to Stefan Bonnici 5 & John Hill 4. They rebounded with a 3-2 win over Jeff Miller 5 & Neil Woo 4 and the 3-0 victory over Marco & Bonnie.
Stefan & John had quite the roller coaster ride in this division, as they came out flat with a 0-3 loss to Marco & Bonnie. After collecting their thoughts with their second round bye, they squeaked out a hill-hill win over Leon & Jenn, followed by a 3-0 victory over Blair & Kelly. Their last match was against Jeff & Neil, who were already mathematically eliminated from the tournament. While witnessing Leon & Jenn’s 3-0 win on the next table, they knew that the only way for them to advance was with a 3-0 victory as well. They jumped to a 2-0 lead against their deflated opponents and then clinched their final win after several missed opportunities by both teams.
As fate would have it, Stefan & John were randomly selected to receive a bye to the finals, as Colin & Steve battled it out with Steve & Jason. Colin & Steve dominated the match with some great shot making to secure a 3-1 victory and a spot in the finals.
In the final, Stefan & John jumped to a 2-1 lead and clinched the title in the fourth game when Stefan banked the 8 Ball in the side after an intense safety battle.
Prior to the money round, Gene Lew & Randy Ricard were drawn to attempt the 10 Ball Break & Run Jackpot, which started at $50. Unfortunately, Gene broke the balls and watched in horror, as the cue ball rolled off the side rail and into the opposite side pocket. So, the Jackpot for next week is currently at $52. The 8 Ball Three Rail Jackpot also remained intact and is currently at $30. 
TOURNAMENT RESULTS:
1st place $200Stefan BonniciJohn Hill
 
2nd place $100Colin KerrSteve Horvath
 
3rd place $50Steve RobbinsJason Maxwell