The next stop on the 2012 Predator Pro-Am Tour
will be
Stop #8
June 2-3
Double Points ABCD
Saturday at Noon
Open/Pro Sunday at Noon
$1000 Added
Raxx Pool Room, Sports Bar & Grill
510 Hempstead Turnpike
West Hempstead, NY 11552
516.538.9896
directions
website Click here to see the full 2012 schedule

The Predator Pro-Am Tour’s seventh stop of the 2012 season was hosted by Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn on the weekend of May 5-6. Gotham City is a pool player-friendly room which has a knowledgeable group of regular players. The family-owned pool room is run by Kevin Buckley, who was happy with the quantity and level of players in his room. The two-day event kicked off on Saturday, May 5 with a full field of 64 players competing in the Amateur 9-ball Division. The final eight players would be invited back on Sunday to continue play as the event moved into the final rounds. Alongside the final rounds of competition in the amateur event, the Open/Pro 10-Ball event got underway at noon on Sunday. Below is the breakdown of Day 2 action in the Amateur 9-Ball Division… Winners Side Final Four: Elvis Rodriguez (B+) defeated Joe Palone (B) 7-4
Vincent Morris (C+) defeated Kevin Falco (C) 7-5. Hot Seat Match: Elvis Rodriguez (B+) vs. Joe Palone (B): A new player to the Predator 9-Ball Tour, Elvis Rodriquez, showcased an impressive speed in this match, bumping him up two levels after a dominant 7-4 win. The 7-4 win was actually a 7-2 win, after Vincent counted in his two-game adjustment. Vincent had been playing extremely well up until that point, but seemed to have no answer in this match against the fast and loose style of Elvis Rodriguez. Elvis Rodriguez shooting vs Kevin Falco In the meantime, competition continued on the one-loss side, where players were busy trying to grind their way back for a chance at redemption. Here is the breakdown of the final one-loss side rounds, leading up to the final match. One-Loss Side – Road to the Finals (Sunday’s Action) Michael Yednak (A+) defeated Steve Wright (A) 7-3Junior Sanchez (A) defeated Chris Alan (B) 7-4Wilfredo Albay (C+) Aaron Moody (C+) 7-4Patrick Meyers (C+) defeated Joe Gibbons (C) 7-3 One-Loss Final Four:Joe Palone (B) defeated Michael Yednak (A+) 8-3Kevin Falco (C) defeated Aaron Moody (C+) 7-5 Quarterfinal: Kevin Falco (C), who is from Smithtown, NY on Long Island, clutched out to defeat Joe Palone (B) in an exciting “hill-hill” battle. The win earned Kevin a chance in the semifinal against Vincent Morris (C+). Semifinal: Vincent Morris (C+) vs Kevin Falco (C) This was a pretty even match-up, as both players were having a strong event and playing with heart and determination. When the dust settled, Kevin Falco would clutch out another impressive moving him to the final match. Kevin Falco was able to play tough in the semifinal to earn a rematch vs Elvis Rodriguez
Final Match: Kevin Falco (C) vs. Elvis Rodriguez (A+) In the final match of the 7th Predator 9-Ball Tour event, Kevin Falco was matched up against the hottest player in the tournament, undefeated Elvis Rodriguez. Elvis had been recently bumped up to an A+, and was coming into this match with a lot of confidence. While Elvis played well in the finals, Kevin’s aggressive play and fearless approach turned out to be superior, as he took a lead early and didn’t look back. Kevin went on to win the event with a dominant performance, en-route to a 12-5 final score line. Congratulations to Kevin Falco for his gritty win. Vincent Morris (3rd), room owner Isabel Buckley & son, Elvis Rodriguez (2nd), Kevin Falco (1st) Tony Robles and the Predator Tour staff would like to thank Gotham City Billiards Billiards, along with their sponsors: Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCgrind.com, for their support of the tour. A strong field of sixteen players competed in the Predator Tour’s Open/Pro 10-Ball event, which ran along side the Amateur 9-Ball events on the weekend of May 5-6. The event was held at Brooklyn pool room Gotham City Billiards. This was the Predator Pro-Am Tour’s 7th stop of the season, and featured several top New York players, as well as Hall of Famer Earl “The Pearl” Strickland… who would make his way to the finals of this event after a second-round loss. A crowd of players and fans watch Earl Strickland at work.
We recently featured the five-time US Open 9-Ball Champion, and winner of an impressive nineteen major Professional Pool/Billiards event in a player spotlight, click here to read the story. Top NY names in this event included 2011 Predator Tour Pro Player of the Year Tony Robles, Jennifer Barretta, Joey Korsiak, and Jorge Rodriguez. “The Giant Killer” Jeremy Sossei went through the winner’s bracket undefeated in impressive fashion. Jeremy defeated Alex Borukhovich 7-1, Earl Strickland 7-6, and Rob Pole 7-4. Jeremy Sossei After a second round hill-hill loss to Jeremy Sossei, Earl Strickland defeated Gregg McAndrews 7-2, Tony Robles 7-4, Jennifer Barretta 7-1, Justin Daniels 7-0, and Rob Pole 7-3 to reach the finals and take on Sossei for a second time. In the finals, Earl Strickland would have a chance to avenge his earlier loss to Jeremy Sossei in the modified one-race final race. In the Open/Pro event in the Predator Tour, the player in the winner’s bracket has to go to 9 games, if he gets there first, but if the player in the one-loss side gets to 9 first, it becomes an extended race to 11. The final was a close battle between the up-and-coming young gun, versus the seasoned veteran. Earl was able to get to nine first, and went on to close out a strong 11-9 win over Jeremy Sossei, one of the top rising players in the Northeast. Congratulations to Earl Strickland for winning Stop #7 of the Predator Tour 2012 season… everyone at NYCgrind.com wishes him luck at the upcoming CSI US Open 10-Ball Championships in Las Vegas. Along with runner-up Jeremy Sossei, 3rd place finisher Rob Pole and 4th place Justin Daniels from Ohio also deserve recognition for their strong performances. Room owner Kevin Buckley, runner-up Jeremy Sossei, Larry Ross, and winner Earl Strickland Tony Robles and the Predator Tour staff thank Gotham Billiards, as well as their sponsors Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCgrind.com.
- "Written by Jerry Tarantola, NYCgrind.com"

A strong field of fourteen players competed in the Predator Tour’s Open/Pro event, which ran along side the Amateur 9-Ball event’s on Sunday, March 25. This was the Predator Pro-Am Tour’s 6th stop of the season, which was hosted by Carom Cafe Billiards. The Queens pool room is best known for it’s world-class billiards atmosphere, featuring 10 Verhoeven tables. The legendary pool room was once owned by the billiard great Sang Lee, and is also the home of the Sang Lee International Open. Top names in this event included Player of the Decade Mika Immonen, 2011 Predator Tour Pro Player of the Year Tony Robles, Frankie Hernandez, Zion Zvi, Jennifer Barretta, and Stop #5 winner Robb Saez. “The Iceman” Mika Immonen went through the winner’s bracket in impressive fashion. The back-to-back US Open 9-Ball Champion defeated Frankie Hernandez 7-4, Gregg McAndrews 7-0, Robb Saez 7-5, and Jeremy Sossei 7-6. Mika came with a very impressive runout to earn the clutch “Hill-Hill” win over the “Giant Killer” Jeremy Sossei, securing the hot seat position. After losing in his first round to Zion Zvi, Tony Robles defeated Brian Russell 7-1, Frankie Hernandez 7-3, Robb Saez 7-1, Jorge Rodriguez 7-3, and Jeremy Sossei 7-6. Tony showed the knowledgeable Queens crowd at Carom Cafe that he has no quit, as he fought his way back from down 6-3 against the “Giant Killer” in the semifinal. In the finals, Tony Robles met up with undefeated Mika Immonen… where this match would be all Immonen, as he took a dominant 7-2 score in the final match. Congratulations to Mika Immonen for winning his second Predator Tour event in a row without a loss, with his first being Stop #4 at Mr. Cue Billiards. Jeremy Sossei (3rd), Carom Cafe owner Michael Kang, Tony Robles (2nd), Mika Immonen (1st)
Tony Robles and the Predator Tour staff thank Carom Cafe, as well as their sponsors Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCgrind.com The Predator Tour's sixth stop of the 2012 season was hosted by Carom Café Billiards on the weekend of March 24-25. The Queens pool room is best known for its world-class billiards atmosphere, featuring ten Verhoeven tables. The legendary pool room was once owned by the great Sang Lee, and is also the home of the Sang Lee International Open. Room owner Michael Kang was happy to host this 9-ball event, and worked to set the stage for all of the players competing. The two-day event kicked off on Saturday, with fifty-two players competing in the Amateur 9-ball Division. The final eight players would be invited back on Sunday to continue play as the event moved into the final rounds. Alongside the final rounds of competition in the amateur event, the Open/Pro 10-Ball event got underway at noon on Sunday. Below is the breakdown of Day 2 action in the Amateur 9-Ball Division… Winners Side Final Four: Andrew Cleary defeated Wilfredo Albay (C+)
Wellington Reyes (A+) defeated Lidio Rasta (A) 7-6. Hot Seat Match: Wellington Reyes (A+) vs. Andrew Cleary (C+): Wellington Reyes continued his hot hand of late in a clutch 10-9 win over Andrew Cleary. This win earned Reyes a spot in the finals, following his undefeated run through the winner’s bracket. In the meantime, competition continued on the one-loss side, where players were busy trying to grind their way back for a chance at redemption. Here is the breakdown of the final one-loss side rounds, leading up to the final match. One-Loss Side – Road to the Finals Final Four Hector Ruiz (C+) defeated Charles Young (C+) 7-1
Tony Liang (A) defeated Lidio Rasta (A) 7-4. Quarterfinal Lidio Rasta (A) defeated Wilfredo Albay (C+) 8-7 Semifinal Lidio Rasta (A) defeated Andrew Cleary (C+) 9-7: Lidio stopped Andrew Cleary’s strong run through the tournament… as he was knocking on the door of his first-ever Predator Tour win. Final Match Wellington Reyes (A+) vs. Lidio Rasta (A) In the finals, Wellington had to spot Lidio one game on the wire to in a race to seven games. This match was a close-fought battle, with both players showcasing impressive shotmaking and safety play. Wellington proved to be the stronger competitor on this day by clutching out a 7-6 win. Carom Café owner Michael Kang, Lidio Rasta (2nd), Wellington Reyes (1st), Andrew Cleary (3rd)
Congratulations to Wellington Reyes for his standout performance, leading up to his first Predator Tour win of the season. Tony Robles and the Predator Tour staff would like to thank Carom Cafe, along with their sponsors, Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCgrind.com, for their support of the tour.
- "Written by Jerry Tarantola, NYCgrind.com"

The Predator Tour’s fifth stop of the season took place at the Queens pool room Steinway Billiards over the weekend of March 17-18. The two-day event kicked off on Saturday with 62 players playing in the Amateur event. The final eight players remaining in the event on Saturday night would be invited back on Sunday to continue play, while the Open/Pro 10-Ball event got underway on Sunday as well.
This event featured a wide range of players, from beginners to top amateurs and aspiring pros. It was cool to see many of the players who we recently saw at the 2012 Super Billiards Expo with new gear, a fresh perspective, and a hunger to improve. While there were several players who had standout performances, Sunday’s final rounds would determine who had what it takes to come out in the spotlight.
Final 8 Players in Action on Sunday Winners Side Final Four Daniel Dagotdot (A+) defeated Lidio Rasta (A) 7-5
Kapriel Delimelkonoglu (C+) defeated Mike Fisher (C) 7-2 Daniel Dagotdot has continued to build on his recent hot streak, and came up with a top finish in this event. Hot-Seat Match After their wins in the final four of the winner’s bracket Daniel Dagotdot took on Kapriel Delimelkonoglu, in a match where Kapriel clutched out the final game to earn a hill-hill 9-8 win, earning him a spot in the finals. On the one-loss side, others were still battling it out for another chance at victory. One-Loss Side Road to the Finals Jack Smith (A) defeated Victor Nau (A+) 7-4
Ron Mason (C+) defeated Ray Feliciano (C+) via forfeit.
Lidio Rasta (A) defeated Jack Smith (A) 7-1
Ron Mason defeated Mike Fisher 7-6
Mike Fisher was one of the few to make it to Day 2 and would finish in 5th place Quarterfinal Ron Mason (C+) defeated Lidio Rasa (A) 8-4
Semifinal
Ron Mason (C+) defeated Daniel Dagotdot (A+) 9-8
Ron clutched out a strong 9-8 win over Daniel, who is arguably the hottest amateur in the NYC area.
Final Match Kapriel Delimelkonoglu (C+) vs Ron Mason (C+) In the finals, it was all Ron Mason, who riding high from his clutch 9-8 win over Daniel Dagotdot. Ron defeated Kapriel 9-4, and and capped off an impressive weekend of play. Ron’s performance, coupled with his improved game bumped up his rating to the ‘B’ level. Congratulations to Ron Mason for his standout performance, leading to his first-ever Predator Tour win. Tony Robles and the Predator Tour staff thank Steinway Billiards, as well as their sponsors Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCgrind.com The Predator Tour’s Open/Pro 10-Ball Event at Stop #5 of the 2012 season kicked off at noon on Sunday, March 18 at Steinway Billiards. The popular Queens pool hall drew 62 players for the Amateur 9-Ball Event, which started on Saturday, and continued the final rounds alongside the Open/Pro players on Sunday.
Top names in this event included tour founder and 2011 Predator Tour Pro Player of the Year Tony Robles, Frankie Hernandez, Sean Morgan, Zion Zvi, Mhet Vergara, Jennifer Barretta, and touring pro Robb Saez.
Tony Robles
Professional pool player Robb Saez is originally from Connecticut and spent a lot of time in New York as he came up in the game… and is quick to mention how he has been shaped by the NY pool landscape over the years. The addition of Robb’s exciting, fast and loose play was buzzed about at this event. Some of Robb’s notable accomplishments include being a two-time consecutive Florida Pro Tour Player of the Year, winning the Inaugural Seminole Tour Steve Mizerak Championships, Texas Open Champion, and being a former South American Champion.
Robb Saez In this event, Robb’s overall performance was masterful. The former New York-area player has come full circle, and re-connected to his roots with a renewed passion, focus, and energy to win. Robb captured this event in impressive fashion, through explosive play. Robb’s road to the finals featured wins over Ariel Rivera 7-1, Jennifer Barretta 7-2, Zion Zvi 7-4, and Tony Robles 7-4. While Robb waited in the hot seat, Israel’s former #1 player Zion Zvi was busy making a comeback for a rematch against him. Zion worked his way into the finals hot after 7-2 wins over Jennifer Barretta and Tony Robles.
WPBA pro Jennifer Barretta had another strong showing at this Predator event with a 4th place finish. This final match between Zion and Robb was exciting to watch, as both players showcased a mix of offensive shotmaking and big breaks. Zion has recently improved his break, giving him more consistency and power, which allowed him grind back after Robb caught an early lead in this match.
Zion Zvi
When the dust settled, Rob Saez grinded out a final score win of 7-6 for an undefeated showing in this event, earning him a win in his first Predator Tour event of the season. Congratulations to Robb Saez for the impressive win. Tony Robles and the Predator Tour staff would like to thank Steinway Billiards for their support of the tour, along with their sponsors Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYCGrind.com.

- "Written by Jerry Tarantola, NYCgrind.com"

The Predator Pro-Am Tour's 4th stop of the season drew thirty-nine players to Mr. Cue Billiards in Lindenhurst, NY in Long Island. The pool room has a rich history and tradition of drawing great talent and knowledgeable fans. The pool room’s owner and tour player Scott Murphy hosted the event, and rolled out the red carpet for the players. Tour owner and player Tony Robles was away on Saturday while being inducted into the New England Pool and Billiard Hall of Fame, and tournament director William Finnegan took the reigns for the Amateur 9-Ball Event. (To learn more about the New England Pool and Billiards Hall of Fame visit their site: www.snookersri.com/hall_of_fame.php) The two-day amateur event drew 39 players, and kicked off on Saturday, March 3rd. Eight players made it back to Sunday, building up their tour points standings while giving the competitors a chance to make a statement with the “W”. Winners Side Final 4:Naldo Troncoso (B) defeated Billy Santiago (B+) 7-5Alex Osipov (C+) defeated Rich Turner (D+) 7-6 Hot Seat Match Winners Side:Alex Osipov (C+) defeated Naldo Troncoso (B) 7-6.Alex’s win advanced him into the finals. One-Loss Side Final Four:Roberto Mendoza (A) defeated Billy Santiago (B+) 7-5Rich Turner (D+) defeated Rich Lang (C) 7-3 Quarterfinal: Roberto Mendoza (A) defeated Rich Turner (D+) 10-7 Robert Mendoza’s win sent him into the semifinal match to take on Naldo Troncoso. While Naldo played extremely well throughout the event, he could not fade the explosive play of Roberto Mendoza. In this match, Roberto took control early and never looked back, through a combination of impressive defensive and offensive play. When the dust settled, the final score was 7-3, setting up a match up against Alex Osipov, the winner’s side finalist. The final was a hard-fought match, with Roberto looking as if he was in control and cruising towards a win. However, Alex showed a lot of heart and did not give up. He put on a strong performance and capitalized on Roberto’s mistakes. After a long battle, Alex got to nine games first, which extended the finals to ten. Alex would surge ahead to capture the “W” with a final score of 10-8. This event would make for Alex’s first Predator 9-Ball Tour win… showing that his game is improving as he gains more experience in the competitive sphere. Open/Pro 10-Ball Event: Tony Robles made it back from the New England Pool and Billiard Hall of Fame in time for Sunday’s Open/Pro 10-Ball Event. Tony, who is the current 2012 Open/Pro tour point leader, had to face off against several big names in billiards in the fourth event of the season. Two-time US Open Champion and “Player of the Decade” Mika Immonen participated in the event, along with other area top players including Jennifer Barretta, Zion Zvi, and Frankie Hernandez. Mika Immonen was too dominant for the entire field on this day, as he went through the winner’s bracket unscathed. Mika defeated Gregg McAndrews 7-3, Zion Zvi 7-3, Tony Robles 7-2, and Zion Zvi for a second time in the final match at 7-4. While several players showcased stand out play, the story was Mika Immonen’s dominance through his world-class play. Room owner Scott Murphy mentioned it was an honor to have Mika Immonen play at Mr. Cue Billiards, and he showed us all how this game is supposed to be played. Immonen, who is known internationally as one of the most highly-decorated players in the game today, is a player that will hopefully become a household name in more than just the pool world… but in the greater sports world as well. Tour Owner Tony Robles would like to thank Scott Murphy and his team at Mr. Cue, as well as sponsors Predator Cues, The National Amateur Pool League, Delta-13 racks, Poison Cues, PoolOnTheNet.com, and NYC Grind for their support of the tour. The next event on the Predator Tour will be Stop #5 at Steinway Billiards this weekend, March 17th-18th. An impressive turnout is expected, including a number of top players visiting the area following the Super Billiards Expo.
- "Written by Jerry Tarantola, NYCgrind.com"

The Predator Pro/Am Tour’s third stop of the season was the 3rd Annual Empire State Amateur Championships, hosted by Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY. The two-day, double-elimination event took place over the weekend of February 18-19, and drew an impressive field of 100 players to compete for the title of 2012 Empire State Amateur Champion. The handicapped event drew players from the D level to the A+… and the game on the wire spots kept players from all skill levels competitive. While there were many strong players and performances… only 12 of the 100 would make it to the second day of action. In the winner’s bracket, new player to the tour, Tom Torres from Wethersfield, CT had been impressive… and after being raised from a B+ to an A+, Torres was matched up against veteran grinder Victor Nau, who was also ranked at an A+. Tom emerged victorious in a close 7-5 battle, linking up a winner’s side hot seat match against Niko Berdzenishvili, who was dominant over Tony Ignomirello 7-2 in his previous match.
Niko was the last man standing in the C/D division, but couldn’t stop the hot hand of the Tom Torres, and was knocked to the one-loss side 9-7 to wait for the remaining players battling it out on the west side of the bracket. On Day 2, the one-loss side featured 8 players, including Arturo Reyes, who defeated Roberto Mendoza 7-6, before losing to Victor Nau 8-7, making a comeback after his loss to Tom Torres. Meanwhile, Adrian Daniel defeated Nicholas Chan 7-4, lining up a match with Gavin Lawrence. Gavin defeated Adrian 7-3, but went on to fall to Tony Ignomirello 7-5.
Victor Nau then defeated Tony in a close 10-9 match, to move on to face Niko Berdzenishvili in the semifinal. Niko made a strong out to defeat Victor in a close 10-9 battle, earning Niko a spot in the finals. Niko would have an opportunity to avenge his earlier 9-7 loss in the final match against Tom Torres. Winning this match would be the biggest win for either player. In the finals, it looked to be all Niko, who jumped out to a 7-0 lead, after winning the first three games, following his four-games-on-the-wire handicap. However, through a combination of strong play and missed opportunities by Niko… Tom Torres was able to pull off an amazing comeback to win nine consecutive games en route to a 9-7 victory in the final match. The win gave Tom the new title of the 2012 Amateur Empire State Champion, along with the $2,000 1st prize. Congratulations to Tom for an impressive run through the event, which showcased his strong break, fluid style and strong shot making ability. In the Open/Pro 10-Ball event, which ran alongside Day 2 of the Amateur event on Sunday, Jeremy Sossei ran through the winner’s side undefeated in impressive fashion.
Jeremy defeated Mike Wong 8-3, Jorge Rodriguez 8-3, and made an unbelievable 1-10 kick carom in the hot seat match against Tony Robles to get to the finals. Prior to that match, Tony had defeated Holden Chin 8-6, Scott Bannon 8-7, Raphael Dabreo 8-3, before losing the tough 8-7 match to Jeremy. Tony then bounced back with a 7-6 win over Zion Zvi, who was also playing great in the event, earning Tony a rematch with Jeremy in the finals. The finals matched up the veteran pro versus the young gun pro Jeremy “The Giant Killer” Sossei. In the finals, Tony performed better than Jeremy overall, who wasn’t able to keep up his impressive play from earlier… and the final score ended in favor of Tony at 11-7. This win puts Tony in the front of the points standings for the Open/Pro points division, while earning him the $650 first prize. The next event will take place on March 3-4 at Carom Cafe, located at 3402 Linden Place in Flushing, NY in Queens. For more tour info, visit www.PredatorProAmTour.com.
- "Written by Jerry Tarantola, NYCgrind.com"

The Predator Pro-Am Tour was hosted by Cue Bar Billiards in Bayside, Queens, NY. This event was the second stop of the Predator Tour’s 16-stop 2012 season, where the amateur 9-ball event drew 59 players. While there were several players who were exemplifying stand-out play the story of this event was a breakout gritty performance by Brian Russell, from Newburgh, NY. Brian went through the field undefeated, after clutching out close set after close set. On his path through this field, Brian Russell defeated Brian Tierney 7-6, Junior Singh 7-5, Kapriel Delimelkonoglu 7-4, Lionel Swanston 7-5, Charles Young 7-5, Matthew Harricharan 7-5 and a close 7-6 match against Junior Sanchez in the finals.
Brian Russell dedicated his victory to his kids, and mentioned that they were his motivation to dig deep and make them proud. Brian was focused and never gave up throughout the event, and showcased impressive shotmaking and gritty safety play, earning him the win. Congratulations to Brian on a very impressive victory.
In the Open/Pro 10-Ball division of the two-day event at Cue Bar, Frankie Hernandez went through the winner’s bracket with wins over Brian Hunter 8-2, Juan Guzman 8-3, Jennifer Barretta 8-5, and Geovani Hosang 8-3.
Geovani Hosang played in his first Predator Tour Open/Pro event and made a big statement… defeating Tony Robles 8-6 in impressive fashion in the opening round, and eventually finished in 3rd place.
Tony Robles, who was the 2011 Open/Pro Player of the Year, bounced back from his first round loss to Geovani with wins over Oscar Bonilla 7-3, Jorge Rodriguez 7-4, Jennifer Barretta 7-5, Juan Guzman 7-1, and then avenged his loss to Geovani to defeat him 7-3 the second time around.
In the finals, Tony Robles took on Frankie Hernandez, who earned his spot after running through the winner’s bracket. In a battle between two NYC veteran top players, Tony and Frankie had a tightly-knit race to the victory line, which ended up going to double-hill. In the final game, Frankie broke and ran out to the 10 ball, but got funny on the 10 and decided to play a safe. He left Tony a long tough shot, which Tony sliced in to earn him the victory.
- "Written by Jerry Tarantola, NYCgrind.com"

The Predator Pro/Am Tour’s 2012 Season kicked off Saturday, January 14th, at Steinway Billiards in Astoria, NY, a pool room which has recently helped positively contribute to a surge in competitive pool in Queens, NY. In addition to becoming the newest host location for the Predator Tour and William Finnegan’s two weekly tournaments on Mondays and Wednesdays, the management have invested in new Simonis Cloth and have stepped up their equipment maintenance… in effort to cater to aspiring and top talent.
The inaugural event of the 2012 Predator Tour season began at noon on Saturday with the Amateur event, which brought in an impressive total of 81 players participating in the tour stop. Tour Founder Tony Robles and Tour Director William Finnegan invited the top 16 players back on Sunday, to play in the Sunday Money rounds, where each player was in the money, and each match built with excitement and meaning. Each tour stop’s chart has an A/B bracket as well as an C/D bracket, giving each level an opportunity to stand out amongst their peers. Game on the wire spots keep the players from different rankings competitive. The 81 participants were all vying to start the season off on the right foot, and try to take an early lead in the season’s points standings, earn bragging rights, and make it to the cash. Several notable players went into battle in the A/B division, such as Lionel Rivera, Steve Wright, Eric Tang, John Alicea, Jack Smith, Tony Liang, Wellington Reyes, and the 16-year-old phenom, former Junior National Champion Briana Miller. Briana, who is also a multiple-time JPNEWT Regional Tour Champion, came in at B+ and eventually was raised to an A for putting on a remarkable performance. There were many players participating in the Amateur 9-Ball event who were digging deep and playing hard for a chance to win the 1st prize of $1,225 and start the season at #1. Other stand-out performances were seen from Trevor Heal and Steven Wright, who both brought a combination of fearless shotmaking and a patient approach to grind out several clutch sets, which stirred up great buzz. Lionel Rivera, Alex Platonov, and Dave Ascolese (who had impressive finish in 3rd place) also left it all on the table in their push in this event. Several ‘C’ class players made a statement, showing they they have what it takes to win tough matches including Junior Singh, Wellington Reyes, and Bob Schlott, who had several impressive wins. 15-year-old top junior talent Darwin Vergara also showed a lot of heart, and wowed a few people with how his game has improved.
Darwin mentioned that one of the reasons he is playing better is because he has recently been sponsored by Steinway Billiards, giving the young aspiring talent free table time to practice and hone his game. His father, Mhet Vergara, also participated this weekend, in the Open/Pro Event.
Taking the lead role in the winner’s bracket was Ray Feliciano, who went through undefeated wins over Niko Berdzeniskvili 7-1, Omar Chavez 7-6, Marvin St. John 7-1, Fabulous 7-1, Junior Singh 7-5, and Dave Ascolese 8-3 earning him the hot seat and a position in the final match. Brian Hunter would be the player to eventually face off against Ray Feliciano in the finals, after making an impressive run through the one-loss side. Brian lost his very first match to Rikki Ragoonanan at 7-5 before grinding through the west side of the bracket. Brian’s road to the finals included wins over Rafael Ortiz 7-3, Darwin Vergara 7-6, Jerry Tarantola 7-3, Dan Cintron 7-4, Eric Tang 7-5, Tony Sinacore 7-6, Steve Wright 7-5, Lionel Rivera 7-2, Bob Schlott 7-6 and Dave Ascolese 7-4. This run of ten consecutive wins left Brian Hunter feeling confident that he could defeat Ray Feliciano, who was having a breakout event. In the finals, Ray Feliciano started out slow, while Brian Hunter took control of the pace and momentum of the set. Ray was able to start to settle in and fight back, and fought hard for a potential come from behind win.
Brian Hunter clutched out during several key moments to end up capturing the first Predator 9-Ball Tour event of the season in a exciting hill-hill final match. Brian was very impressive in showing a lot of grit and determination as he fought back to win the event, despite losing his first match. Congratulations to Predator 9-Ball Tour’s Stop #1 Winner Brian Hunter, who starts out the season ranked #1.
The Open-Pro 10-Ball event of the first Predator Pro-Am 9-Ball Tour stop of the 2012 season got underway at noon on Sunday, January 15 with a field of 21 players. The double-elimination, called-shot event was a race to eight on the winner’s side and race to seven on the one-loss side.
A number of the area’s top players came out to take a shot at this opening event, including Sean “Alaska” Morgan, Tony Robles, Mike Fingers, Zion Zvi, Mhet Vergara, Frankie Hernandez, Jeremy Sossei, and many others. Some of the area’s strongest up-and-coming players had a standout day at this event, including Raphael Dabreo, who defeated Jerry Tarantola 8-2 and Evan Broxmeyer 8-0, before losing to Jeremy Sossei 8-5 on the winner’s side. Dabreo would finish tied for 7th place with Sean Morgan. Dabreo then met up with Jerry T again on the one-loss side, where Tarantola avenged his earlier loss, winning 7-4. Previously, Tarantola had a solid run through the loser’s bracket, knocking out Alex Borukhovich 7-5, Rob Pole 7-5, and Tony Robles 7-5. After defeating Dabreo, Jerry T fought a tough battle against Jorge Rodriguez, who came out the winner at 7-5, leaving Tarantola to settle for fourth place. Jorge “J-Rod” Rodriguez had a long journey to get to that quarterfinal match after having lost his first round match to Jeremy Sossei 8-6. Rodriguez tore through the one-loss side in impressive fashion, defeating Victor Nau 7-5, Frankie Hernandez 7-6, Evan Broxmeyer 7-0, Zion Zvi 7-4, Sean Morgan 7-2, Jerry T 7-5, and Jeremy Sossei 7-2, to lock in a spot in the finals against Jennifer Barretta. Jennifer had the been the story this weekend, with impressive wins over Frankie Hernandez 8-7, Rob Pole 8-2, Sean Morgan 8-6, and Jeremy Sossei 8-7 in an exciting hill-hill thriller to take the hot seat. Barretta made headlines last season when she became the first female to win the Predator Tour’s Open/Pro event, defeating Sossei in the finals. Right now, Jennifer is playing the best pool of her career, and proving that the women can win against the best players in the Tri-State area… showing she has major game to back up the buzz.
Jennifer Barretta has been named by ESPN as one of the 50 Sexiest Athletes, and has been featured in Maxim and Playboy magazine… and has now earned the respect of many more knowledgeable NY pool fans that have a new appreciation for the firepower this girl is packing. In the finals, undefeated Jennifer Barretta took on a hot Jorge Rodriguez at around 4am am Monday morning.
Rodriguez continued his very strong play from throughout the event in this match, with impressive shotmaking that was exciting to watch. While Rodriguez was in prime form, Barretta showed signs of fatigue and was not able to keep up her top game she showed throughout the event.
The match ended with a strong 11-2 win for Jorge Rodriguez to take the title. With this win, Jorge solidifies himself as one of NY’s strongest players, and starts out leading the points rankings of the Pro/Am Tour.
Congrats to both Jorge and Jennifer, along with 3rd place finisher Jeremy Sossei on their performances in this event! Stay on the NYC Grind for the upcoming final results from the two-day Predator Tour Amateur 9-Ball event. For the second year in a row, the Predator Pro/Am Tour is going to be awarding an Open/Pro player with an entry into the invitational U.S. Open 10-Ball Championships. After the end of the 7th stop of the season, the player who accumulated the most points will win the entry (worth $500) to the big event in Vegas. Below is the breakdown of the points given to the top finishers. Good luck to all the players working towards earning this big entry!
- "Written by Jerry Tarantola, NYCgrind.com"