Racks’ Saint Augustine Fiesta 9-Ball Billiards Handicap Tournament
From August 23 to 27, 2007, Racks’ held it’s 2nd pool tournament with total prize money of PHP 120,000 (about $2570 USD). (Racks previous billiards tournament was from April 17 to 23, 2007 with total prize money of PHP 100,000, about $2140 USD). The PHP 120,000 was allocated with PHP 60,000 going to the winner, PHP 25,000 to the 1st runner-up, PHP 15,000 to the 2nd runner-up, PHP 8000 to the 3rd runner up, and the next 12 top finishers each received PHP 1000.
Racks is the best place to play pool in Cagayan de Oro. Racks is owned by Roger Lam, Yan Lam Lim, Camilo Chui, and Nestor Gonzaga. Racks’ Tournament Director is Marlon Pahilan. Racks House Pool Pro is Glend Author.
Tournament registration fee was PHP 1000, and Re-registration is PHP 700. That is, the tournament is single elimination, but if you pay PHP 700 after your first loss, you can re-enter the tournament and it is then double-elimination. Actually, you can re-enter the tournament each day, and since there are four days of competition, it is quadruple elimination. The game is 9-ball and each match was supposed to be a race to seven. That is, the first person to win 7 games wins the match. The top 2 players from each day of play are eligible for the quarter finals. (The poster states race to 7 and top 2 players, but the rules were changed due to player complaints, and the matches were actually races to 8 wins, and the top 4 players from each day entered the quarter-finals.)
The handicap system consisted of Class A though Class D. and works as follows:
- A Class A player loses to a Class B player if the Class B player makes either the 7 ball or the 9 ball.
- A Class B player loses to a Class C player if the Class C player makes either the 7 ball or the 9 ball
- A Class C player loses to a Class D player if the Class D player makes either the 7 ball or the 9 ball.
- In each of the above cases the higher class player must make the 9 ball to win the game.
- A Class A player loses to a class C player if the Class C player makes the 6 ball, the 7 ball, or the 9 ball.
- A Class B player loses to a Class D player if the Class D player makes the 6 ball, the 7 ball, or the 9 ball.
- A Class A player loses to a Class D player if the Class D player makes the 5 ball, the 6 ball, the 7 ball or the 9 ball.
Classes are determined prior to the tournament by money games in which all the players participate. I’m not sure exactly how this works, but there are people who bet on different players and the winners of the money games apparently get a share of the proceeds in the money games. This sorts the players into classes, because the players are motivated to play their best prior to the actual tournament in order to earn money from winning. It is a complicated process.
The Champion’s name is: Reymar “Boy Lapok” Naraiso (Class B).
1st Runner-up is Federico “Tetot” Ebanoso (Class A), 2nd Runner-up is Leonardo “Dodong Panakan” Didal, and 3rd Runner up is Ronie “Tandag” Aying. The other top 12 finishers were, in random order: Paul “Magi” Magadan (Manager of Cebu Team Players), Henry Trinery, Jimmy Shiek, Danny Otacan, Arnold Davao, Raul Villafranca, Demostenes Polpol, Jech Lemin, Paul Neri, Insic Jasaan, Edgar Alcoser, and Denis Muyalde.
Primary sponsors of the tournament are Union Galva Steel, Graphics All-In-One Store, Pepsi, Cebu Pacific, Globe Telecom, San Miquel, and Smart.
See the 9-ball pool tournament photo gallery for all the photos.
See the 9-ball pool tournament awards video here.
The model giving out the trophy to the Tournament Champion Reymar “Boy Lapok” Naraiso, and rewarding him with a kiss, was provided by Spooks KTV Restobar.