RailbirdJAM
01-31-2006, 03:55 AM
What a weekend it was at the 17th Annual Ocean State Championship on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, and you couldn't have asked for a better finals between New York City's George "Ginky" Sansouci and World-Class Champion Allen Hopkins. /ccboard/images/graemlins/cool.gif
The $5,000-added event is a banner tournament, and the winner will have their name printed on a banner, the year that they won, which will hang over a pool table forever more at Snookers in Providence, RI, the host pool room. Steve Goulding, the owner and host, has recently renovated Snookers, and it is one of the BEST pool rooms on the East Coast. There is an outdoor wooden deck which has been designated as the smoking area, and inside there are 25 HDTVs arranged throughout the room. The bar enjoys state-of-the-art technology, with beautiful colored lights lit behind the liquor bottles which change colors, resembling a beautiful aurora borealis sky. And then there's the menu which features delicacies like Regina Goulding's homemade meatballs, my favorite! /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif
In recent times, Allen Hopkins is known for his first-class events such as Super Billiards Expo, Skins Billiards Championship, 7-Ball Challenges, et cetera. But make no mistake about it, he has not lost his touch on a field of green. The railbirds were treated to a first-class exhibition of pool at its finest when Allen Hopkins was shooting his way to the finish line this past weekend. He has an unusual stroke, kind of a short one-punch shot, and his expertise on a field of green came forth during the finals with Ginky. The Joss Tour is a double-elimination format, and Allen defeated Ginky in a hill-hill, which was the first round of the finals. However, Ginky was in the hotseat and had to be beaten twice. The second round, Sansouci never gave up and fought back, resulting in his THIRD Ocean State Championship title. /ccboard/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
I had the opportunity to chat with Allen this past weekend and asked him about his renewed sense of interest in actively competing on the tournament trail. He said that he was, in fact, practicing and tweaking his game. With the IPT on the forefront of every pool player's mind in recent times, Allen is no exception. Even though he already has a long list of championship titles on his portfolio, Allen Hopkins, quite frankly, just loves to play pool. He's not only in tip-top shape, as exhibited by his second-place finish, but he's a straight-shooting son of a gun and will be a formidable opponent to anyone who faces him in the coming months. One trait that I truly admire about Allen Hopkins is that he NEVER has a bad thing to say about anything or anybody, and he will go down in the history books as being not only a world-class champion, but he is an asset to the sport, a gentleman who always brandishes a smile on his face when he's in the pit. /ccboard/images/graemlins/cool.gif
It is always a joy running into Ginky on the tournament trail. His interest in pool too has been recently ignited by the IPT, and you can be sure that George Sansouci is here to stay. Always dressed to the nines, it is a true pleasure watching him play, and he was in dead punch this past weekend. Great win for the Ginkster. /ccboard/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Joe Tucker, the resident House Pro at Snookers, came in third place. He was phenomenal too when he was battling it out. Joe came in second place last year at the 16th Annual Ocean State, and it was difficult for me to pick a favorite to win this event. As most of us know, Joe Tucker is a master at breaking and racking, and his caliber of play is strong. I think I remember overhearing he ran a six-pack on one of his opponents this past weekend. Though he did come in third place, Joe Tucker is still a winner in my book. /ccboard/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Just as a reminder, the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour is going to have another great event in a few short weeks, February 16-19, 2006, at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. Joss Tour TD Mike Zuglan told me that he already has 115 players signed up to play, to include Jennifer Baretta, Karen Corr, Julie Kelly, Johnny Archer, and Danny Basavich. This event filled up the last time, and it will be cut off at 128 players. I just got home from Providence, RI yesterday, and I can't wait to get back on the road again to Verona! /ccboard/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
RailbirdJAM
The $5,000-added event is a banner tournament, and the winner will have their name printed on a banner, the year that they won, which will hang over a pool table forever more at Snookers in Providence, RI, the host pool room. Steve Goulding, the owner and host, has recently renovated Snookers, and it is one of the BEST pool rooms on the East Coast. There is an outdoor wooden deck which has been designated as the smoking area, and inside there are 25 HDTVs arranged throughout the room. The bar enjoys state-of-the-art technology, with beautiful colored lights lit behind the liquor bottles which change colors, resembling a beautiful aurora borealis sky. And then there's the menu which features delicacies like Regina Goulding's homemade meatballs, my favorite! /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif
In recent times, Allen Hopkins is known for his first-class events such as Super Billiards Expo, Skins Billiards Championship, 7-Ball Challenges, et cetera. But make no mistake about it, he has not lost his touch on a field of green. The railbirds were treated to a first-class exhibition of pool at its finest when Allen Hopkins was shooting his way to the finish line this past weekend. He has an unusual stroke, kind of a short one-punch shot, and his expertise on a field of green came forth during the finals with Ginky. The Joss Tour is a double-elimination format, and Allen defeated Ginky in a hill-hill, which was the first round of the finals. However, Ginky was in the hotseat and had to be beaten twice. The second round, Sansouci never gave up and fought back, resulting in his THIRD Ocean State Championship title. /ccboard/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
I had the opportunity to chat with Allen this past weekend and asked him about his renewed sense of interest in actively competing on the tournament trail. He said that he was, in fact, practicing and tweaking his game. With the IPT on the forefront of every pool player's mind in recent times, Allen is no exception. Even though he already has a long list of championship titles on his portfolio, Allen Hopkins, quite frankly, just loves to play pool. He's not only in tip-top shape, as exhibited by his second-place finish, but he's a straight-shooting son of a gun and will be a formidable opponent to anyone who faces him in the coming months. One trait that I truly admire about Allen Hopkins is that he NEVER has a bad thing to say about anything or anybody, and he will go down in the history books as being not only a world-class champion, but he is an asset to the sport, a gentleman who always brandishes a smile on his face when he's in the pit. /ccboard/images/graemlins/cool.gif
It is always a joy running into Ginky on the tournament trail. His interest in pool too has been recently ignited by the IPT, and you can be sure that George Sansouci is here to stay. Always dressed to the nines, it is a true pleasure watching him play, and he was in dead punch this past weekend. Great win for the Ginkster. /ccboard/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Joe Tucker, the resident House Pro at Snookers, came in third place. He was phenomenal too when he was battling it out. Joe came in second place last year at the 16th Annual Ocean State, and it was difficult for me to pick a favorite to win this event. As most of us know, Joe Tucker is a master at breaking and racking, and his caliber of play is strong. I think I remember overhearing he ran a six-pack on one of his opponents this past weekend. Though he did come in third place, Joe Tucker is still a winner in my book. /ccboard/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Just as a reminder, the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour is going to have another great event in a few short weeks, February 16-19, 2006, at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. Joss Tour TD Mike Zuglan told me that he already has 115 players signed up to play, to include Jennifer Baretta, Karen Corr, Julie Kelly, Johnny Archer, and Danny Basavich. This event filled up the last time, and it will be cut off at 128 players. I just got home from Providence, RI yesterday, and I can't wait to get back on the road again to Verona! /ccboard/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
RailbirdJAM