I'm BAAAAACK~ to playin pool, that is

TV4U is a Vegas based Production Company which recently took an interest in pool matches. So to tape a pilot show and to get their feet wet, they decided to come and film the final matches at Putter’s 1st Annual Fall Classic.  It was a full line production featuring a local TV sports announcer and Jim Blakeman (a stong player who we were all glad didn't sign up) as commentators, multiple cameras/ crew and a stage.  Mark Estes with help of Adam Pfeifer spent many back breaking hours building the stage from the scratch and hung all the banners.

It featured 9 ball scotch doubles and 8 ball singles. Both events enforcing a well established local handicap system.  Criterias for the Scotch was that combined handicap of the players could not exceed 17 and the individual's handicap score set their race to on the 8 ball singles.  The event was alternate break through out and played on beautiful and awesome Diamond Smart Tables.  This event received quite the buzz, (haha- buzz. check out the http://www.vegasbilliardsbuzz.com/) and many sponsors stepped up.  Along with a leading billiard company, CSI (CueSports International) and USAPL (USA Pool League), it was refreshing - ahhh - to have Chrome Soda as one of sponsors.

Mark Estes coordinated the tournament along with tv4u and decided to throw in a women’s invitation event called “Queen of the Hill”.  This was discussed in their meeting many times before and they agreed it was a perfect time and place to get a demo shot to present it to possible sponsors.  And so Mark Estes was the sole barrer of deciding whom to choose for the part.  Decisions... decisions.

It wasn't too hard for Mark to choose Amy Encinias as his first choice.  After all, Amy had just wont the ACS National Women Standard 8 Ball Champion 2009 and becoming a fierce player of her own.  And I was thrown in the mix and soon we were billed as ‘two of Vegas’ top female players’. I laughed my ass off when I read that. Granted that I did win a BCAPL National title in 08, but I had hardly been competing or playing ‘quality’ pool for over a year. I was officially on a break.

However, this forced me to start practicing and gave me a push to get back in pool. It was sink or swim time, literally! So I took the deep plunge and signed up to compete in the whole sh-bang!

As for the Scotch Double… umm me and my partner went out in two. Race to 4 alternate break 9 ball can be quite brutal – to say the least.

8 Ball? I did ok enough to win the 2nd highest women finisher pot.  Holly Ryan nabbed the top women spot.  Way to go Holly :)

On the Sunday for the tv4u filming, Amy and I was up first! And we were both so nervous, we couldn’t even breathe!

The race was real short and once again alternate break it was impossible for neither of us to settle into the match. I could see my finger tips shake as I place my hand to bridge every time and it didn’t make it easy knowing that a camera followed my every move to catch my disappointment whenever I missed a shot or made an error.

If I wasn’t so lucky rest of the week, then the rolls finally turned for me. I got lucky couple times and it was enough to win the Challenge. So, if this thing gets picked up, there will be more of me and Amy :)

I know I put more pressure on myself and therefor, everyone else around me suffered greatly that weekend.  Especially Mark - poor guy.  If to change the billiard industry and be the savior of US Pro pool isn't overwheming enough, he married me with all my dramas, LOL.