Pangilinan tops Halloween 9-ball

Senen Pangilinan played the part of Father Karras perfectly in the Super Saturday Halloween 9-Ball Tournament held last Oct. 30 at Corner Pocket.

The 42-year-old Eyun Ji Corp. employee by the skin of his teeth escaped the two first rounds before holding off a late charge by Roger “The Ghost” Espiritu in the finals to win the Hollow’s Eve billiards competition at the Garapan sports bar.

Pangilinan, who hails from San Fernando, Pampanga in the Philippines, needed the full complement of eight games to oust Erick Santos in the opening round, 5-3.

No amount of trick or treating also made his game against Simon Kapileo any easier, as he again needed eight more games to defeat his opponent to advance to the finals.

Espiritu, for his part, had a far easier route going to the finals. The island’s No. 1 billiards player first laid out a big fat Jack O’ Lantern score on close friend Joey Lucido, 5-0, and then dropped only a game in his encounter with defending Monday 9-Ball Tournament champ Jerry Soriano, 4-1, to forge a winner-take-all confrontation with Pangilinan.

In the onset, it seemed like Pangilinan had finally cast away the ghouls and bad spirits of past encounters with Espiritu.

He would forge ahead 3-1 and appeared at the cusp of winning the championship, but out of nowhere, the player they dubbed The Ghost spooked his way back into the finals winning the next two matches to force a rubber seventh game.

Espiritu had control of the green felt table and was on his way to cleaning up the rack and take home the championship when disaster struck. The Pacific Oriental Inc. employee misfired on his preparation for the 8-ball and left Pangilinan a clean shot on the final two balls.

“I didn’t expect to win. There was a lot of luck involved in me advancing to the finals and then beating Roger,” he said.

For his part, Espiritu said it was the breaks of the game that did him in but vowed to come back in the next tournament.

Pangilinan earned $102 for winning the Super Saturday Halloween 9-Ball Tournament. He also got an extra $15 for thrice making a run on the 9-ball.

Espiritu settled for the $68 runner-up purse. He also came away with $10 for twice making a run on the 9-ball. Sorinano also pocketed $5 for making the feat on the 9-ball.

Other cue artists that joined the Super Saturday Halloween 9-Ball Tournament were Juancho Mendoza and Primo Ferrera.

Corner Pocket also continues to hold its regular Monday 9-Ball Tournament every Monday beginning at 9pm. The competition uses a handicap to give beginners a chance against top-caliber players. Entry fee is $10 and first place and second place are guaranteed prize money.

Corner Pocket will also restart its Tuesday 8-Ball Tournament tonight. Participants must fork over $15 to enter the double-elimination competition. Progressive pot for 8-ball in a break will apply. Game starts at 8pm.

Both the regular 9-ball and 8-ball tournaments also use the rules of the Billiards Congress of America. For more on the 9-ball and 8-ball events, please contact Ken Phillips at 233-POOL (7665).