Villanueva victorious in ‘big money’ 8-ball

Rolly Villanueva made hay while the sun shone, winning the Top Pool Bar Professional 8-Ball Billiards Tournament last Saturday at the Garapan sports bar and watering hole.

With top pool sharks Roger “The Ghost” Espiritu, Jerry Soriano, and Zheng Jian Qing barred from playing, Villanueva was clearly a class above everyone and beat Don Antonio in five games in the championship round to win the supposedly big money tournament, which drew only eight participants.

Villanueva got off on the right foot by winning his opening round assignment against Juancho Mendoza, 3-2.

Other results in the first round saw Rey Pinangay beat Dave Peter, 3-2; Jojo Talibong scuttle Nolan Cultura, 3-1; and Antonio take down Rio Sawhill, 3-1.

The second round was tight as it could be with the remaining four cue artists battling tooth and nail for a slot in the championship round.

In the end, Villanueva and Antonio had more moxie than their semifinal opponents and advanced to the finals opposite each another. Villanueva needed the full five games to nip Pinangay, while Antonio also needed a 3-2 close shave in eliminating Talibong.

In the match for all the marbles, Antonio gave the more experienced Villanueva all sorts of trouble winning two games before the latter finally prevailed in a count of 3-2.

The first place win was worth $110 for Villanueva. It was far less than the $500 payday advertised as the annual competition for the second straight year failed to attract the 32 players needed to fill the $1,000 pot.

For finishing runner-up Antonio took home $80, while Talibong got $50 for winning third place following another 3-2 close victory against eventual fourth-placer Pinangay.

Zheng took himself out of the competition and didn’t extend invitations to Espiritu and Soriano to the $1,000 Top Pool Bar Professional 8-Ball Billiards Tournament to allow other players a chance to win the annual tournament. Zheng managed and owns Top Pool Bar.

For more information on the Top Pool Bar Professional 8-Ball Billiards Tournament, call Zheng at 287-7676 or check out the competition’s website at www.saipanero.com/bars/toppoolbar.

Top Pool Bar, located along Hotel Street Garapan a stone’s throw away from the Paseo de Marianas, is as spacious as it is modern and boasts of two 9-1/2-by-5-foot tables usually found in professional tournaments abroad.