The one-and-only, Tommy Sanders, dominated a field of 50, open 9-ball division players, while Joey Bourgeois, Jr., decimated the 63-player, amateur 9-ball division, at the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour 9-ball event, held February 9th-10th, at Diamond Sports Bar and Grill in Port Arthur, Texas. Both players had to conquer their opponents, two sets, in the true, double elimination finals. Sanders took home his first Tour win, while Bourgeois, Jr. marked up another win in the amateur division.
Once again, title sponsor Poison by Predator Cues, Cyclop Pool Balls, APA of North Harris County, Vapor Knights USA, and Outsville Billiards, facilitated a successful event for the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour. The purse totaled $9,410 for the two-day, 9-ball event, and the Tour would like to thank room owner, Tony Nguyen, for adding $1,000 to the purse. This tournament marked the Tour’s first time at the brand new, Diamond Sports Bar and Grill, following the devastation of Texas’ 2017 Hurricane Harvey, which totaled Nguyen’s former pool room, “Crazy Eight’s Family Pool Hall”. Same location, new name, and complete makeover, Diamond Sports Bar is stunning, dressed with eighteen brand new Diamond bar tables, two nine foot tables, full bar, and kitchen. Nguyen bounced back with the help of family, friends, and the Port Arthur community, in a big way. Nguyen not only reinvented his pool room, but opened up his own restaurant called “Reel Cajun”, a seafood restaurant and bar, now featuring locations in Port Arthur, Lumberton, and Orange. The Tour encourages everyone who supports pool, locally, to patronize businesses who contribute to the success of the sport, and the Nguyen family certainly qualifies! The Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour is deeply appreciative of Tony Nguyen, the Nguyen family, and their entire staff, for hosting a first-rate event, and look forward to their next stop at Diamond Sports Bar and Grill.
In the open 9-ball division, Diamond’s owner, Tony Nguyen, made his way to the winners’ side final four, defeating Dustin Johnson, 6-2, Colton Berzins, 6-0, John Lassek, 6-2, and J.C. Torres, 6-5. Jacob Pena tore through Steve Lindgren, 6-2, Joel Acevedo, 6-4, and Joey Bourgeois, Jr., 6-4. Steve Lenz ousted Joey Davenport, Jason Phillip, 6-2, Erik Renteria, 6-5, and Steve Espinosa, 6-2. The legendary Tommy Sanders bested Dennis Hadley, Carl Honey, 6-0, Cesar Arechiga, 6-2, and Troy Woodard, 6-2. The final four took shape, while the one loss side was underway. Fighting to reach the final twelve, and in the money, David Massie eliminated Honey, 6-4, and Ricky Hughes edged out Butch Booth, 6-5. Following a third round blow by Woodard, Bayaua took out Frances Arechiga, 6-4, while Renteria denied Jacob Case, 6-3. Back on the east side, Nguyen dealt Pena a blow, 6-5, and Lenz overwhelmed Sanders, 6-3. The hot seat was a real crowd-pleaser, with Lenz maneuvering past Nguyen to take the match, 6-4. On the west side, Massie was making up for a second round loss to Bayaua, eliminating Espinosa, 6-3, marking his fifth, consecutive win. Hughes sent Woodard packing, 6-3, Bayaua bypassed Torres, 6-4, and Renteria ended Bourgeois, Jr., 6-2. Massie took out Hughes, his sixth victim, 6-4, but fell short against Pena, 6-5. Bayaua overwhelmed Renteria, 6-2, but fell to Sanders, just shy of the final four. Sanders dusted off Pena, and powered through Nguyen, 6-4, to reach Lenz. This was a final, worthy of any final, ever played on Tour. Sanders, who lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Lenz, out of Orange, Texas, teed off for a southern showdown like no other. The first set went hill-hill, with Sanders securing the final game, 6-5. In overtime, Lenz fell short of the goal line, and Sanders went on to win the set, 6-4, and his first-ever, Poison Lone Star Tour title.
In the amateur 9-ball division, on his way to the winners’ side final four, Justin McMullen was on fire, tagging Randy Davidson, Theo Hoang, 5-4, Jesse Hantz, 5-2, and Ryan Garcia, 5-1. Newcomer Stephen Turner ousted Joey Davenport, 5-4, Kevin Frauenberger, 5-4, Mike Singleton, 5-1, and Erik Renteria, 5-1. Houston’s J.C. Torres ran through Arturo Medrano, Troy Woodard, 5-2, Steve Lindgren, 5-3, and David Massie, 5-3, while Joey Bourgeois, Jr. bested Ricky Hughes, 5-4, Dennis Hadley, 5-2, Tony Nguyen, 5-4, and Joel Acevedo, 5-0. Eight players on the one loss side were in action, and in the money. Butch Booth beat Hadley, 5-4, and Massie, 5-2, while Lassek stopped Honey, 5-1, but fell to Acevedo, 5-4. Following a second round loss to Singleton, Lenz took charge, terminating Jacob Case, 5-0, and Ryan Garcia, 5-2. Cesar Arechiga ended Robert Wendel, 5-2, but lost to Renteria, 5-3. On the east side, Turner blitzed McMullen, 5-0, and Torres shut-out Bourgeois, Jr., 5-0. The hot seat witnessed Turner slide by Torres, 5-4, to secure his first hot seat match, on Tour. On the one loss side, Acevedo denied Booth, 5-3, and McMullen, 5-4, while Renteria terminated Lenz, 5-4, subsequently hitting a Bourgeois, Jr. road block, 5-2. Bourgeois, Jr. forged ahead, taking out Acevedo, 5-2, and Torres, 5-3, to meet a new opponent in the final match. Turner and Bourgeois, Jr. faced off for the first time, in the first set, where things didn’t go exactly as planned, for Turner. Bourgeois, Jr. captured the first set, 5-1, and the final went into overtime. In the second set, once again, Bourgeois, Jr. commanded it. Turner found it difficult to regroup, and Bourgeois, Jr. closed out the second set, 5-1.
The Tour would like to recognize Celeste Espinosa, Julia Acevedo, Ruth Paine, D’Andrea McQuirter, and Toni Esteves, who kept the tournament running smoothly, and sold raffle tickets to help support future events. Many thanks to Gary Medlin who performed cue repair, and D’Andrea McQuirter who offered massage services to all the weary pool players. D’Andrea also took home a Poison VX playing cue, and Carl Honey secured a set of Cyclop “Zeus” pool balls, products they won in the weekend raffles.
The next event is March 23rd-24th at Slick Willies Family Pool Hall, 6436 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, Texas, 78238. For more information, visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com. There will also be a Gulf Coast Women’s Tour 9-ball event, this same weekend. For more information, or to get prelisted for either event, email Kim Newsome at lonestartour@gmail.com.
Open Payouts – $4,950
1st Tommy Sanders $570/$1350
2nd Steve Lenz $350/$850
3rd Tony Nguyen $260/$500
4th Jacob Pena $170/$300
5th-6th Ernesto Bayaua, David Massie $80/$100 ea
7th-8th Ricky Hughes, Erik Renteria $50 ea
9th-12th J.C. Torres, Troy Woodard, Steve Espinosa, Joey Bourgeois, Jr. $35 ea
Amateur Payouts – $4,460
1st Joey Bourgeois, Jr. $550/$1000
2nd Stephen Turner $330/$700
3rd J.C. Torres $250/$450
4th Joel Acevedo $170/$250
5th-6th Justin McMullen, Erik Renteria $75/$100 ea
7th-8th Robi Booth, Steve Lenz $45/$50 ea
9th-12th David Massie, Ryan Garcia, Cesar Arechiga, John Lassek $30 ea
13th-16th Dennis Hadley, Jacob Case, Robert Wendel, Carl Honey $25 ea