Nick B
Verified Member
Well just got back from a great event. Was lucky enough to combine a business trip with a little one pocket.
Day One. Fly in Thursday Morning. Catch some of the banks and watch SVB put on a clinic. Boy has that man improved his banking. Scary strong. Certain shots are just money. He can hit every shot about 3 different ways. His bank game has gotten super strong. Anything shallow bank is pure and home. Supper confident. His opponent in the finals Neal Jacobs is a scary and ultra aggressive prayer. With him no lead is safe but in the end SVB made it look easy.
Draw is made and my first match is against Preacher Ronn.
Day Two. Come in early and hit some balls. Feel jet lagged but super determined to because should I wim I get to play SVB or Jay Helfert. Either way a great opportunity. I have both of Jay's books and well if it has to be SVB even better.
Match1 -Ronn and I go back and forth. He's under the weather and knows more about the game then I could ever hope to. Super tough opponent. Keeps me on my back heals but somehow I get the crucial ball when needed. Score was not indicative of edge in play. Ronn is a good gentlemen and can really make some nice long rail banks from distance.
Match 2. - SVB. He comes in like a rock star. Points at me and says ready. I explain that I just played on this table. Response...I don't care. We lag and I pin one up against the rail (told you I just played on this). Great break...almost perfect. SVB tries an aggressive bank/clearance and tries to bring the rock around 3 rails behind my stuff. Over amps a little. Gives me a free ball. Make 4 or 5 and nurse my lead home. 1-0 NB. He racks and breaks. We jockey back and forth. I break his break and get a small lead. Long game. Makes a super aggressive bank. Bing Bang Bomb. 1-1. Good Break again. Get ahead. Win. 2-1 NB. This time his break is perfect. I make a hero clear out. Turn the table around. He scratches and I get to 7-1. We get into a ticky-tacky little nudge struggle. He leaks out a shot. Super tough long range back cut for the win. Swish...cue ball goes two rails and just trickles into the to top corner. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! He makes one of the best run outs I have ever seen. Boom 2-2. Now he goes into beast mode. I keep him penned up for about 30 minutes and then he smokes a straight after straight back with me about to make a bunch of balls...expect he makes them all. Bing Bang Boom. I lose 4-2. I felt like I just wrestled with a Bear. We take a couple of pictures for my son. I think I made him mad. Then he had his way with me. 3 hours in the masters workshop. His game is now a new level. Seeing his cue ball control and thinking up close was impressive.
Day 3. Match 3. Draw Gabe Wilkalkia. Super nice gentlemen from Washington State. Knows the game better than me....I probably shoot a little straighter and win. Again the score was not indicative of close our match was.
Match 4. Hello Mr. Warren Kiamco. What I get all the world champs? Where is Dennis O or Alex P? He warms up (hits two balls). We lag and he just nips me out for the break. After a long first game he makes a beautiful 3 rail through traffic for the first game. 1-0 Kiamco I make another good break (actually all my breaks where just working). Another long game but I get an edge and push the balls up table. He leaks out a ball and I make a nice carom for the win...1-1. Next game I forget but he took advantage of his break and gets ahead. 7-6. He almost make this game ball and I make a perfect 2-Rail Up and Down from my pocket...feeling pretty good about myself I look at the crowd and say...what no applause. A local pipes back and says now make the 3 railer for the win and claps. Pull back and stroke it. 3 rails. Doubles up in the jaws and leaks out. WK strokes it home. 2-1WK. Next game is another long one. I battle back and get to 7-7. He finally makes a mistake and I have a twist long bank which I would love to move over an inch or two. Pull back...wack it...looks good...clips the point Hanger for Warren. I shake his hand.
Had a great time. Met some forum friends. Made some new ones. Again thx to Mark G for putting in a great tourney. He even let me in the booth for a couple of matches while I got abused for being Canadian. All in fun. Mark is a class guy and a great steward of our sport.
After the final I congratulate SVB and he points at me and says you were my toughest match. Not sure if he was being nice but I had a Zhit eating grin on my face for about an hour.
Picture of SVB after he had his way with me:
Day One. Fly in Thursday Morning. Catch some of the banks and watch SVB put on a clinic. Boy has that man improved his banking. Scary strong. Certain shots are just money. He can hit every shot about 3 different ways. His bank game has gotten super strong. Anything shallow bank is pure and home. Supper confident. His opponent in the finals Neal Jacobs is a scary and ultra aggressive prayer. With him no lead is safe but in the end SVB made it look easy.
Draw is made and my first match is against Preacher Ronn.
Day Two. Come in early and hit some balls. Feel jet lagged but super determined to because should I wim I get to play SVB or Jay Helfert. Either way a great opportunity. I have both of Jay's books and well if it has to be SVB even better.
Match1 -Ronn and I go back and forth. He's under the weather and knows more about the game then I could ever hope to. Super tough opponent. Keeps me on my back heals but somehow I get the crucial ball when needed. Score was not indicative of edge in play. Ronn is a good gentlemen and can really make some nice long rail banks from distance.
Match 2. - SVB. He comes in like a rock star. Points at me and says ready. I explain that I just played on this table. Response...I don't care. We lag and I pin one up against the rail (told you I just played on this). Great break...almost perfect. SVB tries an aggressive bank/clearance and tries to bring the rock around 3 rails behind my stuff. Over amps a little. Gives me a free ball. Make 4 or 5 and nurse my lead home. 1-0 NB. He racks and breaks. We jockey back and forth. I break his break and get a small lead. Long game. Makes a super aggressive bank. Bing Bang Bomb. 1-1. Good Break again. Get ahead. Win. 2-1 NB. This time his break is perfect. I make a hero clear out. Turn the table around. He scratches and I get to 7-1. We get into a ticky-tacky little nudge struggle. He leaks out a shot. Super tough long range back cut for the win. Swish...cue ball goes two rails and just trickles into the to top corner. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! He makes one of the best run outs I have ever seen. Boom 2-2. Now he goes into beast mode. I keep him penned up for about 30 minutes and then he smokes a straight after straight back with me about to make a bunch of balls...expect he makes them all. Bing Bang Boom. I lose 4-2. I felt like I just wrestled with a Bear. We take a couple of pictures for my son. I think I made him mad. Then he had his way with me. 3 hours in the masters workshop. His game is now a new level. Seeing his cue ball control and thinking up close was impressive.
Day 3. Match 3. Draw Gabe Wilkalkia. Super nice gentlemen from Washington State. Knows the game better than me....I probably shoot a little straighter and win. Again the score was not indicative of close our match was.
Match 4. Hello Mr. Warren Kiamco. What I get all the world champs? Where is Dennis O or Alex P? He warms up (hits two balls). We lag and he just nips me out for the break. After a long first game he makes a beautiful 3 rail through traffic for the first game. 1-0 Kiamco I make another good break (actually all my breaks where just working). Another long game but I get an edge and push the balls up table. He leaks out a ball and I make a nice carom for the win...1-1. Next game I forget but he took advantage of his break and gets ahead. 7-6. He almost make this game ball and I make a perfect 2-Rail Up and Down from my pocket...feeling pretty good about myself I look at the crowd and say...what no applause. A local pipes back and says now make the 3 railer for the win and claps. Pull back and stroke it. 3 rails. Doubles up in the jaws and leaks out. WK strokes it home. 2-1WK. Next game is another long one. I battle back and get to 7-7. He finally makes a mistake and I have a twist long bank which I would love to move over an inch or two. Pull back...wack it...looks good...clips the point Hanger for Warren. I shake his hand.
Had a great time. Met some forum friends. Made some new ones. Again thx to Mark G for putting in a great tourney. He even let me in the booth for a couple of matches while I got abused for being Canadian. All in fun. Mark is a class guy and a great steward of our sport.
After the final I congratulate SVB and he points at me and says you were my toughest match. Not sure if he was being nice but I had a Zhit eating grin on my face for about an hour.
Picture of SVB after he had his way with me:
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