By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
THE 2026 SBA Budweiser Open 8-Ball League delivered another thrilling night of local cue action on Thursday, with Plumeria Division matches seeing Tom Yum Fighters and Last Shot Hobbies Chokie emerge victorious over their respective opponents at various venues.
At Last Shot Bar, Last Shot Hobbies Chokie edged VFW Noypi 2.0 in a tight 7–6 victory.
The match began with a strong surge from Chokie, as Gerald Cubal and Marc Nelvis pulled off a rare “Run the Rack” feat in back-to-back games, while Alexander Ayeras also secured a win to give Chokie a 3–1 start in the Singles 8-Ball round.
Despite the strong opening, the momentum shifted as VFW Noypi 2.0 responded behind the tandem play of Jerry Cepeda and Jerry Pelano, along with individual wins from Rolando Roque and Joel Buniag. Their efforts helped split the Partners 8-Ball rounds and the second singles rotation to stay within striking distance.
However, Chokie managed to hold on, splitting the remaining sets but edging out a narrow 7–6 win.
At Tom Yum, the Tom Yum Fighters successfully defended their home turf against a resilient Black 8 Rack N Roll 2 squad, winning 8–5.
Rack N Roll 2 initially jumped out to an early lead in the opening singles block, courtesy of wins by Mei Rengiil, John Diaz, and Fel Kalen.
Down early, the Fighters relied on veteran experience to stage a comeback. Rey Torres and Oliver Gragasin anchored the rally, securing a key win in the opening Partners block.
When the format returned to singles, Torres, Franklin Osin, and Gragasin sparked the turnaround, sweeping three of four matches. The Fighters then closed out the match in the final Partners rounds, with Torres and John Lara teaming up, along with Nolan Cultura and Gragasin, to secure key wins. Torres and Gragasin later clinched the final partners game to seal an 8–5 victory.
In the final match of the night, Black 8 Crooked Arrow 2 dominated Tom Yum Seven Tigers, 12–1.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
