KEN N. Duenas of Guam played excellent pool all night Tuesday to win last week’s Budweiser-Marpac 8-Ball Pool Challenge at the Corner Pocket Pool Bar in Garapan.
Duenas, the visiting general manager of Beach Road Magazine, capitalized on an error made by Beach Road editor Raffy Arroyo in the finals to wrap up the championship via an abbreviated finish.
Duenas earlier in the first round swept his first round matches against previous champions Jojo Talibong and Senen Pangilinan, whom he played without availing of a handicap.
He then won his next game against Arroyo without giving the latter a chance to shoot, to top the winners bracket and earn twice-to-beat status.
Arroyo for his part got to the finals by winning over Wayne Shimabukuro and Talibong, but was simply overwhelmed by the better shooting Duenas in the finals. Arroyo placed second behind Duenas while Talibong got third place.
Meanwhile, Eric Santos beat Senen Pangilinan, 4-3, to win the Budweiser-Marpac 9-Ball Challenge Monday night last week.
Pangilinan appeared headed to another tournament win early in the finals match when he raced to a quick 2-0 over Santos. But Santos maintained his composure and played a very careful game to emerge victorious over Pangilinan, who managed only one game win after that for the 4-3 victory for Santos.
Santos, one of the league’s best 9-Ball specialists, previously eliminated Ken Phillips, 5-2, in the opening round and Raffy Arroyo, 5-2, in the next to forge the showdown with Pangilinan.
Pangilinan for his part earned the finals berth by beating Roger Espiritu, 4-3, and Jojo Talibong, 4-3. The 9-ball Monday night challenge, sponsored by Marpac and organized by Corner Pocket Pool Bar, is played on a single round format with the top two unbeaten players advancing to the finals to play for cash prizes.
The 8-Ball weekly competition, also sponsored by Marpac and organized by Corner Pocket Pool Bar every Tuesday, is played on a double round format wherein the top three players win 50 percent, 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively, of the total entry fees collected.
Tournament officials put in place a handicap system in both events to allow less skilled players a fair chance against the better players.
