Poison Lone Star Tour,

Bourgeois and Bayaua Blitz Poison Lone Star 10^th Anniversary Event

Joey Bourgeois, Jr., of Baytown, Texas, tore through a field of 75 amateur division players, while Houston’s Ernesto Bayaua blazed through the 64-player, open division, in the epic Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour 10^th Anniversary Event, held on July 7^th-8^th, at Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar in Houston, Texas. In the amateur division final, Bourgeois, Jr. beat out number two ranked, Steve Lenz, to claim his first-ever win on the Poison Lone Star Tour, while Bayaua bested number two ranked, Joey Torres, to maintain his number one spot in the open division rankings. Both players went undefeated!

The sixth stop on the Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour was the “10^th Anniversary 10-Ball Event” which marked ten years of Tour tournaments in the Lone Star State. The Tour gave away cash and products totaling $1,500 to its loyal constituents, while new players at this event were entered into a cash drawing. The Tour provided lunch for all the players, including twenty-nine, Gulf Coast Tour ladies. Thanks to host room, Bogies Billiards, title sponsor, Poison by Predator Cues PoisonBilliards.com, and sponsors Cyclop Pool Balls Facebook@CyclopPoolBalls, APA of North Harris County Facebook@APANorthHarrisCounty, OutsvilleBilliards.com, www.VaporKnightsUSA.com, and Southern Streaming, this event amassed 85 Poison Lone Star players, and a $12,330 payout.

In the amateur division, Joey Bourgeois, Jr. made his way to the final four on the winners’ side with victories over Jose De LaCruz, Joel Acevedo, 5-4, Jance “L.J.” Johnson, 5-1, and Dallas’ Clint Palaci, 5-3, while Steve Lenz made his bid, securing wins over Jamie Cantrel, John Braud, David Williams, 5-3, Chris Young, 5-3, and Aaron Springs, 5-2. Resident player, Chuck Adams, denied Sonny Bosshamer, C.J. Escalera, Adam Cooper, 5-4, Bob Guzik, 5-4, and Chad Reece, 5-4, while Randy Nickerson ousted Todd Hinson, Bob DeTuncq, 5-4, Jack Cavalier, 5-0, Dale Briones, 5-3, and recent event winner, Michael Pickering, 5-1. On the west side, following a first round loss to Dallas’ Shane Hvamstad, Cesar Arechiga racked up seven wins to reach the final sixteen on the one loss side. Bosshamer benched Beaumont’s Carl Honey, 4-0, but fell short to Chris Young, 4-3. Hinson also took a first round hit, but came back to win six matches, positioning himself in the final sixteen, while Bret Harlan reached the final twenty-four, and in the money, but was denied by Marshal Ward, 4-2. Tony Scott squeezed into the first money round, but fell to Hvamstad, 4-3, while Laredo’s David Leal won five, including a win over Guzik, 4-3. Newcomer, Brandon Stewart, booked four wins on the one loss side, including a victory over Briones, 4-3, while Josh Pruiett paved his way to the final twenty-four, but lost to Kevin Frauenberger, 4-1. While the final eight took shape on the west side, on the east side, Nickerson made quick work of Adams, 5-1, while Bourgeois, Jr. powered through Lenz, 5-1. Back on the one loss side, Arechiga bested Young, 4-2, and Reece, 4-3, while Hinson took care of Ward, 4-3, and Pickering, 4-0. Leal slid by Hvamstad and Springs by the same score, 4-3, while Stewart defeated Frauenberger, 4-1, but was ousted by Palaci, 4-1. Hinson overwhelmed Arechiga, 4-0, and Palaci moved past Leal, 4-3. In the hot seat match, Bourgeois, Jr. took down Nickerson, 5-2, securing his first-ever, hot seat win. Seeking redemption, Adams eliminated Palaci, 4-3, and Lenz ended Hinson’s run, 4-2. Lenz overcame Adams, 4-1, and Nickerson, 4-2, to reach a final reckoning with Bourgeois, Jr. Once again, Lenz proved no match for Bourgeois, Jr., who cruised to his first Poison Lone Star Billiards Tour victory, 5-1.

In the open 9-ball division, Ernesto Bayaua was on role, dominating Kelly Kilgore, 6-2, Justin Pena, 6-0, Adam Cooper, 6-0, and Steve Lenz, 6-3, while Manny Chau cut through Mike Wilson, Chase Rudder, 6-0, Chuck Adams, 6-2, and Cesar Arechiga, 6-0. Aaron Springs stopped David Ramos, Sonny Bosshamer, 6-2, Seth Gonzales, 6-2, and upset Alex Calderone, 6-5. Joey Torres , Joey Bourgeois, Jr., 6-2, Carl Honey, 6-3, and Joel Acevedo, 6-3. As the winners’ side final four took shape, the one loss side was winding down. Kevin Frauenberger took out Hvamstad, 5-2, but fell to Calderone, 5-1, while Bob Guzik ended Sonny Bosshamer, 5-3, and Acevedo, 5-2. Chase Rudder ousted Tommy Tokoph, 5-4, but was upset by Steve Lenz, 5-0. Pena edged out Bobby Perez, but fell to Arechiga, 5-3. It was down to the final eight. On the east side, Bayaua bested Chau, 6-4, and Torres tore down Springs, 6-2. The hot seat pitted two, successful Houston players, witnessing Bayaua handily win the hot seat, 6-2. On the west side, Calderone ejected Guzik, 5-0, but lost to Chau, 5-1, while Arechiga slid by Lenz, 5-4, only to be ousted by Springs. While Springs upset Chau, 5-4, Torres took him out, earning himself another shot at Bayaua. In the final match, Torres came on strong, but Bayaua was on point, pulling ahead to win his fourth open division title this year, 6-4.

The Tour would like to thank Monique Ferguson and John Newsome who assisted with running the boards, and recognize Jimmy Weeks of Lufkin, Texas, and Mike Pawloski of Willis, Texas, for being top contributors to the player auctions. Finally, the Tour would like to congratulate all of the free giveaway recipients. Mike Wilson of Corpus Christie won the Poison AR3-2 playing cue, Laredo’s Gerardo Alvarez took home a Poison VX jump cue, and Houston’s Rudy Sanchez won the Poison break/jump cue. Tommy Tokoph and Todd Hinson won Cyclop Pool Ball Sets (Zeus), and Doug Gray, C.J. Escalera, Roy Alonzo, and Richard Stuart snagged Outsville Accu-Racks. Carl Honey collected $50 in Brutal Game Gear, and Thomas Madison took home the Superbowl gear.

The next event will be 9-ball on 9′ tables, to be held August 4^th-5^th, 2018, at Skinny Bob’s Billiards, located at 300 Hester’s Crossing, in Round Rock, Texas. This same weekend, there will be a Women’s Gulf Coast Tour 9-Ball Event, two days, on open bar tables, beginning Saturday, August 4^th, at 11:00am. The women’s event is non-smoking. For more information, visit www.GulfCoastWomensTour.com.

For more information, or sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.LoneStarBilliardsTour.com.

Article and photos by: Kim Newsome

Amateur Payouts

1^st Joey Bourgeois $620/$940

2^nd Steve Lenz $400/$620

3^rd Randy Nickerson $280/$460

4^th Chuck Adams $160/$300

5^th-6^th Todd Hinson, Clint Palaci $70/$150

7^th-8^th Cesar Arechiga, David Leal $40/$75

9^th-12^th Chad Reece, Michael Pickering, Aaron Springs, Brandon Stewart $30 ea

13^th-16^th Chris Young, Marshal Ward, Shane Hvamstad, Kevin Frauenberger $25 ea

17^th-24^th Eric Gauthier, Sonny Bosshamer, Lance Johnson, Bret Harlan, Tony Scott, Bob Guzik, Dale Briones, Josh Pruiett

Open Payouts

1^st Ernesto Bayaua $650/$1,850

2^nd Joey Torres $455/$1,100

3^rd Aaron Springs $310/$650

4^th Manny Chau $185/$300

5^th-6^th Alex Calderone, Cesar Arechiga $100/$100 ea

7^th-8^th Bob Guzik, Steve Lenz $50 ea

9^th-12^th Kevin Frauenberger, Joel Acevedo, Chase Rudder, Justin Pena $30 ea

13^th-16^th Shane Hvamstad, Sonny Bosshamer, Tommy Tokoph, Bobby Perez $20 ea