Joe “Fast Eddie” Giammarino
The Pool Players of The Brooke Billiards Club (PPB) would like to thank Quail Creek (QC) Billiards Club, Travel Team Director Dennis Desmond, and their members for the friendly competition, camaraderie, and for hosting our Billiards Club. Thanks also go out to the PPB’s Tony “The Snake” Cardillo for organizing this event.
On Oct. 12 the PPB Billiards Club traveled down to Quail Creek for an 8-Ball Team Challenge. We would play in Quail Creek’s Billiards Room, equipped with familiar nine-foot Diamond Pro-Am pool tables, just like our tables. The PPB teams were Dave Parker/Lowell “8-Ball” Hegg, Tony “The Snake” Cardillo/Randy “Thin Man” Smith, Joe “Ball Breaker” Vidmar/Jack “Crash” Hoverter, and Gary “One Rail” Barlow/Phelps “Montana” L’Hommedieu.
The format was simple. Each of our teams would play each of their teams three games of 8-ball, with each game worth one point for the winning team. There were a total of 48 points in the match. The PPB was on fire in the first round, taking it by a score of 9 to 3. The PPB cooled off in the second round, and QC won that round by a 7 to 5 score. The third round started with the PPB up 14 to 10. The third round ended even at 6 to 6. The fourth and final round began with the PPB ahead by a score of 20 to 16. The PPB would have to win five games out of the final 12 to wrestle the traveling bronze plaque away from QC who has had ownership since Oct. 16, 2021. If the match ends in a tie, the current owner keeps the plaque, as has happened in 2022 and 2023 when we competed against QC. Although the PPB lost the fourth round by a score of 7 to 5, it was still enough to win the match. In the final game of the fourth round, the PPB’s Randy “Thin Man” Smith had a pressure-filled shot on the 8-ball to win the match. He flawlessly executed the shot for the win and a final score of 25 to 23 in PPB’s favor. Randy’s 8-ball shot ensured the PPB’s bringing the traveling bronze plaque back to SaddleBrooke for mounting on our wall aside the other seven traveling bronze plaques we currently possess!
After the match, both teams gathered at the Quail Creek Grill for a congenial luncheon and some fun banter.
Rack ‘em up!
You can follow the PPB at poolplayersofthebrooke.blogspot.com.