On the Grind

Heading into the finals of the CueSports International U.S. Open 8-Ball Championship, Shane Van Boening was asked what player he preferred as an opponent. Without hesitation, he said Alex Pagulayan — the Filipino star he has played numerous times and who he knew would provide a challenge.

"I know Alex well. We've played a long time. He's a grinder and he never gives up," Van Boening said after the match about his opponent. As the old adage says: Be careful what you wish for.

Pagulayan erased a 7-2 deficit against the defending champion and defeated the South Dakotan to earn top honors at last month's 52-player event at Griff's in Las Vegas. Pagulayan, who earned entry into the finals from the one-loss side of the bracket, capitalized on a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes by Van Boening in the later stages of the match.


Orcollo was thwarted by his countryman Pagulayan.

Early on Van Boening appeared poised to retain his title, with victories over Sina Valizadeh, Manuel Perez and Josh Roberts to reach the event's final day. After Lee Vann Corteza jumped out to an early 3-0 in the quarterfinals, Van Boening used a punishing break to win seven of the next eight games, winning the match, 8-6. His scorching play continued in the semifinals against Dennis Orcollo, gaining a quick 5-2 lead and cruising to an 8-4 win — with five of the victories of the break and run variety.

Meanwhile, Pagulayan was working his way through the one-loss side. He defeated Thorsten Hohmann, 8-7, to set up a rematch with Orcollo, who had defeated him earlier in the event. The two Filipinos battled throughout the match, with neither holding a lead of more than two games. With Pagulayan holding a 6-5 lead in a race to eight, Orcollo broke and watched as the cue ball sailed on the fly into the side pocket. Pagulayan ran out the rack to get on the hill and held off a late rally to win, 8-6.

In the title match, Van Boening appeared to be making quick work of Pagulayan, breaking and running out in the first and third games, and scratching out two more wins to take a 4-1 lead. After a break and run in the sixth game, Van Boening rattled off three more victories to take a seemingly commanding 7-2 lead. After another break and run by Pagulayan, the South Dakotan was poised to win the 11th game and grab an 8-3 advantage but scratched attempting to gain position on the 8 ball.


Despite falling behind, 7-2, in the title match, Pagulayan kept grinding away, eventually catching Van Boening at the wire.

"That was a big turnaround and I missed a few shots after that. I lost my momentum. I don't know what happened," Van Boening said. Momentum clearly swung in Pagulayan's direction in the second half. The always-entertaining Filipino won four consecutive games thanks to two break and runs, and a pair of rare mistakes by Van Boening. The defending champion wasn't finished though, breaking and running in the 17th game to reach the hill with a 9-8 lead. Pagulayan tied the match in the following game with a break and run of his own. Known as one of the best breakers in pocket billiards, Van Boening stepped to the table in the deciding game and scratched. "Sometimes your opponent gets a roll and that's what happened when I scratched on the last break," Van Boening. With a favorable spread of balls before him, Pagulayan carefully orchestrated his way through the rack, completing the comeback and taking the championship.

"I just tried to deal with what I had on the table and not worry about my opponent," Pagulayan said after the match. "He's beaten me about 30 times and I've beaten him once now. That's not so bad." Despite the loss, it was still a productive trip for Van Boening, who claimed his 10th CSI U.S. Open title in the 10-ball event. Between the two events Van Boening earned $22,400 — not a bad week in a city known for taking people's money rather than cutting checks. "I didn't feel any pressure," Van Boening said. "I'd already won the 10-ball event and was in the finals, so I was happy with the week. It just wasn't meant to be."

Both the 8-ball and 10-ball tournaments were moved from the Rio All-suites Hotel and Casino, home of the BCA Pool League events, to Griff's. BCAPL Marketing Director Mary Coffman said the decision to relocate the events was based on logistical and economic reasons, specifically the shipping and installation costs of 9-foot tables and required lighting. Griffin said the hanging of lights alone for each 9-foot table cost in the neighborhood of $800.


Van Boening's big break let him down at the worst possible time.

"It just became cost prohibitive," he said. "We can't overcome the cost of bringing in the 9-foot tables." CSI experimented last year with holding the events on 7-foot tables rather than regulation-sized equipment but reconsidered after players and spectators complained.

"There was a lot of outcry from the pros. They didn't feel that a U.S. Open should be held on 7-foot tables," Coffman said. Griffin and Coffman considered the venue change a success and intend on having the tournaments at Griff's again in 2018. One format change under consideration by Griffin is lengthening the sets, as most of the events used a race-to-eight format, with a race to 11 in the 10-ball final and a race to 10 in the 8-ball's deciding match. Sets in all events were expected to last roughly two hours but instead concluded in an average of an hour and 15 minutes.

"I expect to have an event, I'm not sure under what scenario," Griffin said.

CSI U.S. Open 8-Ball Championships

Alex Pagulayan $13,500 Shane Van Boening $7,400 Dennis Orcollo $4,500 Lee Vann Corteza $2,800 Vinnie Calabrese $1,600 Thorsten Hohnmann $1,600 Rodney Morris $1,100 Denis Grabe $1,100

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