Everybody’s an Opportunist at the Derby City Classic

Everybody’s an Opportunist at the Derby City ClassicBy Paul Berg, InsidePOOL MagazinePaul Berg suffered a dramatic collapse of consciousness yesterday evening at approximately the stroke of midnight, when a $100-a-man 10-ball ring game broke out on the television table at the Derby City Classic. The billiard players, followed by the number of games they won, are as follows in alphabetical order: Johnny Archer 7 games, Francisco Bustamante 1 game, Corey Deuel 4 games, Cliff Joyner 1 game, Gabe Owen 0 games.Derby City Classic image galleryDiscuss the Derby City Classic
What follows is information provided by Angry White Man, our special correspondent and the editor’s partner in as many pool ventures as the brilliant handicapping and verbal genius, White, or Angry, or AWM, lets me in on. He is responsible for the accuracy of the following reports.The amazing Columbus, OH, road man Chris Bartram is one of the best out there right now, taking all comers and having already given the writer some return action on a loss taken at the U.S. Open like a true gentleman. Scott Frost, I’m still stuck a little betting on you with this guy, buddy, but I’m sticking to it. He has often partnered with Jason Klatt, Sarah Rousey, and Jason Kirkwood, and they make a formidable crew. White reports an 18-game swing between Keith Bennett and Bartram the first time they matched up—Bartram trailed for four hours before coming back to win. He’s won that match up twice now, while Kirkwood was leading a seesaw 10-ball match with Ignacio Chavez at last report. Bartram also reportedly lost for a second time facing Dennis Orcollo, this time getting the 7 and 9 balls playing 10-ball.Steve Moore’s pal T from Atlanta keeps mixing it up, as he is getting the best of Frenchy. Often, when match-ups recur during the DCC, players have either stepped it up or lost a little bit of their previous prowess. This is one such case. It really pays off to have a wired information network, but it has taken some of the brash moves and exciting high-rolling away from back room play.“Another Deuel Domination” (the title of White’s account of the proceedings): White has thorough notes and thoughts on our victories in two out of three ring games we have jointly backed Corey in, although it was the mighty Johnny Archer who took home the lion’s share of our gains from the Filipino contingent. Many thanks to our Filipino friends from here and abroad who showed some true gamble and fun loving spirit, and from me personally to Jon "Hennessee" Pinegar, Rich Orem, and Sparky Ferrell, who joined the second of the three ring games at my request when players were sparse. “When I’m talking about myself I have no concern with the other matches.” White went down into battle himself, playing with my cues in a partners banks game with Neil Jacobs against Cleveland, Ohio-born Fred “Scooter” Goodman and Toledo’s Daniel Smith.With my approval, White parlayed our winnings into a stingy loss created by Goodman’s lack of gamble. That is the humble opinion of the writer. Berg arrived just in time to see his roommate, the Angry White Man himself, falter in negotiations. Goodman declined further action when a small spot was requested by the horrible player for our cash and Jacobs benefit. White packed up his notorious sandwich board that he uses to defer railbirds and campaign for this year's action/entertainment award and switched shifts with our conventional correspondent.Berg has been emotionally drained by his open weeping just before the OnePocket.org Hall of Fame Banquet, which he is preparing a post on for this afternoon, as well as an update on the progress into cash matches in the Derby City One-Pocket division, the start of the brisk and exciting race-to-seven 9-ball main event, and whatever else he can come up with. He intends to find the long delayed numbers for the banks payout and explain the players’ anger with their inability to use their delayed winnings to re-enter the other events. He is heading down to the front desk to ask for a response from the amazing staff from Diamond Billiards Products and will proceed directly to loving the greatest pool party on earth. – Ed. PlagueAs a final note, the writer, Ed. Plague, and Paul Berg are one and the same human. I had about seven hours of sleep since Thursday morning at 10 a.m. up until my crash last night and have failed to see any of Corey in ring game action. I apologize Corey, but I did bet it when I thought the line-up last night was three parts Filipino. I was even downstairs talking to people about it like it happened that way, so I apologize to anyone for the bad information. I’ll try to stay awake for the rest of the tournament, okay?A final note to young champion at any game he applies himself to, Corey Deuel: I’m all for the games we’ve got lined up with the South Dakota kid and that Efren guy. Send it in.

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