Hohmann Claims NJ State Straight Pool Championship

Hohmann Claims NJ State Straight Pool Championship By Paul Berg, InsidePOOL Staff WriterGerman sensation and reigning World 9-Ball Champion Thorsten Hohmann took top honors at the Second Annual New Jersey State Straight Pool Championship on Sunday night, winning the extended final match 200-107. Robles was fresh off a flirtation with a coveted record shared by the elites of 14.1 continuous play, and the atmosphere was tense for the home favorite’s second brush with Hohmann.New Jersey is resplendent with straight pool history, and that era was represented by tournament organizer Jack Colavita. Bill Haley provided a cozy arrangement at his Parsippany, NJ, poolroom Comet Billiards for outstanding, knowledgeable straight pool fans to gather over October 3-5. The gallery’s appreciation for the final day of play was deeply felt and often shown.
Hohmann started the day with a 150-9 win over Robles that was achieved with 116 and out, the high run of the tournament at the time, replacing Robles’s 114 from the second round. Nudging the stack apart and taking great care with the cue ball on break shots is a piece of agreed wisdom that had no bearing for Hohmann, who powered most of his break shots with forceful draw, leaving target practice for himself in the winners’ bracket final.Faced with Danny Barouty in the semifinal, Robles bounced back from his first loss in a big way. Barouty overcame Jose Garcia 150-64 to leave the area room owner in fourth place, but after losing the lag to Robles, his opening break caught the 1 ball too full, leaving it away from the stack with Robles having a bit more space than Barouty would have liked off the head rail. Robles took the opportunity to run 141 balls, stopped by an ineffective break shot from a tough position. The BCA’s record for high runs in sanctioned 14.1 continuous tournaments is 150 and out. While Robles didn’t quite join that short and proud list, he advanced to the finals with the ending score of 150 to -24 after Barouty resorted to a pair of intentional three-foul maneuvers in a last ditch effort. In the finals, Hohmann got out of the gate after two safety exchanges followed Robles' excellent break shot in the final. Hohmann's initial 56-ball run was characterized by more conservative break shots, but when he turned one loose, it shattered the rack and sent the cue ball up into a top corner pocket. Robles cleaned up three stacks to trail 55-42 but missed his next break shot badly. Hohmann sprinted out to 134-42 with great pattern analysis in a run of 79, and through a few perfect safeties in tough situations and a Robles break shot scratch, he eased to a 200-107 victory.Results1st – Thorsten Hohman $4,0002nd – Tony Robles $2,0003rd – Danny Barouty $8004th – Jose Garcia $6005th/6th – Alan Hopkins/Dick Lane $5007th/8th – Steve Lipsky/Tom Walter $4009th/12th – Gene Clegg/Niels Feijen/Steve Lillis/Bob Maidhof $30013/16th – Carmen Lombardo/Grady Mathews/Karl Sloezen/Dallas West $250 Visit InsidePOOL for the latest in the sport of billiards and pool.

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