by InsidePOOL Staff

James Baraks bested Dustin Wilgus twice in the final set to take the Lucasi Hybrid All-American Tour by storm February 27. Held in Decatur, IL, this $500-added event featured a 52-player field in a double-elimination 9-ball format on 8-foot tables.

Wilgus took the undefeated route to the hot seat, including an A-side semifinal win over Sergio Perez 8-6 and the A-side finals win over Mike Dunklin 8-6. Dunklin won his A-side semifinal match over Chris Austin 8-7 prior to his loss to Wilgus, and Dunklin then awaited his opponent in the B-side finals.

In the B-side round of eight, Baraks and Rick Halls eliminated Chris Winschief 8-4 and Ike Runnels 8-6, respectively, at seventh place. The B-side quarterfinals featured Baraks and Halls continuing by ousting Perez 8-5 and Austin 8-7, respectively, at fifth place. In the B-side semifinals, Baraks edged Halls at fourth place by an 8-7 margin. Baraks maintained his momentum in the B-side finals by defeating Dunklin 8-5. Versus the undefeated Wilgus in the finals, Baraks displayed conviction in winning two sets for the title, 8-2 and 8-6.

James Baraks bested Dustin Wilgus twice in the final set to take the Lucasi Hybrid All-American Tour by storm February 27.

Pechauer All-American Tour / Decatur, IL

by InsidePOOL Staff

Jamie Baraks took down the January 17 stop of the Pechauer All-American Tour. Hosted by Starship Billiards in Decatur, IL, this $500-added event drew 37 players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes. 

Baraks came out dominating and went undefeated to the hot seat, taking out Eric Kelton 5-4 in the winners’ bracket semifinals and Josh Johnson 5-3 in the hot seat match. On the one-loss side, Mike Durbin eliminated Marco Jyawook 5-3 at seventh place, tying Marco with John Clayton, who fell at the hands of Milton Strack 5-1.  

Strack continued his hot hand by then knocking off Kelton at fifth place 5-3, while Larry Parke sent Durbin to the same placement by a 5-1 margin.  Strack then dispatched Parke at fourth place via a 5-3 score.  The semifinal match featured Johnson ousting Strack at third place 5-3, awarding Johnson with another shot at Baraks.  Baraks was not to be denied on this day, as he again took out Johnson 5-2 in the tournament finals for the title.

Jamie Baraks took down the January 17 stop of the Pechauer All-American Tour. Hosted by Starship Billiards in Decatur, IL, this $500-added event drew 37 players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes.

Results:

1st Jamie Baraks $335

2nd Josh Johnson $250

3rd Milton Strack $200

4th Larry Parke $150

5th Mike Durbin $100

Eric Kelton

7th Marco Jyawook $75

John Clayton

9th Mike Wilder $35

Tom Gallagher

Ryan Schober

Eric Harris

Milt Strack double-dipped Parke in the J. Pechauer billiard event at the Brickhouse in Decatur, IL.

Strack Double-Dips Parke in Decatur
J. Pechauer All-American Tour / Decatur, IL

by Skip Maloney

Milt Strack came back from a defeat in the hot seat match to capture first place in the J. Pechauer All-American Tour stop November 8. A total of 25 were on hand at the Brickhouse in Decatur, IL, for the $500-added amateur event.

Strack and John Pokora squared off among the winners’ side final four, with Strack advancing to meet Larry Parke in the hot seat match. Parke had sent Dave Gentry west with an 8-6 win. Parke dominated the first of three matches against Strack with an 8-1 win that sent Strack to the semifinals.

On the one-loss side, Mike Durbin and Mike Dunklin were waiting for Pokora and Gentry. Both matches were hill-hill affairs, with Durbin and Pokora advancing to the quarterfinals. Durbin dropped Pokora into fourth place and faced Strack in the semifinals. Strack advanced for a rematch against Parke with an 8-3 victory over Durbin.

In the true double-elimination finals, Strack and Parke battled through to double-hill before Strack forced a second set. He improved in the second set, defeating Parke 8-5 to bring home top honors.

Results:
1st Milt Strack $400
2nd Larry Parke $240
3rd Mike Durbin $120
4th John Pokora $80
5th Dave Gentry $50
Mike Dunklin
7th Justin Callarman $30
Marco Jaywook
9th Troy Sleeth
Eric Harris
David Carr
Joe Pierce

Pechauer All-American Tour / Decatur, IL
by InsidePOOL Staff
Larry Parke took home first place on the April 19 stop of the Pechauer All-American Tour. Hosted by Brickhouse in Decatur, IL, this $500-added event drew a full 32-player field in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes.
In the hot seat match, Parke outmaneuvered Max Stortzum 5-2. Earlier, in the A-bracket semifinals, Parke turned back Larry Miller 5-2, while Stortzum outgunned Craig Hauck 5-2. In the B-side round of 8, Mike Green eliminated Mike Durbin at seventh place, while Dave Carr also exited at seventh place via a loss to Josh Johnson 2-5. The B-side quarterfinals featured Hauck ousting Mike Green 5-2 and Johnson finishing off Larry Miller 5-2. Johnson survived the semifinals by clipping Hauck 5-4, and he continued his hot hand in the B-side finals over Stortzum 5-1 to get a crack at Parke in the finals. Johnson appeared to be on cruise control in the finals after whitewashing Parke 5-0 in the first set, but Parke recovered nicely in the deciding set to claim the title by a 5-3 margin.

Results:
1st Larry Parke
2nd Josh Johnson
3rd Max Stortzum
4th Craig Hauck
5th Mike Green
Larry Miller
7th Dave Carr
Mike Durbin

by InsidePOOL Staff
Mike Wilder took down the January 19 stop of the Pechauer All-American Tour over Mike Dunklin. Hosted by Starship Billiards in Decatur, IL, this $500-added event drew 63 players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes.
Mike Wilder rolled undefeated to the finals. In the hot seat match, Wilder outpointed Marco Jyawook 5-2. Earlier in the A-bracket semifinals, Wilder defeated Mike Dunklin 5-1, while Jyawook topped off Cecil Messer 5-1. In the B-side final 8 Larry Parke and Maqaddim Abdul-Haqq eliminated at seventh place Robert Ball 5-2 and Don Thompson 5-4, respectively. In the quarterfinals, both Parke and Abdul-Haqq saw their progress end, as Parke lost to Messer 4-5 and Abdul-Haqq was upended by Dunklin 2-5, respectively. The semifinals saw Dunklin continue his hot hand by knocking out Messer 5-1 at fourth place and Jyawook 5-1 at third place. The finals featured undefeated Wilder versus streaking Dunklin, and Wilder was up to the task, winning the title 5-3 in the first set.

Results:
1st Mike Wilder
2nd Mike Dunklin
3rd Marco Jyawook
4th Cecil Messer
5th Larry Parke
Maqaddim Abdul-Haqq
7th Robert Ball
Don Thompson
9th Mike Durbin
Max Stortzum
Harold Rigden
Jeff Colvin