2015 Derby City Classic

Alex Pagulayan, 2015 Derby City One Pocket champion

Alex Pagulayan put on a clinic of winning One Pocket, as he cruised to his first DCC One Pocket title, closing with wins over Efren Reyes, Justin Hall and unlikely 2nd place finisher Mike Dechaine. At one point during his stretch run Alex ran eight and out (or better) five games in a row, including three straight to dispatch perennial champ Efren Reyes, followed up by two more against Justin Hall. Alex’s lone loss in the One Pocket came in the 8th round at the hands of Francisco Bustamante — who later became one of Dechaine’s long string of One Pocket victims. Dechaine entered the 12th round of three remaining players as the only one with his buyback still intact, and he topped that off with snagging the bye in that round, sending him directly to the finals while Alex and Justin battled it out for the right to advance.

Although Mike is not known as a One Pocket player — and he is the first to admit it — he proves once again that One Pocket can be won with solid basic moves and strong fire-power, and fire-power is something Mike has in spades! But in the end, Alex’s combination of moving, banking and running out was too much for Mike to overcome — it being tough to run out when you don’t get much to shoot at — as Alex double dipped Mike for the title.

This was Alex’s first DCC One Pocket title, and with this win he became the first player in the 17 year history of the Derby to win a championship in each of the three major divisions — One Pocket, Banks and 9-Ball, and to top it off his 2nd place finish in 9-Ball gave him his first Derby City Master of the Table honor. Now, that is a Derby City grand slam!

Shannon Daulton defeated his good friend and fellow Banks HOF player John Brumback to win his second DCC Banks title — his first coming in 2000. Ironically, Shannon had tuned up for Derby City by visiting John and getting in some good practice on John’s Diamond table prior to the tournament.

Efren Reyes finished 3rd in Banks. Efren has of course won everything at DCC over the years — except the Banks. He had Daulton on the ropes in their semi-final match only to watch Shannon snatch away the win. Coincidentally, Daulton has won everything at DCC except the One Pocket.

With strong finishes in both the One Pocket and Banks divisions, Justin Hall was still in the running for the all around until he forfeited a morning match in the 9-Ball, but he made up for it but snapping off the Banks Ring Game Friday night.

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