ESTEVAN - A team of pool players from Estevan has qualified to compete at an international event in Las Vegas, after winning a Canadian Poolplayers Association (CPA) Saskatchewan title.
The squad, comprised of Burva Connor, Melissa Donison, Rey Ferrer, Jigs Gonzales, Murray Hamm, Elyse Mantei, Carl Maranan and Henry Renwick, competed at the CPA's Southern Saskatchewan Pool League championship in Moose Jaw late last month. Five Estevan teams were among those who entered, and other teams from Saskatchewan were also competing.
Donison, who was the team's captain, said they started slowly at the event, losing their first match. Then they needed to win a sudden-death game in their second set of contests; had they lost, they would have gone home.
"We didn't tell Henry it was sudden death. He just went out and played his game," said Donison.
The next day, they won two more matches to advance to the final, where they played the team that defeated them initially This time the Estevan squad prevailed.
"You were guaranteed to play twice, but after that, it was single elimination," said Donison.
Five of the eight team members played in a match. Each player was assigned a number based on their skill level, ranging from a seven for the top players to a two for the novices. The total for the five players competing in a match can't exceed 23.
"Your skill level seven is your very experienced, consistent … player," said Donison.
Furthermore, with the tournament's handicapping system, if a player with a ranking of seven plays someone who is assigned a four, then the top player has to win more decidedly.
The local entry had a seven and two sixes on their team. There was also a five, two fours and two threes.
Donison noted she was on a team that finished second last year.
"Myself and one other player were part of a different team before, and since your skill levels go up, you can't all stay on the same team, so I had to branch out and start my own team. Most of them were from last year, except we have two new players that are brand new this year, and those are Elyse and Carl."
Donison has played at the event in Las Vegas once before. It was a good experience, but there are just over 10,000 people at that tournament, so it can be a little unnerving at first.
"I enjoyed every second of it," said Donison.
She is looking forward to going back, as is the rest of the team. They are looking to do some fundraising before they leave.
Mantei noted they play in a league together on Monday nights. She was the newcomer on the squad, having joined in September. They're all friends and are looking forward to competing in Vegas.
Most of them have been playing pool for quite a long time, and are high-ranking players.
Donison would like to see more people join the league, because it is open to anybody of any skill level.
The league has games on Monday nights at 8 p.m. at The Beef Bar, the Black Grasshopper Pub and the Royal Canadian Legion Estevan branch's club room.
Anyone interested in joining can contact Amanda Pearson at 306-461-6604.
