ORCULLO ADVANCE TO WORLD POOL MASTERS QUARTERS; GOMEZ PREVAILS

WORLD MONEY GAME KING Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo scored back-to-back victories to keep the Philippine Flag high and became the first player who made it to the quarterfinal-round of the 2010 Party Poker World Pool Masters yesterday at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United Sates.

Orcullo, top players of Perry Mariano’s Bugsy Promotions ousted Marcus Chamat of Sweden (9-7) in the Last 32 then routed Raj Hundal of India (9-1) in the Last 16 to advance in the Last 8 of the single knock-out format in the US$100,000 total pot prize tournament which offers US$20,000 in the 9-ball competition.

“Hindi ko sasayangin ang binigay na pagkakataon sa akin nina Sir Perry at Mam Verna Mariano. Gagawin ko ang aking best na maiuwi ang korona sa bansa para sa ating bayan,” said Orcullo, a former fisherman from Bislig, Surigao del Sur.

“I hope mahawakan nina Gomez (Roberto) at Orcullo (Dennis) ang kanilang momentum,” said Bugsy Promotions president Perry Mariano.

Another Bugsy stalwart Roberto “Pinoy Superman” Gomez, meantime eliminated Huidje See of the Netherlands (9-4) in the Last 32 to progress.

According to Ramon “Maestro Monching” Mistica, spokesman of the Filipino cue artists in the Las Vegas tourney, Gomez, the 2007 World Pool Finalist will meet Jayson Shaw of the USA in the Last 16 which schedule on Sunday. Shaw beat Dennis Hatch (9-5) in the Last 32 yesterday.

If Gomez luckily beat Shaw, he will face the survivor of Ricky Yang of Indonesia and Ralf Souquet of Germany tussle for the Sweet 16.

Yang, on the other hand nipped Stevie Moore of the USA (9-8) in the Last 32 while Souquet trounced Do Hong Quan of Vietnam (9-7).

Orcullo Last 8 opponents either John Morra of Canada and 2006 US Open 9-ball ruler John Schmidt of the USA who still battling out in the Last 16.

Morra edged Rafael Martinez of Mexico (9-7) in the Last 32 while Schmidt beat Jason Klatt of Canada (9-8).

Orcullo and Gomez will possible meet in the semi-final round if they can defeated their respective rivals.

Orcullo, the 2009 International Predator 10-ball champion is the first player who made it to the quarter-final round.

Other matches saw in the Last 32 were Naoyuki Oi of Japan dealt Evgeni Novosad of Ukraine (9-7); Charlie Williams of the USA beat Lo Li-Wen of China (9-8); Daryl Peach of Great Britain waylaid countryman Karl Boyes (9-4); Toru Kuribayashi of Japan shocked Kuo Po-cheng of Taiwan (9-3); Rodney Morris of the USA crushed Mark Gray of (9-6); Oliver Ortmann of Germany whacked defending champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain (9-7) and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany bested Niels Feijen of the Netherlands (9-5).

by: MARLON BERNARDINO