8-Ball Doubles Pre-Registered Championship Results

After two days of competition and in a field of 256 teams, the pre-registered 8-Ball Doubles event concluded on August 17 with Poultry Power from Chicago, Illinois defeating Hit Squad from Sherwood, Arkansas. The match was a race to four.

Poultry Power flexed their muscles; winning the match 4-0. Barry Partridge, skill level 5, and Laura Bendikas, skill level 5, of Poultry Power met the Hit Squad Kevin Belknap, skill level 4, and Clint West, skill level 6, Sunday evening in the MiniMania Tournament Room. The lag found Poultry Power racking the balls for Hit Squad, little did they know it but that was the last time Poultry Power would be touching the rack.

Kevin made a strong break but didn’t claim a category. Laura stepped up to claim stripes, Hit Squad only had two attempts at pocketing their balls the rest of the game, as the team from Chicago sunk everything but the 8 in their time at the table.

Together, Poultry Power, tucked the second game under their belt by strategically playing the table with a Break-and-Run. In the third game Hit Squad had the chance to re-coup their losses, the game went back and fourth, but Poultry Power came out on top again, making the match 3-0.

With only one more win needed, Barry broke the last game and sinking the 8-on-the-Break. Barry and Laura took home $5,000 for their 1st place win and Hit Squad took home $3,000.

“It was tough to get here,” said Laura, “we had a lot of hill-hill matches along the way, we lost our second match in the tournament and I thought for sure we were out, but luck was on our side, Barry and I played well together, we kept our heads in the game and we were able to come back. I think the best match we played was in the finals round.”

“I placed third in the tournament last year and had to come back, I have a better partner and he really helped us make it to the finals,” said Kevin, “there was some very tough competition out here, we lost our first match, I wasn’t sure if we’d make it, but thankfully we did.”

Click here to view the final standings