The MAPPA 2007 Winner-Take-All 9-Ball Tour!

'Twas a race to the finish between MAPPA's two "Vices,"
who battled it out for the Php20,000 cash prize
in the prestigious MAPPA 2007 Winner-Take-All 9-Ball Tour!
Who won? Read on and find out!

The Makati Pool Players Association (MAPPA) just concluded the Php20,000 Winner Take All 9-Ball Competition at the AMF-Puyat Superbowl, Makati Cinema Square, Makati City. The 9-ball pocket billiards event was participated in by some of the MAPPA's best money players. And at the end of the day, the competition truly sizzled when the two "vices" of the club, i.e., MAPPA President Carlito "Vice" de Castro and incoming MAPPA Vice President Jesse Gonzales battled it out for the night's holy grail - a whopping Php20,000 cash prize and a special feature here at The AnitoKid Chronikos. So, without further ado, here is a rack-by-rack account of MAPPA's year-ender special between the magkababayan from Batangas! Enjoy!

Rack 1:
Jesse Gonzales breaks first in the race-to-8 finals game. Carlito "Vice" de Castro is given a plus 1 game handicap. The CEO of DMC Philippines shows superb pocketing skills as he downs balls 1 to 4, before missing on the orange 5. Vice safeties the 5, which Jesse counters with a masse shot! Vice goes for another safety! Jesse uses his jump cue and hits it good. My best friend, Vice, runs out 5, 6, and 8 before babying the 9 in the corner pocket! Jesse Gonzales takes first blood. Score: 1-1.

Rack 2:
Jesse Gonzales, one of the notable pillars of the Philippine music industry, scratches on a strong break. Vice fails on a difficult 1,9 combination. Jesse pockets the 1 ball before pocket the 9-ball via a 2,9 combo shot! Dangerously precise! Score: 2-1, Jesse.

Rack 3:
Jesse is on his third straight break, downs the red 3. A safety shot by Jesse allows Vice the opportunity to try for a 1,9 carom to the right corner pocket - fails by a hair thread! Jesse fails to bank the 2-ball. Vice sees an opportunity and downs the 2, 4, and 5 balls. He misses the green 6!. Jesse Gonzales pockets the 6 and 7 before missing on an easy 8 due to a thick slice on the black. Vice easily clears out the table. Score: 2-2

Rack 4:
Vice, the winningest player on the Coach's Tour 9-ball tour, breaks for the first time in the Php20,000 Winner-Take-All 9-ball finals! He downs the 8-ball on the break. Misses the yellow 1 on a rail shot. Jesse wins with a 1,9 carom in the upper right corner pocket. Score 3-2, Jesse.

Rack 5:
Jesse Gonzales downs three balls on the break! He tries to put the blue 2 in safety, which Vice easily downs in the corner. However, Carlito de Castro fails to capitalize and miss pocketing the red 3. Jesse also fails to pocket it but luckily sends the 4-ball into the corner pocket! But wait, he scratches too! Lito, ball-in-hand, downs the red 3. He performs a successful combination shot on the 8 using the green 6. He downs the 6 and 7 before pocketing a difficult 9 in the left corner pocket! Dangerously accurate is the force behind Tullet-Prebon! Score 3-3.

Rack 6:
Vice scores dry on the break. The CEO of DMC Philippines misses on the yellow 1. Carlito de Castro downs it with a rail shot, the red 3 via a combo with the blue 2, which he then pocketed in the corner pocket. He misses on the orange 5 after an excellent shot on the 4, which was downed in the corner pocket, bottom right. Jesse misses on the 5. Vice goes for a safety shot on the orange ball. Jesse Gonzales goes for a good shot on the 5. Vice tries for another safety but leaves the orange ball hanging on the side pocket! Jesse misses! Vice finally downs the 5 and 6 but was left with a very difficult shot on the brown 7. He misses on a kick shot on the 7. With ball-in-hand, Jesse babies the cue ball for the 7! The crowd is silent! Everyone is! The MAPPA President downs the brown ball and pockets a difficult black 8. He is left with a straight shot on the 9 - and successfully converts! Vice takes the lead at 4-3!

Rack 7:
The force behind Tullet-Prebon breaks! It's a dry one for my best friend. Jesse goes for the 1-ball via a rail shot but misses. Vice safeties the yellow one. The incoming MAPPA Vice President goes for the 1-ball via a jump shot and misses it. Vice combos the 9-ball with the 1-ball and wins the rack! It's 5-3, y'all!

Rack 8:
Vice breaks and it's a dry one, again. DMC Philippines' CEO fails to pocket the 1-ball in the corner pocket, bottom right. Vice successful safeties the 1-ball. Vice successfully converts on his safety, downs the 2-ball in the side before going for another safety on the red 3. Jesse Gonzales makes the 3 in the corner pocket, bottom right. He also downs the 4 in the top right corner pocket. A successful 5,9 combination shot into the left corner pocket has the game at 5-4!

Rack 9:
Jesse breaks and has a dry one this time. Vice makes a good shot on the 1-ball. Jesse safeties it. Vice hits the 1-ball and luckily downs the 4-ball. The Carlito tries for a 1,9 combination site towards the right corner pocket. He succeeds! Score: 6-4, Vice.

Rack 10:
Carlito de Castro breaks and downs the 2-ball in the right corner pocket. Downs the 1-ball in the same pocket before pocketing the 3 in the top left corner pocket. He pockets the 4-ball on the opposite pocket and the 5-ball in the side. A difficult shot on the green 6 has Vice using the bridge. He safeties it. Jesse Gonzales pockets it, nonetheless, but misses on the top right corner pocket for the 7-ball! Vice sinks the brown 7 and 8, and is left with an easy shot on the 9-ball for the top right corner pocket via a fantastic display of cue-ball control prowess! Score: 7-4, Vice.

Rack 11:
Vice de Castro downs the 5 and 6 on the break! A failed 1,9-combination shot has Jesse back on the table. Jesse tries for a similar combination! Good shot, but the 1-ball failed to hit the 9. Lito commits a foul on the 1 ball - babies the shot. Jesse pockets the 1-ball in the side pocket; the 4 via a combination with the blue 2; but fails to convert on the red 3 at the corner pocket. Vice makes the 3-ball in the corner but fails to capitalize on the 8-ball. Jesse Gonzales, using the bridge, makes the black 8! He successfully places the 9-ball in safety, leaving Vice with no other options but a bank shot, a thin cut for the side pocket, or a safety. Vice fails with a reverse bank shot and sends Jesse for the win! Score: 7-5, Vice.

Rack 12:
Jesse breaks and downs the brown 7! He goes for a 1,9 combo and fails to convert! He leaves Carlito "Vice" de Castro with a perfect 1,9 combination to boot! Vice wins the 9-ball competition at 8-5!

Congratulations Vice! Magaling ka na talaga! Ang aking matalik na kaibigan is now MAPPA's best money player and one of the best in the metro! And I kid you not! To Jesse, congratulations kaibigan! Indeed, it was a great match! And to the participants of the MAPPA Php20,000 Winner-Take-All Tour, congratulations for a great show!

"MAPPA and The AnitoKid go hand-in-hand."

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