Soriano wins big bucks Thursday pool

Jerry Soriano went home $115 richer after winning the end-of-the-month Miller Lite Invitational 8-Ball Tournament last Thursday at Round Two Bar and Grill in Garapan.

Soriano outplayed Saipan No. 1 Roger Espiritu in the finals after going undefeated in the eliminations.

After getting a bye in the first round, Soriano relegated David Peter and Espiritu in the losers bracket in his first two trips to the green felt table.

In the semis, Soriano used his veteran savvy to hurdle Joe Shaffer and got the coveted twice-to-beat advantage in the championship round.

Espiritu settled for the $70 runner-up purse, while Shaffer got $40. Other pool entrants Thursday were Mark Vidal, Keith Howard, Bert Mettao, Victor S. Hocog, and Manny Mariano.

Mei Hua Jin, meanwhile, raised the flag of the women after topping the Tuesday Ladies Handicap 8-Ball Tournament held last April 25.

Like Soriano, the diminutive Mei also had an unscathed run to the championship, where she defeated Roger Espiritu.

The night started well for Mei. She got a free ride into the second round where she turned back the challenge of Joe Shaffer. Mei then made mincemeat of Kippy Aiken and Espiritu in her next two games and barged into the finals with the No. 1 seed.

Mei continued her hot streak in the finals, never giving Espiritu a chance and won the $60 first place prize. Espiritu took home $35, while Shaffer earned $25.

The Tuesday pool event also attracted Round Two regulars like Doug Flynn, Noi Olopai, Victor S. Hocog, David Peter, Manny Mariano, Senen Pangilinan, Tony Arriola, and Emi Peter-Palican.

Before losing to Soriano and Mei later in the week, Roger Espiritu had his fun triumphing in the full-house Sunday Winner-Take-All Fun Tournament last April 23.

Espiritu breezed through the competition and also won the championship without dropping a game. First to go against his expert cue stick was David Peter, followed by Victor S. Hocog, and then Noi Olopai. Espiritu then toppled Kim Prinz in the semis.

In the championship round, Espiritu needed just one game to repeat against Hocog as he cleaned house winning the $70 pot.

Donald Kapileo, Joshua Gibson, Ken Coutere, Ning Copeland, Simon Kapileo, Mike Cohen, Tony Arriola, and Senen Pangilinan also participated in the Sunday tournament.

Round Two hosts three regular tournaments a week. The Sunday Winner-Take-All Fun Tournament starts at 1pm and entry costs is $5 per player. Depending on the number of lady participants, the competition switches from regular to an 8-ball handicap format.

The Tuesday Ladies Handicap 8-Ball Tournament is held every Tuesday starting at 8pm and has an entry fee of $10.

On Thursdays, Round Two holds the exciting Miller Lite Invitational 8-Ball Tournament starting at 8pm. Entry fee is $15 on regular days but goes up to $25 every last Thursday of the month.

For more information on Round Two’s tournaments, please call 234-6930.