REIGNING World 9-ball champion Rubilen Amit and billiards legend Francisco “Django” Bustamante head a Philippine contingent that will have a busy competition schedule in the American gambling capital of Las Vegas this month, kicking off with the Kamui Las Vegas Men’s 10-Ball Open on Feb. 19.
The celebrated Bustamante, who won the 2010 world 9-ball crown in Doha, Qatar, leads a four-man cast in the weeklong meet at the Rio All-Suite Hotel offering a total pot of $125,000 (around P7.259 million), with $37,500 (P2.17 million) going to the champion.
Also vying in the 128-player field are Jeffrey de Luna, Mark Estiola and Roberto Gomez. The tournament is sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association and backed by leading pool supplier Predator.
The initial double-elimination round will be a race-to-four, best-of-three sets, with a shootout determining the winner should both players reach the hill deadlocked in the third set.
The single elimination phase will be a race-to-four, best-of-four sets. If the match is tied at 2-2, a shootout decides the winner.
After the men’s tournament, the Kamui Las Vegas Women’s 10-ball Open swings into action on Feb. 25 at the same arena with Amit and compatriot Chezka Centeno going up against 62 other players eyeing the top purse of $22,500 (P1.30 million) out of the total pot of $75,000 (P4.35 million).
The playing format is the same as that of the men’s tourney.
Simultaneous with the women’s competition, the Kamui Mixed Doubles Open will also be staged with “Bingkay” Amit teaming up with Bustamante, Centeno partnering with Estiola and Gomez pairing off with Bulgaria’s Kristina Zlateva in the field of 32 elite squads.
The winning pair will pocket $30,000 (P1.741 million).
Spicing up the series is the one-on-one Challenge of Champions clash between Amit and world 10-ball queen Kristina Tkach of Russia from Feb. 24 to 27.
They tangle in a 10-ball, 8-ball and 9-ball tussle, respectively, to contest the main prize of $15,500 (P899,619), with the loser settling for $3,500 (P203,139).
“Medyo exciting itong mga competition dahil sunud-sunod at halos magkakasabay. Pero maganda rin naman kasi may bagong challenges. Masayang maka-team si kuya Django,” said Amit, 43, also a two-time world 10-ball champion, of the hectic sked. “Ibibigay natin ang lahat sa mga events na to.”
