Close Games Prevail in Semifinals And Final

RA set a new attendance record this year with 195 participants. The first Sat once again proved to be a good time slot as RA filled 23 tables. But Monday with 24 Tables was a big surprise as RA overran the Alpine room and sent 7 tables to the Seasons. But the biggest surprise had to be the Tuesday night heat with 20 tables just because of all the competition on Tuesday. Even the Wednesday morning wake-up call had a good turn-out with 11 tables. So RA had a very impressive 78 tables.

There were 16 double winners but no triple winners for the first time in quite some time. It took a win in your first heat along with two fourths and a fifth to make the top 25 this year. But what is really amazing there was only one no-show out of the top 25 who didn’t show up. That’s unheard of for an event that one year took the 99th seeded player into the semifinals.

There has been some controversy that too many winners are being turned away from the semifinals. This year there were 62 different winners with only 25 semifinal slots. So next year, with Ken’s blessing, RA will be trying quarterfinals for the first time.

Now for the lucky 25 who did manage to make the semifinals. In semifinal game #1 Wade Campbell nudged out top qualifier Stephane Dorais by 2 points and 2-time world Champion Steve Scott by 4 points. In semifinal game #2 Deb Yaure nudged out 2-heat winner Michael Pustilnik by 2 points, 2-heat winner Mike Kaltman by 4 points, and 2-time world champion Rich Meyer by 9 points. In semifinal game #3 Antony Saccenti nudged out 24th seed Romain Jacques by 2 points. In semifinal game #4 Doug Faust barely beat out 25th seed Scott Saccenti by one point thus denying Scott a chance to face his son in the finals. And only beat Daniel Smith by 2 points. In semifinal game #5 Brad Sherwood finally makes it to the finals of RA after years of trying by beating former world champion Ryan Romanik by one point.

I can remember throughout the years of a young Antony Saccenti always being near the front of the line at RA with his game in hand ready and willing to set up for RA in all 4 heats. I don’t think he won very many games but he always came away with a smile and never gave up. Well, this year all that perseverance paid off as not so little anymore Antony Saccenti wins his first ever RA Championship in a hard fought one point victory over Doug Faust.

Did anyone notice the margin of victory in all the semifinals and final. The biggest run away was a 2 point margin of victory. What a bunch of close games.