Ryan Wins Planet Pool's Scrima Benefit

By InsidePOOL Staff

Joey Ryan emerged victorious as the Planet Pool 9-Ball Tour held its annual Scrima Benefit Tournament o­n May 7-8 at Champion Billiards in Rockville, MD.  The multi-table ring game event was for a good cause, and it played out in exciting fashion.  The format was different this year, too, as tournament directors combined poker and pool. 

At the beginning of the tournament six players were assigned to a table and received ten poker chips, or antes, with each game costing o­ne chip.  The winner of the game took all the chips in the pot, and when a player lost all of their chips, he was sent to the o­ne-loss side to repeat the same process.  As players were eliminated and the field was cut to three players o­n each side, those final six players competed in the finals.

As Sunday's play spiraled toward a conclusion, the action heated up with players losing and winning poker chips.  Joey Ryan was o­ne of those who made it to the final six with just three chips, but he took the little he had and emerged the victor.

The event was full of other tough competitors, as tour veterans Keith McCready and Pooky Rasmeloungon also tried their hand, but both suffered in the experimental format; however, McCready managed a fifth place finish.

The action then heated up as Ryan matched Brandon Shuff's chip lead in a head-to-head battle that saw Ryan come out o­n top.  Shuff's second-place finish adds to his already successful year o­n the Planet Pool Tour, while Ryan's victory may have been the spark he needed.

A small field of ladies also competed in a ring game, with Ellen Yu claiming the winner-takes-all prize against Jennifer Dunkin.

Open Ring-Game Results:

1st Joey Ryan
2nd Brandon Shuff
3rd Mike Ricciardella
4th Ed Deska
5th Keith McCready, Pooky Rasmeloungon

Women's Results:

1st Ellen Yu
2nd Jennifer Dunkin

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