The ball is round

Pachamba - that's the perfect word to describe the experience I had at Barefoot Bistro last night. The Silliman University College of Law Bar Operations Club, which I was an officer of, held the annual BINGO Socials & Billiards Tournament at that place.

I had always been a billiards enthusiast. In fact, as a graduation gift in high school, my dad bought a pool table, which, although a bit in poor condition now, still exists today. There was a time when I used to play a lot. Relatives and I play all kinds of pool games - 9-ball, 8-ball, rotation, and all other variations. Our pool games even included playing cards and four or more players. That's how I got my cue stick ("taco") - from my winnings in our gambling games.

I joined the tournament just to have fun. Besides, it was free. It was only the second time I entered a billiards tournament, and although we were only four participants this time, the competition was of high quality. They were as good as the players I've played against before.

As they say, "the ball is round". Anything can happen in a 9-ball game - including the seemingly improbable. I won the first two matches against two former winners of the event. I considered myself lucky. I had some great shots, but I also had a lot of "chamba". The two wins were good enough to make me reach the finals. It was a double-elimination format, and so I had the twice-to-beat advantage. I lost the first match but won in the rubber match. These matches really showed how lucky I was and how unlucky my opponent was. Good breaks came my way. There were even a couple of games wherein the only ball I made in the rack was the all-important 9-ball. In the final rack with the two of us tied, only the 9-ball remained on the table and it was his turn. It was a difficult shot, yet, as great as he was, he made it. But then, the cue ball continued rolling, banked once and went straight to the side pocket. Scratch! I won the game, match, and tournament.

I played terribly (like I always do) and I admit I was just extremely lucky. I know I was not the best player in the field but clearly, I had all the good luck.

Quite a number of Law schoolmates watched the match, and they all knew that my opponent was the much better player. I was the undeserving winner. It was an embarrassing win. But then again, it was still a "win". I ended up going home with a mug/trophy for being the tournament champion.