Change of game, but the streak continues!

This week I was unable to play the Monday night 8-ball tournament at Buster's, so I decided (just for grins) to try my hand at the Tuesday night 9-ball tournament.  I have not played a 9-ball tournament at Buster's in almost 6 years...though I did win it back then, mostly because I was given a handicap that was way too low for my level of play.

I was rated a B this time (instead of a D+), the same as two others in the tournament (Tom and Perry).  Besides the three of us, there was Dennis (an A++ player) and Bob (an A+ player).  

I had a bye in the first round, and Dennis beat Perry while Tom beat Bob.  I played Dennis in my first match, and I managed to win mostly because of the spot.  The difference in handicaps determines the type of "spot", or advantage, the lower-rated player gets.  The difference between my rating (B) and Dennis' (A++) means that I get the 7-ball and the break, and instead of 3 games Dennis has to win 4.  It is a pretty big spot, but his rating shows that he is a VERY good player.  I won the match mainly because all I needed to do was to sink the 7 to win, and he missed a couple of shots that he should have made.  I also managed to play a couple of good safeties.

My second match was against Tom, and it was ugly on both sides.  Since we were rated the same, it was a race to three games with no spot.  We got to 2-2, and then we both played badly in the fifth game, but I made the last mistake and lost.

So, I was in the loser's bracket, and waited while Perry got his revenge on Dennis (Bob was already out of the tournament, having lost to Perry after losing to Tom).  Then I beat Perry pretty handily 3-1 to gain a rematch against Tom in the final.  For the EIGHTH straight tournament, I was in the final!

I had to beat Tom twice to win the final, as he had not yet lost a match.  In the first match, we got to 2-2 again, and he had the chance to put me away, but he muffed it and I won the match.  I was very lucky there, as I was all night - several times my opponents had chances to knock me out of the tournament.  Only the match against Perry was decisive.

The final match showed a major change in momentum, though, and I won 3-0.  This meant that I won a tournament for the SEVENTH time in eight tries!  I could not believe it - I had no expectations going into the tournament, I was rated correctly, and I did not shoot especially well...but things just kept bouncing my way.