07/21/2026
Great turnout for tonight's KOTT 8-Ball tournament! 24 players, $268 in entries and $152 added, for $420 in payouts for the 2-hour tournament.
As always, the players are ranked from high to low based on FargoRate. The top 50% go into the Upper division, and the bottom 50% go into the Lower. When we get 27+ players, we split the field into three divisions: Upper, Middle, and Lower! The players all shoot against each other randomly, but the cash is split equally between the divisions.
Tonight looked like another Richie Rich show, bu Mark Sternal said, "Step aside, son," as he passed Richard Carbon for the lead and never relinquished it. When time ended, Mark had an impressive score of 14 wins in 15 games, taking the $105 prize for 1st in the Upper. Richie was done, sitting on the sidelines, and temporarily in 2nd place with 10 wins in 16 games, but Richard Diver was playing in his final game with a chance to overtake Richie. Richard lost that final game, letting Richie off the hook. Richie held onto 2nd and pocketed $70. Richard slipped to 9 wins out of 14, dead nutz tying with P.j. Perez, so they chopped the 3rd place cash of $35.
In the Lower division, Amy Johnson from Wisconsin held the top spot pretty much all night long, and when time ended, she still had it with 8 wins out of 12 games, pocketing the $105 prize. In 2nd place, Shane Hatfield pocketed some KOTT cash, ending with 6 wins in 11 games, earning $70. In 3rd place, there was another tie... Dalton Luoma and Drew Sotona each had 6 wins in 12 games, chopping the $35 cash.
The BNR grew to $136 per ball, and the lucky contestant was Drew Sotona. Drew smashed the break, parking the cue ball in the middle of the table, pocketing TWO balls, and landing with a shot on the 1-Ball! His options were a slice into the side, or a bank into the opposite side. Drew opted for the bank, but came up short. Doh!!!
Don't miss Tusday night's KOTT 9-Ball tournament. The BNR will start at $136 per ball, and could reach $150 per ball by go-time!
