NECam Season 2/2012 Playoffs A

Ok so we're finally at that time of the season again. Win or go home for those who have been good enough to qualify. Pretty interesting bracket, especially towards the bottom of the seeding. A lot of top contenders squeezed through based on lack of activity within their groups and are looking to make some noise as low seeds. Needless to say the entire bracket is fairly skilled and some good play will be required to win. As promised $40 to the winner and an entry into the prize trny for semi-finalists.

Semi-Finals

#15 sykology vs #3 deep.cerebro - no pred 

Result - 9-4 Luis

Quarter-Finals

#17 HolyWarrior_ vs #8 x_mirotic_x -  In this quarterfinals matchup, we have two experienced players from cam competitions and interleagues who have had their many victories in the past. Andy, a strategic player, often relies on his snooker game, but if he thinks he can run the table he will go for it more times than he use to in the past. He showed this vs Roy in Round 1, handling him pretty easy, although Roy might of not played his best set.However, in Round 2 Andy convincely beat JT 7-3. JT folks, was 5-0 in groups and has been winning a lot lately, and Andy still won comfortably. Kevin, on the other hand, is more a runner than anything, and is a great player, he also is one of the top 5-7sec players as well. In his only playoff matchup he ran Jon  most tables and took care of him 7-2. I think Andy might have trouble with how good Kevin can potentially run tables, and will make it hard for Andy to use his snooker to his advantage. Also, seems Andy has the Gremlins on him these days, and gets bad breaks or makes an accidental  mistake that costs him the game. This matchup should be a close one and exciting, since either play can come up on top, in this match. But I will give the edge to Kevin and his run game.

8-6 Kevin (Ben)

#13 fhm_chamipion vs #5 _dante - Pretty huge matchup here. Both players are coming off great wins and it's going to be hard to say who's more likely to win here but lets try. Ben had to knock off Kevin Welch and Shaggy to get here so his road has not been the easiest. Dante had to beat arguably the best player around now in Ant to advance so he's definitely been tested too. Ben is a former champ in this competition while Dante was the 8brcam runner up last season so these guys have a history of doing well in competitions. Dante has a tendency to be a little more of a runner than Ben so it's a little more likely that his level of play can vary. Not like Dante can't safety and if he chooses to dictate the pace in this set it could work out pretty well in his favour. If both of these guys are at the top of their games I think Ben's game is overall more sound. On any given day though Dante could get hot and be rewarded for his aggressiveness. Ben is the safe bet though.

8-6 Ben

#15 sykology vs #7 poolist - no pred

Result - 7-5 Brent

#3 deep.cerebro vs #11 AzN_PrIdE_LuVa - Trying to get this prediction written quickly because Pita likes to play his sets as instantly as they get set up. Last season Pita got hot around playoff time and took his run all the way to the semi-finals of the competition, where he lost to Ant. That was his best showing so far in the competition after having played a bunch of seasons. Got off to another impressive start these playoffs after taking out Rocky fairly convincingly. He's going up against another legend in Luis to try to at least duplicate his success from last season. Luis is looking pretty good after a good win against Irfan in the previous round and is still probably the favourite to take the whole competition. I think Luis has a game that is too well rounded for Pita to really compete against. For Pita to have any chance in this set he'll need to be running very well and have some bounces go his way. Wouldn't hurt for Luis to make some uncharacteristic mistakes as well. Pita does have cult hero status but I don't see that overcoming Luis

7-4 Luis Result - 7-2 Luis

Round 2

#1 _Sugarhigh__ vs #16 HolyWarrior - Moving on with an intriguing matchup in round two, we have the overall number 1 seed vs an always tough player to beat in Andy. Jt has the honor of a first round bye, due to being 5-0 in season play including wins over Stephen, Jordy, and yes, even Ant. I am not exactly sure if JT has gotten that much better, or if some of it was luck or what, from what I remember JT is a solid player, but not one you would of predicted to go 5-0 in this group, or even have a winning record. Nonetheless, he might have improved and could make this matchup something to watch. On the otherhand, Andy only had a fair season heading into the playoffs, with a 2-2 record, but handled a decent player in Roy, 7-3. Obviously, we all know Andy can handle the pool cue well, especially with snookering. He will attempt to run if he feels confident, otherwise he will rely on his snook game. I think Andy's experience and snook should do JT in at the end.

7-4 Andy (Ben) Result - 7-3 Andy

#8 x_mirotic_x vs #9 leeds_united14 - Kevin still hasn't gotten his form back, and I just don't think he practices enough. With the active players getting more and more skilled, he only hops on to play his sets. He's not as big of a threat as he once was. After saying that, he's still got a game plan. He's 80% run, 20% defense. Kevin takes smart shots, but his problem lately is just missing the shots he's taking. Jon's game is pretty steady. He's neither terrible or mega-outstanding, but he's above average. I haven't seem too much of him lately. With his league crumbling apart, and even the cam comp losing interest, I just think he isn't playing as much either. He had a nasty comeback against MJ in 8BRCAM group stages, which is nice. At the end of the match, I just think Kevin chokes a few times too many to take the win.

7-5 Jon (Dante) Result - 7-2 Kevin

#4 shaggymaniac vs #13 fhm_champion - This is a set between two players who probably think they have a good shot at winning the whole thing. Sean got off to a bit of a slow start this season, starting with a loss but he stormed back to win his next 4 sets all in the same day to claim this high seed. When he's running well then he's pretty hard to beat. It's easy to get frustrated when he's finishing every table imaginable and that can lead you into taking chances that normally you wouldn't go for. If anyone has the right approach to knock off Sean it would be Ben. He's always been known for his patience and usually ends up creating some easy run opportunities for himself. If Ben can weather the storm of Sean's runs to start off the set then he'll be in great position to pull off the win. Last time in the playoffs Ben was beaten by a runner and Sean does have the skills to run away with this. I just think Ben will remember and play his waiting game to perfection.

7-5 Ben Result - 7-3 Ben

#5 _dante vs #21 mvp_sicc - Here we have last season's 8brcam final contestants in round two! Dante may not be the premiere final choice for all the cam competitions but he plays smart and always has the potential to win a race and get far in the playoffs. During group play he finished 4-1 in a pretty tough group. On the contrary, Ant was only 1-2 but since the group does not like playing sets he made playoffs, much to the dismay of other opponents. Still, this may be an exciting round two to want to watch, since both can run well. Dante prefers to run tables off break if its open, and sometimes will snooker instead of trying to run. Ant too likes to run, and is probably the best runner in the game these days. Expect a fast set, and Dante needs to be on his A game to have a chance to win vs arguably the best player at pool today. However, as Ant has been winning and winning, he is the safe pick in this match.

7-4 Ant (Ben) Result - 7-4 Dante 

#2 PRO_BOY vs #15 sykology - A clash of styles here as Brent goes up against Uriel. Uriel is coming off his best season in the competition after going 4-1 in the group stage with some impressive wins. He has been a champion in cam comps before so he's not to be underestimated. He's got a fairly well rounded game and is willing to play safeties when he feels the time is right. Brent is definitely the aggressor in this matchup. He usually likes the look of most tables and his success is dependent on deadly accuracy or some lucky bounces. Brent is coming off a pretty close win in round 1 against Stephen that will mostly be remembered for the aftermath in the shoutbox. I don't see too much talking happening between these two opponents so that's a relief. Brent is definitely more on his game that he has been of late but in the end Uriel's approach and skill will win out.

7-4 Uriel Result - 8-6 Brent

#7 poolist vs #10 pool_king_luis - Pretty interesting match here. Derrick is finally back into the playoffs for the first time in a little while. Was able to pull off a pretty good season and win his group on the strength of a big win vs Ben. Luis also had a marquee win on his resume as he was able to knock of "the real Luis". Luis has already told me that he didn't want to be in the playoffs but yahoo poolers are so temperamental that it's hard to really take any of them seriously. I think this would be a pretty close set if it did get played. Luis has a tendency to choke up in the playoffs but I haven't seen Derrick do anything in the postseason in a while either. Going to go with the hot hand in Derrick based on his latest results.

7-5 Derrick Result - 7-5 Derrick

#3 deep.cerebro vs #14 master - Potential for a pretty explosive matchup here. Luis is back and after putting on an impressive performance in the group stage, it's time to see how he performs in elimination sets. Not really a whole lot to say about Luis besides the fact that he has titles galore and can match up pretty well against anyone. Irfan has been on the rise fairly steadily for quite a while now and looks like he's ready to make a big breakthrough. Irfan is one of the better shooters around and the only areas where he might be able to improve would be his strategy maybe safeties. Luis is by no means a perfect shooter, but for Irfan to have a chance, he'll need to have a solid gameplan going in and stick to it throughout. If he picks his spots well then he might just be able to pull it off. Personally I'll be going with the safe pick and Luis.

7-4 Luis Result - 7-4 Luis

#6 l2_o_c_k_y vs #11 AzN_PrIdE_LuVa - Well Mr. Friendly is heart-broken that the 8BRCAM Friendlys are currently down. He seemed to get a good bit of practice, going 18-1 in those sets. However, most were mediocre opponents that AJ could have beaten with his arms cut off. I think Pita is a whole different level of a player. More experience. More patience. More skill. This set could come with some emotional feelings because of Pita's rough time, which I'm praying for. I won't drag it in since it has nothing to do with this. All in all, Pita is a better player, but I'm not sure if he'll even be 60% to play, IF he even plays. I see Rocky getting an archive here. If Pita plays, I'll go with Rocky taking it.

7-4 Rocky (Dante) Result - 7-3 Pita

Round 1

#16 murkedddd vs #17 HolyWarrior_ - Decent seasons for both of these players. Roy wasn't quite able to live up to his #5 seeding from the previous season but managed to get in through an inactive group on 2 wins. Andy has made the playoffs every time he's been in the competition and also barely made it on 2 wins. Only problem with Andy's playoff experience is that he hasn't made it out of the second round in 5 tries. Roy was also upset early on in last season's playoffs so this could be a good set to get the ball rolling for one of these guys. I don't really see too much of a difference in skill between these players but Andy definitely has an edge in patience and strategy. Only thing I see going against Andy here is that he doesn't play quite as much anymore. With that being said I'll still give him the nod in a close set.  

7-4 Andy Result - 7-3 Andy

#13 fhm_champion vs #20 sixohtwo - Here is a matchup between two former cam comp winners. Ben of course is a former winner of this competition from last year. Kevin famously took home an 8br crown a couple years back. Ben had a pretty solid season, picking up 3 wins with his only blemish being a blowout loss to Derrick. Kevin actually only played one set and is the beneficiary of being in one of the two really inactive groups. Sort of unlucky for Ben to have to start with such a tough opponent but his style is also a pretty good way to slow down Kevin. Should be interesting to see which version of Kevin we get here. He can run really well but if his run game isn't on then he doesn't have much to fall back on. Going to have to pick against the dynamic force and go with calm Ben. 

7-5 Ben Result - 7-5 Ben

#12 adambuddy vs #21 good-faith - This one appears to be a bit of a mismatch but don't let the seedings fool you. Ant is a 3 time winner, including last season. Not even sure if he wanted to be in these playoffs but no one else in his group stepped up to get any points. Now that he's in, he could go all the way. The guy standing in his way is Adam. Adam has been around the block and isn't intimidated by anyone, which should help. He's shown glimpses of his old form lately so it's possible that he could catch fire during this set. Most of the time though, Ant will win this set and that's where the smart money lies.  

7-3 Ant Result - 7-4 Ant  

#15 sykology vs #18 stephenb_ - A couple of long time players in the competition here. Brent is coming off his best season in a little while. His most recent seasons have been a disaster where he really wasn't even close to making the playoffs. Brent picked up some solid wins this season and looks like he might have a chance to make some noise. His opponent, Stephen, is another one who barely got in on the strength of a little luck. Stephen only had one win but his win % was enough to get him through. Now that he's in, Stephen isn't a stranger to the setting. He's usually been in the playoffs but he really hasn't done anything at all in them. Good chance for Stephen to finally get a playoff win. Brent seems to be playing a little more lately so I'll roll the dice and say he'll take it.  

7-5 Brent Result - 10-8 Brent

#14 master vs #19 zl_stu_lz - I almost feel like it's a waste of time to write this prediction, but who knows, maybe this set will actually get played. Irfan is coming off a great season where he was able to pick up 3 good wins to go along with one loss. He's been absent a bit lately and wasn't able to play his final set to improve his seeding. He ended up stuck in this matchup which might be a blessing in disguise. Obviously no one really wants to have to play against Stu. Lucky for the field Stu hasn't been seen in a while. More than likely we'll see a DQ win for Irfan or even potentially a double DQ. If these two great runners meet up then we could see a very entertaining set where Stu should end up victorious.  

7-5 Stu Result - DQ win for Irfan

NECam Season 2/2012 Playoffs B

One of the best div B fields in a long time. We've got a few former winners and lots of div A experience in the field. Should be a good one to watch and as always the winner and finalist will receive invites to the prize trny. Preds were mostly done by Brice

Quarter-Finals

#1 ll_eskimo_ownage_ll vs #9 cyberinferno1 - Probably the first marquee matchup of the div B playoffs and it's no surprise that it should happen in the final 8. Petey is coming off probably the most dominant div B season in the history of the competition and followed that up with a solid win against the other Chad in the previous round. So far Petey is 1-0 against people named Chad in these playoffs so it'll be interesting to see if that trend continues. Chad has had his own domination of the group stage as well the past couple seasons as well. He looks like he's playing pretty well of late as he took out 8brcam's div B finalist in round 1 and just destroyed Rob in round 2. From what I know Chad still relies pretty heavily on runs, while Petey is way more willing to do use his all around game. As long as Petey knows that he's up against a pretty good player here and plays the set that way then he should prove himself to be the better player. If Chad truly is running as well as his previous scores indicate then that'll be the great equalizer. Still I don't think Petey is ready to bow out so early in the playoffs.  

8-6 Petey (Jon)

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Round 2 

#1 ll_eskimo_ownage_ll vs #17 hustle - So Petey's first go around in Div B was a smashing success as he posted a perfect 5-0 record and grabbed the top seed. He pretty much destroyed everyone in his path and might just be the favourite to win the competition. Generally speaking the top seed in the playoffs hasn't had a ton of success but I think Petey might break that curse. His opponent is no slouch by any means. Chad has been a finalist in div B before and had a pretty strong run once again last season as he was eliminated in the semi-finals. He just picked up a blow out win in round one against Moon and looks like he's playing pretty well. The difference in this set will be that Petey is probably just as good of a shooter as Chad, but Petey also doesn't mind playing slow. He'll wait for easier opportunities in general and over the course of the race that strategy should pay off. Should be a pretty close set and watch out for Chad because he can get hot with his runs. 

7-4 Petey (Jon) Result - 7-5 Petey

#8 t.wolves vs #9 cyberinferno1 - Round 2 rolls on with a match between Rob and Chad. Rob is back in the competition after quite a long time off. He actually was the winner of div A in second official season of the competition. Times have changed quite a bit as he's in the thick of a competitive div B playoffs now. His opponent, Chad, has been doing very well in the group stage of div B the past 3 seasons but won't be satisfied if his playoff run ends here. He's coming off a pretty good win against 8br div B's runner up from last season, Joey. Pretty early in Rob's comeback tour here but he's proven it's no fluke with another solid performance in 8br's div B. Rob definitely has a more well rounded game than Chad but I think Chad might be better at the thing he does best which is running. Just a hunch, that Chad is overdue for a big win in the playoffs.

7-5 Chad (Jon) Result - 7-2 Chad

#4 ItsAJ vs #13 so-great - no pred

Result - 11-9 AJ 

#5 Xx_SaTaNs_MaSTeR_xX vs #12 KrazyKerry - I don't know much about Luis seen him play a couple times and he's a pretty decent player. Had a good group stage going 4-1 with his only loss coming to Adam who is a solid player in his own right. Kerry could be presented a problem if Luis can get a good run game going when he plays her. Kerry has been getting better as of late though. She has been able to clear tables still makes some silly mistakes but all in all she has gotten better. Still needs to get a bit better at snooking her bank game has always been solid. She may not be fully warmed up as she got a DQ win in round 1. I think Kerry can pull off the upset win.

8-6 Kerry (Brice)

#2 Xx_Difference_Class_xX vs #15 llvllechanic - I know these two players' games very well as I have played Naveen countless times lately and Matt is just a solid player as he always has been. Matt has the better overall game and Naveen will have a challenge although I do think he's up for it. Matt has a solid run game and a solid snook game. Surprised that he is in Division B to be honest as I think he is Division A talent. Naveen makes some silly mistakes that will cost him sets if his opponent takes advantage of them. And seeing as Naveen beat me in round one that's something I failed to do but he does have a good game so kudos to him. However, if he makes as many mistakes as he did vs me he won't stand much of a chance vs Matt. I think Naveen rebounds his game but Matt comes out with the win.

7-4 Matt (Brice)

#7 sicc.stoned vs #23 back_luck_ - Only 2 days into the playoffs we already have one fairly significant surprise result. David was able to knock off Eddie in the previous round in fairly decisive fashion. After starting out pretty slowly in the competition, he's finally looking like he might be able to make some noise. A win here would be an even bigger upset as, his next opponent is Derek. Derek is a former winner in div B and is once again one of the top contenders to pull it off again. He's just got superior shot making and has experience playing in div A which has helped him round his game a little moreso than before. It's hard to say what to expect from David here because the last round was so much of a surprise. Pretty sure that Derek will be able to get it done here even if he doesn't bring his best game.  

7-4 Derek (Jon) Result - 7-5 Derek

#3 xnice_shotx vs #14 Mr_Wonderful__ - Another pretty interesting match up here. Phil was one of the 4 players in div B to pull off the perfect season as he made quick work of his group. It almost seemed like he wasn't really challenged throughout. I'll be looking forward to seeing how he reacts to having to play against a good player such as Adam. Adam isn't a guy I've really seen play but his result from the previous round where he blew out Rees, means he should be taken seriously. Another thing about Phil is that he played all of these sets almost 3 weeks ago and it's hard to say if he's still on that good form. Adam will definitely put up a fight but I don't see Phil's competition ending quite yet.  

7-5 Phil (Jon) Result - 8-6 Adam

#6 jj-man vs #11 __thaman__ -  This is one of the more wide open matches from round 2 where there isn't really a clear favourite. JJ is coming off his most impressive season in the competition after finishing with a 4-1 record. He's always been in the playoffs but this is his highest seed yet. Thomas also had a pretty good season and managed to get through round 1 on the strength of a DQ win. Was a little surprised by Thomas' success from this season but he's been doing pretty well in 8br too so maybe it's not as much of a fluke as it appears. Last season JJ played very well in the playoffs before disappearing in the later rounds so he'll be looking to avenge that. Hard to call a favourite here because both guys have a lot of holes in their games. Look for JJ to come out on top in a pretty sloppy set.

7-5 JJ (Jon)

Round 1

#16 rubiiiiiiii vs #17 hustle - Moon had a decent season going 3-1, and she faces a decent opponent in her round 1 matchup in Chad who also had a decent season also going 3-1. Moon is a decent player and has her days where she can play some good pool and can run some good tables. She is a bit too inconsistent though which worries me vs Chad. Chad is also a decent player in his own right, while some might make the case he could be in A, he is a better 5 sec player than he is untimed and is like Moon, a bit too inconsistent. Chad does have the better run and snook game though which should give him the edge in this matchup, unless of course he lets his attitude get the best of him and rage quits. I think Chad pulls this one out though.

7-4 Chad Result - 7-2 Chad

#9 cyberinferno1 vs #24 nevvf - Chad went 4-1 with his only loss being to the eventual group winner. He faces Joey who I believe if he truly regains his old form he can move up to Division A. Joey only played 2 sets and got into playoffs, but some people just don't play there sets I guess. But back to the pred, Chad has a pretty decent run game his snook game is subject at times which will get him into trouble vs Joey. Joey is a solid player all around who just needs to brush the remaining rust off. Joey had a deep run into 8br finals last season which makes me think he's getting his old form back. Just by going off recent games I've seen of Joeys and not seeing Chad around as much lately, I have to go Joeys way on this one.

7-3 Joey Result - 7-4 Chad

#13 so-great vs #20 SideShot - Josh had also had a decent season going 3-2 with his key wins coming against Kerry and DJ. He's facing Chris who went 2-3. Josh is the better overall player in my opinion here though Chris can pull out some good wins. Josh's run game is pretty good but can be sketchy at times if he's not really trying which he will need to avoid if he hopes to win this playoff set. Chris though also shouldn't be underestimated as he also has a decent run game his self. While he won't run break you every game you give him a open table or a runnable table and theres times where he will run it with his eyes closed. Overall though Josh is the better player here and should pull this out and advance.

7-5 Josh Result - 11-9 Josh

#12 KrazyKerry vs #21 lvlr_l7ry - Honestly it's surprising to see Carlos seeded this low in Division B. But Kerry has been doing well for herself lately and has gotten better. While she isn't the best, she has gotten pretty good and her game has progressed and it's been showing. She still isn't the best snooker but her banks are still some of the best and her run game has gotten better, she does face a tough challenge in going up against Carlos here. Carlos is the better overall player no doubting that, but he can't underestimate Kerry as she has been pulling off some upsets in Friendlies and has been keeping races close. Carlos' run game has gotten better as well and his overall game has gotten better. Though I do believe Carlos is the better player, I just feel like the upset is going to happen.

8-6 Kerry Result - DQ win for Kerry

#15 llvllechanic vs #18 x_choke.king_x - This one is actually a rematch from this season's group stage where Naveen comfortably defeated Brice by a 7-2 margin. Despite that result both players did end up having pretty good seasons with each of them picking up 3 wins. Both guys have been in the playoffs most seasons with Naveen having slightly more success than Brice. While the group stage result isn't always a huge determining factor, I still think Naveen is a stronger player than Brice. Naveen is more versatile in his game and even though he can sometimes make mistakes, over the course of the race to 7 the result should swing in his favour.  

7-4 Naveen (Jon) Result - 9-7 Naveen

#10 _Eddie_2 vs #23 bad_luck_ - Okay, so in all honestly I don't know who David is unless this is bmx David. But, Eddie made it to Semis last season in NE Cam and in 8br Cam. So Eddie has improved from seasons past but can he reproduce those deep runs into the playoffs? His run game has gotten better as has his snook game. If he can play well he could make another deep run. But, going off of Davids stats he went 2-1 in group stage with wins against Sterlo and Jason. Which are decent wins. But I still have to give the edge to Eddie here. 

7-3 Eddie Result - 7-3 David

#14 Mr_Wonderful__ vs #19 pobody's nerfect - Okay, so what I've gathered from people, Adam is decent and going off his group stage he went 3-1 with wins over Sacha, Jenni and the winner of his group Luis. Now Rees is no pushover so Adam can't take rees lightly. Rees didn't have the group stage he wanted going 2-3 with his 2 wins coming over Bryan and Jose. Now, Rees if he decides he wants to play and not mess around can play some mean pool at times. And not really have tons to go off of, and just knowing Rees's playing style I have to give the edge to Rees on this one.

7-4 Rees Result - 7-2 Adam

#11 __thaman__ vs #22 gb.elite91 - While Thomas has gotten better, Steve is no joke. People underestimated Steve cause they didn't know who he is, well I gotta tell ya when this guy is on, he's on he can run some good tables which is why he should be looked out for. Thomas can run some tables as well and has gotten better. He isn't consistent enough for me to say he can constantly win playoff matches but he can pull out a couple wins I think. But he did get a tough draw here going up against Steve who I feel is the superior player in this matchup. Thomas will need everything he can pull out in order to win this set. He should keep it close but Steve will in the end, win out.

7-5 Steve Result - DQ win for Thomas