PebbleCreek (PC) and CantaMia (CM) players (L-R) include PC’s Linda Pop, Rochelle Zuckerbrow (photographer), Kathy Smith, and Hope McAllister; CM’s Sherri Cassidy; PC’s Judy Jensen; and CM’s Vickie Jones, Judy Spiller, and Lola Jenkins.
Dan Harris, Travel Team Coordinator
On Sept. 11, five sharp-shooting ladies from the PebbleCreek Billiards Club (PCBC) headed south to take on four competitors from the CantaMia (CM) Billiards Club in a spirited afternoon of semi-short-rack 8-ball. CM was eager to show off its pair of shiny new 8-foot Rasson tables to the ladies, complete with tournament-tight 4½-inch pockets designed to humiliate visitors. But just like the PCBC men a couple of weeks earlier, the PCBC ladies were undeterred and treated those tight pockets like open highways. With sharp shooting and steady momentum, PCBC won both matches and claimed the overall game count 14-9.
Semi-short-rack 8-ball keeps the action moving at a lively clip. Only eleven balls are used—five solids, five stripes, and the 8-ball—racked in a compact Christmas-tree formation. Fewer balls mean more shots, more turns, and non-stop excitement, making it ideal for inter-club competition.
In the first match, each PCBC player faced every CM player at least twice, producing ten competitive games. The teams traded racks until the score stood even at 5-5. The second match used the same format as the first match. The score was tied 2-2 after the first four racks. But then PCBC surged, winning five of the next six games to seal the match 7-3.
Standout player of the day was CM’s Vickie Jones, who went a perfect 5-0. For PCBC, Judy Jensen and Hope McAllister led the way, each winning three of their four games.
After the second match concluded, the ladies played additional games to break the tie from the first match. With time remaining for only three more games, PCBC won two of them.
Beyond the final tally, the afternoon delivered everything that makes these inter-club gatherings special: clutch shots under pressure, good-natured banter, bursts of laughter, and warm camaraderie. The room stayed electric from start to finish, ending with hugs, handshakes, and eager talk of the rematch next month at PebbleCreek—where the pockets, one suspects, will be more forgiving.