Dennis Orcollo is the 2010 Party Poker World Pool Masters Champ

BY EMIL NOGUERA Reporter



FILIPINO Dennis Orcollo toppled Japanese Toru Kuribayashi, 8-3, to cop the 2010 Party Poker World Pool Masters crown on Monday at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Kuribayashi actually had a good start with 3-1 lead but Orcollo came up with precise shots and preparations and grabbed the next seven frames en route to the victory.

Orcollo, the 2008 Qatar 9-Ball International Open and 2009 International Predator 10-Ball champion, took home a whopping $20,000 top purse while Kuribayashi settled for $10,000 runner-up prize.





“I’m just too lucky during breaks and I think it’s really meant for me. I’m happy that the momentum went on my side all throughout this tournament,” said Orcollo, a former fisherman from Surigao.

Going into the finals, Orcollo blasted compatriot Roberto Gomez (8-6) while Kuribayashi thumped Oliver Ortmann of Germany (8-3) in their respective semifinal matches.

Gomez and Ortmann got $5,000 each for reaching the semifinals.

Gomez, the 2007 World Pool runner-up, reached the semifinals by ousting former World 9-Ball and 8-Ball champion Ralf Souquet of Germany (8-5) in the quarterfinals.

Other Filipinos Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Ronnie Alcano and Lee Van Corteza failed to advance in the knockout stage.

The RP cue masters are set to compete in the US 10-Ball tournament, which will be held in the same venue.