Anticipated Orcollo vs. Souquet battle starts

THE highly anticipated match between topranked Filipino billiard player Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo and Germany’s top player Ralf “Kaiser” Souquet dubbed “Philippine Bigtime Billiards Face Off Series” gets underway tonight starting at 9 p.m. at the PAGCOR Airport Casino in Paranaque City.

“It’s anybody’s ball game,” said Orcollo, the top player of Bugsy Promotions who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world.

“Kahit lamang ako sa Sports Betting na MegaSportsWorld, ay mahirap magsabi kasi masyadong maikli ang laro tapus winner’s break format pa,” added the former fisherman from Bislig, Surigao del Sur who is also the reigning world 8-ball champion.

As of yesterday, Orcollo is a -2.5 favorite against Souquet (+2.5) according to Sports Betting which means that a $1 bet would win $1.40 if you place your bet on Orcollo while your $1 would win $2.50 if you place your bet on Souquet.

A race-to-9, 10-ball affair, the Face Off is set to give Philippine billiards another milestone as the first to be aired worldwide through the Internet at www.megasportsworld.com and Solar Sports, Sky Channel 70 and Destiny Channel 34 every Saturday.

The PBB Face Off is a joint undertaking of Mega Sports World and BRKHRD Corp. in close cooperation with PAGCOR, PCSO, Accel, Diamond Table, Predator cues, Simonis cloth, Malungai Life Oil, I-Bar, Human Plus Probiotics, Golden Leaf Restaurant, Hermes Sports, and the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).

The winner will receive $5,000 while the loser will pocket $2,500.

Souquet, who beat Orcollo, 8-5, during the World Pool Masters finals last September in Manila said he is expecting another tough duel with the Filipino ace.

Souquet is the highest money earner this year according to the 2011 Player Money List of the azbilliards.com with $123,916 in earnings followed by top American player Shane “The South Dakota Kid” Van Boening ($108,100) and Orcollo ($96,740).

Other matches in the PBB Series pit Carlo Biado vs. Souquet (Nov. 12), Ronato Alcano vs. Daryl Peach of Great Britain (Nov. 19) and Francisco “Django” Bustamante vs. Peach (Nov. 26). /Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO