Former world champion Alex Pagulayan will try to become the first back-to-back champion of the PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters when the most prestigious invitational pool event holds its 17th edition on May 8 to 10 at the historic Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas , Nevada .
The 30-year-old Pagulayan ruled the event last year beating fellow former world titlist Mika Immonen of Finland in a pulsating final match.
“It’s one of the tournament I’m always looking forward to be part of," said Pagulayan, who is the only second Filipino to win the event after Francisco “Django" Bustamante in 1998 and 2001. “For me winning this tournament is like winning the world championship."
Pagulayan will be joined by compatriot and former world no.1 Dennis Orcollo in carrying the country’s flag in the competition that has a total of $66,000 at stake, including the champion’s purse of $20,000.
“It’s an honor to be chosen to play in that tournament, and I will do my best to win it and once again make our country proud," said Orcollo, who is coming off a solid year in 2008 when he won four major titles.
A total of 16 of the finest players from around the world will be competing in the event, which will be staged over three days during the annual BCAPL National 8 Ball Championships.
Besides Pagulayan and Orcollo, the other players seeing action are Immonen, World 10 Ball Champion Darren Appleton and Imran Majid of England, Tony Drago of Malta, Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer of the United States and Alain Martel of Canada.
Also in the field are five-time champion Ralf Souquet of Germany, Niels Feijen and Nick van den Berg of the Netherlands , Ruslan Chinakov of Russia , Fu Jianbo of China , Raj Hundal of India and lone female bet Yu Ran Cha of Korea.
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