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 Rodolfo
Luat (b. December 8, 1957) is a Filipino professional pool player from Angeles
City. He is one of the higher-ranking players of Team Philippines and he holds
many Asian individual and team titles. Luat turned professional at age 16. He
has titles in the Asian Championships and the Philippine Nine-ball Open in 1992.
Winner of the 1996 World Open Nine-ball Championship, Luat has been regarded
as a dark horse in many tournaments. "Boy Samson" is a moniker he
has carried since the 1970s because of his powerful break.
Career
He won the Taiwan leg of the 2006 WPA Asian Nine-ball Tour beating Hsia Hui-kai,
11-7, in the finals, on his very first try on the annual circuit. He also placed
runner-up in the 2006 US Open held at Chesapeake, Virginia, losing to John Schmidt,
11-6, but winning US$15,000 in the process. He participated in the 2006 IPT
North American Open held at Las Vegas, Nevada, reaching the fifth round with
winnings of US$30,000. He also reached the third round of the rich 2006 IPT
World Open held at Reno, Nevada, where he won US$11,100. He also finished runner-up
at the 2006 Derby City Nine-ball Division (winning US$8,000), Bank Division
(9th place, US$850) and One-pocket Division (18th place, US$500). Capping off
the year was his quarterfinal finish at the 17th WPA World Nine-ball Championship
held in Manila, Philippines, where he won US$10,000, becoming the second-best
placed Filipino after eventual champion Ronato Alcano.
Very skilled players in nine-ball have the tendency to sometimes pocket four
or even five balls on the break. Luat, at the 2005 APBU/JPBA Japan Open tournament
held in Tokyo, sank six balls on the break, two-thirds of the entire rack.
(But note that Alex Pagulayan also performed a similar feat at a tournament
in the US.)
Titles and achievements
Quater-finalist, 2006 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
Runner-up, 2006 IPT US Open
Runner-up, 2006 Derby City Nine-ball Division
Champion, 2006 Taiwan Leg, Asian Nine-ball Tour
Champion, 2000 Viking Nine-ball Tour Stop 27
Champion, 1999 Northwest Nine-ball Championship
Champion, 1996 Camel World Open Nine-ball Championship
Champion, 1992 Asian Championship
Champion, 1992 Philippine Nine-ball Open
Champion, 1991 Asian Championship in Osaka, Japan
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