PBA All-In Showdown Field Adds Rash and Jones

Overnight entries by Sean Rash and Tommy Jones have filled the field for the PBA’s BowlersDeals.com All-In Showdown, a winner-take-all special event that will be held at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas on Friday, Nov. 4, to kick off the two-week PBA World Series of Bowling. 

With the field filled at eight players, the All-In Showdown will pay the winner a jackpot of $45,000, including a $5,000 bonus from BowlersDeals.com. All three two-game elimination rounds will be webcast live on pba.com’s Xtra Frame starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern (3:30 p.m. Pacific) on Nov. 4. 

Following the initial entries by Chris Barnes and Chris Warren, the next players to plunk down their $5,000 entry fees were Joe Paluszek, a two-time PBA East Region title winner and seven-year PBA member; four-time PBA Tour title winner Brian Himmler; and current PBA Tour exempt players Ronnie Russell and Bill O’Neill. Rash and Jones, who are competing in the Australian Masters in Victoria, Australia, completed the field. Mike DeVaney had hoped to enter as well, and was selling $500 shares to sponsors. But he did not collect the full entry fee needed before the field filled. 

“It’s the closest thing around to old-school bowling,” Paluszek, a 31-year-old pro shop owner, said. “I’ve always bowled action. If you put your own money up, you find out who wants to play. As long as they don’t add extra pins to the rack, I have as good a chance as anyone else. I’m not scared.” 

“I grew up bowling a lot of action around the Super Hoinke tournament,” said Himmler. “I’ve been pretty successful on TV. I thrive in that environment. I’m looking forward to it.” 

“The ratio for winning a big paycheck is pretty good if you have a couple of big games,” the 31-year-old Russell said. “I’ve bowled some games on TV for $20,000 and that’s about the same thing. No, sir, I have no fear bowling these guys. I barely even focus on who I’m bowling against. If I don’t bowl good, it doesn’t matter who you’re bowling against.” 

O’Neill and Jones were both entered into the event by TheBowlingShop.com in Dallas, which is owned by fellow PBA Tour competitor Dino Castillo. 

“I think this is a great event. It’ll be very exciting,” Castillo said. “We felt like Bill’s experience gives us a great option, especially as good as he’s bowling right now. And Tommy is one of the best action players in the game. And if either one wins, we’re going to donate a portion of the prize money to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, so it’ll be good for everyone. 

“I like my odds,” Castillo added. 

“I’m probably as intense a competitor as there is in the sport,” O’Neill, a three-time PBA Tour champion, said. “I hate losing more than anyone, so I’m planning on winning this thing. If I didn’t think I could win, I wouldn’t enter.”