Move over Elvis, Theres a new King in Vegas

The Road to Vegas – Part 3

Hi, I'm Adam Kramer, the new guy in the IT marketing department. You'll be seeing me at all the big tournaments and live events. I'm also responsible for stories about our games and the people who play them, so if you have an idea for a story - I would love to hear about it. You can reach me at akramer@itsgames.com.

 

Move over Elvis, There's a new "King" in Vegas

With a nickname like King I expected to talk to a brash Silver Strike prima donna, thinking winning the National Championship was a foregone conclusion. Instead I found a family man, a competitor – to be sure, and a purist of the game that hopes to pick up a few tricks when he competes in Vegas.

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you "The King."

James Hill Picture James Hill's nickname originated because of his prowess playing the NTN trivia game in an assortment of Greenville South Carolina establishments. With a moniker like that you'd better be good, and he was, and eventually friends and family started to throw around the nickname casually. In fact he was introduced to his wife Bonnie as King, which just happened to be her maiden name. I imagine this didn't hurt his odds of getting a first date.

Now James hopes to revitalize the name in Vegas.

James qualified 5th in the Southeast with a 255 average while also posting his first 300 game and 800 series. While impressive, James is excited to see what everyone around the country is bringing to the competition.

"I couldn't believe some of the qualifying scores, especially in the Midwest,” he said. “While I'm going there to win, I'm also going there to take home a few pointers. And it's Vegas, so of course we're going to have a good time."

The game itself is what drives James to play, and keeps him playing. Because he has a history and passion for real bowling, the transition for James was easy.

"I love how the game responds just like real pins would. If I'm hooking too much I just move to the right a bit. It's the same adjustment I make when I'm really bowling." Hill Picture

The man who loves to win also has a soft spot. Just last year, Bob, an older friend and passionate Silver Strike player passed away. In memory of Bob, James and his friends framed a picture of him and mounted it directly above the Silver Strike machine. James plans to bring the picture with him to Vegas this weekend, in hopes that it will bring him good luck. 

In Greenville, people are hoping that King does what he has done in most everything he has ever tried. Win. James says that he's driven around the area and tried to get the top score on every Silver Strike machine he can find. I'd bet that in most cases he’s been successful. Now he will try to continue this trend against the best players in the country, on the biggest stage all year.

With the tournament here, James’ friends are giving him advice and offering him good luck. One friend in particular told James to stay focused and avoid drinking over the weekend. James simply laughed and frankly so did I.

To be the "King" you have to live like one.

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Silver Strike Bowling National Championship.

The Slate is Clean. History Will be Made.