September 2007 - Inside Pool Magazine

Transcription

0907_Cover
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If it’s not Simonis Cloth,
it’s just another table cloth.
57-September-2007
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57-September-2007
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P
September 2007
On the Cover
CONTENTS
Thomas “The Lean
Machine” Engert of
Germany scored a repeat
victory at the World Pool
Masters this year over a
field of top international
players.
INSTRUCTION
12 Grady’s Grad School
Some Beatable Kisses
14 This Is Your Captain Speaking
The Ten Most Common Problems, Part Nine
16 Pro Pool Workout
Lose Yourself!
18 Beat People With a Stick
What Matters?
20 According to Allison
The View is Always Better From the Top Floor
22 Through the Eyes of a Champion
Secrets of Scotch Doubles
FEATURES
24 Frideres Outshines Them All
Players Crowd Vegas at ACS Nationals
28 Engert Earns Repeat World Pool Masters Win
Dominates International Field in Holland
32 The BCA Brings a Whole New Game to Vegas
36 Cues 2007
WHEN MAKING YOUR MARK , MAKE IT BLAK .
InsidePOOL’s Annual Pool Cue Issue
44 BEF Junior Nationals a Triumph
Barney, Raking, Shuffett, and Miller Take Home the Gold
Distract them with design, destroy them with accuracy. Introducing Predator Blak. With a new Blak series
cue, you’ll create drama just by showing up to the table, but the real fireworks begin when you start shooting.
Made entirely of ebony with metal butt caps and micarta inlays, Blak will never be mistaken for anything else.
And with advanced Predator engineering — a ten-piece shaft for unmatched shot consistency and
C4 technology reinforced with phenolic to cut down on vibration — you’ll never be mistaken for an amateur.
36
W W W . P R E D AT O R C U E S . C O M / Blak
2 InsidePOOL Magazine - September 2007
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Volume VII, Issue 7
COLUMNS
32
46 What’s New
48 Industry Ink
Tiger Products - Standing out With
Truly Original Products
50 On Board With the BCA
Vegas Show Wins With New Features
and Increased Attendance
52 Industry News
56 Places to Play, Places to Buy
DEPARTMENTS
6
10
58
60
66
76
78
82
88
44
Publisher
Advertising Sales Director
JR Calvert
Bill Perry
publisher@insidepoolmag.com sales@insidepoolmag.com
Instructional Staff
Johnny Archer, Steve Crutchfield, Max Eberle,
Allison Fisher, Bob Henning, John W. Loftus,
Grady Mathews, Keith McCready,
Tom Simpson
Editor
Sally P. Timko
editor@insidepoolmag.com
Technical Consultant
Tom Simpson
Graphic Artist
Thomas W. Hartman
art@insidepoolmag.com
Feature Photo Credits
JR Calvert, Mike
Fieldhammer, Yvo Van
Musscher
Contributing Writers
Fred Agnir, Tony Butera, Rick Davis, Carolina
Fernandez, Mike Fieldhammer, Willy Hermoza, Matt
Jackson, Brian Keller, Andy Lincoln, Rock City
Promotions
Editorial Assistant
Rick Davis
rdavis@insidepoolmag.com
E-mail
info@insidepoolmag.com
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866-961-7665
Website
www.insidepoolmag.com
Administrative Offices
220 S. Jefferson Street, Kittanning, PA 16201
Pool on TV
Advertiser Directory
League Player of the Month
Regional Roundup
Northeast
Southeast
Central
Western
World
Photo Caption Contest
InsidePOOL Magazine Volume VII, Issue 7 (ISSN 1547-3511)
is published monthly except June and August by Spheragon
Publishing, 220 S. Jefferson Street, Kittanning, PA 16201.
Single copy price: $3.95 in U.S.A., $5.95 in Canada.
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publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.
Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part without
written permission of the publisher is prohibited.
For almost 50 years in Billiards’ Golden Era, Willie Hoppe dominated the world championships so completely that Brunswick
Billiards created the Willie Hoppe Professional in his honor. Also called “The Titlist,” its distinctive look became so well
known that you could spot it easily across a dark poolroom, and anyone who used it was immediately recognized as a
serious player. Now Predator, in cooperation with The Billiard Encyclopedia author Victor Stein, has resurrected the
Willie Hoppe cue, with the same four-piece splice, inlay combination and special case. Only 500 will be made, and all
will come with a choice of Predator’s 3142 or Z2 shaft. So while it will be coveted by collectors, it’s also perfect for
those who’d like to pursue some championships of their own – or just open up a good, old-fashioned can of whoop ass.
POSTMASTER: Please send address
changes to: InsidePOOL Magazine,
P.O. Box 972, Kittanning, PA 16201.
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
WWW.PREDATORCUES.COM/hoppe • 888.314.4111
57-September-2007
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Pool on TV
(continued on page 8)
All times are Eastern Time Zone – check local listings for changes.
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic
National Women’s 9-Ball Championship
1-Sept
11 AM
ESPNC
10 AM
ESPNC
ESPNC
1996 WPBA National Championship Third Round & Quarterfinals
4-Sept
10 AM
1996 WPBA National Championship Finals
6-Sept
10 AM
1996 WPBA National Championship Semifinals
5-Sept
$50,000 Gordon’s 9-Ball Championship Semifinal #1
7-Sept
10 AM
$50,000 Gordon’s 9-Ball Championship Semifinal #2
10-Sept
10 AM
8-Sept
ESPNC
ESPNC
10 AM
ESPNC
ESPNC
$50,000 Gordon’s 9-Ball Championship Finals
11-Sept
10 AM
ESPNC
1997 WPBA Classic Tour Semifinal #2
13-Sept
10 AM
ESPNC
1997 WPBA Classic Tour Finals
1997 WPBA National Championship Semifinal #1
12-Sept
14-Sept
15-Sept
10 AM
10 AM
ESPNC
8:30 PM
ESPN2
17-Sept
7:30 PM
2007 EnjoyPool.com Men’s 9-Ball Championship Semifinals
17-Sept
9:30 PM
17-Sept
ESPNC
10 AM
2007 EnjoyPool.com Women’s 9-Ball Championship Semifinals
2007 EnjoyPool.com Women’s 9-Ball Championship Finals
ESPNC
ESPN2
ESPN2
2007 EnjoyPool.com Men’s 9-Ball Championship Finals
18-Sept
7:00 PM
ESPN2
19-Sept
10 AM
ESPNC
18-Sept
10 AM
ESPNC
57-September-2007
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Pool on TV
All times are Eastern Time Zone – check local listings for changes.
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic
20-Sept
10 AM
ESPNC
1997 WPBA National Championship Semifinal #2
22-Sept
10 AM
ESPNC
26-Sept
10 AM
ESPNC
2007 WPBA Florida Classic Semifinal #1
2007 WPBA Florida Classic Semifinal #2
2007 WPBA Florida Classic Finals
21-Sept
25-Sept
27-Sept
28-Sept
29-Sept
1-Oct
1-Oct
1-Oct
10 AM
10 AM
10 AM
10 AM
10 AM
7:30 PM
8:30 PM
9:30 PM
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2
2007 Cuetec Cues U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship Quarterfinal #1
10-Oct
11:00 PM
11-Oct
11:00 PM
ESPN2
2007 Cuetec Cues U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship Semifinal #1
14-Oct
2:30 PM
ESPN
2007 Cuetec Cues U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship Semifinal #2
11-Oct
12-Oct
14-Oct
2:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:30 PM
ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN
THE MOST CRITICAL TOOL FOR YOUR GAME
For a free catalog
and list of dealers in your area,
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Dealer inquiries welcome.
©2007 Viking Cue Mfg., Inc.
PROUDLY MADE IN THE U.S.A.
57-September-2007
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ADVERTISER DIRECTORY
To contact any of our advertisers, visit their website, send an e-mail, or give them a call.
Adam Cue Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
www.theadamcueco.com
Allison’s World Champion Academy . . . . . . .21
www.AllisonFisher.com
American Poolplayers Association . . . . . . . . .59
www.poolplayers.com
Atlas Billiard Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
www.cuestik.com
BCA Pool League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
www.playbca.com
Bebob Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
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Billiard Aim Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
www.BilliardAimTrainer.com
Billiard Club Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
www.billiardclub.net
Billiard Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
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Billiards Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
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Billiards 911.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
www.billiards911.com
Blue Book, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
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Bunjee Cue Sports Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
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CaliforniaTables.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
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Chadam Innovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
www.AcCueShot.com
Champion Shuffleboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
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College of Pool & Billiards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
www.cue-u.com
Creative Inventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
www.porper.com
Cue Cube Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
www.cuecube.com
Cue Doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
www.cuedoctor.com
CueStix International . . . . . . . . 23, Back Cover
www.scorpioncues.com
CueTable.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
www.cuetable.com
Diamond Billiard Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
www.diamondbilliardproducts.com
DLT Billiards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
www.DLTbilliards.com
DMI Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
www.DMIsports.com
Florida Pro Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
954-966-6300
Forstmann Billiard Cloth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
www.forstmannbilliard.com
Frank’s Center, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
www.frankscenterinc.com
Grady Mathews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
www.gradymathews.com
InsidePOOL Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
www.insidepoolmag.com
Into Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC
www.intoshape.net
Iwan Simonis, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC
www.SimonisCloth.com
J&J America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
www.jjcue.com
Jacoby Custom Cues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
www.jacobycue.com
John W. Loftus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
apacaptainjohn@insidepoolmag.com
Kwikfire Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC
www.kwikfireinc.com
Liquid Wick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
www.liquidwick.com
Longoni Cues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
www.longonicues.com
McDermott Handcrafted Cues . . . . . . . . . . .53
www.mcdermottcue.com
Mueller Recreational Products . . . . . . . . . . . .81
www.poolndarts.com
OB CUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
www.obcues.com
Ozone Billiards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
www.ozonebilliards.com
Predator Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3, 17
www.predatorcues.com
RAM Gameroom Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
www.ramgameroomproducts.com
Rockwell Billiards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
www.RockwellBilliards.com
Samsara Cues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
www.samsaracues.com
Seybert’s Billiard Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
www.seyberts.com
Sterling Gaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
www.sterling-gaming.com
The Carolina’s Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
919-759-0071
ThePoolRack.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
www.ThePoolRack.com
Tiger Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
www.tigerproducts.com
Tom Simpson, Billiard Instruction . . . . . . . . .86
www.poolclinics.com
U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships . . . . . . . . .83
www.usopen9ballchampionships.com
U.S. Professional Poolplayers Association . . . . .43
www.upatour.com
Willard’s Cue Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
www.willardscueproducts.com
Viking Cue Manufgacturing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .9
www.vikingcue.com
57-September-2007
INSTRUCTION
9/5/07
A
5:49 PM
Page 12
GRADY’S GRAD SCHOOL
BY GRADY MATHEWS
Some Beatable Kisses
At the end game, free shots are something a player
should look for. These are shots where it is possible to
win the game but there is hardly any chance of losing. By
the same token, a player should avoid leaving his opponent free shots. This month’s column features three offangle hard-to-see examples of the aforementioned concept.
Diagram 1 demonstrates an optical illusion when the
cue ball and object ball lie as shown. It looks like a fullball hit on the 11 ball will take it to about Point X. But a
straight-ahead hit on the object ball will usually almost
make the ball into Pocket A.
A level cue and high english make the cue ball travel down to End Rail S on this shot. There is no kiss possibility on this shot by making a nice, thick hit on the 11
ball. When first viewing this shot, it looks like it is necessary to cut the object ball to the right of straight ahead.
Well, when that is done, there is not only the chance of a
kiss but also a scratch.
There is a kiss on the one-rail shot in Diagram 2. I
could play safe, but I like to be aggressive when I can
during the end game. The three-railer is a good shot, and
it’s free, provided I hit about two-thirds of the 1 ball as I
cut it to the left. This degree of thickness on the hit causes the object ball to travel faster and the cue ball slower,
all of which beats any possible kiss for me. Straight draw
is the english to use in order not to scratch into Pocket W
and also cause the cue ball to wind up on the end rail.
In Diagram 3, the cue ball and the object ball are
frozen to the rail. So, the one-rail “english bank” I like to
shoot isn’t available. There is an aggressive and fairly
free three-railer, though. To beat the kiss on this shot, it
is necessary to over-cut the shot, which makes the object
ball travel slower and the cue ball faster.
As shown, the cue ball goes two rails and ends up on
End Rail Q. The 1 ball travels three rails toward my
pocket. A just-below-center-ball hit with a tip and a half
of right-hand english are necessary here. I want to be
90% sure that I can beat a kiss before I shoot. I am willing in most instances to lessen my “make percentage” on
a ball in order to be sure of beating a kiss.
It’s important for you to practice shots where a kiss
is possible. I have my own self-made rules for determining this. You can come up with some methods of your
own, or I will talk more about them in other columns.t
Grady “The Professor” Mathews is one of pool’s most
recognized figures. His success at the table has opened
doors for him as technical advisor to movie producers,
commentator on Accu-Stats video productions, producer of
lliard instructional video tapes, and as an author. Grady has
won several one-pocket world titles.
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
Diagram 3
57-September-2007
I
INSTRUCTION
9/5/07
5:50 PM
Page 14
THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING
BY JOHN W. LOFTUS
The Ten Most Common
Problems, Part Nine
In the game of 8-ball you have to choose between several different shots
on the table. Sometimes one of them is easier to make, but the consequences will be disastrous if you miss. If you choose a different shot, it
may be harder to make but not such a catastrophe if you miss. What do
you do? That can be a difficult question depending on how hard the shot
is, your particular strengths, and the strengths of your opponent.
Sometimes many average players just take the easiest shot on the
table, no matter what the consequences. To even think about missing a
shot introduces an element of doubt, and we all know that confidence is
what helps us to make shots. Maybe this is so, but while admitting some
doubt may be detrimental to making balls, not being aware of the consequences if you miss a shot can lose you many more games of pool.
Not considering the consequences if we miss a shot is another
common problem among pool shooters. It may be one of the biggest
problems, too. The consequences if we miss a shot help determine
which shots we go for and which ones we pass on, as well as the order
in which we shoot our balls. Someone who is not aware of these consequences is just an average shooter who can make a few balls every time
up at the table with no over-all game plan for winning.
Once you start looking at the potential outcomes of a particular
shot, you begin to see what many call “two-way shots.” These are the
shots that, if missed, don’t give your opponent a good shot, but if you
make them you can continue on with your run-out. I call them “Miss or
Make” shots with a rhyme: “Miss or make, don’t give ‘em a break.”
You can learn these shots by watching good shooters play. But they
may be hard to detect. In Diagram 1, the easiest shot is to cut the 3 ball
in the corner pocket; however, if you make it you won’t have a good
shot, but more importantly, if you miss it you leave your opponent out.
Bank that 3 ball in the opposite corner pocket. If you make it, you’re
good to go. If you miss it, your opponent will have a difficult shot.
Diagram 2 shows the 4 ball in the side pocket looks tempting.
Depending on your strengths, I suggest you don’t take it. If you miss
you will leave your opponent out. Try the 5 ball past the side pocket
down in the corner with top spin. If you miss, you have a shot. If you
don’t, your opponent won’t.
In Diagram 3, we have the easiest type of choice in 9-ball. There
are too many clusters to run out, so you should attempt the 1-9 combo
for the win. If you make it, you win. If you miss this shot, your opponent probably won’t have one.
That’s what I’m talking about!t
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
“Captain” John Loftus, of Angola, Indiana, has been the captain
of a number of first-place pool teams and is presently a skill level 7 in
the APA 8-ball and a skill level 9 in the APA 9-ball leagues. He has
played on as many as seven different pool teams a session. John is the
author of How to be the Captain of a Winning APA 8-Ball Team, and
he is the captain for a Master’s Division APA team. Contact him at
johnwloftus@verizon.net.
Diagram 3
INSTRUCTION
57-September-2007
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9/5/07
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Page 16
PRO POOL WORKOUT
BY BOB HENNING
Looks can kill. So can
Lose Yourself!
Last month we saw that Feeling in
Control was essential to getting into a
Dead Stroke state. When you feel like
you’re in control, it’s easy to play with
freedom and power. This month let’s
look at another essential component that
must be present to get into The Zone.
Number seven on the list is Losing
Yourself, and it may be the trickiest one
of them all.
It was the baby boomers who first
coined the phrase Finding Yourself, but
most people understand the concept
from their own personal experience.
judges your actions and the actions of others and tells you whether something is
good or bad and right or wrong. It’s your
social identity. It’s your ego.
Playing good pool takes a lot of energy, and you can only step into the competitive ring with whatever energy you have
at the moment. How well you perform
depends in part on how well you manage
that energy. Every bit of attention is a bit
of energy, and every bit of wasted attention is a bit of wasted energy. Every time
your attention shifts from the balls on the
table to your own personal status in the
Every time your attention shifts from the balls on the
table to your own personal status in the social world
of human beings,your game suffers.
Since you have also probably spent a
good-sized hunk of life trying to Find
Yourself, the idea of giving up all that
accomplishment may be too much to
comprehend on an empty stomach. But
not to worry … you don’t have to give
up the act you put together during your
formative years to play pool in the zone.
You just have to learn how to set it aside
for a while.
The “self” we’re talking about here
is the one referred to in the word selfconscious. It’s the self that is worried
about how you look, concerned about
what others think, and anxious about
how things will turn out. It’s the inner
voice that criticizes, that evaluates and
social world of human beings, your game
suffers. Being self-conscious always has a
restrictive influence on performance. To
play in the land of dead stroke you want to
be fully conscious, not self-conscious.
You want your attention on your body and
the task at hand, not on yourself.
Have you ever noticed that you only
worry about the outcome of a shot when
your confidence is low? It’s the same for
self-consciousness in general. When your
confidence level is high, it blots out the
formation of negative thoughts and eliminates concerns about the outcome. When
confidence is high, there is no possibility
of failure in your mind at the moment of
execution. There is an inverse relationship
between confidence and playing with
self-consciousness. When one goes
higher, the other goes lower. There is
also a direct relationship between confidence and energy. When one goes higher, so does the other.
Have you ever noticed how the
greatest players pay no attention to the
applause of a crowd of spectators? They
are playing in the public arena, but they
are oblivious to the public evaluation of
their actions. They are not worrying
about how they look, they are not having negative thoughts, they are not concerned with what people think of them.
They might care later. They might even
collect magazines with their face on the
cover, but they’re not concerned about
any of that while playing. Their attention is totally on the match.
You do not need to second guess
your intuitive self. You do not need to
drive the execution of a shot with your
conscious mind. Give up the questioner,
the critic, the cynic, and the doubter.
Learn to be unflappable. Build your
confidence by honing your routine and
practicing the shots. Develop the mental
discipline to silence the inner voice of
doubt and concern and let the real you
get into the game. Lose yourself and get
into dead stroke!
Good luck & good shootin’!t
Bob Henning is the author of The
Pro Book, widely considered to be the
most advanced training resource for competitive pool players. It brings the latest
techniques of the top coaches and trainers
of all sports into pool. It is intended for
those who wish to prepare physically,
mentally, and psychologically for pool
competition. Bob is also the author of
“The Pro Book Video Series,” a complete,
on-the-table training system, and he
recently released The Advanced Pro Book.
In addition, he has authored Cornbread
Red, a biography of the colorful Billy
“Cornbread Red” Burge.
Introducing Poison. A lethal shot.
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MEANING OF POISON? VISIT POISONBILLIARDS.COM TO EXPERIENCE ITS RADICALLY DIFFERENT DESIGNS AND BEST-IN-CLASS
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57-September-2007
INSTRUCTION
9/5/07
L
5:50 PM
Page 18
BEAT PEOPLE WITH A STICK
BY TOM SIMPSON
What Matters?
Let’s look at some of the vital qualities of
better players. What does it take to get better? Beyond knowledge, technique, and
experience, what matters? What might you
change or improve that will raise your
game—or at least raise your enjoyment of
the game?
Intention: To me, this is the numberone ingredient in getting better at pool (or
anything). You have to want to get better and
clearly intend it to happen. The more clear
your intention, the more clear your results.
Expect to improve and to play well. Plan for
it. Doubt is the enemy.
Acceptance: If you are deluding yourself about how well you play and how much
you know, you won’t be as open to change.
When new information appears, you
“already know,” so you don’t pay close atten-
Tenacity: You have to be willing and
eager to tackle a problem and not let go. If you
give up easily, you won’t improve. If you don’t
believe you can do it, you’re right. I know a
player who is a “grinder.” Mike never gives up.
You can have him 99 to 3, but you’d better not
let up. He will make one ball and play safe—
whatever it takes for however long it takes. I
introduced Mike to one of my students, explaining that he is the master of never giving up.
Mike opened his wallet and fished out an old,
frayed scrap of paper. It said, “Never, never,
never give up,” (a Winston Churchill quote).
Perseverance pays.
Patience: Pool is an insanely precise
game. Better players seek out ever more
demanding conditions, such as tight pockets,
fast cloth, tough competition, gambling. With
these types of challenges and the difficulty of
You’re a player.
See difficult shots as
opportunities for greatness.
tion. To get better, it helps to seek the truth
about where you are and accept it. If you
don’t accept where you are, you won’t work
on the right things. Face your flaws.
Belief: It’s vital to believe you can
make the improvement—that you really can
get from where you are to where you want to
be. If you, in your heart of hearts, don’t
believe it, it won’t happen. Believe while you
achieve.
Curiosity: In all sports, arts, and intellectual pursuits, there is always far more to
know, understand, and embody than outsiders would ever suspect. Improvement in
pool can come from deepening knowledge of
ball behavior, pattern play, position play, and
strategy. Great pool players are always learning, always exploring new ideas, always
curious. Why did those balls do that? How
did that guy make that shot? Why did that
world-class player play that safety? If pool
isn’t intrinsically interesting to you, why are
you doing it?
pool in general, it’s wise to be patient with
yourself. You’re going to make lots of mistakes,
progress in fits and starts, and frequently have
days when you’re just not performing like you
know you can. Don’t beat yourself up so much.
It doesn’t help.
Anger: We’ve all seen players who get so
mad at themselves that it’s no fun to play with
them. Their anger can put everyone else on edge
and may even scare other players. It’s the
proverbial bad vibe. Sure, we all have occasion
to be very disappointed with our results at the
table or disturbed by something our opponent is
doing. We all get “robbed” by imperfect table
conditions or “no love” leaves. Let it go, let it
go. Anger creates tension in our bodies. And
tension, of course, interferes with the beautiful
fluid motion we need to play well. When you
have a flash of anger, breathe, smile, take a
bathroom break, loosen up. Get past it before
you shoot. If you have to shoot and you’re
angry, try to use the energy of the anger to
sharpen your focus and intent.
Fear and Courage: I see fear and
courage as stimulation for growth. We all
have fear. We may not see it as fear if we’re
not quaking in the fetal position, but fear has
many levels. We may have fear when shooting the money ball, when playing a better
player, when faced with a shot we frequently
miss. A productive approach to dealing with
fear is to embrace it, to see it as an opportunity for growth. As we grow in our game, the
things we now face with courage and confidence were once scary and doubtful. This is
our growth process. Fear tells us there is
something afoot that is a bit outside of our
comfort zone. Courage is our personal willingness to stand up and face our fears.
Courage comes from “feeling the fear and
doing it anyway.” Recognize fear, build
courage. This process never ends.
Recovery: We all miss. A lot. It’s
embarrassing. It’s costly. It’s frustrating. But
that’s the nature of our sport. Like golf, pool
is a game of recovery. We often are out of
line, on the wrong side of the ball, too far
away, etc. We are constantly trying to recover and get closer to perfection. It helps to
understand that, at every level, this is the
case. The pros are working to recover also,
but their errors are typically much smaller.
Accept that it’s about recovery. Think before
you shoot.
Confidence: When we put it all together, confidence is the state of mind we’re after.
Confidence arises when we’ve been honest
with ourselves, done the work, have clear
intent, pay full attention, and have the calm
determination to fully engage in the game.
Playing with confidence leads to real enjoyment of the game. Muster your confidence.
You’re a player. See difficult shots as opportunities for greatness.t
Tom Simpson is a BCA Master Instructor.
A full-time instructor with a BCA Accredited
National Billiard Academy in Columbus, Ohio,
he has worked with thousands of players. As
founder of Elephant Balls, Ltd., inventor of
Practice Balls®, developer of the Ghostball
Aim Trainer®, and Secret Aiming Systems™
Coach, Tom’s innovations in training have
helped players dramatically improve their skills
and deepen their knowledge. Read 35 instructional articles at the academy website:
www.PoolClinics.com.
Contact: Tom@PoolClinics.com, 614975-8337.
www.InsidePOOLmag.com 19
57-September-2007
INSTRUCTION
9/5/07
A
5:51 PM
Page 20
ACCORDING TO ALLISON
BY ALLISON FISHER
The View is Always Better
From the Top Floor
A common mistake made by most amateurs while playing pool is to get down
to play without having first carefully surveyed all aspects of the shot, namely the
degree of angle, the natural tangent path,
and the exact positional area you need
for the next object ball. Let’s look at
these one by one.
1. The degree of the angle. Why do
people always want a top floor view?
is, if you have not already carefully noted
the angle to the pocket from the standing
position, your perception will be greatly
hindered from table-level position. So the
first rule in aiming is aim while standing.
The three-cut system that I learned as
a youth emphasizes the need to familiarize
yourself with three standard cut angles:
1/4, 1/2, and 3/4, which are 49°, 30°, and
14°, respectively. A great way to see these
Because only from the top floor do you
get the best perspective of the entire
area. In the same way, when we observe
the layout of the pool table from the
standing position, we are better able to
see potential run-out patterns, and more
importantly, we can better estimate the
degree of the angle of the cut for our
next shot.
The next time you are at the table,
get behind the shot you are considering
and then compare what you can see in
the standing position to what you can see
when you are down on the shot. The fact
angles while playing is to use the visual
references provided. By familiarizing yourself with these images, it will be easy to
recognize the standard cut angles while
playing.
2. The Natural Tangent Path. The
next bit of information we need to gather at
the standing position is the potential tangent path of the cue ball after contact with
the object ball. The cue ball always starts
out on the tangent line after contact with
the object ball, and its rotation and speed
determines where it goes after. The harder
the ball is struck, the longer it stays on the
tangent line, regardless of forward or
backward rotation. We can easily visualize this path by placing our cue stick perpendicular to the impact point to show
the 90°-angle from the object ball. It is
impossible to see this from the table
position, so we should take the time and
look over the ball we are attempting to
pocket to identify this 90°-angle or tangent. Knowing the tangent will greatly
help us in deciding how to stroke the cue
ball to avoid potential scratches or
unwanted collisions with other balls on
the table.
3. The Exact Positional Area.
Lack of position play is the greatest mistake amateur players make. Without consideration of the position of the cue ball
after the shot, it is nearly impossible to
run a rack.
To raise your game to the next level,
you must give attention to position play
that is much easier to estimate and control once you have carefully surveyed
the table from the top floor. Careful position play always takes into account the
natural tangent path of the cue ball and
the subsequent natural path the cue ball
takes as it bounces off the cushions. You
have to see this path in your mind before
you get down to play your shot.
Incorporate these three tips into
your play and reap the benefits. But
remember, they all depend on taking the
time to first analyze the shot while standing. So, aim while standing, because the
view is always better from the top
floor.t
Co-authored by Paul Turner, inventor
of the Allison Fisher Billiard Aim Trainer
www.billiardaimtrainer.com).
57-September-2007
INSTRUCTION
9/5/07
6:15 PM
W
Page 22
THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHAMPION
BY JOHNNY ARCHER
Secrets of Scotch Doubles
Well folks, I’m back. I must say it feels good,
too. There have been a lot of changes going
on with me. We had our second child recently, and I am now the owner of my very own
poolroom. Thanks to all of you for your support. I would like to apologize for being
gone, but I want each and every one of you to
know that I am here to pick up where I left
off.
Scotch doubles is a non-traditional format where each team alternates shots
between its members. There is an interaction
present that you don’t normally have at the
pool table, and the banter between teammates
can be amusing at times, making this game
one of the most fun that I have yet to play.
This format also presents challenges that are
not typically present in a pool match.
Back in February, I was invited to the
Skins Billiards and Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments in Springfield, Massachusetts. These
are unique events incorporating two different
formats that involve the men and the women.
The scotch doubles was the Skins Billiards
event, in which I was paired up with Jennifer
Barretta facing the duo of Jeanette Lee and
George Breedlove.
First and foremost, the secret to winning at scotch doubles is chemistry. Great
players may not necessarily make a great
team. Obviously our opponents had incredible chemistry. It was simply amazing to
watch the two of them play off of one another during the match.
Second is the fact that you don’t shoot
every shot. Pool is a game of rhythm and
momentum. When you shoot a shot and then
wait for your partner to take their shot, it
makes it hard to establish a rhythm or gain
any momentum.
Even though there are some unusual
challenges to this format, there are some keys
to winning. Every player has strengths and
weaknesses. Knowing how your partner
plays position and his or her likes and dislikes
on english can help you play your game to better suit your teammate. Identifying each of these
in your partner will greatly improve your
chance of winning.
This shot came from the Texas Hold ‘Em
portion of the tournament. I was grouped with
Luc Salvas, Corey Deuel, and Jeanette in the
semifinals. Luc had been knocked out earlier,
and Corey had Jeanette and me down to our last
$30,000 and $40,000, respectively. I knew I was
in bad shape when Jeanette stepped to the table
with cue ball in hand and a relatively easy 7-9
combination. Her pocketing this shot would
knock me out of the tournament, so to say that I
was worried would be an understatement.
The 7 ball was about 1 inch off the side rail
at the middle diamond. The 9 ball was 5-6 inch-
es down towards the corner pocket, about
one-eighth of an inch off the side rail. There
are two ways to approach this. The most difficult way is to hit the 7 straight into the 9.
This shot requires you to be more precise.
Any deviation results in a miss because there
is such a small margin of error. Luckily for
me, Jeanette chose this way and missed the
shot.
I like to take another approach. Hit the
7 ball into the rail before going into the 9.
This makes the pocket bigger while giving
about a 1-2 inch target on the rail for you to
aim. This method almost guarantees a make
on the 9. Don’t take this as gospel for every
rail shot like this. A good rule of thumb to use
is when the 9 is one-half-inch or closer to the
rail. Anything farther makes the straight
approach the right call. The second life that
Jeannette gave me was all I needed, as I
advanced through the semifinals with Corey
to face George Breedlove and John Schmidt
in the finals. Ultimately I came out on top to
win the $25,000 cash prize for first place.
Once again, thanks to all of my fans for
your support, and I can’t wait until the next
time.
Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer picked up
a pool cue destined to be one of the sport’s most
extraordinary players. His domination as a professional is unquestionable, and his resume
reads like a dream: five-time Player of the Year,
four world 9-ball championships, the U.S. Open
Championship, eleven-time Mosconi Cup player, Player of the Decade for the 1990s, and the
saga continues. He is sponsored by Cuestix
International
and
Olhausen
Billiard
Manufacturing Inc. and is the player representative for Scorpion Cues. Married to Melanie in
2002, they have a son, Johnny Lee Archer
Junior, and a daughter, Mary LeeAnne.
57-September-2007
9/5/07
6:16 PM
Page 24
Frideres
D
Players Crowd Vegas
OUTSHINES THEM ALL at ACS Nationals
During the week of June 7-16, battles on all sorts of green felt abounded at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in
Las Vegas at the American
CueSports
Alliance
(ACS)
Nationals. From 9-ball, 8-ball,
snooker, wheelchair, artistic, speed
pool, carom, amateur, professional—
the Nationals showcased it all. And
no player had a better run through
the various divisions than did
Jessica Frideres of Ft. Dodge, IA.
Frideres hauled in the hardware in no
fewer than six divisions of play:
Women’s 9-Ball Singles (2nd),
Women’s Masters 8-Ball Singles
(1st), Master Scotch Doubles (1st),
Women’s Open 9-Ball Team (2nd),
Women’s Master 8-Ball Team (2nd),
and Women’s Speed Pool (1st).
by InsidePOOL Staff
Madison Adkins, Jonathan Hahn,
Henry Girardi
Jean Bartholomew
Main Street Ms. Q’s: Tracey Elliott, Lois Schmitt,
Mary Moench, Michelle Trevino, Olivia Jackson
RESULTS
Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles
1st Aaron Thomas
2nd Felipe Flores
3rd Mark Reynolds
4th Jerrod Frideres
5th Steve Tune
Jeffrey Hughes
7th Darrell Hilliard
Mike Henderson
Men’s Standard 8-Ball Teams
1st Mad Dogs
3rd
2nd Break N’ Run
4th
Women’s Standard 8-Ball Teams
1st Passions Miss Cues
3rd
2nd New Beginnings
4th
Women’s Masters 8-Ball Teams
3rd
1st Leisure Time Bratz
4th
2nd Which Witch is Which
Mad Dogs: Glenn Gardner, Al Derowin,
Jim Shewchuk, Lyle Nicholson,
Mike Wasyliw
Leisure Time Bratz: Barb Hamilton,
Amanda Kuhl, Sandy Worrall,
Ann Mitchell, Rachel Byrket
Master Scotch Doubles
1st Jessica Frideres /
Dustin Gunia
2nd Becky Mowdy /
Tim Robertson
Men’s 9-Ball Singles
1st Jesse Bowman
2nd Dustin Gunia
3rd Kenny Tran
4th Robert Rodriguez
Open Scotch Doubles
1st Patricia Cook /
Jeffrey Hughes
2nd Pamela Fletcher /
Jerry Sceusa
3rd Shawn Modelo /
Vince Modelo
4th Gregg Johnson /
Kay Reimer
Dustin Gunia, Jesse Bowman,
Kenny Tran
Las Vegas Cue Club: Richard White,
Greg Kuhl, Ron Allen
Felipe Flores, Aaron Thomas
RESULTS
Pamela Fletcher, Jerry Sceusa, Patricia
Cook, Jeffrey Hughes
Shannon Ducharme
FCB Willis: James Prchal, Lee Norton, Zack
Willis, Jerrod Frideres, Dustin Gunia
Denis Grabe, Nick Tafoya
Tim Robertson, Becky Mowdy, Jessica
Frideres, Dustin Gunia
Barbara Allen, Gina Knight
Bar whiz Jesse Bowman rebounded from
lackluster 2006 singles results to claim the Men’s
9-Ball Singles title but again placed out of the
money in the Men’s Masters 8-Ball Singles, won
by newcomer Shannon Ducharme of Winnipeg,
Canada. Katrina Dennis scored the Women’s 9Ball Singles crown and claimed a strong third
place in the Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles as well.
Injuring her leg in transit to Las Vegas, Jean
Bartholomew continued to add on to her impressive resume in the Senior Women’s 8-Ball Singles
by claiming yet another national title.
Blake Byrket took down the Men’s Standard
8-Ball Singles title, while his 17-year-old daughter, Rachel, took fourth in the Women’s Open 8Ball Singles and first on the winning Leisure Time
Bratz team in the Women’s Master 8-Ball Teams.
The FCB Willis team from Omaha, NE, claimed
both the Men’s Open 9-Ball and Men’s Open 8Ball team titles, while Canadian teams continued
their dominance in the Men’s Standard 8-Ball
Team division—Mad Dogs of Calgary, Alberta,
being the latest hoisters of the crown.
3rd
4th
5th
7th
5th
7th
Men’s Open 9-Ball Teams
1st FCB Willis
2nd Smokies Cue Balls
3rd Stroke It
Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles
– Sportsman Division
1st Samuel Trant
2nd Daniel Penn
3rd Billy Huff
Anthony Schultz
5th Lauren Vaughn
Mike Calla
Bill Duggan
Brian Sadowski
Women:
1st Jessica Frideres
2nd Stacey Lantz
Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles
1st Stacey Lantz
2nd Josie Leroy
3rd Kit Dennis
4th Rachel Byrket
5th Maryellen Clements
Christy Goldsmith
7th Maria Rodriguez
Julie Burney
18 & Under Junior 8-Ball
Singles
1st Nick Tafoya
2nd Denis Grabe
3rd Jenkins Blake
Damaged Goods
DBBC - Presence
Hard To Handle
Smokies Outlaws
Cue Tees
Newtowne Naturals
Barbara Yeager /
William Willoughby
Tina Larsen /
Dan Taylor
Justin Whitehead
Saturnino Jesusa
Kevin Peterson
Anthony Wilson
Jean Bartholomew /
Steve Tune
Jacki Redmon/
Bill Duggan
Stacy Lantz /
Joe Lynch
Sondra Friestad/
Greg Kuhl
RESULTS
FCB Willis: Jerrod Frideres, Zack
Willis, Lee Norton
Men’s Open 8-Ball Teams
1st FCB Willis
2nd Rotten Eggs
3rd Over “8” Ed
4th Usual Suspects
Women’s 9-Ball Singles
1st Katrina Dennis
2nd Jessica Frideres
3rd Samantha Patton
4th Barbara Allen
Men’s Masters 8-Ball Singles 5th Jacquilyn Redmon
Christy Goldsmith
7th Mary Davis
1st Justin Whitehead
Rachel Byrket
2nd Benny Conway
Women’s Masters 8-Ball Singles
1st Jessica Frideres
2nd Barbara Hamilton
3rd Cheryl Pritchard
4th Andrea Wilson
Women’s Masters 8-Ball
Singles – Sportsman Division
1st Toni Barnes
2nd Tina Larsen
Men’s Masters 8-Ball Singles
1st Shannon Ducharme
2nd Robert Clark
3rd Jeff Heath
4th Jamey Bowman
5th Tommy Hernandez
Dustin Gunia
7th Isaac Runnels
Larry Wilson
Super Senior 8-Ball Singles
1st Ernie Santos
2nd Jackson Ely
Blake Byrket, Marty Plumb
James McAllister,
Jesusa Saturnino
Katrina Dennis, Stacey Lantz,
Josie Leroy
57-September-2007
9/5/07
6:18 PM
Page 26
RESULTS
Samantha Patton,
Katrina Dennis,
Jessica Frideres
Chalk-A-Holics: Kay
Reimer, Tina Larsen,
Gina Knight
Cheryl Pritchard,
Jessica Frideres,
Barbara Hamilton
Kray Mims, Brad Rautio, Charlie Hans
In other events, Brad Rautio surprised the field in the
NWPA-sanctioned Las Vegas Open wheelchair event to take the
crown, while 13-year-old Austin Murphy (who placed ninth in
the pro 9-ball event) outlasted all challengers for the ACS
National Artistic Pool Championship, sponsored by Tom “Dr.
Cue” Rossman. In the Second Annual “Can-Am Snooker
Challenge,” Team USA avenged its 2006 defeat by Team Canada
on the beautiful 12-foot green baize to claim the challenge trophy
by a 12-8 margin over Team Canada. Canada regained some
sense of satisfaction when its two-man team of Alain Rubidoux
and Don Chomiski took down the $500 winner-take-all “UPA vs.
Canada” snooker challenge over pro 9-ball and former pro snooker
players Tony Crosby (UK) and Lee Chenman (Hong Kong).t
John Lewis congratulates Team
USA : Raymond Fung, George Lai,
Romil Azemat, Jack Kung,
Truman Wu
Austin Murphy, Tom Rossman
Men’s Open 8-Ball
Singles –
Sportsman Division
1st Samuel Trant
2nd Daniel Penn
3rd Billy Huff
Anthony Schultz
5th Lauren Vaughn
Mike Calla
Bill Duggan
Brian Sadowski
Women’s Open 8-Ball
Singles
1st Stacey Lantz
2nd Josie Leroy
3rd Kit Dennis
4th Rachel Byrket
5th Maryellen Clements
Christy Goldsmith
7th Maria Rodriguez
Julie Burney
Singles – Sportsman
Division
1st Tracie Abbott
2nd Dianne Rankin
3rd Suzanne Dolan
Patricia Anderson
5th Clare Marsh
Jennifer Wilson
Erika Fischer
Julie Ann Mitchell
Men’s Standard 8-Ball
Singles
1st Blake Byrket
2nd Marty Plumb
3rd Lawrence Garza
4th John Hamilton
5th James Peecock
Lyle Nicholson
7th George Axiotis
Robert Ferguson
Division
1st Gary Babcock
2nd John Harris
3rd Anthony Orofiamma
James Potter
5th Randy Guse
Ken Schmidt
Joe Zutell
Ryan Watkins
Women’s Standard 8Ball Singles
1st Gina Knight
2nd Barbara Allen
3rd Kathleen Asbury
4th Veronica Ordonez
5th Amy Sicheneder
Shelley Starlight
7th Angie Garner
Betty Ramirez
Women’s Standard 8Ball Singles – Sportsman
Division
1st Tara Allison
2nd Niki Phillipi
3rd Yvette Maldonado
Sharon McClintock
5th Charity Terry
Linda McCoy
Tina Miles
Luz Selbe
Men’s Senior 8-Ball
Singles
1st James McAllister
2nd Jesusa Saturnino
3rd Bill Mason
4th Mark Czerwinski
5th Donnie Robinson
Dave Carr
7th John Black
Phil Burns
Men’s Senior 8-Ball
Division
1st Jerry Watts
2nd Tom Fankhauser
3rd Silvio Cruz
Glenn Gardner
5th Richard Arensdorf
Roy Skenandore
Stewart Hunter
Ted Harms
Women’s Senior 8-Ball
Singles
1st Jean Bartholomew
2nd Gisele Maurice
3rd Phyllis Bentley
4th Connie Lackey
5th Yvonne Burgess
Suellen Romesburg
Women’s Senior 8-Ball
Division
1st Frances Jensen
2nd Wanda Thompson
3rd Lynn Green
Jeanne Bell
5th Lee White
Marilyn Damman
Sandra Chamberlain
Sheila McDonald
Super Senior 8-Ball
Singles
1st Jonathan Hahn
2nd Madison Adkins
3rd Henry Girardi
4th Vincent Modelo
5th Lawrence Meissen
Jerry Grant
14 & Under Junior 8Ball Singles
1st Michael Perron
2nd Michael Tafoya
3rd Trevor Howell
Men’s Open 8-Ball
Teams – Sportsman
Division
1st Wrecking Crew I
2nd Team Canada Eh!
3rd Squires Fryars
El Sonabaggos
Teams
1st Main Street Ms. Q’s
2nd Mee-Ow!
3rd It’s All About the “W”
4th Last Minute
Women’s Standard 8-Ball
Teams – Sportsman Division
1st Too Much Fun
2nd Rackin Rascals
Teams – Sportsman
Division
1st MTB Salt & Pepper
Budweiser
2nd Shark Attack
3rd Newtowne Rack
Runners
Las Vegas Cue
Club
Men’s Masters 9-Ball
Teams
1st Las Vegas Cue Club
2nd Can’t Win
3rd LT’s Bunch
Teams
1st Chalk-A-Holics
2nd Which Witch is
Which
3rd Newtowne Naturals
NWPA-sanctioned Las
Vegas Open Wheelchair
Championship
1st Brad Rautio
2nd Charlie Hans
3rd Kray Mims
4th Danny Luton
5th Michael Langley
Gregory Howard
7th Ken Miller
Ken Force
Las Vegas Open Sports
Division
1st Carl Levesque
2nd Jerry Dale
ACS National Artistic
Pool Championship
1st Austin Murphy
2nd Dustin Gunia
3rd Shannon Ducharme
4th Jerrod Frideres
5th Mike Henderson
Val Franiel
7th Dan Taylor
Billy Pinion
Speed Pool Challenge
Men:
1st Shannon Ducharme
2nd Justin Whitehead
3rd Denis Grabe
Pat McMullan
Teams – Sportsman
Division
1st Chalk-A-Holics
2nd P.S. & The J’s
3rd Northern Pounders
How Nice!
57-September-2007
T
9/5/07
6:18 PM
Page 28
Engert
Earns
Repeat
World
Pool
Masters
Win
photos courtesy of Yvo van Musscher / Matchroom Sport
Dominates
International
Field in Holland
by Matt Jackson
Though the sleepy Dutch seaside town of Egmond aan Zee
is little more than an hour away from the metropolis of
Amsterdam, it’s doubtful the tourist office on the
main street is too often troubled by hordes of visitors.
Egmond, though, has carved out an enviable position
in recent years as something of a mecca for world-class pool,
as the PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters paid its
fourth visit there June 20-22, following in the wake of
the 2004 Mosconi Cup, which, like the Masters, took
place in the vast Hotel Zuiderduin, nestling nicely on the beach.
Sixteen international players were there to do battle over three days in
the single-elimination, race-to-8, alternate-break format with a $62,000 prize
fund, including $20,000 for the ultimate winner.
The sport in Holland still lives under the “pool is cool” banner, and the
live audience in the arena was dominated by the 18-30 age group, both male
and female. This is a country where profile pieces on the likes of Niels Feijen
can cover a full page of a national newspaper and the game is certainly on the
rise.
Ouschan Drowns, Alcano Ousted
The field was missing some of the obvious big names of the game like
Reyes, Strickland, Bustamante, and Archer, but promoters Matchroom Sport
had included four WPA world champions, including current incumbent
Ronnie Alcano and 2005 winner Wu Chia-ching.
Still in his teens, Wu looked to be the pick of the first-round winners as
he blasted Canada’s Tyler Edey 8-1. Defending champion Ralf Souquet went
out at the first attempt as he fell to Spain’s ever-improving David Alcaide in
a golden break extravaganza.
Using a non-tapped-in rack, both players got the 9 ball rolling towards
the corner pocket, and on three occasions it dropped. After some tampering,
which included the bottom three balls in the rack being tapped in, the rack
played well with no regulation wing ball flying in every time and only the
firmest break shots getting their reward.
In a clash of the two former champions, Thomas Engert (2004) defeated
Tony Drago (2003) and Italy’s Fabio Petroni upset high-flying Ronnie
Hometown hero Nick Van den Berg fell to Engert in the
Alcano. Austria’s golden girl, Jasmin Ouschan, the first lady to appear in the semifinal round, earning a third-place tie with Holtz.
Masters since Allison Fisher in 2001, had a miserable time of it, losing 8-1 to
hometown hope Nick van den Berg in front of a partisan crowd.
Favorite Feijen Falls
Another Dutchman, Niels "The Terminator" Feijen
shows off his incredible breaking skills to his
many fans.
After years playing the role of the mystery man of European pool, following Spain’s marginalization from the mainstream due to the oft-quoted
“pool politics,” David Alcaide has had a breakthrough 12 months. A last-16
finish at last year’s WPC, as well as a solid performance at the last epic
Mosconi Cup, has seen the 28-year-old from Malaga emerge as a top
European talent. Some impressive shot-making allowed Alcaide to book a
semifinal spot at the expense of Germany’s Oliver Ortmann.
Coming up on the blind side was Scotland’s Pat Holtz. “Silky” scored an
excellent win over China’s 2006 World Pool Championship bronze medalist
Li- He-wen and improved on that showing as he toppled favorite Feijen 8-5.
“It’s always an advantage being the underdog,” said Holtz. “It was the
same when I played at the World Pool Championship in Manila. People don’t
really know me, and that suits me fine.
“Niels had the roll in the early stages but then got lucky at seven-three
and got me in a snooker on the one ball. He didn’t look that comfortable yesterday, and there’s a lot of pressure playing in front of your home crowd.
Everyone is supporting you, and that means more expectations.”
The other two quarterfinals were both hill-hill affairs. In the match of the
tournament to date, Thomas Engert, suffering from a debilitating fever, managed to shake it off long enough to edge past Wu Chia-ching of Taiwan. The
match turned on a poor push-out by Wu when he left the 1 ball open for his
opponent. Joining Engert in the semis was Van den Berg, who won over
Petroni despite scratching off the break in the final rack of the match.
57-September-2007
9/5/07
6:18 PM
Page 30
Alcaide and Engert Race to the Finals
The 28-year-old David Alcaide, who hails from Spain,
impressed everyone with his shot-making ability.
Spain versus Scotland, Germany versus Holland. That was the country
line up for the two semifinals of the PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters.
In the first Spain’s Alcaide won through 8-5 over Holtz following some
tidy potting, but the plucky Holtz, who is an accountant by trade after he
turned in his full pool-player status following the collapse of the IPT, gave it
a good go under the circumstances.
Alcaide raced into a 6-2 lead, and large deficits are always tough to claw
back from under an alternate-break format, but the Scot gave it a go and won
three of the last five racks, which, of course, wasn’t enough.
The second semi saw a well-supported Van den Berg attempt to become
the first Dutchman to reach a Masters final since Alex Lely lost to Ralf
Souquet in 2000.
Engert, though, had been suffering earlier in the day with some sort of
bug, but ever the professional, he managed to put this behind him as he raced
away into a 5-2 lead.
The score moved along to 5-2 to the 2004 champion, and van den Berg
needed to raise his game if he was to give his home supporters something to
shout about and make the final. A poor safety, though, saw him slump on to
the table, as he showed his disappointment watching the match begin to slip
away from him.
Engert was happy to seal another rack to lead 6-2, only two away from
the final. And with the alternate-break format he was now firmly in the driver’s seat.
The Dutchman took the next, but a bad positional shot going from the 4
to the 5 in the tenth game meant van den Berg had to use the jump cue. The
resulting miss was punished by Engert as he moved to 7-3.
Van den Berg claimed one back, but that was to be his last contribution,
as Engert advanced to his second final by an 8-4 margin.
I didn’
’t feel well,
but I never thought about not playing.
I was very focused——
— winning was the only thing I was thinking about.
As a result I was calm and just tried to focus.
— Thomas Engert
Resilient Engert Scores Resounding Victory
Following on from some long matches, Sunday night’s final didn’t get
underway until 11.30 at night, and, ironically, despite being the championship
match, it was one of the quickest of the tournament.
That was in no small part due to Thomas Engert’s clinical ability to run
through a rack as he had too often for David Alcaide in his 8-5 victory. The
Spaniard led 3-2 in the early stages—a golden break giving him the edge—
but from there on the match was dominated by the 41-year-old from Duren,
Germany.
He led 5-4 before Alcaide stole a rack from Engert to lead the match finely poised at 5-all, but that was to be his last meaningful contribution to the
game.
A clearly delighted Engert said, “It’s always great to win a tournament,
especially like this with the media and sixteen of the top players around the
world. With it being a race to eight, it’s hard to win, as you never know what’s Pat Holtz of Scotland, sans his traditional kilt, lines up
for a shot with the bridge.
going to happen. It’s a really big thing for me to win this tournament.
“I’ve played here for the last three years, and I was in good shape. But
this year I’ve been struggling in tournaments and did not do so well on the
Euro Tour. I lost some tight matches, and it takes your self-confidence away.
But this is one of the biggest tournaments and broadcast on television.
“It’s a different story to 2004, as then I was very confident because I won
the Challenge of Champions two weeks before and came here not afraid to lose.
But this time I was struggling, and it’s harder to win when you’re struggling.”
Engert had stayed in bed for most of the early part of the day because of his
illness but then had to play three games on Sunday afternoon and evening. But
he insisted that he never had any intentions to withdraw from the competition.
“I didn’t feel well, but I never thought about not playing. I was very
focused—winning was the only thing I was thinking about. As a result I was
calm and just tried to focus.
“I made some hard shots on the table, and they are tight pockets, so it’s
not easy to play on. I made these shots, and that was a big reason I won.”
I made some hard shots on the table,
and they are tight pockets,
Germany's Oliver "The Machine" Ortmann fell to
Alcaide in the quarterfinals.
so it’s not easy to play on.
I made these shots, and that was
a big reason
I won."
— Thomas Engert ttt
Page 32
‘‘
There’s a bigger draw to Vegas than at any other
venue. Attending a show costs a lot of money. It’s
always advantageous to hold the show in a place like
Vegas where there is a lot to do after the show hours
are done.
– Jean Lubinsky, sales manager,
Chas. W. House
T
Going All Out
“I was very impressed with the energy and effort that was put into this event—it was
very exciting to walk the floor and see the first-class exhibits and witness the business
taking place on the show floor,” explained Rob Johnson, the new chief executive
director for the Billiard Congress of America (BCA). “I was also thrilled with the success
of the special events we strategically added to the Expo. The presentations and the
concert were well-attended and received very high marks on our Expo survey.”
The BCA shone at the 2007 International Billiard and Home
Recreation Expo, held June 21-23 at the Sands Expo and
Convention Center in Las Vegas. Having weathered some heavy
criticism for some time, this year’s event was widely praised as the
best in five years.
“I was cautiously optimistic on the show,” Ivan Lee of Iwan
Simonis, Inc. stated. “The attendance is up—it’s just under twenty
percent. Most of the people that I’ve talked to have seemed pretty
upbeat and really positive about the turnout.”
Exhibitors pulled out all the stops this year to make their booth
stand out. Parked next to Championship Shuffleboard’s regular wares
were a 1970 Super-sport Chevelle and a 1969 Camaro Rally-sport, both
in mint condition and gleaming. Across the way, the staff at CueStix
International, Inc. was dressed in different retro outfits every day.
Cue Cube celebrated their twenty-fifth birthday during the show,
displaying great quantities of spangly balloons and free cookies. A
stark, black-and-white motif set off Cue & Case Sales, Inc.’s products
perfectly—one of which was a handy new joint protector that also is a
tip scuffer, shaper, and pick.
Trick shot artist Paul Gerni
cut no corners at the booth
of JM Billiard, which
displayed an 8-foot round
table.
‘‘
‘‘
‘‘
Below: Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour promoter and
director Mike Janis tied the knot with fiancée Terrie
during the trade show.
‘‘ ‘‘
– Jason Bowman, public relations manager,
American Poolplayers Association
Top right: This broad
expanse of cue sticks
composed J&J America's
booth.
This classic Camaro turned lots of heads at the
show while it was showcased in Championship
Shuffleboard's booth.
We want an advanced list of
attendees to the show … so
we know who to expect in
terms of existing customers
and potential new customers.
– Mary Ponto, marketing and
sales manager, Cue Cube
‘‘ ‘‘
We need to figure out a way to get more members to the
meetings. Everyone complains, but so many never show up
to speak their minds where it matters. We as a company
were very upbeat, excited, and encouraged by this show
with regard to the content offerings, our dealers’ response,
and the attendance.
The industry needs to promote pool as the sport that it is,
growing the participation through amateur events and events
for the youth. Without the amateur base, pool as a sport will
not have a foundation of support.
– Chad Scarlow, vice president,
Diamond Billiard Products
‘‘
Overall we very much support the direction Rob
[Johnson] has taken the BCA. Ultimately time will tell
if he’s made a positive impact, but the fact that he’s
willing to shake things up a bit I believe is
very positive.
– Sue Doyle, marketing director,
Olhausen Billiard Manufacturing, Inc.
Cue Cube brought the staff together
to celebrate their twenty-fifth birthday as a
company.
Jim McDermott presents Kathy McFarland
and Eric Weber of CueStix International,
Inc. with a "Dealer of the Year" plaque.
As the show is very small, I think that the president of the
BCA should visit all the booths to hear the comments of the
people.
– Pierluigi Longoni, executive manager,
Longoni Cues
Hampton Ridge Billiards featured a new item balls that light up when they're contacted.
There was a changing of the guard on the BCA’s board of directors
when Ivan Lee stepped up to become the president for 2007-2008. His first
vice president is Mike Baggett of Cue & Case Sales, with Renee Poehlman
of the American Poolplayers Association as second vice president.
Brunswick Billiards’ Sean Cummings fills the treasurer position, and Eric
Weber of CueStix International, Inc. is the secretary.
“I feel a responsibility to the industry to move it forward in the best
way that I can,” affirmed Lee. “I’m happy that they had the confidence in
me to put me in the position, and I feel that we can get some good things
done in the next year.”
‘‘
6:20 PM
‘‘
9/5/07
‘‘
57-September-2007
Artistic pool champion Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman
drew huge crowds to the American Poolplayer
Association’s booth, while Semih Sayginer did the same
at the Gabriels booth. But Paul Gerni, another trick shot
artist, held court at the round table. Literally.
The round pool table is not a new concept, as the
two-man team of JM Billiard, whose motto is “We Cut
No Corners,” invented it in 1968 in Garden Grove, CA.
Thirty years of refinement later, they unleashed the table,
having applied World Pool-Billiard Association specs
when possible.
9/5/07
6:35 PM
‘‘
57-September-2007
Page 34
‘‘
In returning to Las Vegas and the familiar Sands Convention
Center, attendance rebounded strongly from the disappointing
2006 events. It was good to see so many of our customers that
skipped last year’s events stopping by the booth to take a close
look at our new product introductions.
– Graham Bowe, vice president of marketing and
product development, DMI Sports
The glass table by
Nottage Design attracted
a great deal of attention
on its own merit at this
year's show.
Spacially challenged?
Look into getting a
Fusion table by Aramith,
which is a dining table
with a pool table
underneath.
‘‘
‘‘
Another table causing a stir was manufactured by Nottage Design of Australia, who produced a version made of glass. The company,
two brothers named Justin and Craig Nottage,
came up with an appropriate slogan: “We
haven’t changed the game … just everything
else.” Though it looked like it belonged on a
space ship, it played nicely, the surface being
covered with a substance called Vitrik™ meant
to substitute for cloth. Both clear and frosted
versions were on display, but the real eye-catcher was the transparent model.
After the show, Johnson reported, “The
results of a study conducted for the Billiard
Congress of America by Ellison Research of
Phoenix, Arizona, indicate the show was an
overall success for exhibitors and buyers alike.
Expectations were exceeded at the 2007
International Home and Recreation Expo.
We’re looking forward to overseeing an equally
successful show next year in Charlotte.”
‘‘
Sponsored by Olhausen Billiard Manufacturing, Inc., Andy
"The Magic Man" Segal performs trick shots in their booth.
I think the attendance was about the same as last year, maybe a
little better … but I thought the traffic was very good the first day
and dropped off quite a bit after that. To me, the biggest
difference was that you had a slightly smaller show in terms of
booths and floor space this year, so the same amount of people
made it seem more crowded then in the past. I loved the size of
this year’s show—it felt more like the old days, more compact
and intimate.
‘‘
– Skip Nemecek, president,
Tweeten Fibre Co., Inc.
“I expect some great things to
happen under the direction of
Rob Johnson. I really like what
he has done in the short time he
has been here.”
– John Petti, general manager,
Atlas Billiard Supplies
Poison line designer John Minerich displays one of the
cues from Predator Products' new line.
For a more extensive album of photos from the 2007 BCA
trade show, please visit www.insidepoolmag.com.
57-September-2007
9/5/07
6:36 PM
Page 36
Cues
2007
IP’s annual pool cue issue
Adrenaline
Offering 31 new models of this line,
Hampton Ridge Billiards also provides a one-year warranty that is
upgradeable to “lifetime” on their
cues. Each cue is adjustable from 18
to 21 ounces and comes with a
Triangle tip. Prices range from $40 to
$125. Dealers, please call
800-845-0850 to order, or log onto
www.hrbilliards.com.
BilliardWarehouse.com’s new line of pool cues feature
exotic woods like birdseye maple, ebony, rosewood,
purpleheart, cocobolo, and palisander. Each cue features
genuine inlays, ring work, and hardrock maple shafts. The
BW Jump/Break cue features two shafts specifically for
breaking and jumping. Prices range from $79 to $199. To
order, please log onto www.billiardwarehouse.com, or call
888-809-7665.
under
$200
G51
New from Viking Cue Mfg., Inc. is the G-Series line of cues. The G51
features an ebony forearm and butt sleeve with ivory-colored inlays, linen
wrap, and their quick-release joint. Proudly made entirely in the USA
since 1965, Viking cues are meticulously crafted from the finest materials
and subject to strict quality-control standards. The wood for the butts and
shafts is aged a minimum of 1.5 to 2 years in their climate-controlled
environment to ensure straightness over the life of the cue. For ordering
information, please contact Viking Cue Mfg., Inc. at 800-397-0122, or
visit their website at www.vikingcue.com.
Sneaky Pete
Proudly made in the USA, this
new Sneaky Pete line from Tiger
Products® features fully spliced
exotic hardwoods with four
inlays and a wood ring at the
butt cap. They also offer a
Uni-Loc© radial joint, Tiger
“X”® laminated shaft, and
Saber-T® Stay-Clean ferrule.
These cues also come with
laser-engraved joint protectors.
Prices range from $439 to $499.
To order, please call
800-5-TIGER-5 for more
information, or visit their
website at
www.tigerproducts.com.
$500
Kaiser Decal Cues
J&J America’s new line of high-quality solid wood
handle cues feature fancy decals for competitive
pool players. Constructed of select hard-rock
figure maple or other high-quality exotic woods,
these cues offer a layered leather tip or Water
Buffalo tip and a fibre linen ferrule. The suggested
retail price is $120. Please call J&J America at
562-229-9688, or check www.jjcue.com
for more details.
The Fury NR-20 is a 58-inch cue
with a selected and treated white
maple shaft, Le Pro tip, stainless
steel Speed-Loc joint with joint
protectors, and a black butt plate.
Five rings of nickel silver with
checkerboard dashes of Russian
ebony and synthetic ivory adorn
both sides of the joint and the butt
sleeve, as well as the base of the
forearm. The cue has a black and
white pressed Irish linen wrap. The
forearm and butt cap are stained
maple with six points of synthetic
ivory and ebony with malachite
inlays. The suggested retail price is
$220. Please call 877-283-7444 to
order, or log onto
www.sterling-gaming.com.
Poison
Predator Products really worked
hard to make their new brand
stand out. The VX line is sporty
and uses golf-like grip materials,
while the Anthrax line is rugged
and fits players who like toughlooking designs. The Cyanide
line has been inspired by trendy,
sleek designs, and the Arsenic
line is more retro-inspired.
Poison also partnered with
Uni-Loc©, which designed two
new quick-release joints
exclusively for them. The
Predator shaft upgrade will be
available. Prices range from
$179 to $499. To order, please
visit www.poisonbilliards.com,
or call 888-314-4111.
Outlaw
The new Outlaw Cues exclusively
through CueStix International, Inc.
are unlike any other pool cue in
the world. They feature tattoo
designs inspired by the Old West
and are branded with a blowtorch,
and finished with a saddle leather
wrap. Dealer opportunities are
available. Cowboys welcome.
Please call 800-645-9803, or visit
www.cuestix.com.
$201
Splice Series
Traditionally hand-spliced with a touch of modern CNC technology, the new Falcon
Splice series offers exceptional craftsmanship. With the same great playability, these
full-splice cues use some of the world’s most exotic woods, such as ebony, tulipwood,
curly maple, snakewood, and cocobolo. Each cue comes with hand-pressed genuine Irish
linen wrap, an authentic radial pin joint system, a grade-A maple shaft, and all other
great Falcon features. For ordering information, please log onto www.falconcues.com.
2007pool cue issue
Sterling Gaming’s Sneaky Pete
pool cue will not likely fool
many people, but it could be
prized by collectors and connoisseurs. It looks just like
Sterling’s deluxe house cue
with four spliced points in
exotic deep purple violet
hardwood, but it is actually a
two-piece cue with a hidden
joint. It features an A-grade
maple shaft, 13-millimeter
fibre ferrule, and Le Pro tip.
The suggested retail price is
$119. To order, please call
877-283-7444, or log onto
www.sterling-gaming.com.
McDermott’s Dubliner has already proven to be one of
their top-selling pool cues. It features a retro white butt cap
and joint with the green McDermott logo hand-engraved
on the butt plate. The Dubliner has 12 green malachite
shamrock inlays that adorn the forearm and sleeve inside
of 12 ivory diamond-shaped inlays, and it is constructed of
the finest birdseye maple. This cue features a black and
green Irish linen wrap. The suggested retail price is $429.
To find an authorized McDermott dealer or for more
information, please visit www.mcdermottcue.com, or call
800-666-2283.
NR-20
BW Pool Cues
Sneaky Pete
Dubliner
57-September-2007
9/5/07
6:37 PM
Page 38
Cues
$201
$500
Barcue.com
World-class cue maker Samsara Cues now produces an affordable line of cues
handmade to the same exacting standards as their cues costing thousands of
dollars. Barcue.com cues are constructed using the highest-quality exotic
hardwoods. They are cored for balance, playability, and straightness and are
available with Uni-Loc® or radial joint pins. The suggested retail price for these
cues begins at $475. Dealer inquiries are welcome at 701-776-7240.
$501
$1000
Willie Hoppe Limited Edition
KF2
Longoni, the oldest pool cue maker in Europe, is proud to introduce the PS6 line
into the United States. These seven models were designed and handmade in Italy
and were developed for professional players, thanks to the collaboration with
champions such as Niels Fejien. This line is constructed of solid birdseye maple
featuring inlays in wood or mother-of-pearl, with a hornbeam core to improve
strength and weight distribution. The grips available are Irish linen, Italian original leather, or lacquered. These cues range in price from $400 to $1,600. Models
details and purchasing information are online at www.longonicues.com.
New company Kwikfire, founded by
WPBA pro Kelly Fisher, has produced an
affordable and unique line of cues that offer
the ability to be customized. Handmade in
America, each of these cues is numbered
and comes with a certificate of authenticity
signed by Ms. Fisher. This cue has a forearm of curly maple combined with four
cocobolo points with diamond inlays. It also
features a 29-inch Canadian hard maple
shaft with a 13-millimeter diameter and a
9-inch pro taper, standard Tiger Everest
layered tip and a linen based melamine
ferrule. The suggested retail price is $615.
For ordering information, please visit
www.kwikfireinc.com.
Mezz
Mezz cues are played with by some of the world’s top players,
such as Mika “Iceman” Immonen, Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan,
and Kunihiko Takahashi. The latest designs and technological
advances are combined in Mezz cues. Though they are 100%
made in Japan, they are available in the U.S. through CueStix
International, Inc., which carries their exclusive Mezz Z series, and
J&J America, which offers their Mezz CJ and JM series. For more
information, visit www.miki-mezz.com/USA/. To order, please
contact J&J America at 562-229-9688 or CueStix International at
800-645-9803.
$1000
SLC Series
At Schuler Cue, they are dedicated to using their talents and abilities to
create a cue exactly the way the customer wants it. They offer linenwrapped cues for pocket billiards, as well as wood-wrapped cues for billiards, with a starting retail price of $350. Schuler cues feature only the
highest-quality birdseye maple. For ordering information, please contact
Schuler Cue at 888-843-1283, or visit www.schulercue.com.
The Stinger™ Pro
Made in the USA, the Stinger™ Pro is the
result of a 12-year development effort. As
the only cue on the market using this
patented tip/ferrule technology, many top
players agree it is the most accurate
production jump/break cue in the world.
The Stinger technology transmits hit energy
directly to the center of the shaft, allowing
a flatter tip than typical break or jump cues.
The flatter profile means the Stinger tip has
a huge “sweet spot.” Miss-hit by quite a bit
and still get the precise result you intended.
The tip and ferrule are guaranteed for life.
To order, please log onto
www.StingerCues.com, call 614-975-8337,
or e-mail Stinger@JumpBreak.com.
Specialty
Bunjee® X-Pro
The Bunjee® X-Pro is a high-end, custom
jump/break cue targeting players ready to
advance their skills. Built in the USA by
Bunjee Cue Sports Group partner Steve
Lomax, this cue features a laminated-core
butt construction to
provide just the right balance and prevent
warping over years of heavy use. The
Bunjee X-Pro cues are priced starting at
$450. For more information, please call
Steve Lomax at 706-776-1252 or
706-499-0803, or visit
www.bunjeecuesports.com.
Scorpion
CueStix International is tickled pink
to announce the addition of its new
his and hers break cues and jumper
cues by Scorpion. Now you can
both show your true colors. Dealer
opportunities available. To order,
please call 800-645-9803, or visit
www.cuestix.com.
Combo Cue
J&J America’s new all-in-one combo cue is
a break cue, jump cue, and playing cue in
one. Based on the popular J&J jump/break
cue with phenolic tip, J&J has improved the
cue and added a professional playing shaft
with pro taper and laminated leather tip.
The suggested retail price is $150, but get it
now for $120. To order, please call J&J
America at 562-229-9688, or check
www.jjcue.com for details.
Air
Thanks to advanced front-end technology and the flexibility of three-piece
construction, Predator’s first-ever jump cue has the height to dazzle and the
accuracy to destroy. These cues are available in two- or three-piece models
and have a mini-radial Uni-Loc® joint and no wrap. Take a look at the Air’s
interactive demo at www.predatorcues.com/air. The suggested retail price is
$159. For ordering information, please visit www.predatorcues.com, or call
888-314-4111.
2007pool cue issue
In pocket billiards’ golden era, Willie
Hoppe dominated the world championships
so completely that Brunswick Billiards
created the legendary Willie Hoppe
Professional in his honor. Now Predator
Products has resurrected the Willie
Hoppe—with the same four-piece splice,
inlay combination, and special case—and
retrofitted it for today with the customer’s
choice of the 3142 or Z2 shaft. Only 500 will
be made, and when they’re gone, they’re
gone. The suggested retail price is $799,
including the case. For more
information, please visit
www.predatorcues.com, or call
888-314-4111.
PS6
$501
57-September-2007
9/5/07
6:38 PM
Page 40
Cues
Crown Cues
Jacoby Custom Cues Inc.
Jacoby Custom Cues Inc. specializes in
turning customers’ design ideas into
reality. The cue pictured is a no-wrap
cue made of ebony and burl. All of the
inlays are ivory, burl, and ebony, and the
inlays in the ring work are all ivory.
This cue has 195 inlays and comes with
two shafts. It lists for $2850. If you have
a design idea that you would like see
come to life, contact Jacoby Custom
Cues at 715-886-2900, please visit them
online at www.jacobycue.com, or
e-mail jacobycc@wctc.net.
Hightower Custom Cues
This Hightower custom cue was custom built for the late Lamar
Redd in 2005. It is an ebony cue with six fancy ivory points with
seven abalone inlays and six genuine rubies accented with white
gold in each point. It has shorter matching points in the butt
sleeve and is wrapped with a beautiful ringtail lizard skin. It has
Hightower’s trademark sterling silver accents, and the joint and
butt plate are both ivory. A cue similar to this would cost
approximately $5,500 to build. To order, please log onto
www.hightowercues.com.
A family business, Crown Cues was named to describe its unique
cue designs. All new Crown Cues have at least one crown and
include a certificate of authenticity. Prices start at $260. The cue
on the far left has a shedua collar on the shaft, a shedua collar on
the quilted maple forearm, a shedua handle with ebony rings on
each end, a quilted maple butt sleeve with a shedua crown butt
cap, at only $286. Crown Cues also builds break/jump cues and
massé cues for players who want to fine-tune their game. For a
quality cue with a unique design, please visit
www.crowncues.biz, or call 918-355-3766.
Custom
Prather Custom Cues
Prather Cues are all handmade by the artisans of Prather. Every
aspect of the design and construction is carefully executed with
sincere dedication. The result is a fine quality cue that you can
enjoy for years to come. These two cues have a four-high, fourlow, eight-point design. They feature burlwood points and five
matching deco-rings, as well as a burlwood handle on one cue
and purpleheart re-cut points with six matching deco-rings, and a
curly maple handle on the other. Both come with two each
Prather Pro Taper shafts with matching decorative rings and are
priced at $1,450. To contact Prather Cues, please call
800-364-6913, e-mail sales@prathercue.com, or visit their
website at www.prathercue.com.
CB Custom Cues
This cue was hand-built by Chris Byrne of CB Custom Cues. It is crafted
from gaboon ebony with amboyna burl points, which are accented with
ivory and sterling silver. The butt cap, joint, and ferrules are all beautifully
grained preban elephant ivory. There are over 160 individual inlays in this
cue. Chris has been handcrafting cues in Colorado since 1994, and the
playability and attention to detail are what Chris has built his solid
reputation on. CB Cues start at $425. Contact CB Cues today to discuss
your custom cue needs at 720-206-4034, or visit www.cbcues.com.
QP Custom Cues
Triple Cross Cues TXQ72
Mark Smith Custom Cues
This beautiful cue by Arkansas cue
maker Mark Smith features a cored
amboyna forearm, as well as over
200 inlays of ivory, abalone, and
ebony. It also has a monitor lizard
wrap, matching joint protectors, and
two Predator shafts. The suggested
retail price is $2,200. To discuss the
possibility of Mark building a cue
for you, give him a call at
479-970-0056.
Triple Cross Cues displays a favorite point design of crushed and graded gemstone
turquoise, only created every other year. These points grace a forearm of the richest gaboon ebony, a lengthy process well worth the extra effort. Excellent feedback, a hallmark of Triple Cross Cues, is delivered here through a textured leather
handle. Sterling silver crosses inlayed with turquoise and accent rings of silver and
crushed turquoise complete the total design concept. The high ring count TXQ
Pro-Mod shaft with an ivory ferrule and Moori tip delivers excellent playability. A
second weight-matched shaft is optional. To order, please call 850-562-0037, or
log onto www.triplecrosscues.com.
This cue, by S&S Cues, features a four-point ebony front
and butt with ivory inlays
and an ivory joint and butt
sleeve. Amboyna burl
composes the handle. This
cue was hand-sanded, staged,
and wet-sanded. There are
two shafts with ivory ferrules,
and any joint, pin, or full
splice with veneers are also
available. This cue retails for
$1,000. To build your
ultimate cue, please contact
Paul at S&S Cues at
806-778-1957.
Over
Shurtz Custom Cues
Bob Owen of Shurtz Custom Cues has combined old school with new school with this
eight-point, half-splice cue with black, blue,
and white veneers. This cue has been cored
the length with laminated maple and has a
leather wrap, ivory joint, ivory butt cap, 12
ivory inlays, 44 turquoise inlays, and 40
ebony inlays. The colored veneers are
repeated in the butt surrounding four large
ivory inlays. This cue retails for $2500.
Contact Bob at www.ShurtzCue.com, or call
him at 316-269-3844.
$1000
Exceed Custom Cues
Miki has been building cues in Japan since 1960. In 2003, in addition to his
well-known high-quality cue brand Mezz Cues, he created the Exceed custom cue, which was introduced at the 2006 International Cue Collector’s
Show in the USA. The cues pictured are four example of Miki’s work. He
uses the finest materials from around the world and creates innovative
designs with highest techniques. For ordering information, please visit
www.miki-mezz.com/EXCEED/, or e-mail mikico@xp.wind.jp.
M79A
Inspired by the legendary Jim McDermott, the M79A
reflects the passion of an unforgettable era in cue-making.
Made from the rarest, highly figured birdseye maple, the
M79A is hand-adorned with the finest brass and recon ebony
and ivory inlays. The cue features an embossed Italian
leather wrap, 6 floating points, 12 genuine McDermott
“clover” inlays, and a stainless steel quick-release joint.
Limited to 250 pieces, this cue also comes with Jim
McDermott’s signature and a Certificate of Authenticity. The
suggested retail price is $1,099. To find an authorized
McDermott dealer or for more information, please visit
www.mcdermottcue.com, or call 800-666-2283.
2007pool cue issue
Made by an American perfectionist, this quilted
bubinga cue has 340 hours in the scrimshaw work
alone. It is 59 1/2 inches long, weighs 19.4
ounces, and has a 3/8-10 stainless steel joint pin. It
features two super-low deflection old-growth
shafts. This cue retails at $7,500. To order, please
contact QP Cues at queperfect@queperfect.biz, or
visit their website at www.queperfect.biz.
S&S Cues
57-September-2007
9/5/07
6:38 PM
Page 42
Cues
over
$1000
Blak Series
KF4
Kelly Fisher’s Kwikfire produced this American-made cue, which features an ebony forearm with four points of cocobolo. Each point is outlined with three veneers of red, white, and blue and is also accented
with a Tiffany diamond inlay of holly wood. Eight further diamonds
are inlayed into the cocobolo butt sleeve. Repeating checked rings
made up from eight windows of red, white, and blue veneers are placed
in ebony and encased in brown phenolic. This hand-crafted cue features
a 29-inch Canadian hard maple shaft with a 13-millimeter diameter and
a 9-inch pro taper. The suggested retail price is $1,085. For more information, please visit www.kwikfireinc.com.
Predator Products’ Blak Series was designed for the world’s
most discriminating players. This line features advanced
Predator engineering—a ten-piece shaft and C4 technology
reinforced with phenolic to cut down on vibration. The cues
also offer a Uni-Loc® joint, a 3142 shaft, a leather wrap, and
an Everest tip. View the new C4 construction demo at
www.predatorcues.com/blak. Suggested retail prices range
from $974 to $1,374. To order, please visit
www.predatorcues.com, or call 888-314-4111.
Intimidator
McDermott’s Intimidator I-Shafts
are tour-quality, low-deflection,
radially consistent shaft systems
that deliver the power you want and
the control you need. The I-Shaft’s
new Isolator™ Vibration
Dampening Technology solidifies
the shaft core by effectively filling
all voids and air spaces, reducing
the vibration and thereby giving you
more stability and a better
performing shaft. The suggested
retail price is $249. For more
information or to find an authorized
dealer, please visit
www.mcdermottcue.com, or call
800-666-2283.
Shafts
2nd Generation
The fact that half of the professional players use Predator technology
makes a statement for the quality and performance of their products.
Both the 3142 and Z2 offer re-engineered front ends for even greater
accuracy than the first generation. If you want high performance
and the feel of a traditional or professional taper, try the 3142 shaft. If
you want to take the next step in performance, the Z2 shaft, with its
stronger taper, is for you. Suggested retail prices start at $239 for a
3142 and $264 for a Z2. Please log onto www.predatorcues.com to
see what joint will match your cue, or call 888-314-4111.
X Shaft
OB-1 Cue Shaft
Offering a vibration-dampening core, radial consistency, and low cue
ball deflection, the OB-1 cue shaft is new from OB Cues. The shafts
are constructed with interlocking segments that are laminated and
stress-relieved for strength and consistency and are warp-resistant.
The list price for these shafts starts at $220. To locate a dealer, please
visit www.obcues.com, or call 877-399-9901.
Tiger Products’ goal was to
make a shaft that always plays
the same. The Tiger X Shaft
was created for this reason
alone. Their special lamination
concept, along with the ferrule
construction, makes the shaft
more consistent, improving your
draw, massé, inside and outside
english, jump, and break shots.
The suggested retail price for
the Tiger X Shaft starts at $199.
For ordering information, please
call 800-5-TIGER-5, or visit
www.tigerproducts.com.
57-September-2007
9/5/07
6:39 PM
Page 44
T
The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) held its 19th Annual Junior
Nationals at Minnesota State University, Mankato, July 12-15. A whopping 136 eager competitors showed up for this 9-ball event, which was
held on 18 Brunswick 9-foot tables.
Winners of all four divisions won a trophy, a $1,000 scholarship,
and a spot in the WPA Junior World Championships, to be held later this
year in Germany. Runners-up received a $500 scholarship, and the boys
finishing second also received an invitation to the World Championships.
Executive Director of the BEF Laura Smith and BEF Director for
Program Development Dawn Hopkins were pleased to see participation
grow from about 90 players in 2006 to 136 players in 2007. They
worked diligently with tournament director Earl Munson and head referee Charles Jaynes to recruit young pool players to compete in this successful event.
Richard Barney of Montalto, PA, won the 19 & under boys’ division over Christopher Futrell by an 11-6 margin. Futrell, who won the
hot seat match against Barney, went undefeated to the final match.
Barney jumped out to a lead of 5-0 in the single-set finals race; Futrell
took a break and fought back to win the next 5 racks in a row to knot the
score at 5 apiece. After the match Futrell said, “After I was down five to
zero, a couple games went my way, and I got a few rolls and tied it up at
five-five. Then he [Barney] really took control of the match.”
Mary Rakin of Daly City, CA, lines up for her next break in the
girls’ 19 & under event. Rakin also won this event in 2004.
The finals of the boys’ 14 & under division was touch and go, but
Landon Shuffett triumphed in the end.
Barney commented, “I thought he was going to come back and
win the match after he tied it at five.” It was not to be for Futrell. He
didn’t pocket a ball on the break in the eleventh rack, and Barney ran
out to regain the lead, going on to win the match 11-6.
The seesaw finals battle of the 14 & under boys’ division took
place on the table right next to the older boys’ match. Landon Shuffett
and Joshua Newman had a very close, well-played match. The match
was tied at all scores up to 5 and was nearly tied by Newman at 7 apiece
when Shuffett scratched while attempting a 4-9 combination, but
Newman missed position on the 7 ball and had to try a cross-side bank.
He failed and left Shuffett a tricky three-ball out to get to the hill.
Shuffett carefully cut in the 7 and the 8 while on both shots having the
cue ball travel four cushions cross-table. He then sank the 9 to get to
the hill in the single-set final race to 9. In the next rack, while leading
8-6, Shuffett made the 3 ball on a carom off the 2 ball but then missed
a 2-9 combination shot for the match, leaving it for Newman.
On his break shot with the score 8-7, Shuffett showed some frustration when he scratched. Newman took ball in hand and ran to a 4-9
combination that he said “was laying pretty good. I was glad to know
I’d have another chance at the table when he [Shuffett] scratched on the
break.” Newman broke the balls in the hill-hill game and the crowd
gasped as the 9 ball headed toward the side pocket but was kicked down
table by the 3 ball, which dropped into the side pocket. The match-win-
ning 9 ball ended up near the corner pocket, but Newman
had no shot on the 1 ball, which was up table. He pushed
out to a difficult bank-combination, and Shuffett nearly
made it. After that, Newman had no shot other than a
safety, which he barely left unhidden. Shuffett made a
difficult shot on the 1 ball and then, taking his time, fired
in the table-length 2-9 combination for the victory.
Six-time Junior National competitor Nicole Jaynes
(14 years old) and Briana Miller (12 years old) met in the
girls’ 14 & under finals. Jaynes had very little go her way
and fell behind 8-0 in the race to 9. Showing some grit,
she broke the rack very hard and pocketed two balls on
the break. She received encouraging applause as she
pocketed the 9 a few innings later. Briana made a severe
back-cut on the 8 ball when her lead was 8-1. She calmly walked around the table and cleared all five balls out
of the corner pocket where she intended to pocket the 9
ball. There was indeed room and the 9 ball dropped in for
the title. Miller, who has been playing tournaments since
she was 8 years old, said, “This is the best [tournament]
win so far.”
Mary Rakin from Daly City, CA, had been in the
finals of the 19 & under girls’ division before—she had
won it in 2004. Her father and two brothers, who had
competed in the boys’ division, watched from the audience with anticipation. Rakin’s opponent Nicole Keeney
from Denver, CO, was playing in her first and last Junior
Nationals. The match saw a few lead exchanges, and
when Keeney was ahead 7-6, Rakin’s powerful stroke
traveled the cue ball three rails and almost scratched in
the corner. Instead she achieved perfect short-side shape
and pocketed the 9 ball to tie it at 7. In the next game,
Keeney over-cut the 8 ball and scratched then broke dry,
and Rakin ran out for a 9-7 victory. Rakin commented
after the match, “I was shaky, because this was the last
year I could play in this tournament.” She said that she
didn’t feel that nervous even when she won the event a
few years ago.
Players and spectators in attendance were treated to
a trick shot exhibition by Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman and
challenge games with red-hot professional Shane Van
Boening. Late Sunday, 12-year-old Jackson Jeffries challenged WPBA pro Dawn Hopkins to a race to 7. As
Hopkins was running out to make the score 6-3 in her
favor, Jackson said, “I’m going to let you get to the hill
then come back and beat you. They’ll be talking about
this for years!” Jackson won the next game and would’ve
been breaking with the score 6-4 when the set was suspended because of one of the final matches being called
on their table. It is unknown if Jeffries and Hopkins completed their match. Hopkins confessed that she knew
Jackson could play very well but had questions about
how he had become so good at trash talking.t
Montalto, PA‘s, Richard Barney bested Chris Futrell in the finals of the
boys’ 19 & under division.
The 12-year-old Briana Miller had already been playing pool for 4 years
before winning the girls’ 14 & under event.
For a more extensive album of photos from the BEF Junior
Nationals, please visit www.insidepoolmag.com.
RESULTS
19 & Under Boys’ Results
19 & Under Girls’ Results
14 & Under Boys’ Results
14 & Under Girls’ Results
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
(73 players):
Richard Barney
Christopher Futrell
Tyler Van Wulven
Daniel Rakin
(11 players):
Mary Rakin
Nicole Keeney
Allison Hardwick
Chelsea Hardwick
(45 players):
Landon Shuffett
Joshua Newman
Chad Behnke
Michael Perron, Jr.
(7 players):
Briana Miller
Nicole Jaynes
Amy LaCanne
Courtney Frank
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:04 PM
Page 46
What s New
01
Power Ball Soccer™
02
Carolina Custom Cue
BilliardWarehouse.com announced a new, limited-edition
Carolina Custom Cue. This cue is limited to ten only, and each
will be numbered for enhanced collectibility. It features a
birdseye maple forearm, amboyna burl points with veneers,
ebony windows, genuine ivory inlays, a leather wrap, a genuine
ivory joint, and a Predator 3142 shaft. Visit
BilliardWarehouse.com for details, or call 888-809-7665 for
pricing and availability.
03
Have you ever launched your soccer ball into
play only to get scored on with one
lightning-swift shot from your opponent before
your hand even reaches the handle? So have
we. The new Power Ball Soccer ™ table has
two commercial-grade spring-loaded steel
pinball shooters installed into the table
designed to end this injustice. Now launching
the ball into play is a strategic opportunity, not
a shorthanded disadvantage. Available in limited supply September 1 for DMI Sports. To
place an order, please call 800-423-3220.
What s New
Kwikfire
04
Aramith Fusion
When it comes to family home entertainment, the Fusion table has exactly what it
needs to create those unique memorable
moments to share with friends and family.
By integrating a quality pool table and a
game table into a dining table, the Fusion
concept is unique in the fact that it adds
multi-functionality to the dining room. For
more information, please log onto
www.fusiontables.com.
46 InsidePOOL Magazine - July/August 2007
Recently founded by WPBA pro Kelly Fisher, Kwikfire is pleased to
present an affordable, unique line of cues that are customizable. Inlay
materials, wraps, length, diameter, and weight can all be changed. The
cue line consists of three simple woods—cocobolo, ebony, and curly
maple—which make the Kwikfire signature rings stand out brilliantly.
Each cue is numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity
signed by Kelly Fisher. Kelly also personally inspects and hits with
each cue before it leaves the workshop. This American handmade line
retails from $295 up to $1,085 uncustomized. For more information,
visit www.kwikfireinc.com.
05
Cue Cube
To help celebrate 25 years of success,
Cue Cube’s new packaging includes a
gift for you. Receive a bonus piece of
Master Chalk when you purchase the Cue
Cube in the clamshell packaging.
Properly using the Cue Cube in
combination with Master Chalk will help
maintain your cue. Visit ww.cuecube.com
for more information
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:05 PM
Page 48
by Rick Davis
Although Tiger offers the highest level of product at some of the
most competitive price points in the industry, they do not waver from supporting players, the industry, or the country. “Tiger takes pride in everything being made here in the USA. Our factory is in Burbank, California,”
stated Harper. Tiger is also one of the biggest supporters of professional
players and regional events. The Tiger Pool Tour, Tiger Canadian
Women’s Pool Tour, and roughly 12 regional tours all owe their thanks to
Tiger products for years of support.
Looking to the future, Harper had this to say: “Tiger will continue to
develop the cue line, and several models are already on the computer
while new designs are in progress. We are even thinking about the possibility of a jump-break cue. We have serious research and development
planned all around. We want to really have something, not something that
has been done. We do not want to copy anything—we want truly original
ideas and products. Doing this, we are going to bring things the industry
has never seen before, and we know that these items will be truly original
and welcome by everyone.”t
C
Corey Harper, the sales and marketing manager and a past
sponsored player, summarizes Tiger’s arrival as a dominant
force. “Tiger was started in 1988 as a leather manufacturer
making top lift heels for the shoe repair industry. They continued that for about ten years and got very strong and wanted to find some new projects. With their specialty centered
around leather and lamination, they were approached by
someone that was interested in the new and hot cue tips at
the time that were being made with those two key points.
Tiger’s samples at that point were one of the first laminated
tips on the market. Tiger, however, was being restricted by
price, and when the customer decided he was not interested
in funding the project any longer, Tiger took it upon themselves to make a higher-quality tip. It was an overnight success. In fact, at their first trade show they sold out their
entire stock the first day.”
Currently, Tiger is one of the largest manufacturers of
laminated tips. Their Sniper line has become the most direct
competitor for the Moori tip, which was the first of its kind.
Many cue makers, both custom and production, now ship
standard with a Tiger tip, including Predator Cues, one of
the largest and most respected cue makers around today. In
addition to the Sniper line of tips, Tiger also makes a host of
other tips that are all precisely targeted for all possible uses
Indeed, the Tiger X Shafts are rapidly increasing their market share
as they move into their fifth year on the market. They’re offered with the
five most popular joint types, as well as partials and blanks, and come
standard with a Sniper tip. “We are continually doing research and development, and the shaft is now in its fourth generation. We keep trying to
improve it and get it directly into production, as opposed to the fanfare of
making announcements,” Harper said to explain why they only offer a
single shaft and why players continue to find it improved.
Now that Tiger has made the leap from tip to shaft, they have continued to the next step, which is a full cue. Harper said, “The line of cues
came from customers asking for them for years. We spent some time with
concepts and different materials then started with two initial models in
January of 2006. Feedback brought out new materials and ideas, and now
we have a full line of ten cues with number eleven on the way.” Of the ten
cues, four are sneaky petes, while the other six are each a limited-edition
run of one hundred pieces.
With a full offering of tips, shafts, and cues, it’s a wonder Tiger has
time for anything else but they offer a full line of accessories and branded products. Still leading the industry in leather, Tiger supplies much of
the leather for cue makers and offers instruction on how to apply the
wraps. Specialty tools for leather working and repair along, with a host of
cue care and maintenance products can be found within their product line.
Finally, to outfit the players’ needs, shaft smoothers, bridge heads, and
cue holders are also available. For those on the fashionable side of the
sport, shirts, hats and even a Tiger embroidered towel can be purchased.
a player may have. For example, a “Super Hard” Tiger is offered for
a jump and break use, while the “Tiger” and “Everest” lines offer four
styles to suit any player. Rounding out the bunch is the “Dynamite,”
which is their entry-level option at a low price but with the same lamination and top-quality layers of leather.
Tiger does not stop at tips, though. In fact, their line of shafts is
one of the leading brands offered today. Harper explained, “Our shafts
are targeted for the intermediate and advanced players because the
focus is on the feel. We want to improve the feedback that the players
get in their hands. That’s what the game is about—getting easy shots
means moving the cue ball and getting position. We believe our competitors focus on pocketing balls, which is nice for the novice, but
those that want to take the next step have to expand, and that’s where
the Tiger shafts come in.”
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:05 PM
Page 50
On Board With the BCA
W
by Rob Johnson, BCA Executive Director
Vegas Show Wins With
New Features and
Increased Attendance
With an increase in attendance over last year’s
event and a satisfied group of exhibitors that
experienced strong sales, the 24th edition of
the Billiard Congress of America (BCA)
International Home & Recreation Expo came
to a strong close. The event, held at the Sands
Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas,
June 21 -23, offered three days of traditional
Expo happenings, as well as a few new
attendee experiences.
This year’s theme, “It’s a whole new
game,’” rang true with our commitment to
provide added value to all attendees of the
Expo and with the overall success of the show.
The feature presentation by Clyde Fessler, former vice president of business development
for Harley-Davidson, the consumer research
review and the CEO roundtable discussion
provided informative dialogue that our membership has been seeking, while the
Commodores concert and golf tournament
provided added networking opportunities in a
new, fun environment. All the special events
exceeded our expectations with respect to
attendance.
Attendance for the three-day event rose
17% over last year’s show, with a total of
2,156 buyers, as compared to 1,843 last year
in Houston. The number of companies
exhibiting at the event equaled last year’s
number at 234. Total number of booths was
1,003, as compared to 1,272 last year in
Houston.
During the Expo, I was given the opportunity to visit with several exhibiting BCA
members. What I found on the show floor was
an attitude that was upbeat and positive, with
many exhibitors commenting about how successful the show was for them, including Paul
Darafeev, chief financial officer, of Chino,
CA-based Mikhail Darafeev, Inc.
“We enjoyed what I believe was our most
successful show in years,” said Darafeev. “In
fact, I’m not sure that I remember one as good
since our very first BCA show. We certainly
had lots of folks expressing their appreciation
to see us back, especially from fellow
exhibitors.”
Just prior to the start of the Expo, the
BCA conducted its general membership meeting in Las Vegas June 20. During the meeting,
the BCA announced the results of the 20072008 Board of Directors elections.
In follow-up elections, Ivan Lee (Iwan
Simonis) accepted a one-year term as BCA
board president, as did each of the remaining
seated officers: First Vice President Mike
Baggett (Cue & Case Sales), Second Vice
President Renee Poehlman (American
Poolplayers Association), Secretary Sean
Cummings (Brunswick Billiards), and
Treasurer Eric Weber (CueStix International).
The remaining directors include: Nick
Alexander (Clicks Billiards), George
Darafeev (Mikhail Darafeev, Inc.), Kathy
Etheridge (Showcase Billiards), Mark Griffin
(BCA Pool League), Barry Hart (Viking Cue
Mfg., Inc.), Jim McDermott (Magoo’s
Billiards),
John Petti (Atlas Billiard
Supplies), Bob Radford (Antique Billiard
Supply), Brian Rosselli (Olhausen Billiard
Manufacturing, Inc.), Anthony L. Stick (The
Billiard Factory), and Kathy Vegh (Danny
Vegh’s Billiards & Home).
“The BCA is poised to make some exciting changes in the next year, including
enhancing its current member benefits while
introducing a new consumer marketing program,” noted Lee. “I look forward to working
with the Board to continue to support the BCA
mission of enhancing the success of our members and promoting the game of billiards.”
Much like Lee, I am excited about the
changes on the horizon. The new BCA Board,
which boasts the best of the best in the industry, is a forward-thinking group and ready to
take the BCA to the next level. Stay tuned for
more exciting announcements about the future
of the BCA and be sure to visit the BCA Web
site at www.bca-pool.com often for the latest
and greatest updates.
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:05 PM
Page 52
NEWS
INDUSTRY
Billiard Education
Foundation Awards
2007 Scholarships
The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) is pleased
to announce the scholarship awards for the 2007 BEF
Academic Scholarship Program. Eight college-bound
students have been selected to receive scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 from the BEF through this
program.
The scholarships are awarded to applicants that
have met the criteria set by the BEF, with the final recipients being voted upon by the BEF Board of Trustees.
The primary objective of the BEF Academic Scholarship
Program is to grant scholarships to high school seniors
who have benefited from the sport of billiards and are
pursuing a college education.
BEF President Tom Riccobene commented, “The
BEF and BCA would like to wish all the applicants the
very best in their future endeavors. Choosing the winners was extremely tough because the quality of all of
the applications was so high. It’s the support of the
entire billiard community that makes this and other BEF
programs possible, and I’d like to thank all of the companies and individuals for their continued support of the
BEF.”
Congratulations to the following 2007 winners:
BEF “Excellence in Education” Scholarship
($5,000 awarded over a two-year term)
Andrea Gadon / Las Vegas, NV
Billiard Congress of America Scholarships
($1,000 award)
Danielle Bonner / Marietta, GA
Galen Danskin / Quaker Hill, CT
Allison Kelliher / Waukensha, WI
Karli MacDonald / Lighthouse Point, FL
Colin Marsh / Flint, TX
Tanner Pruess / Pierre, SD
Martin Vladimirov / Sofia, Bulgaria
For more information about the BEF please visit the Billiard
Education Foundation website at BilliardEducation.org. To
become a sponsor, or to make a donation or inquiry, please
contact Laura Smith at 303-926-1039.
APA Featured in
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated has highlighted
the positive impact the American
Poolplayers Association (APA) has
made on the sport of pool in a recent
article by Jon Wertheim. Wertheim
addresses pool’s “seedy reputation” but
also notes the success of the sport at the
recreational level—due in large part to the APA.
Here’s a small excerpt from that article:
Much of the credit for this growth is owed to the American
Poolplayers Association (APA), a Missouri-based outfit that claims a
quarter of a million players as members and sanctions weekly amateur
leagues in nine thousand different sites. If the group's official mission
is to organize and standardize recreational pool—serving as a governing body for amateur pool—the unofficial mission is to serve as a public relations vehicle for the sport. For one, there's a strict prohibition in
gambling. ("That's not the view we want others to have of us," says
APA President Renee Poehlman.) Women are welcome and comprise
nearly one-third of APA membership. And thanks to an in-house handicapping system, The Equalizer, ball-bangers (beginners) can play
alongside the most skilled practitioners. "We don't want to be considered the pool of yesteryear," says Poehlman.
For more information about the APA, visit the official APA
website at www.poolplayers.com.
Canadian
9-Ball Tour
Grows Again
The Canadian 9-Ball Tour has been a steady grower during its first
two years and has just announced that the growth continues into year
three as the 2007-2008 season will see the tour increase from six to eight
stops across Canada and the prize monies will leap up to $10,000 added
money for each event, a doubling of that amount from previous years.
Exciting things are happening in Canada as this tour has just
acquired major sponsorships from sources that are outside of the billiard
industry. While previous year sponsors such as Stan James Bookmakers,
Canada Bowling and Billiards, Aramith, and Simonis are still on board,
the sponsorship package for these events is expanding into the general
marketplace, a healthy sign for the future of cuesports in Canada.
Tour director Jim Wych offers, “The Canadian Nine-Ball Tour came
into being in order to provide Canadian players a proper vehicle to qualify for WPA international events, such as the World Pool Championships
and the World Cup of Pool. During our first two years we quickly have
gained the recognition of the player community, and now that recognition is spreading to the rest of the sports world. With developments that
are currently underway, this tour will become a grand vehicle for advertisers to reach their targets.”
I
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:06 PM
Page 54
NEWS
INDUSTRY
BCA Pool League Sponsors
Shane Van Boening
Just days before his break-through runner-up performance at the Enjoypool.com 9-Ball
Championship in Las Vegas, South Dakota’s Shane Van Boening accepted a sponsorship agreement from
the BCA Pool League (BCAPL). A week later, he won the World 10-Ball Championship.
According to BCAPL CEO Mark Griffin, “What a great start to our new partnership. We are flattered that Shane has chosen to represent the BCAPL. It’s a natural fit, since Shane and his family have
such a long history of participation and success in league play.”
Shane’s grandfather, Gary Bloomberg, was instrumental in starting Shane’s career and the pool
leagues in South Dakota. When Shane was a year and a half old, he watched Gary play and was mesmerized by the balls. That Christmas, Gary bought him a 2’ by 4’ mini pool table. At his first sight of
the table, Shane dropped his toys, grabbed a short cue, crunched his fingers around it to make a bridge,
and took a near perfect stance. Gary realized his potential, and Shane’s destiny was set in motion.
Jeanne Bloomberg is Gary’s wife and Shane’s grandmother. Her BCA league accomplishments
include a 1980 third-place finish singles, a 1989 second-place seniors national team championship, a
1990 national team championship, and a 1993 second-place finish in the seniors division and third in
national teams.
Timi Bloomberg is Shane’s mother. She is the 1988 BCA national singles champion, 1989 and 1990 BCA national team champion, 1993 runner-up in singles and third in national teams, 1994 second-place singles 9-ball, and 1996 second-place in singles.
Gari Jo Bloomberg is Shane’s aunt. She is a three-time BCA national team champion in 1989, 1990 and 1993. Gary and Jeanne
were inducted in the South Dakota Hall of Fame, followed by Gari Jo and Timi. Between 1977 and 2002, these women won 21 of
the 25 top honors in the state tournaments.
From 2003 to 2006, Shane continued to uphold the family tradition of excellence with a second in open singles, a Masters singles championship, and third-place finishes in both Master singles and Grand Master singles.
Only in his early 20s, he has progressed from young prodigy to league player to national singles champion to winning the World
10-Ball Championship. We welcome Shane to the BCAPL family and look forward to a long relationship with one of the game’s
fastest rising stars.
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:07 PM
Page 56
Places to Play
Places to Buy
Breaker's Billiards - Pittsburgh, PA
After taking over Breaker’s in September 2004, new owners Paul Mottey
and James White completely closed the room and began the expensive task of
changing the interior and the atmosphere. After many weeks of hard work, they
reopened the new Breaker’s, a classy room with great equipment.
Their next goal was to add a lounge. After over a year and a half of planning, drawings, and meetings with borough officials, approval was granted to
acquire a liquor license. More money had to be spent and more remodeling had
to be done. Finally, with the addition of the lounge this spring, they have completed their goal of establishing a truly upscale billiard room for all to enjoy.
Together with a full bar and food, Breaker’s has eight Diamond
Professional tables, six Brunswick Gold Crowns, and two Diamond bar tables.
Breaker’s is host to weekly handicapped 9-ball tournaments, as well as
leagues, to allow players of all skill levels to compete. Breaker’s has special
rates for seniors during the day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays ladies pay half
price. For the customers’ comfort, smoking is permitted in the lounge area only
and not in the main playing area. With two flat-screen HD TVs and daily drink
specials, the lounge is a great place to hang out with your friends.
Breaker’s also has a pro shop and expert cue repair. Since both Paul and Jim
are accomplished cue makers (Mottey Custom Cues), all repair work is professionally done.
If you’re looking for a place to have some fun playing pool, a few drinks,
or a maybe a little action in the Pittsburgh area, Breaker’s, located at 1413
Potomac Avenue in Dormont is the place to go.
EXTREME MAKEOVER, THE FORSTMANN WAY
Diamond Jim’s – Nanuet, NY
Diamond Jim’s is an upscale pool hall located just 20 miles northwest of
New York City in Nanuet, NY. Known throughout Rockland County as a premier billiard club, Diamond Jim’s opened its doors for business in January 2003
and has steadily gained notoriety across the entire Tri-State area. The principal
owners are Ken Kerner, Jeremiah DeLeo, Ian Bek-gran, and Ron Piontowski.
The outstanding presence of APA leagues is at the forefront of this thriving business. The Hudson Valley has over 40 APA divisions and 600 members.
Diamond Jim’s has over 50 APA teams playing on a weekly basis, including inhouse 8-ball and 9-ball divisions. Every year since their opening, Diamond
Jim’s has been represented in the Las Vegas national APA tournament by several qualified teams.
The assortment of players varies nightly from open class to beginners just
out to have a night of fun. Diamond Jim’s has turned out to be a great place for
a date, especially with the eclectic mix of music playing on the video jukebox,
complete with Internet downloading. Diamond Jim’s features a 54-foot horseshoe bar that serves many specialty draft and bottled beers along with a full
assortment of liquors and very creative, friendly bartenders. Having four
Diamond Smart tables in the pub area makes for a spirited experience, as well.
Diamond Jim’s caters to the aspiring pool player with 9 Gold Crown IV
tables and one Diamond Pro Cut table for the player looking for more of a challenge. A large selection of billiards supplies is readily available for sale from
almost all production billiards cues and case manufacturers. And if you have
deep pockets, our resident cue collector and dealer, Ken Kerner from
HighEndCues, will be more than willing to show you some of his expensive
and rare custom cues. Diamond Jim’s also performs most cue repairs on site.
Diamond Jim’s is the jewel of Rockland County. It’s a fun, friendly billiard hall for anyone looking to have an enjoyable experience playing pool,
video games, or just relaxing.
Forstmann’s billiard fabrics were surgically redesigned
for smoother rolls, low pilling and no-compromise playing
performance. Results are stunning. Viewer discretion is advised.
Spotlight on the new-look Speedball, the perfect value for commercial and home play.
•
•
•
•
•
21-ounce blend (75% wool, 25% nylon) re-engineered for fast play,
low pilling and longer durability
Available in cut beds
Large assortment of 38 shades
Enhanced customer service and product support
Limited-time special introductory price and completely revamped promotional
materials available free of charge—contact us for details
Choose Speedball, and cue up for success.
1 888 588-8777
www.forstmannbilliard.com/improved
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:08 PM
Page 58
PlayeroftheMonth
Jason Dorn
J
Jason Dorn is the APA’s Player of
the Month. Aside from being a great
pool player at a skill level 6, what
makes Jason so special is his ability
to communicate well and his willingness to help others. It's this talent that has earned him respect
amongst his fellow pool players.
Prior to the APA coming to San
Francisco, Jason had played in all of
the various pool leagues in San
Francisco. Two years later, the APA
is now the only league that Jason
plays in. Ted Basowski, league
operator in San Francisco, says,
“Jason understands the benefits of
v
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9
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playing in the APA. He seems to
enjoy the level of competition
that the league offers, while
keeping the game fun and social.
No other league truly offers that
to players.” Jason currently
serves as a division representative, as well as a member of the
board of governors. He has built
new teams in his visits to various
host locations and continues to
spread the word. Jason is passionate about playing pool and,
more specifically, playing in the
APA. He has become a great
advocate for the league.
*
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57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:08 PM
Page 60
RegionalRoundup
norTHEAST
C T. D E . M A . M D . M E . N H . N J . N Y. O H . PA . R I . V T.
WILKIE GETS A
BLAZE WIN
IMMONEN CAPTURES
MARYLAND 14.1 OPEN
BLAZE 9-BALL TOUR / WEST HEMPSTEAD, NJ
MARYLAND STATE 14.1 OPEN / ARNOLD, MD
by Rick Davis
The Maryland State 14.1 Open drew
in a power-packed 40-player field for
their June 9-10 event at Bill & Billies
Cuesport in Arnold, MD. Coming
through carnage unscathed, Mika
“Iceman” Immonen took home the title.
In addition, two qualifier spots were
awarded for the upcoming World Straight
Pool Championships.
Day one of the competition offered
round robin play in eight groups of five
players each. Highlights included Mike
Davis’s 125-113 defeat over WPBA pro
Jeanette Lee and Mathew Tetreault’s
125-30 drilling of Grady Mathews that
included a 68-ball run.
In the second day of the action, the
top two players from each group were
brought into a single-elimination chart to
conclude the event. Thorsten Hohmann
leaped to the semifinals after a 125-80
win over Danny Harriman, while
Immonen prepared to face him after ousting Marty Ciccia 125-50. The other semifinal pairing showcased Davis, after his
125-85 defeat of Steve Lipsky, and Ed
Hodan, who eliminated Tetreault. As
Hodan was the only player in the top four
not to already be qualified for the upcoming world event, he earned the first qualifying spot at this point.
In the final four Immonen shot past
Hohmann 150-84 with a 99-ball run,
while Davis did nearly the same against
Hodan, taking him 150-89 with a 91-ball
run. After two long days Immonen and
Davis entered the finals, each more than
capable of taking it all, but Immonen was
able to put together runs before Davis
was, which propelled him to the 150-59
win to earn the title of Maryland State
14.1 Champion.
Rounding out the event, Tetreault
defeated Ciccia in a single-race showdown to earn the second of two qualifying spots for the upcoming world championship event.
RESULTS
1st Mika Immonen 5th
2nd Mike Davis
3rd Thorsten Hohmann
Ed Hodan
Danny Harriman
Marty Ciccia
Steve Lipsky
Matthew Tetreault
Megan Minerich
Simone Hospedales
Mike Davis
DAVIS TAKES FIRST TIGER WIN, HOSPEDALES STUNS THE FIELD
Mika Immonen
TIGER POOL TOUR / LAUREL, MD
Danny Mulhollen
Shaun Wilkie, Rob Omen
MULHOLLEN AND MINERICH UPSET TIGER TOUR
TIGER POOL TOUR / HAGERSTOWN, MD
by Rick Davis
The seventh event of the Tiger Pool
Tour took place June 16-17 at Hagerstown
Billiards & Café in Hagerstown, MD,
where Danny Mulhollen and Megan
Minerich upset the favorites and made an
astounding comeback to take the titles.
In the open division a full 64-player
field started the event, and with Matt
Clatterbuck and Jerry Slivka, who have
numerous top finishes and wins between
them, there were certainly favorites in the
field. Mulhollen made a strong showing
early on as he sent Shaun Wilkie west 9-7
in the third round; however, he fell in the
next round to another tour regular, Billy
McCollim, who drilled him 9-4. In that
same round Slivka fell to yet another tour
regular, Kevin West, who managed to fight
his way to the hot seat match after pounding Slivka 9-3. Clatterbuck appeared the
favorite as he played in the hot seat match
against West, although the surprises did not
end as West defeated Clatterbuck 9-6 to
become king of the hill.
On the one-loss side it was anyone’s
guess early on, but as the matches progressed, more of the favorites took control
back from the masses. Slivka and
Mulhollen appeared at the same point on
the left chart, but Slivka was cut short there
as Eric Moore eliminated him double-hill.
Mulhollen avenged Slivka when he
knocked out three players, including
Moore, to reach the quarterfinals. In the
quarterfinals Mulhollen bested McCollim
7-4 then continued his reign against
Clatterbuck by drilling him 7-2. This set up
the finals between Mulhollen and West,
where again Mulhollen was on fire,
destroying West 11-4 to take his first tour
win.
In the ladies’ division the usual suspect
were all present, including My-Hanh Lac,
who has won four of the seven tour stops.
Lac looked golden again as she made her
way to the hot seat match and defeated
Colorado resident Minerich 7-4. On the
one-loss side, tour regular Ellen Yu was
building up steam, taking four matches to
reach the semifinals, including a big win
over yet another heavy hitter on tour,
Cheryl Squire. Minerich was eager for a
rematch and eliminated Yu 5-2 in short
order. With the finals a single race to 9, Lac
seemed to be all but unbeatable until the
score started to even out then tip towards
Minerich. Before long Minerich had a commanding lead and swooped in to take the
win 9-7 for her first win of the season.
OPEN RESULTS
LADIES’ RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Danny Mulhollen
Kevin West
Matt Clatterbuck
Billy McCollim
Alan Duty
Richard Barney
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Megan Minerich
My-Hanh Lac
Ellen Yu
Cheryl Squire
Sharon O’Hanlon
Nicole Vincent
by InsidePOOL Staff
Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie dominated the July 1 stop of the Blaze 9-Ball
Tour, hosted by Raxx Bar & Grill in West
Hempstead, NJ. A field 34 came out to
play, with players like Matt Krah, Oscar
Bonilla, Liz Ford, and Pete Tascarella Sr.
populating the field.
Leading the top half of the bracket
was Tascarella Sr., with wins over Jose
Burgos 7-5, Jeremy Sossie 7-4, Bonilla 71, and Jorge Rodriguez 7-1. Wilkie headed the bottom half, notching wins over
Tascarella Jr. 7-2, Robert Slayback 7-1,
Mike Fingers 7-6, and Rob Omen 7-4.
The hot seat match between
Tascarella Sr. and Wilkie was a one-way
match, with Wilkie winning the match
easily 7-1 and sending Tascarella. Sr to
the one-loss side, where he met
Rodriguez, whom he pushed past 7-4 to
reach the finals and a rematch with
Wilkie.
The first set went double-hill, with
Tascarella Sr. winning 7-6. But in the
second set it was all Wilkie, who easily
won the match 6-2 to earn his first Blaze
win.
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Shaun Wilkie
Pete Tascarella Sr.
Jorge Rodriguez
Rob Omen
Greg McAndrews
Al Lapena
7th Darren Defilippis
Beni Giacalone
by Andy Lincoln
Side Pockets in Laurel, MD, was the host for the eighth stop of the Tiger Pool Tour
the weekend of July 7-8. Most of the top players were present and ready to take their shot
at the $2,000-added money, but it was Northeast terror Mike Davis and newcomer Simone
Hospedales who took home the lion’s share.
Saturday action kicked off with 60 players in the open division event. Brandon Shuff
started the day off right with a victory over last event’s winner Danny Mulhollen III. Shuff
continued his impressive play with wins over pro player Davis 9-6 and tour regulars Brett
Stottlemyer 9-8 and Loye Bolyard 9-4. The bottom half of the bracket looked to be firmly
in the control of Shaun Wilkie, who gave up just 12 games in his first 4 matches. Joining
Shuff and Wilkie in the final four undefeated going into Sunday were Virginia’s finest, Matt
Clatterbuck and Larry Kressel. Eight players remained on the one-loss side.
On Sunday, Shuff gave himself a birthday present in the form of a hard-fought win
over Clatterbuck. Wilkie also had his hands full with Kressel but advanced with a 9-7 score.
Wilkie continued into the hot seat with a 9-5 win over Shuff.
The story in the elimination bracket was Davis sending one player after another home.
After sending four players to the sidelines Saturday, Davis continued his run by eliminating several other strong players. Brian Deska, Joe Russo, and Kressel fell before Davis met
up with Clatterbuck. Davis advanced 7-2, placing Clatterbuck into fourth place. Another 72 win by Davis ended Shuff’s day. This set up the single race-to-11 final between Davis
and Wilkie. Davis won this one 11-7 for his first win on tour this year.
A field of 15 ladies came out to play Sunday. Points leader My-Hanh Lac came out all
business, defeating her first two opponents 7-0. She followed this up with a 7-3 win over
Falon Farleigh to reach the hot seat match. Tour regular Malea Haacke also rolled with
wins over Cheryl Squire, Kim Smith, and Sharon O’Hanlon with little problem The match
between Lac and Haacke went to Lac 7-3.
Hospedales traveled all the way from Trinidad in the Caribbean on an extended pool-playing vacation. She suffered a second-round loss 7-6 to Farleigh but came back with three
wins in the elimination bracket. Another Hospedales win sent Sherry Pouncey home in
fourth place. A see-saw battle with Haacke was won 5-4 by Hospedales, putting her in the
single-set final with Lac. Hospedales quickly found herself down 3-1 to Lac in the race to
9, but she fought back, taking advantage of several of Lac’s mistakes to tie the score at 77. A couple games later, and Hospedales came away with a 9-7 score to win her first Tiger
Pool Tour event.
OPEN RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Mike Davis
Shaun Wilkie
Brandon Shuff
Matt Clatterbuck
Larry Kressel
Brett Stottlemyer
7th Joe Russo
Andy Moursund
9th Luther Farley
Tai Bui
Brian Deska
Loye Bolyard
LADIES’ RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Simone Hospedales 5th Falon Farleigh
My-Hanh Lac
Sharon O’Hanlon
Malea Haacke
7th Kim Smith
Sherry Pouncey
Jin Hee Park
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:09 PM
Page 62
norTHEAST
norTHEAST
HJORLEIFSON UNDEFEATED AT SUMMER 9-BALL EVENT
PARICA PULLS IN A WIN
SUMMER 9-BALL TOURNAMENT / PITTSBURGH, PA
BLAZE 9-BALL TOUR / BROOKLYN, NY
Breakers Billiards in Pittsburgh, PA, was host to the Summer
9-Ball Tournament that took place July 7-8 and offered up plenty of
action. Besting the 37-player field, Erik Hjorleifson came through the
double-elimination, race-to-7 format undefeated to take down the
title.
On the winners’ side Hjorleifson quickly took charge and found
his way to the hot seat match, while Stan Weister was hot on his heels
to meet him there. Hjorleifson, who is in top form from the Canadian
30K Tour, dealt with Weister and skipped towards the final match.
Over on the one-loss side Shane Hennen shocked the crowd by
eliminating Sparky Ferrell to reach the quarterfinals. Also heading
towards the top was John Morra, who knocked out Gil Hernandez
then ousted Hennen in the quarterfinals followed by Weister in the
semifinals. This set up the young gun, Morra, to face the tried and true
tour veteran, Hjorleifson, in the finals. With a single race to 10, the
event shot by in little more than an hour, and once the dust settled it
was Hjorleifson who emerged victorious and claimed the event.
A brutal field of 47
players entered the July
14-15 Blaze 9-Ball
Tour stop held at
Skyline Billiards in
Brooklyn, NY, though
it was Jose “Amang”
Parica who recovered
from a late loss to take
down the title.
Late action on the
winners’ side saw
Parica and Shin Park in
Jose Parica
the hot seat match, and
Park managed to slip by
with the 9-7 win. This sent Parica to the one-loss side where
he faced current U.S. bar box champion and fellow countryman Warren Kiamco for the second time, having sent him
west two rounds prior. History repeated itself in the semifinals as Parica drilled Kiamco 7-1. Back to the finals, Parica
got one more crack at Park in the true double-elimination
format. Park jumped out to a 6-1 lead, but Parica kept his
head in the game and took the set 9-8. With only one set left
to play, Parica kept in gear and came out again on top 7-4 in
the final set to claim the title.
by Rick Davis
by Rick Davis
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Erik Hjorleifson
John Morra
Stan Weister
Shane Hennen
Sparky Ferrell
Gil Hernandez
7th Sy Brown
Adam Smith
Erik Hjorliefson
TOSADO TAKES IT ALL
TRI-STATE TOUR / PARSIPPANY, NJ
by Rick Davis
The Tri-State Tour held its annual invitational event over the
July 8-9 weekend at Comet Billiards in Parsippany, NJ, where the
top players in each class faced off while the players for the year were
recognized. After nearly 100 hours of preparation by the Tri-State
staff and much support from sponsors such as Viking Cues and
Stealth Cues, the event took off and took over 30 hours for play to
complete.
There were seven divisions of play, all having 16 players except
one with 8 players, that played through to one top player. Each of
these players then faced off until an overall winner was determined.
In the A+/A class Wali Muhammad bested Michael Tosado 7-4
in the hot seat match. On the one-loss side Mark Bantovick ousted
Noel Bensurto in the quarterfinals. Tosado then eliminated
Bantovick 7-4 in the semifinals and then proceeded to drill
Muhammad 9-2 in the finals to claim the division.
In the B+ class Brian Cap bested Dan Chapman 7-2 in the hot
seat match to earn his spot in the finals. Meanwhile, on the one-loss
side, Ariel Rivera ousted Trevor Heal in the quarterfinals only to fall
7-3 to Chapman in the semifinals. Chapman had one more shot at
Cap but was again repealed as Cap took the match 7-3 to claim the
division.
In the B class Bill Meima squeaked by Bogie Uzdejczyk double-hill in the hot seat match, while Mike Wong was making a comeback on the one-loss side. Wong ousted several players to reach the
quarterfinals, where he eliminated Tom McCloud then followed that
up by knocking out Uzdejczyk double-hill in the semifinals. Earning
his way to the finals, Wong did not squander his chance and dominated Meima 9-3 to earn the division title.
In the C+ class Lenny Knapp defeated Greg Hecht 6-2 in the hot
seat match, while Jacob Schwartz ousted Jason Egeln in the quarter-
finals. Schwartz then took Hecht double-hill in the semifinals, and
though he got close in the finals, Knapp kept in control for the 8-6
win.
In the C class Ron Mason defeated Mike Harrington 6-3 in the
hot seat match. Then, on the one-loss side, Tim Malloy eliminated
James Dellarata 6-3 in the quarterfinals but was then knocked out
himself 6-2 by Harrington. Harrington went on for a rematch against
Mason but was denied again, this time double-hill, but with Mason
on top again and this time taking the division title.
In the D+ class Xenia Balleste slipped past Mike Poisler double-hill in the hot seat match, while Jim Ireland did the same against
Ray Marisette in the quarterfinals. Ireland went on to eliminate
Poisler 5-3 in the semifinals only to become another victim for
Balleste, who defeated Ireland 7-4 in the finals to earn the class title.
In the D class action was fast and furious. John Kang drilled
Ada Lio 5-1 in the hot seat match, while Maya DelVillar slipped past
Pete Gallo double-hill in the quarterfinals. Lio ousted DelVillar double-hill in the semifinals then was ousted herself as Kang took the
final match 5-2 to earn the division.
Next, the champions of the individual division faced off until an
overall winner was found. Brian Cap (B+) defeated Mike Wong (B)
7-3, Lenny Knapp (C+) bested Ron Mason (C) 6-5 and Xenia
Balleste (D+) won over John Kang (D) 5-4. The C and D division
winners faced off next, and Balleste bested Knapp 7-6. The winner
of the A and B division also met, with Michael Tosado defeating
Brian Cap 7-6. Finally, the winner of the all-A/B faced the winner of
all-C/D, and in the end it was Tosado who come out on top of
Balleste 10-6.
In addition to tournament action, the players of the year were
announced based on points earned through the season events. Also
announced were Most Improved Player and Sportsman of the Year.
Players Of The Year
Open:
Danny Barouty
A+/A:
1st Tony Liang
B+:
1st Carl Yusef Kahn
B:
1st Michael Wong
C+:
1st Greg Hecht
C:
1st Mike Harrington
CORR TAKES COMMAND
D+:
1st Jim Ireland
D:
1st Ed Savage
Ladies:
1st Gail Glazebrook
Most Improved Player:
Charles Bromley Jr.
Sportsman of the Year:
Mike Davie
NEW JERSEY STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS / SOUTH AMBOY, NJ
by Rick Davis
Karen
Corr
was crowned champ
of New Jersey after
dominating the field
at the championship
event held July 1415 at Prime Time My-Hahn Lac, Karen Corr, Adam Seltzer, Zinnie Panju
Billiards in South
Amboy, NJ. The event offered up plenty of top tier players among the 31entry field, although Corr hardly noticed as she streaked through the event
undefeated.
On the winners’ side Corr defeated My-Hanh Lac to reach the hot seat
match, while Zinnie Panju dropped the axe on Palma Kogan in the same
round. Corr kept control in the hot seat match and sent Panju west while she
waited for her final opponent.
On the one-loss side the remaining players were coming to a climax as
the field narrowed. Gerda Hofstetter knocked out Kogan, while Lac eliminated Liz Ford. Lac, now having recovered from her loss to Corr, was on a hot
streak as she eliminated Hofstatter in the quarterfinals then Panju in the semifinals. This brought about a rematch for Lac, who got one final crack at Corr
in the finals; however, the WPBA pro was on fire and set Lac ablaze to claim
the match and event.
RESULTS
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Jose Parica
Shin Park
Warren Kiamco
Ignacio Chavez
5th Dennis Orcollo
Bob Begey
7th Mhet Vergara
Al Lapena
9th Nico Otterman
Mike Davis
Marc Vidal
George San
1st Karen Corr
2nd My-Hanh Lac
3rd Zinnie Panju
Fast
Eddie’s
Sports Bar and Grill
1308 Parkway Drive
Goldsboro, NC 27530
The
4th Gerda Hofstatter
5th Palma Kogan
Liz Ford
$30,000
Guaranteed
*With Full Fields
Carolina’s Open
presents:
7th Joanne Corbett
Erica Testa
October
2nd - 7th, 2006
One Pocket Tournament
October 2nd - 4th
$6,000 Added*
9-Ball Tournament
October 4th - 7th
$10,000 Added*
Based on 32 players- $100 entry fee ($85 tourney fee, $15 green fee)- Limited to 64 players
Race to 3 – Double Elimination – finals Race to 5
Mandatory Player’s Meeting Monday, September 11th, 12:00pm
Based on 128 players- $100 entry fee ($85 tourney fee, $15 green fee)-Limited to 128 players
Race to 11- Double Elimination- finals Race to 15
Mandatory Player’s Meeting Wednesday, September 13th, 12:00pm
****Dress Code - Casual Dress - No Sweatsuits****
One Pocket Payouts*
9-Ball Payouts*
1.
2.
3.
4.
$2,500
$1,500
$1,000
$750
For More Information Call
Tournament Director Buxton Turner
(757) 376-1076 Before September 9th
(919) 759-0071 After September 9th
5/6. $500
7/8. $400
9-12 $200
1.
2.
3.
4.
For Sponsorship, call Bucky Braxton (252) 341-0525
For Sponsor’s Hotel, call Gene Hooker (252) 560-1396
Sponsoring Hotels : metion the tournament when booking for special rates.
Irish Inns
1104 Sunburst Drive
(919) 778-1400
$49.95 / night double occupancy
$5,000
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000
Holiday Inn Goldsboro
909 Spencer Ave
(919) 751-1999
$69 / night double occupancy
5/6. $750
7/8. $600
9-12 $500
13-16 $400
17-24 $300
25-32 $200
`Tournament Promoters:
Gene Hooker, Bucky Braxton,
Dave Kindrock, and Frank Owens
Comfort Suites
2613 N. Park Drive
(919) 759-0098
$89.95 / night double occupancy
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:33 PM
Page 64
norTHEAST
UPCOMINGTOURNAMENTSNORTHEAST
Date
Tournament
Venue
City, ST
Contact
$ Added
Eligibility
9/8
Blaze 10-Ball Tour
Edison Billiards
Edison, NJ
732-572-7665
$1,000
Open
9/9
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Castle Billiards
E. Rutherford, NJ
201-933-6007
$1,000
Open
9/16
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Empire Billiards
Mount Holly, NJ
609-267-2300
$1,000
Open
9/23
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Q-Ball Billiards
Vineland, NJ
609-691-8789
$1,000
Open
9/29
Blaze 10-Ball Tour
Edison Billiards
Edison, NJ
732-572-7665
$1,000
Open
9/30
10/7
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Raxx Pool Room, Bar & Grill
W. Hempstead, NY
516-538-9896
$1,500
Open
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Rockaway Billiards
Rockaway, NJ
973-625-5777
$1,000
Open
10/28
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Atlantic City Billiard Club
Egg Harbor, NJ
609-267-2300
$1,000
Open
10/31
Int’l Tournament of Champions
Mohegan Sun Casino
Uncasville, CT
888-226-7711
$25,000
Invitational
11/1
World Cup of Trick Shots
Mohegan Sun Casino
Uncasville, CT
888-226-7711
$50,000
Invitational
11/4
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Drexeline Billiards
Drexel Hill, PA
610-259-9144
$1,000
Open
11/11
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Comet Billiards
Parsippany, NJ
973-334-7429
$1,000
Open
11/18
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Skyline Billiards
Brooklyn, NY
718-627-3407
$1,000
Open
11/25
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Ivory Billiards
York, PA
717-843-1992
$1,500
Open
12/1
Blaze 10-Ball Tour Finale
Edison Billiards
Edison, NJ
732-572-7665
$5,000
Open
12/1-2
Tiger Pool Tour
Bill & Billies Cuesport
Arnold, MD
410-544-8185
$4,000
Open
12/2
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Leisure Time Billiards
Levittown, NY
516-796-4600
$1,000
Open
12/9
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Empire Billiards
Mount Holly, NJ
609-267-2300
$1,000
Open
Atlantic City Billiard Club
Egg Harbor, NJ
609-267-2300
$15,000
Open
12/15-16 Blaze 9-Ball Tour
CHECK OUT THE THREADS.
GIVE YOUR CUES SOMETHING
TO BRAG ABOUT WHILE
ON THE FELT.
Creative Inventions
9142-44 Jordan Ave
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Toll-free (800) 388-5132
www.porper.com
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:34 PM
Page 66
RegionalRoundup
SOUTHEAST
A L . F L . G A . K Y. M S . N C . S C . T N . VA . W V
SOUTHEAST
UNCHALLENGED WIN
FOR DAVIS
MANALO TAKES TWO
FLORIDA PRO TOUR / SPRING HILL, FL
JACOBY CUSTOM CUES CAROLINA
TOUR / RALEIGH, NC
by Rick Davis
The Seminole Florida Pro Tour swung into Capone’s in Spring Hill, FL, for their
fourth event of the season June 2-3. Fighting through the 78-player field and surviving a
late defeat, Marlon Manalo came out on top to claim the title, his second of the season.
Keeping alive on the winners’ side tour, Manalo’s countryman Al Lapena was on fire.
Starting by defeating recent EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championship winner Dennis Orcollo
7-4, Lapena drilled a series of opponents before falling hard to Tommy Kennedy. Kennedy
had taken a similar path, defeating Warren Kiamco 7-4 along the way, then besting Lapena
to reach the top eight. The other half of the chart had tour powerhouses Steve Moore and
Manalo tearing things up, destined to meet. Both Moore and Manalo had fairly easy runs
to the top with few top players to grind through. Once together, their match inched towards
double-hill until finally Moore came out on top.
On the one-loss side Orcollo offered an amazing comeback, taking nine matches to
reach the top eight and drilling most of his opposition. The remainder of the one-loss side
changed ownership nearly every round, and in the end it was Kiamco 8-6 over Donnie
Mills to take the final top eight seat.
In the hot seat match Moore met Kennedy and was upset 8-5 as Kennedy claimed the
king of the hill. The carnage erupted then as Manalo eliminated Orcollo 8-3, and Kiamco
drilled Lapena 8-1. Manalo continued to make short work of his opponents, knocking out
Kiamco 8-3 in the quarterfinals and Moore 8-2 in the semifinals. With a single extended
race to 9 waiting for Kennedy and Manalo, the score ground down to double-hill until the
final rack fell in favor of Manalo, giving him another Seminole Florida Tour title.
Marlon Manalo
Mike Davis and friends
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Marlon Manalo
Tommy Kennedy
Steve Moore
Warren Kiamco
5th Al Lapena
Dennis Orcollo
7th Tony Ruberto
Donnie Mills
VIKING TOUR VISITS NORTH CAROLINA
VIKING CUE 9-BALL TOUR / RALEIGH, NC
by Rick Davis
The Viking 9-Ball Tour visited Babineau’s Billiards in
Raleigh, NC, where 77 players threw their hat in the ring across
three divisions offering four events over the June 9-10 weekend.
In the open division tour regular and multi-time winner Leil
Gay swept up taking the event undefeated. Gay met with another
previous winner, Eddie Little, in the hot seat match but drilled
him 7-1. On the one-loss side Mike Fuller shut out Peaches Fuller
7-0 in the quarterfinals then proceeded to eliminate Little 7-1 in
the semifinals. Fuller started hot in the finals against Gay; however, at 5-3 Fuller missed a 7 ball that turned the tables and
allowed Gay just the foothold he needed to comeback and take
the match 7-5.
In the ladies’ division Melissa Goss followed suit of the open
division and took the title undefeated as well. Goss faced Dawn
Fox in the hot seat match and defeated her 5-3. Then, on the oneloss side, Stephanie Mitchell, a terror on several Southern tours,
squeaked through the quarterfinals double-hill against Buffy Jolle
then came through with the same score in the semifinals against
Fox. Mitchell kept pace initially in the finals against Goss by taking the opening set 5-2; however, that made Goss turn up the
heat, which she did by thrashing Mitchell 5-1 in the second set to
claim the title.
In the juniors’ divisions many repeat players claimed additional wins, which meant that the qualifying spots would filter
down. In the 19-and-under division Adam Davis took the title,
but since he was already qualified the spot passed to Trey Sprye.
In the 14-and-under division Corbin Coe came out on top but was
also already qualified, and the spot went to Patrick Leonard. Coe
and Davis each took away a Viking Cue valued at $400. Finally,
the highest-finishing girl, Tiffany Gosse, claimed the final qualifying spot for the week.
Leil Gay
OPEN RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Leil Gay
Mike Fuller
Eddie Little
Peaches Fuller
Anthony Arney
Steve Lee
7th Mike Triplett
Dave Brown
JUNIOR UNDER 19
RESULTS
1st Adam Davis
2nd Trey Sprye
LADIES’ RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Melissa Goss
Stephanie Mitchell
Dawn Fox
Buffy Jolle
Leslie Boulware
Tiffany Finnan
JUNIOR UNDER 14
RESULTS
1st Corbin Coe
2nd Patrick Leonard
by Rock City Promotions
A record field turned out for the June 23
stop of the Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina
Tour, which was hosted by Babineau’s
Billiards in Raleigh, NC. Northeast giant
Mike Davis showed up and shook off all
competition to win the title.
Two of the strongest players in the room,
BJ Ussery and Davis, were paired in the first
round and provided quite a show for the
spectators in attendance. Recently sidelined
because of health problems, Ussery had not
played in over two months. Although Ussery
jumped out to a 4-1 lead, Davis capitalized
on a failed safe with ball in hand. The match
went hill-hill, with Davis taking it 7-6.
After squeaking by Ussery, Davis made
his way to the hot seat by defeating Peaches
Fuller 7-3, T.J. Moore 7-4, and Sidney
Champion 7-3.
Fuller took a much longer route to the
championship match. Before losing to Davis
on the winners’ side, Fuller posted victories
over Ben Manning 7-3 and David Fulcher 70. Fuller earned a rematch with Davis after
mowing down Steve Dye 7-3, Paul Mullins
7-1, Buddy Fisher 7-5, Bernie Kirby 7-3, and
Sidney Champion 7-5.
The championship match played out in
similar fashion to the first meeting between
Davis and Fuller. Winning the lag, Fuller
came up dry on the first break. Davis ran out,
including a jump shot to pocket the 3 ball. A
break and run, plus a 9 ball on the break, gave
Davis a 3-0 lead. After winning a couple of
safety battles, Davis held a 6-2 lead. He won
the next three in a row in style to win the
match 9-3.
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Mike Davis
Peaches Fuller
Sidney Champion
Bernie Kirby
T.J. Moore
Buddy Fisher
MILLS HEROIC AT HAMMER HEADS
J. PECHAUER SOUTHEAST OPEN 9-BALL TOUR / HOLIDAY, FL
by InsidePOOL staff
Donny Mills turned all heads the
weekend of June 23-24 when he wrested
the top-place finish from Reno Open
champion Richie Orem. The J. Pechauer
Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour was hosted
by Hammer Heads Billiards in Holiday,
FL, and saw 38 players come out to the
Sunshine State.
Fighting through the one-loss side,
Orem was faced with Tony “The Sniper”
Crosby in the quarterfinals. He was able
to face him down and advanced with a
narrow 9-7 win. In the hot seat match,
Mills met Jason Richko, skating by 9-6 to
earn a break. Richko was no match for
Orem in the semifinals, ending up going
home with third place after a 9-5 defeat.
In the true double-elimination format, Orem was faced with the task of
besting Mills twice in the finals. The first
match went smoothly for “The Alaskan
Assassin,” as he rolled over Mills 9-5. But
the second set saw something unexpected
come up: Mills was trailing in the match
8-3, while Orem was comfortably on the
hill. Mills won the rack to make it 8-4 and
then broke and ran the next five racks for
an amazing victory.
RESULTS
Donny Mills
Richie Orem
Jason Richko
Tony Crosby
Dave Ross
Prescott Buckwold
7th Butch Croft
Bobby Livrago
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
GEORGIA GOOD FOR NEVEL AND TUSH
J. PECHAUER SOUTHEAST OPEN 9-BALL TOUR / HOLIDAY, FL
Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour winners
by Rick Davis
The wildly popular Viking Cue 9Ball Tour swung into Brass Rail Billiards
in Athens, GA, where over 100 competitors fought through the June 30-July 1
action. In the open division Larry Nevel
kept control, while Sam Tush was on fire
on the amateur board, and both players
took their divisions undefeated.
In the open division the tour offered
many of its all stars, but none pulled
Nevel away from his goal. Early action
saw young gun Landon Shuffett hand out
a stunning 7-2 defeat to Hall of Famer
Earl “The Pearl” Strickland before taking
a loss to Southern terror Steve Moore 7-5.
Moore found his way through the winners’ side to face Nevel in the hot seat
match where former Viking national
champion Nevel dispensed with Moore 74. Over on the one-loss side Shuffett met
Bruce Berrong in the quarterfinals to end
his run as Berrong swept past Shuffett 73. Berrong was yet another victim of
Moore’s early on, although after taking
five one-loss-side matches Berrong had
an opportunity for revenge as he faced
Moore in the semifinals. Berrong ousted
Moore 7-2 to make a final stand in the
finals. Nevel had a solid event going that
was too strong for Berrong to overcome,
and at 7-5 the final match ended with
Nevel racking up yet another Viking Tour
title.
In the amateur division Sam Tush
clashed with Dustin Byrd in the hot seat
match and just managed to slip past after
the double-hill showdown. On the oneloss side it was becoming the Eddie Little
show as he made a stunning comeback. In
the quarterfinals Little scorched Lewis
McDaniels 5-1 then shut out Byrd in the
semifinals. Tush waited in the finals as
Little approached with a freight train of
momentum, although 3-all was the closest
Little got in the race to 5. Tush soon took
over and claimed the match 5-3 to earn
the top honors and event title.
OPEN RESULTS
1st Larry Nevel
2nd Bruce Berrong
3rd Steve Moore
4th Landon Shuffett
5th T.F. Whittington
Angelo Innessa
AMATEUR RESULTS
1st Sam Tush
2nd Eddie Little
3rd Dustin Byrd
4th Lewis McDaniel
5th David Shadden
Travis Dorn
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:34 PM
Page 68
SOUTHEAST
WHITE-WASHING THE FIELD
J. PECHAUER SOUTHEAST OPEN 9-BALL TOUR / ALBEMARLE, NC
by InsidePOOL Staff
The J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour hit 52 North Sports Bar
& Billiards June 30, where Brian White shouted the victory claim of this
event.
Through a small scale of well-seasoned players, White quickly
scrambled to the top. He completely whitewashed Gene Cooper in the
quarterfinals, sending him home with fourth place 9-0. Advancing to the
semifinals, he found Ron Park waiting for him. Park had earlier been
defeated by Scott Lewis in a hill-hill nail-biter.
White was able to handle Park 9-4, going on to the true double-elimination finals against Lewis. Astonishingly, White won both matches by
the score of 9-0 to win the title.
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Brian White
Scott Lewis
Ron Park
Gene Cooper
Brian White
KNOLL EARNS FIRE CRACKER VICTORY
THE HATCHET FALLS
MCDERMOTT ALL-AMERICAN TOUR / PORT CHARLOTTE, FL
TIGER POOL TOUR / STERLING, VA
The Fire Cracker 8-Ball
Tournament, hosted by Q's
Sports Bar and Girl in Port
Charlotte, FL, July 1, brought
a seasoned group of 18
exceptional pool players
together. Matches pitting
master-division men, opendivision men, and open-division women together for the
Steve Knoll
$840 in prize monies showcased one of the area’s toughest recent competitions.
Master men played to six games, while open men played to 4, and
women played to 3. This leveled the playing field so that all the prize money
was up for grabs for every competitor. The double-elimination tournament
quarterfinals saw master player Paul Bramwell defeat Larry Fife, sending
him to the one-loss side. Ken Coulter also sent Shawn Collie to the west side
in a closely fought match. Master players Steve Knoll and Glen Olsen struggled through a difficult match that saw Olsen head to the dark side, while
Shaun Jones bested Chris Machuga to advance.
On the one-loss side the top-finishing woman, Kelli Knoll, finished in
a seventh-place tie after suffering a frustrating 4-1 defeat at the hands of
Shawn Collie. Travis Laswell won over Trey Jankowski to advance to the
money.
The winner’s side semifinals saw Coulter drop to the left side at the
hands of Bramwell in a 6-2 defeat, while Knoll crushed Jones in a 6-0 whitewashing. On the one-loss side Collie eliminated Jones into fifth place, and
Coulter defeated Laswell to place him in the other fifth-place spot.
The winner’s side finals matched two master players with Knoll playing consistent run-out pool to defeat Bramwell 6-1. Coulter met his demise
in the west side, as Collie got his revenge in a 4-2. Collie then proceeded to
eliminate Bramwell 4-2, which placed Bramwell in the third-place position.
The tourney finals pitted open player Collie against undefeated master
player Knoll. Collie had to defeat Knoll twice for first place in the doubleelimination format. The first set reflected Collie's stamina and determination
as he defeated Knoll 4-4. The second match demonstrated the seasoned master player’s tenacity and skill, as he overwhelmed Collie 6-0 for the title
by Rick Davis
by InsidePOOL Staff
A stacked field of
61 players came out
for the Tiger Pool
Tour, which held its
ninth event at First
Break Café in Sterling,
VA, over the July 2122 weekend. Top
Dennis Hatch
national players, previous event winners, and other dangerous entities swarmed the
event, but Dennis “The Hatchet Man” Hatch recovered from
a loss to best the field.
Action on the winners’ side included a who’s who of
tour players. Hatch made his way through three rounds
before falling to Chuck Altomare 9-5, who was sent west as
well by Matt Clatterbuck in the next round. Clatterbuck,
who has taken three top-three finishes including a win, was
now in the hot seat match. On the other end of the board
Mike Davis fell just short and was defeated by tournament
director Andy Lincoln 9-5, but Lincoln was denied also as
Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie, who has also taken three topthree finishes, slipped by 9-7 to take his seat in the hot seat
match. Wilkie and Clatterbuck inched along, but in the end
it was Clatterbuck who had the endurance for the 9-6 win.
On the one-loss side the cream was certainly rising to
the top. Hatch took a trio of wins, including a 7-1 slap
against Lincoln, to reach the quarterfinals. Nearby, Ryan
McCreesh was on a comeback, taking six left-side wins,
including the elimination of Davis 7-4, but was then upset
just shy of the quarterfinals by Chuck Altomare 7-3.
The handful of remaining matches blazed through as
Hatch eliminated Altomare 7-5 in the quarterfinals, then
Wilkie 7-3 in the semifinals, to reclaim his seat at the finals.
Hatch and Clatterbuck put on a good show from the amassing crowd, but the top pro, Hatch, was too much for the top
tour player and defeated him to claim the title.
RESULTS
RESULTS
1st Steve Knoll
2nd Shawn Collie
3rd Paul Bramwell
4th Ken Coulter
5th Shaun Jones
Travis Laswell
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Dennis Hatch
Matt Clatterbuck
Shaun Wilkie
Chuck Altomare
5th Ryan McCreesh
Andy Lincoln
7th Jeremy Sossei
Bob Begey
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:35 PM
Page 70
SOUTHEAST
FISHER WINS FIRST TITLE
FOR THE YEAR
by Inside POOL Staff
With a 7-4 slam dunk over Ga-Young Kim, Allison Fisher
won her first WPBA title for 2007 July 1. Hosted by the
Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL, the Cuetec Cues
Florida Classic was the fifth event of an odd season that has seen
no repeat winners so far.
Recent EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championship winner Karen
Corr was upset in the third round by Kim Shaw 9-6. She
regrouped in the next round to best Melissa Morris 9-2 and
advance to the final 16, but there she fell 9-7 to Gerda “The GForce” Hofstatter, ending up in a ninth-place tie.
L.A.’s Melissa Herndon earned her second WPBA television appearance to face the hungry Fisher in the first semifinal
match. She kept up with the WPBA’s number-one player until
the score reached 4 apiece. Fisher came up empty on the following break, but Herndon had no out and ended up leaving her
opponent a chance, which she took to gain the lead. Another dry
break, this time by Herndon, put Fisher on the hill. “The
Duchess of Doom” sank two balls on her final break and ran out
cleanly for the 7-4 win to reach the finals.
The first half of the second semifinal match was a drag-out
fight between Ga-Young Kim and Xiaoting Pan. A couple of
errors by Kim gave Pan an early lead, but soon Kim was back in
the mix and in the lead 4-3. Several unforced errors by Pan clearly put Kim ahead, and an overcut 1 ball by Pan sealed the outcome, with Kim winning the match 7-4.
With the alternate-break format and the short race still in
effect, Fisher had the immediate advantage in the finals when
Kim committed a couple of key errors and quickly reached a
daunting 4-0 lead. Kim was able to pocket the next three racks
thanks to a run-out, a dry break by Fisher, and then a failed safety attempt on the 2 ball by Fisher. Unfazed, Fisher broke and ran
out the next rack and then reached the hill after a missed safety
by Kim. A miscue put a dent in Fisher’s plans in the final rack,
but though Kim cleared the table to the 6, she scratched when
the cue ball kissed off the 7. With only two balls left on the table,
Fisher was easily able to dish up for the win.
Allison Fisher
RESULTS
1st Allison Fisher
2nd Ga-Young Kim
3rd Melissa Herndon
Xiaoting Pan
5th Gerda Hofstatter
Helena Thornfeldt
Monica Webb
Kelly Fisher
9th Kim Shaw
Dawn Hopkins
Lisa D’Atri
Megan Minerich
Cathy Metzinger
Sarah Ellerby
Karen Corr
Jennifer Chen
Ga-Young Kim
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:36 PM
Page 72
SOUTHEAST
LYKINS LOCKS DOWN STROKER’S
KBP LUCASI AMATEUR 9-BALL TOUR / PALM HARBOR, FL
by Rick Davis
Brett Lykins came back to take first place over Jim Sandaler at the July 7-8
stop of the KBP Lucasi Amateur 9-Ball Tour. Hosted by Stroker’s Billiards in
Palm Harbor, FL, this stop saw a talented field vying for the top spot.
Late action on the winners’ side saw Jim Sandaler destroy Bob Eaton 9-1,
while Lykins saw the axe fall on him as tour regular Jason Richko slipped past
double-hill. That set up the hot seat match between Sandaler and Richko, where
another double-hill showdown unfolded, although this time Richko was at the
other end as Sandaler defeated him to move towards the finals while Richko went
west.
On the one-loss side players tried to make a final surge to the finish line. Josh
Lewis eliminated Jake Cox, while Luther Blades ousted Paul Smith, known as
“Little Louie” on tour. Both Lewis and Blades were stopped in the next round as
Eaton knocked out Lewis and Lykins eliminated Blades, both matches going 7-5.
Yet another nail-biter was offered in the quarterfinals as the score crept to
double-hill again, although this time Eaton scratched on the 8, giving the match
to Lykins, who escaped to the semifinals. Lykins quickly caught a gear, drilling
Richko 7-1 in the semifinals and getting revenge from his earlier loss. He then
moved to the waiting Sandaler in the finals. With a single race to 11, the finals
steadily gained speed until Lykins assumed the lead and bolted to an 11-8 finish
to secure a great comeback and claim top honors.
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Brett Lykins
Jim Sandaler
Jason Richko
Bob Eaton
5th Josh Lewis
Luther Blades
7th Paul Smith
Jake Cox
WEBB WINS ON SPIRIT TOUR
LADIES SPIRIT TOUR / STUART, FL
by Rick Davis
The July 14-15 weekend
brought the Ladies Spirit Tour to
Amy’s Billiards in Stuart, FL, where
the 38-player field was drilled by
WPBA pro Monica Webb as she
claimed her first tour win of the season.
On the winners’ side Webb,
ranked fourth on the WPBA, blazed
Monica Webb
a trail through the chart after her
first-round bye. Webb took four
matches to reach the hot seat match, not giving up more than three racks in
any of them. In the hot seat match Webb continued her streak and destroyed
Jeanne Seaver, winner of the season’s first stop, 7-3.
Over on the west side Debbie Schjodt, who has also claimed an event
this tour season, drilled Druanne Battista 7-1, while WPBA pro Helena
Thornfeldt did the same to Simone Hospedales by the same margin. In the
quarterfinals Thornfeldt edged out Schjodt 7-4 then turned the screws against
Seaver for another 7-1 smackdown.
Thornfeldt made her way to finals, earning it through a host of great
matches, although Webb would not let up with the title in her sights, and in
no time Webb was on top again for the last time in the event, taking the title
from the 7-4 win in the finals.
Monica Webb
Helena Thornfeldt
Jeanne Seaver
Debbie Schjodt
5th Helene Caukin
Emily Wilmoth
7th Simone Hospedales
Druanne Battista
SOUTHEAST
MOORE CONDUCTS AT
THE CHOO-CHOO CLASSIC
DAULTON TOPS IN TENNESSEE
GREAT SOUTHERN BILLIARD TOUR / CHATTANOOGA, TN
The Great Southern Billiard Tour pulled into Breakers in Knoxville,
TN, July 21-22, where a 45-player field emerged to seek the title.
Although many top players were in attendance it was tournament director Shannon Daulton who came out on top besting the field.
On the winners’ side Daulton was in control of the lower half of the
chart as he defeated two of the strongest tour regulars, John Pinegar and
Eddie Little, to reach the hot seat match. Not far behind was Steve
Moore, winner of the previous tour stop, who plowed through Todd
Nelson but was upset by Claude Marrier who bested him 9-4. The hot
seat match was then Marrier and Daulton and Daulton wasted no time
drilling Marrier 9-1.
Then it was all eyes on the one-loss side. Earlier action there saw
Robert Green fight back after his loss early in the day until Little showed
him the door while the same story unfolded for Dallas Roach who
shutout Larry Nevel just before falling to Moore 7-3. Moore was on a
mission from there on and pounded Little 7-2 then got revenge against
Marrier 7-3 to face Daulton in the finals.
With true double-elimination the road was tough for Moore but after
he took the opening set 9-7 it was anyone’s game. In the final set each
player tried to get a lead but it was Daulton who took it first and extended it for the 9-5 win to defeat Moore and claim top honors for himself.
Steve Moore
by Rick Davis
Steve Moore, Southern player extraordinaire, was
the conductor at the Choo-Choo Classic V the weekend
of July 14-15, where he went undefeated. Taking place
at Diamond Billiard Club in Chattanooga, TN, the Great
Southern Billiard Tour drew in a 41-player field for their
double-elimination event, but when Moore was not
minding the train he was driving the bus as he took
everyone to school.
On the winners’ side Moore started the second day
of play by defeating Cliff Joyner 9-6 then sent Dave
Crockett west after their 9-4 meeting. In the lower half
of the chart, Louis Ulrich defeated John “Hennessee”
Pinegar 9-5 then tournament director Shannon Daulton
9-7 to meet Moore in the hot seat match. Moore was in
top gear, while Ulrich could barely get off the line, and
before long Moore had taken the last match needed to
see the finals, defeating Ulrich 9-3.
Over on the one-loss side it was anyone’s game for
most of the day. Multi-time Viking Tour winner Eddie
Little might have been an early favorite if it was not for
Pinegar eliminating him 7-4 in his first one-loss-side
match. Pinegar went on to eliminate Russ Edwards double-hill and Dave Crockett 7-2 to reach the quarterfinals.
Another great Southern player, Bill Bailey, started Day
Two on the one-loss side, but after knocking out his
fourth player of the day, Daulton 7-1, he was up against
Pinegar.
With the final group of matches ready to go the
event blazed by, first with Bailey destroying Pinegar 7-2
in the quarterfinals and then Ulrich shutting out Bailey
in the semifinals. Ulrich returned for another shot at
Moore in the finals, but the event conductor was barreling along. With the score at 8-5 Moore, an unlucky roll
for Ulrich handed Moore the rack to cap off an incredible weekend of play.
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Steve Moore
Louis Ulrich
Bill Bailey
John Pinegar
5th Dave Crockett
Shannon Daulton
7th Russ Edwards
Doug Young
GREAT SOUTHERN BILLIARD TOUR
by Rick Davis
Shannon Daulton
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Shannon Daulton
Steve Moore
Claude Marrier
Eddie Little
5th Robert Green
Dallas Roach
7th Larry Nevel
Todd Nelson
NEVEL AND COLE ROCK THE HOUSE
VIKING 9-BALL TOUR / ATLANTA, GA
by Rick Davis
The Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour got back in action over the July
28-29 weekend, where 117 players entered the combined divisions at Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA. The open division was owned
by Larry “The Truth” Nevel, while the amateur division kept pace
with Joseph Cole in control.
In the open division a wide range of competitors threw their
hat in the ring. Between the WPBA pros, Seminole Florida Pro
Tour regulars, and other Southern top guns, it was rough action all
around. Late action on the winners’ side had Nevel cut down
Justin Hall 9-4 in the hot seat match to earn a brief rest. On the
one-loss side Tony “The Sniper” Crosby faced reigning Reno
Open champion Richie Orem in the quarterfinals and got revenge
from the previous day, where Orem sent Crosby west. This time
around Crosby ended on top with the 7-5 score to eliminate Orem.
Although Crosby was getting back in gear, Hall was eager to face
Nevel again and crushed Crosby 7-4 to make that happen. In the
finals Hall started strong with a 4-1 lead until Nevel took five
racks to go up 6-4. Hall inched back with one more rack, but
Nevel was back in command as he finished the set to claim the
event.
In the amateur field Cole defeated Josh Louis 5-3 in the hot
seat match as the remainder of the event would be nail-biters all
around. On the one-loss side Travis Dorn slipped past David
Shadden in the quarterfinals then sent Louis to the door as well in
the semifinals, both matches going double-hill. In the finals it was
Dorn versus the 18-year-old Cole, who has already picked up
BumperNets of Birmingham, AL, as a sponsor, and once again a
double-hill thriller unfolded. In the end Cole was king, taking the
final match 5-4 to win the event undefeated.
Richie Orem, Tony Crosby, Terrie Janis, Justin Hall, Larry Nevel
Davis Shadden, Travis Dorn, Justin Cole
OPEN RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Larry Nevel
Justin Hall
Tony Crosby
Richie Orem
5th Cliff Joyner
John Morra
7th Clint McCollough
Billy Tyler
9th Danny Turner
David Shadden
Louis Ulrich
Helena Thornfeldt
AMATEUR RESULTS
13th Tommy Kennedy
Jim Jennings
John Macias
Monica Webb
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Joseph Cole
Travis Dorn
Josh Lewis
David Shadden
5th Jeff Hooks
Robert South
7th Jesse Middlebrook
Roger Lewis
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:38 PM
Page 74
SOUTHEAST
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:47 PM
Page 74
SOUTHEAST
KRESSEL THE KING OF VIRGINIA
2007 VIRGINIA STATE 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS / RICHMOND, VA
by Brian Keller, photos courtesy Rich Rhoads
Rarely do four-year-old tournaments have much tradition, but the Virginia State 9Ball Championships, presented by 5 Hour Energy Drink, already has more than its share.
From the handmade trophies of local walnut off the family property of tournament director Joshua Dickerson to the list of prior champions, including legend Keith McCready, traditions abound.
Held July 28-29 at The Playing Field in Richmond, VA, this year’s tilt began with 64
players from across the state, all fighting for the chance to get a paid spot in this year’s
U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships. Last year’s champion Chris Loar and runner-up Eric
Moore were prepared to defend their spots against a field that included regulars from the
Planet Pool 9-Ball Tour, Larry Kressel, Brandon Shuff, Chris Bruner, Cary Dunn, Alan
Duty, and Joe Russo.
The hot seat match between Kressel and Shuff was a seesaw affair. Kressel drew first
blood and Shuff tied it up. A seesaw battle, filled with superb defensive play, saw the score
reach double-hill. Shuff broke and made two balls but missed a tough shot on the 2 ball,
and Kressel ran out for the hot seat.
Meanwhile, Moore and Newton battled to get to the final match of the one-loss bracket. This was another back-and-forth match that was neck and neck until Newton broke dry
at 5-all. Moore took advantage of Newton’s miscues in the next two racks, and then he
broke and ran the next two racks to win the match.
In the semifinal match between Moore and Shuff, a smooth run-out won Shuff the
first rack. Yet another close match was enjoyed by the spectators, and though the players
uncharacteristically missed a few shots, pretty soon the score reached 7-all. Shuff broke
and ran out to reach the hill, and though Moore kicked and hit the 1 ball in the following
rack, he left Shuff an out, which he took.
The final was a rematch of the hot seat match. The first rack was a long chess match
as the players, both appearing nervous and tentative, had trouble getting started. But once
they did, it was Kressel who held the 5-1 lead. However, Shuff didn’t get to be one of the
top players in the mid-Atlantic area by lying down. He converted a table-length jump shot
on the 8 ball to win the next rack and kick off a four-rack run. With the score knotted at 7,
Kressel took the next two racks, and Shuff only collected one more rack before Kressel
crossed the finish line with a break and run.
Kressel was thrilled to have gone through the field undefeated, and in a field as deep
as this tournament has, he has a right to be proud of the accomplishment. With his first big
regional event victory, he is poised to take the next step and represent Virginia at the U.S.
Open 9-Ball Championships in October.
Larry Kressel
Brandon Shuff, Joshua Dickerson, Larry Kressel
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Larry Kressel
Brandon Shuff
Eric Moore
John Newton
Alan Duty
Chris Loar
7th Cary Dunn
John Dagenhardt
9th Joe Russo
Bob Tubbs
Curtis Coleman
Larry Averman
For a more extensive album of photos from the Virginia State
9-Ball Championships, please visit www.insidepoolmag.com.
UPCOMINGTOURNAMENTSSOUTHEAST
Date
9/1
9/2
9/7-9
9/8-9
9/9
9/15
9/15-16
9/16
9/22-23
9/22-23
9/29
9/30
10/6
10/6-7
10/7
10/13
Tournament
KBP Lucasi Amateur 8-Ball Tour
Miller Lite 9-Ball Open
Florida State Championship
KBP Lucasi Ladies’ 9-Ball Tour
J. Pechauer Southeast Open Tour
Open One-Pocket Tournament
J. Pechauer Southeast Open Tour
Florida Pro Tour
Venue
City, ST
Hammer Heads Billiard Lounge Holiday, FL
Stix’s Billiards
Palm Harbor, FL
Break Time Pub & Billiards
Albany, GA
Capone’s Billiard Lounge
Spring Hill, FL
Amy’s Billiards
Stuart, FL
Strokers Billiards
Palm Harbor, FL
South Side Billiard Club
Savannah, GA
Palm Harbor, FL
Strokers Billiards
Dot’s Cue Club
Rocky Mount, NC
Carpone’s Billiard Lounge
Spring Hill, FL
Stix’s Billiards
Palm Harbor, FL
Longwood, FL
Fast Break Billiards
Stix’s Billiards
Palm Harbor, FL
Hammer Heads Billiard Lounge Holiday, FL
Browns’ Billiards
Holly Hill, FL
Strokers Billiards
Palm Harbor, FL
Contact
727-934-9494
727-937-9225
229-349-7900
352-688-9965
772-232-9966
727-786-6683
912-925-5398
727-786-6683
252-972-9220
352-688-9965
727-937-9225
407-830-1036
727-937-9225
727-934-9494
386-254-4163
727-786-6683
$ Added
$300
$500
$1,000
$1,000 + qual.
$500
$300
$2,500
$500
$1,000
$1,000
$300
$500
$300
$9,000
$500
$300
Eligibility
Amateurs
Amateurs
Open
Ladies
Amateurs
Amateur ladies
Open
Amateurs
Open
Open
Amateurs
Amateurs
Amateurs
Open
Amateurs
Amateurs
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:47 PM
Page 76
AR. IA. IL. KS. LA. MI. MN. MO. ND. NE. OK. SD. TX. WI.
RegionalRoundup
central
ROGERS BACK IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE
HUNTER CLASSIC WOMEN’S TOUR / COLLEGE STATION, TX
by InsidePOOL Staff
A determined Leslie Anne Rogers
climbed through the brackets at Fast
Eddie’s Billiards in College Station, TX,
the weekend of June 23-24 to claim first
place and the WPBA qualifier.
Rogers was on fire, and no one could
win more than three games against her as
she won 7-1 over Christy Herzog, 7-2 over
DeAnn Bray-Warner, 7-2 over Terry
Petrosino, and 7-2 over Tara McCracken
before winning 7-3 over Kyu Yi to claim
the hot seat. Yi prevailed over McCracken
7-3 on the one-loss side for a rematch, but
Rogers won their second meeting with an
even more lopsided score of 7-1.
LLOYD MAKES COMEBACK
FOR SECOND TOUR WIN
HUNTER CLASSIC WOMEN’S TOUR/
TULSA, OK
RESULTS
1st Leslie Anne Rogers 3rd Tara McCracken
4th Terry Petrosino
2nd Kyu Yi
CALLADO AND MCKINN CAPTURE COLLEGIATE PRIZE
COLLEGIATE INTERNATIONAL 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP / MANKATO, MN
The Association of College Unions
International (ACUI) held its 2007
Collegiate
International
9-Ball
Championship event July 10-12 in conjunction with the Billiard Education
Foundation (BEF) Junior National
Championships. Minnesota State
University, Mankato, hosted this international championship, now in its seventieth year.
Eleanor Callado, hailing from San
Francisco State University, made history
this year as the only player ever to have
snatched four ACUI titles ('03, '05, '06,
and '07). California State University Los
Angeles’ Andy McKinn, the men’s
champion, finished in third place in
2006, which was his first ACUI title
attempt.
The 30 male and 19 female players
in this event represent over 600 collegiate contestants who vied for a shot at
the international title by first winning
their campus championship and later
finishing in the top tier at their regional
championships.
In addition to their trophies, the
first- through fourth-place winners will
receive scholarships ($1000 - $500 $250 - $100), and the sportsmanship
winners will receive a $100 scholarship
each. Furthermore, the two champions
will receive an automatic invitation to
the 2008 Championships (provided that
they are still in school and meet all other
requirements). They will not have to requalify in a regional tournament, and
their entry fees for the Championships
will be waived.
Date
9/8-9
9/15-16
9/29-30
10/3-7
10/13-14
10/13-14
10/20-21
11/17-18
Tournament
Hunter Classic Women’s Tour
Fast Eddie’s 9-Ball Tour
WPBA Midwest Classic
Venue
The Billiard Den
Fast Eddie’s Billiards
Riverwind Casino
Bogie’s Billiards
Legend’s Billiards
City, ST
Richardson, TX
San Antonio, TX
Bossier City, LA
Norman, OK
Houston, TX
Lafayette, LA
Waco, TX
League City, TX
Contact
972-792-7665
210-367-4761
210-367-4761
405-322-6000
281-821-4544
210-367-4761
210-367-4761
281-332-7716
$ Added
$2,000 + qual.
TBA
TBA
TBA
$2,000 + qual.
TBA
TBA
$2,000 + qual.
Eligibility
Amateurs
Open
Open
Pros
Amateurs
Open
Open
Amateurs
Leslie Anne Rogers
Hunter Classic Women’s Tour finalists
by InsidePOOL Staff
UPCOMINGTOURNAMENTSCENTRAL
central
ACUI also recognizes its athletes
for their sportsmanship and breaking
ability.
Eleanor Callado
Andy McKinn
MEN’S RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Andy McKinn
Ryan Balks
Brian Deska
Tang Te
Kyle Boers
Chris Fangre
7th Saad Alam
Chad Rhodes
9th David Allen
Dan McGuire
Mike Shrum
Matt Weber
WOMEN’S RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Eleanor Callado
Elizabeth Zingale
Mili Kozomara
Emilyn Callado
Amy Chen
Tomeka Tanner
7th Christine Nguyen
Lauren Robertson
9th Cassara Carroll
Angie Edwards
Alison Fischer
Jennifer Poulson
by Rick Davis
The Hunter Classics Tour held their sixth
stop over the July 28-29 weekend where a talented 36-player field mixed things up at
Magoo’s Billiards in Tulsa, OK. In the end it
came down to the battle of past champions
until Heather Lloyd had completed her comeback capping off a great event.
Late action on the winners’ side saw
Lloyd, winner of the tour’s second stop, met
Leslie Anne Rogers, who had claimed two tour
stops of her own this season. Both players
carved a path through six matches to reach the
hot seat match, as neither was lucky enough to
draw one of the many byes. In the hot seat
match Rogers took control early and skipped
through 7-3.
On the one-loss side Amanda Lampert
eliminated Michelle McDermott 7-5, while
Julia Gabriel drilled Kim Pierce 7-1. In lightning fashion the quarterfinals blazed by as
Gabriel knocked out Lampert 7-4; just as
quickly Lloyd ousted Gabriel by the same
score in the semifinals.
This brought Lloyd back to the finals for a
rematch against Rogers, but it was an uphill
climb with the true double-elimination format.
Lloyd came out strong, taking the first set 7-3
and making it clear she was still in contention,
and as the final set inched towards double-hill
no one could pick a clear winner. At last the
action climaxed with Lloyd taking the second
set 7-6, winning the event and claiming her
second tour win of the season.
SPORTSMANSHIP WINNERS
Ray Chay
BEST BREAK WINNERS
Charles Crouch
RESULTS
Lauren Robertson
Geneive Jaramilla
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Heather Lloyd
Leslie Anne Rogers
Julia Gabriel
Amanda Lampert
5th Kim Pierce
Michelle McDermott
7th Kathy Batson
Julie Stephenson
YourLine Up
best
shot
!!
CUETABLE.com
Free Online Billiard Diagram Tool
for Communication & Education
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:47 PM
Page 78
RegionalRoundup
western
AHOLA UNDEFEATED IN SACRAMENTO
USPPA / SACRAMENTO, CA
SHOLES SECOND TO NONE
by Rick Davis
ARIZONA WOMEN’S BILLIARD TOUR / PEORIA, AZ
The USPPA took over Hard Times in Sacramento, CA, where
Gene Ahola bested the 102-player field through the 3-day event
that began June 15. With 32 Gold Crown tables available for play,
the handicapped double-elimination 9-ball event flew through the
races to 8. Although the event was handicapped with no spot giving up more than 5 games, 64% of the matches still found their
way to the double-hill mark.
On the winners’ side Ahola met Deo Alpajara in the hot seat
match and bested him to become king of the hill. On the one-loss
side the remaining handful of players all had their eyes on the
prize, a staggering amount over $14,000, thanks to the $8,000added event. Carl Wilson Jr. ousted Eric Stanley just shy of the
quarterfinals, while Mike DeWeese started to gain notice.
DeWeese eliminated Gene Peregrino then knocked out Wilson Jr.
in the quarterfinals. Continuing to rack up victims, DeWeese sent
Alpajara home from the semifinals while he propelled himself to
the finals. The action in the last match ground away until finally
Ahola took control from DeWeese and claimed the match and
event.
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Gene Ahola
Mike DeWeese
Deo Alpajara
Carl Wilson Jr.
5th Eric Stanley
Gene Peregrino
7th Elmer Biwa
Sylvester Coranado
Back row (R to L): Marissa Hallett, Liz Bernreuter, Susan Mello, Holly Sholes
Front row (R to L): Kathy Kelley, Kristin Haney, Melinda Huang, Kristie Ortega
by InsidePOOL Staff
Thirty-five women came to Sixshooters in Peoria, AZ, for a chance at
the trophy and the WPBA qualifier for the WPBA Midwest Classic in
October. Though Kristin Haney earned the qualifier, Holly Sholes ending
up with top honors at this July 14-15 Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour event.
The race for the qualifier spot heated up in round 9 when Haney
played Marissa Hallett. These were the last two women still in the event
who paid to play for the qualifier spot, so the match was extremely tense.
Haney came out victorious with a 7-2 win, while Hallett went on to finish
in fourth place, knocked out by Kristie Ortega. This guaranteed Haney the
qualifier spot.
Haney then went on to play Sholes for the hot seat; Sholes dominated
the match 7-2. The next match on the one-loss side pitted Haney against
Ortega to see who would challenge Sholes in the finals. It looked like it
would be a fast match as Ortega quickly jumped off to a 5-1 lead. But
Haney came back and won the next three games, making it 5-4. She then
scratched on the 9 ball, which gave Ortega an easy game to put her on the
hill. Haney won the next game, but then the scratch bug bit again after
pocketing the 4 ball, which brought Ortega up to the table with a four-ball
out, which she handled to win 7-5.
Since this was a true double-elimination format, Ortega would have
had to defeat Sholes in two sets of races to 7. Sholes took off to a quick 30 lead, but the match went back and forth until game 8. Ortega missed the
5 ball, which left Sholes with a four-ball out. She made all four balls with
ease, bringing the score to 6-2. In the next rack, it was her turn to break,
and she snapped the 9, winning the match instantly.
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Holly Sholes
Kristie Ortega
Kristin Haney
Marissa Hallett
Melinda Huang
Susan Mello
7th Liz Bernreuter
Cathy Kelley
Seminole
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:48 PM
Page 80
A K . A Z . C A . C O . H I . I D . M T. N M . N V. O R . U T. WA . W Y.
western
UPCOMINGTOURNAMENTSWESTERN
PAGULAYAN REACHES THE SUMMIT
WORLD SUMMIT OF POOL / LAS VEGAS, NV
by InsidePOOL Staff
Former world champion Alex Pagulayan bested a field of 63 other
top-notch pro players who signed on to compete in the 4th Annual
Billiard Factory World Summit of Pool at the Riviera Hotel and Casino
in Las Vegas. The event, formerly held in Manhattan, NY, has been
relocated to the western region of the U.S. The World Summit was held
in conjunction with the ACS National Championships June 13-16.
The amount of upsets in the opening rounds was the story for the
first day. Robb Saez experienced a shocking loss to L.A.’s Oscar
Dominguez (son of Ernesto Dominguez), but he then fell in the next
round to 13-year-old Austin Murphy, who bested Dominguez 11-5.
Walter Glass, a veteran pro, escaped Steve Lillis 11-10 and then unseated UPA pro Tony Crosby 11-8.
Shane Van Boening continued his hot streak with two wins,
including a second-round 11-5 victory against Troy Frank. He was
scheduled to meet Corey Deuel in the third round but will face Ernesto
Dominguez instead, after Dominguez demolished Deuel 11-2.
On Judgment Day, youngsters John Morra and Murphy were
schooled by Filipino head masters Pagulayan and Francisco
Bustamante, both 11-1. Kiamco kept the Asian roll going with a win
over Atlanta’s Steve Moore, while Van Boening kept the USA alive on
winner's side with 11-4 domination of Dominguez and later entered the
hot seat finals with an 11-7 defeat of Kiamco. Pagulayan destroyed
Bustamante 11-3 to meet Van Boening.
But the big surprise dark horses were the high gear plays of Hong
Kong's Lee Chenman and California's road-tough Tony Chohan.
Chohan lost his second-round match only to go on a tear, taking six
consecutive wins including a stunner over Marlon Manalo. Chenman,
who has been cold since his win at the Weert Open two years ago, went
crazy and eliminated champion after champion in seven matches,
including Hohmann, Immonen, and Deuel. For dessert, he wiped out
Saez and Dominguez.
Unfortunately for both new top UPA finishers, they were held one
match short of worldwide fame of ESPN as Chenman lost 11-9 to
Bustamante and Chohan fell to Kiamco 11-6.
In the hot seat match, Van Boening kept control of the match
against young veteran Pagulayan and won an easier than expected 114 match. One USA player now stands alone against 3 awesome
Filipinos. In a world filled with foreign dominance, America once
again shines through one brilliant player. With the win two weeks ago
at the World 10-Ball Championships, and now primed for the finals at
the World Summit of Pool, 23 year old South Dakotan Van Boening
may prove to the Philippines there may be a new sheriff in town.
The final day of Billiard Factory World Summit of Pool at the
Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, was filled with excitement
as the audience anticipated the last three matches. A sold-out crowd
filled the newly configured arena with one featured Olhausen
Championship Pro table for the televised festivities.
First up was Warren Kiamco, making his ESPN debut against
Francisco Bustamante, a veteran of ESPN events. Kiamco found himself fortunate with some rolls to take an early 3-1 lead, but as
Bustamante proved this past March at the U.S. Pro Tour Championship,
no deficit could be too large for him to overcome. Bustamante turned
on the burners and sailed through to win 7-4.
The Pagulayan-Bustamante semifinals proved to be exciting and
bewildering, with Pagulayan taking a commanding 5-2 lead. Both players were in good spirits, laughing and joking throughout the entire
match. But Bustamante again fought back to 5-4 before missing a 9 ball
to tie the match, and then Pagulayan tried to make the winning 9 ball
with his head turned facing away—an easy, simple, straight-in shot. He
missed with a genuine look of shock on his face but ended up making
the shot when Bustamante missed the 9 ball afterwards.
The final match was a rematch between “The Lion” and Shane Van
Boening. Van Boening trailed early on to Pagulayan, despite making
A K . A Z . C A . C O . H I . I D . M T. N M . N V. O R . U T. WA . W Y.
Date
10/3
10/4
10/13-14
10/23-28
11/7-11
11/17-18
11/30-12/3
12/4-9
12/15-16
Tournament
International Speed Pool Challenge
Trick Shot Magic
Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour
10th Annual Western BCA 9-Ball Tournament
Cuetec Cues WPBA Nat’l Champs
USPPA Pro-Am Classic Pool
Reno Open 9-Ball Championships
Venue
ESPN Zone
ESPN Zone
Alexander’s Bar and Grill
Chinook Winds Casino
Chinook Winds Casino
Metro Sportz Bar
Sands Regency
Sands Regency
Sixshooters
City, ST
Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas, NV
Phoenix, AZ
Lincoln City, OR
Lincoln City, OR
Phoenix, AZ
Reno, NV
Reno, NV
Peoria, AZ
Contact
860-379-8414
860-379-8414
480-272-2016
president@westernbca.org
888-244-6665
480-272-2016
866-386-7829
866-386-7829
480-272-2016
western
$ Added
$50,000
$50,000
$500 + qual.
N/A
TBA
$500 + qual.
TBA
TBA
$500 + qual.
Eligibility
Invitational
Invitational
Ladies
Members
Pros
Ladies
Members
Open
Ladies
BUNJEE X-Pro
®
Custom Jump-Break Cues
Made in USA by Steve Lomax
Alex Pagulayan
- Choice of exotic woods with a
hard rock maple shaft.
RUN THE TABLE… AND LOOK GOOD DOING IT.
- Dimensions optimized for jump
and break shot performance.
- Laminated core construction
prevents warping and ensures
optimal weight distribution.
Leather wrap models + $100
- Twin 3/8-10 QR joints.
- Customized Bunjee jump-break
tip mounted on top of a phenolic
ferrule.
- Clear-coated with a durable,
patented UV finish.
Shane Van Boening
just minor errors. Pagulayan stood with a 5-2 lead once again with
smiles and jokes, but a few unforced errors by Pagulayan, coupled with
Van Boening’s awesome break and firepower, soon eroded the laughter
as the score knotted at 5-5. Van Boening’s break failed him in the
eleventh game when he scratched in the side off the break, and
Pagulayan breathed heavily to run out.
Pagulayan broke and ran out to the 9 ball in the next game. Making
the final 9 ball with a joyous yell, Pagulayan stopped and screamed,
“Oh no ... yeaaah!” as the cue ball went two rails towards the side pocket for a scratch. As if it had eyes, the cue ball avoided the side pocket
by an inch as a relieved Pagulayan threw his hands up in celebration as
the new champion of the World Summit of Pool.
RESULTS
1st Alex Pagulayan
2nd Shane Van Boening
3rd Francisco Bustamante
4th Warren Kiamco
5th Tony Chohan
Lee Chenman
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57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:48 PM
Page 82
RegionalRoundup
world
COURTEAUX CASHES IN BARRIE
HJORLIEFSON STEALS LAST STOP
CANADIAN 30K TOUR / BARRIE, ONT
CANADIAN 30K TOUR / SCARBOROUGH, ONT
Chris Courteaux
Wayne Tate, Erik Hjorliefson
by Willy Hermoza and Tony Butera
Despite a number of players attending the CCS Nationals in
Vegas, the weekend of June 16-17 saw 26 players arrive for the
Canadian 30K Tour. Hosted by Dunlop Billiards in Barrie, ONT,
this event featured Chris Courteaux making a comeback from the
one-loss side to win the title.
On the A side, Courteaux was sent to grind through the oneloss side after a hill-hill loss to Jeff Robson, while Jeff Dick prevailed over Wayne Tate 5-5. Courteaux fought his way back
through matches against Mike Patrowicz 6-2 to advance to the
quarterfinals against Wayne Tate, whom he soundly defeated 5-1.
Wreaking revenge upon Robson, Courteaux met him in the semifinals and sent him away with a 5-2 thrashing to advance to the
finals. It was an even match, and after Dick reached a 3-0 lead,
Courteaux cranked up his engine to score five straight games,
wresting the title from Dick.
RESULTS
1st Chris Courteaux
2nd Jeff Dick
3rd Robson
4th Wayne Tate
5th Peter Jackson
Mike Patrowicz
by Willy Hermoza and Tony Butera
Erik Hjorliefson took the reins at the Canadian 30K Tour’s last
stop for the season, ending how he began: by winning. Shooters in
Scarborough, ONT, hosted the stop’s 44 players the weekend of June
23-24.
Setting up the hot seat match, Mike Patrowicz squeaked past Chris
Orme 7-6, while Wayne Tate also narrowly won his match against
Shawn Lee 6-5. Tate went on to take the hot seat match as well, sending Patrowicz to the one-loss side 7-6.
On the one-loss side, Hjorliefson was fighting his way through by
besting George Cornelius 10-3, Orme 10-6, Lee 9-1, and then
Patrowicz 10-5 to reach the finals. The marauding did not stop there, for
“Big Red” made quick work of Tate, too, defeating him twice by the
score of 9-2 to take the true double-elimination event.
RESULTS
1st Erik Hjorliefson
2nd Wayne Tate
3rd Mike Patrowicz
4th Shawn Lee
5th Josh Rundle
Chris Orme
BUTERA BATS DOWN HJORLEIFSON
CANADIAN 30K TOUR / NEWMARKET, ONT
by Willy Hermoza
The Bigwigs boys had the room spic and span with the tables newly re-clothed
with Simonis, and the Canadian 30K Tour players showed their approval. The July 1415 stop in Newmarket, ONT, brought a gathering that was mid-range in handicaps
with Erik Hjorleifson, Chris Orme, Rob Brandenburg, and Scott McDonald as the top
dogs.
Stop winner Tony Butera went easily through the winners’ side to the hot seat
match after a 5-4 victory over Dave Woods. Mike Leigh met Butera there after he survived a double-hill match against Elio D’Andrea. Leigh started off with a 4-1 lead but
faltered, allowing Butera not only to catch him but surpass him to win the match 5-4.
Frequent tour winner Erik Hjorleifson was working his way through the one-loss
side, cutting down Woods 9-2 and, still riding high, D’Andrea 10-4, sending
D’Andrea home with fourth place. Hjorleifson fired at Leigh with both barrels and
ended up dealing him a 10-0 whitewashing. But in the finals, both players agreed to a
shorter race, and when all was said and done, Butera was sitting in the winner’s circle at the end.
RESULTS
1st Tony Butera
2n Erik Hjorleifson
3rd Mike Leigh
4th Elio D’Andrea
5th Chris Courteaux
Dave Woods
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:49 PM
Page 84
world
JOHNSON JUMPS FOR JOY
TIGER CANADIAN WOMEN’S POOL TOUR / BURLINGTON, ONT
by Carolina Fernandez
The Tiger Canadian
Women's Pool Tour held
its fourth event of the
Corinne Johnson
2007 season July 15 at
Bobby D’s Billiards &
Grill in Burlington, Ontario. Out of the field of 27 players, Sunday saw
the return of the top 8 of the event, with top honors ultimately falling
to Corrine Johnson.
After defeating Grace Nakamura and sending her to the one-loss
bracket, Johnson faced Denise Belanger in the match for the hot seat.
Although Belanger is the higher-ranked player, she struggled throughout and wasn’t able to compete with Johnson’s precise shots and
safeties, resulting with a 6-1 win for Johnson.
In the B-side, Terri “Tiger” Mason fought her way through to the
quarterfinals, where she was relegated to fourth place by Brittany
Bryant after a double-hill match. It was then Belanger’s turn to face
Bryant, but a rattled 8 ball in the hill-hill match gave the win to Bryant.
The double-elimination finals between Johnson and Bryant saw
Johnson streak to a 5-2 lead, but Bryant fought back to close the gap
at 5-4. A scratch by Johnson gave the table to Bryant, who hung the 8
ball, allowing Johnson to finish out the match with a 6-4 win.
Brittany Bryant
RESULTS
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Corrine Johnson
Brittany Bryant
Denise Belanger
Terri Mason
5th Grace Nakamura
Darlene Gardiner
7th Naomi Williams
Sandie Chui
57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:49 PM
Page 86
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57-September-2007
9/5/07
7:49 PM
Page 88
LAST MONTH’S
WINNER
“Nick, as clearly stated in Rule 3, subsection C:; Scissors cuts paper, scissors
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Brian Cole of Bristol, IN
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