April 2007 - Inside Pool Magazine

Transcription

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April 2007
CONTENTS
INSTRUCTION
14 Grady’s Grad School
Get ‘Em in Play
16 This Is Your Captain Speaking
On the Cover
The 24-year-old GaYoung Kim of Seoul,
Korea, bested
Xiaoting Pan in the
finals of the
Carolina Women’s
Billiard Classic in
Rocky Mount, NC,
to win the tour’s
season opener for
2007.
The Ten Most Common Problems, Part Six
18 Pro Pool Workout
Focus on the Task
20 Beat People With a Stick
Blacking Out
22 Technologically Speaking
Complementary Caroms
FEATURES
24 “Dynamic Duo” Dominates
Breedlove and Lee Take Easy Skins Billiards Victory
28 Simple Strategy Pays Off for Archer
Victory at Texas Hold ‘Em Billiards Championship
32 Rec Room Requisites
InsidePOOL picks the best of the best for your home gameroom
38 Luck and Skill Are Both Good to Have
Ga-Young Kim Employs Both in WPBA Season Opener
28
4 InsidePOOL Magazine - April 2007
54-April-2007
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Volume VII, Issue 4
COLUMNS
24
42 What’s in the Case
Darren Appleton
44 Cue Maker’s Corner
Dennis Dieckman - Cue Builder
48 On Board With the BCA
Change is Gonna Come
50 Industry News
32
DEPARTMENTS
8
12
54
24
56
62
66
70
72
76
80
Publisher
Advertising Sales Director
JR Calvert
Bill Perry
[email protected] [email protected]
Editor
Sally P. Timko
[email protected]
Graphic Artist
Thomas W. Hartman
[email protected]
Editorial Assistant
Rick Davis
[email protected]
Technical Consultant
Tom Simpson
Instructional Staff
Johnny Archer, Steve Crutchfield, Max Eberle,
Allison Fisher, Bob Henning, John W. Loftus,
Grady Mathews, Keith McCready,
Tom Simpson
Feature Photo Credits
JR Calvert
Contributing Writers
Fred Agnir, Jose Burgos, Tony Butera,
Rick Davis, Marc Dionne, Willy Hermoza, Kay Higgins
E-mail
[email protected]
Toll Free
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
Regional Player of the Month
Photo Caption Contest
InsidePOOL Magazine Volume VII, Issue 4 (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.
Subscription prices: $19.99/yr in the U.S.A., $28/yr in
Canada, $39/yr International. Periodicals postage at
Kittanning, PA, and additional mailing offices. Submissions
of manuscripts, illustrations, and/or photographs must be
accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The
publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.
Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part without
written permission of the publisher is prohibited.
POSTMASTER: Please send address
changes to: InsidePOOL Magazine,
P.O. Box 972, Kittanning, PA 16201.
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
54-April-2007
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54-April-2007
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Pool on TV
(continued on page 10)
All times are Eastern Time Zone – check local listings for changes.
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic
1995 Challenge of Champions Semifinal #1
1-Apr
11:00 AM
ESPNC
2004 Tournament of Champions Semifinal #2
6-Apr
3:00 PM
ESPNC
2004 Tournament of Champions Semifinal #1
5-Apr
7-Apr
3:00 PM
11:00 AM
ESPNC
ESPNC
1995 Challenge of Champions Finals
8-Apr
11:00 AM
ESPNC
2007 WPBA Carolina Women’s Billiard Classic Semifinal #2
8-Apr
4:00 PM
ESPN2
2007 WPBA Carolina Women’s Billiard Classic Finals
8-Apr
8-Apr
3:00 PM
5:00 PM
ESPN2
ESPN2
2004 Tournament of Champions Finals
9-Apr
3:00 PM
ESPNC
2005 Sudden Death 7-Ball Championship Finals
12-Apr
3:00 PM
ESPNC
2007 Texas Hold ‘Em Billiards Championship Semifinal #2
12-Apr
8:00 PM
ESPN2
2005 Sudden Death 7-Ball Championship Semifinal #1
2007 Texas Hold ‘Em Billiards Championship Finals
1996 International Challenge of Champions Semifinal #1
2007 Texas Hold ‘Em Billiards Championship Finals
1995 International Challenge of Champions Semifinal #2
2001 Trick Shot Magic
10-Apr
12-Apr
12-Apr
14-Apr
14-Apr
14-Apr
14-Apri
15-Apr
15-Apr
3:00 PM
7:00 PM
ESPNC
ESPN2
9:00 PM
ESPN2
12:00 PM
ESPN
11:00 AM
1:00 PM
ESPNC
ESPN
2:00 PM
ESPN
3:00 PM
ESPNC
11:00 AM
ESPNC
54-April-2007
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54-April-2007
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Page 10
Pool on TV
All times are Eastern Time Zone – check local listings for changes.
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic
15-Apr
4:00 PM
ESPNC
2004 Trick Shot Magic Finals
15-Apr
6:00 PM
ESPNC
2005 Trick Shot Magic Semifinal #2
2005 Trick Shot Challenge Semifinal #1
2005 Trick Shot Challenge Semifinal #2
2006 EnjoyPool.com Women’s 9-Ball Championship Semifinals
15-Apr
15-Apr
16-Apr
17-Apr
18-Apr
19-Apr
19-Apr
2006 EnjoyPool.com Women’s 9-Ball Championship Finals
20-Apr
21-Apr
2007 WPBA Carolina Women’s Billiard Classic Finals
21-Apr
21-Apr
5:00 PM
7:00 PM
3:00 PM
3:00 PM
3:00 PM
3:00 PM
3:00 PM
2:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2
2005 Trick Shot Challenge Finals
23-Apr
3:00 PM
ESPNC
2005 World Summit of Pool Semifinal #2
26-Apr
3:00 PM
ESPNC
28-Apr
11:00 AM
ESPNC
2005 World Summit of Pool Quarterfinals
2005 World Summit of Pool Finals
1997 Challenge of Champions Finals
24-Apr
27-Apr
29-Apr
3:00 PM
3:00 PM
11:00 AM
ESPNC
ESPNC
ESPNC
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T
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54-April-2007
INSTRUCTION
3/6/07
T
11:22 AM
Page 14
GRADY’S GRAD SCHOOL
BY GRADY MATHEWS
Get ‘Em in Play
This
month’s
column
shows three situations in
which I need all the balls.
Of course, when I am
behind, I would like to keep
all the balls in play. That
way, if I win the first shot,
I’ll probably be out.
Conversely, my opponent
would like to keep one ball
out of play.
In Diagram 1, I could
just bank the 11 ball and, if
I made it, play safe on the 1
ball. A much better shot is
to hit the 11 ball rail-first
off the 1 ball, making the 1
ball in the side pocket and
sending the 11 ball toward
my pocket.
A little bit of draw
works well here. The cue
ball ends up at Point X. If
the cue ball were at Point X
to begin with, I would play
the same shot, but I wouldn’t go rail-first with the 11
ball. I would just make the
11 ball go off the 1 ball
toward my pocket.
I might win the game
in Diagram 2 with this shot.
The 11 ball is a perfect 3
inches off the rail (2 inches
is not enough room for the
“tickey,” and 4 inches is a
bit too far off the rail.). A
tickey is a shot where the
cue ball or an object ball
goes one rail, contacts
another object ball, and
then continues on to hopefully achieve the desired
result.
It is very important
here to strike the rail with
the 3 ball before contacting
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
Diagram 3
the 11 ball. This causes both
balls to go toward my pocket,
and as shown in the diagram,
we’ll draw the cue ball straight
back to pocket the 7 ball. If the
3 ball hits the 11 ball first,
there is a kiss on the 3 and 11
balls.
In Diagram 3, the optimum distance for the 10 ball
to be off the rail in this situation is 3 to 5 inches. A level
cue and one tip of left english
works best here. As the cue
ball and 10 ball lie, it’s hard to
hit too deep behind the 10
ball, which is why the 3- to 5inch range is important.
The goal on this shot is to
one-rail kick the 10 ball
toward our pocket and, at the
same time, pocket the 15 ball.
If I, instead of my opponent,
only needed one ball, I’d play
the same shot, but I would be
careful to not pocket the 15
ball.
I trust the end-game
ploys will help your game. Of
course, when you are ahead,
you want to “Smith Barney”
your opponent. That is to say,
make him earn it, every ball,
preferably one at a time.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 onepocket world titles.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
3:58 AM
Page 15
54-April-2007
I
INSTRUCTION
3/6/07
4:00 AM
Page 16
THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING
BY JOHN W. LOFTUS
The Ten Most Common
Problems, Part Six
In the game of 8-ball, unlike in 9-ball, players must select the order in which they should
shoot their respective group of balls. I’ve
already commented on the differences
between these two popular pool games. But
one major difference is that 8-ball players
must make these types of decisions, whereas
9-ball players don’t have to do so.
I see this as another common problem
among pool shooters who play 8-ball: poor
ball selection. Better players take the right set
of balls to begin with (see last month’s column), but they also make better choices on
the table with the balls they have. At the ama-
balls on the table first: the ”ducks.” Then, when
they make all of these shots, they’ll be left with
nothing … nothing to make, and nothing to use
to break out other balls. They begin without a
plan, and without a plan, they plan to fail.
Remember, balls that block the pocket do just
that … they block the pocket! Leave them there
until you can run out or until you need them to
break out another one of your balls. The time to
deal with problem balls is early in the game,
not later. If this cannot be done at the beginning
of the game, then don’t waste your easier balls
by sinking them immediately. Save them for
later when they can be used to your advantage.
teur level of play, this can mean a huge difference if someone makes better choices on
the table itself. It will literally win you more
games if you make better choices. Since even
average pool shooters can run a few balls and
get fairly good position, a crucial difference
between better shooters lies in their ability to
pocket the proper balls in the proper order.
Some really good 9-ball players I know can
be beaten more often in 8-ball precisely
because they are not used to making these
types of choices.
Poor pool shooters will step up to the
table and proceed to make all of the easiest
Many other shooters save combinations
for last or break up balls without an “insurance
ball” to get shape on after doing so. Unless it’s
necessary, players who attempt these shots are
flirting with disaster. Whenever you try a combination shot or try to break out balls, try getting shape on a separate ball unrelated to the
shot itself.
One way to learn how to have good ball
selection is to watch good shooters run racks,
since there are so many different table layouts
once the balls are broken. At the risk of claiming I’m something I’m not, let me show you
how I ran a rack recently. I remember it
because it was the deciding game for me during a match.
After my opponent broke, I was left
with the diagrammed table layout. Solids are
the obvious choice because they were in
more in the open, while stripes had several
troubled balls. But I was facing a combination to start it off. Since it was on a bar box,
the combination wasn’t all that difficult. Still,
I had to make it if I wanted to win, and I had
to play shape for the 3 ball in the corner just
in case the 7 ball didn’t travel as planned. I
made it and got shape on both of those two
balls (the only shot diagrammed). After making that shot, I proceeded with my plan.
Seeing ahead, I needed to get shape on the 1
ball. With that in mind, I made the 3 ball and
the 7 ball with an eye on the shape I needed
for that 1 ball. I made them and got straight
on the 1 ball. Using a little draw off of the 1
ball, I got good shape on the 5 ball in the side
pocket. When making the 5, I bounced
whitey off the long rail between the 11 and
the 13 balls and got straight in on the 4 ball
(which I didn’t want to be straight in on, but
that happens). I made the 4 ball and placed
the cue ball within a couple of inches from
that same corner pocket (Whew!). Using that
angle with a slight draw, I brought the cue
ball back toward the center of the table (I hit
it a little hard) for a shot on the money ball
and made it without scratching in the opposite corner pocket off the 12 ball (Whew
again!).
If you see ahead and make a plan, many
times it can be done.t
“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 [email protected].
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:00 AM
Page 17
54-April-2007
INSTRUCTION
3/6/07
L
4:04 AM
Page 18
PRO POOL WORKOUT
BY BOB HENNING
Focus on the Task
Last month we saw how having Clear
Goals is essential to getting into a Dead
Stroke state. When you have a clear and
committed target, it’s easier to focus and
give yourself to the flow of the performance. This month let’s look at another
essential ingredient that must be present
to get into The Zone. Number four on
the list of nine components may be the
most important of all. It is Focusing on
the Task at Hand.
There are many things happening
all around you when it is your inning at
the table. People are talking, laughing,
smoking. Trucks are driving by outside.
The sun is shining into the poolroom
through the front windows. The table
light is reflected on the surface of every
suffers, too. It loses its focus and its edge.
You make an easy shot, but the cue ball
rolls too far. You feel your confidence
slipping. On the next shot an unwanted
image slips into your mind, and your body
produces the unwanted outcome before
you can redirect it. My God, what’s happening here?
Well, you’re definitely not in The
Zone! You’re not focused on the task at
hand in the present moment, and a Dead
Stroke state can only happen in the present moment. It cannot happen in the past
or the future. You must keep your attention on the task at hand. You must focus
on the task that needs to be done.
Maintaining the present-moment focus
that is necessary to stay in stroke requires
Maintaining the present-moment
focus that is necessary
to stay in stroke requires
discipline and discretion.
ball, and each ball is throwing a shadow
onto the cloth. Food smells are in the air,
and a guy is playing video poker at the
end of the counter. Surrounded by all of
this, your unconscious mind is doing its
best to filter out thousands of different
bits of information—each of which
which, if empowered, distract you from
your shot.
On top of it all, your conscious
mind is bombarded by unexpected
thoughts that arise and sometimes steal
your attention away before you can stop
them. You have imaginary conversations with your friends about the outcome of the match while you’re still in
it. As your mind wanders, your body
discipline and discretion. You need to be
able to recognize what is essential to the
job at hand and what is not. You must
learn to recognize irrelevant thoughts and
immediately return your focus to the task
at hand. The quicker you see those
thoughts taking your attention—and let
them go—the more readily you’ll stay in
stroke.
Nick Varner once said that when his
match was called he told himself it was
“time to go to work.” This is a great attitude to take to the table. When you come
with the intention to “do the job in front of
you,” you are preparing yourself to see
and manage the distractions which are
sure to come. You are preparing yourself
to focus and maintain concentration on
what you need to do—to focus your
mental energies on the task at hand.
Pool requires a high level of concentration, but it needs to be effortless,
too. When you are concentrating “really
hard,” your mind is already compromised. It is full of the judging, evaluating, and planning activity that normally
occupies the everyday mind. This is a
distraction, too. At this point, some of
your awareness is relegated to the role
of an observer, and you must take control of your thought processes to return
fully to the present.
When you are distracted, you can
refocus in two simple steps. First, you
must be able to recognize that your
focus has slipped. For instance, if your
attention has strayed to your competitor,
you must be able to see that that has
happened. Hear the whine of sirens and
the clang of bells! See the red flashing
lights of warning. WRONG! WRONG!
WRONG! REFOCUS! REFOCUS! The
second step is to choose anew.
Consciously decide to focus on what is
relevant RIGHT NOW. Take charge and
direct yourself. Pay attention to what is
happening at the moment!
Wow! There you go again, player.
You’re in 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.
54-April-2007
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54-April-2007
I
INSTRUCTION
3/6/07
4:09 AM
Page 20
BEAT PEOPLE WITH A STICK
BY TOM SIMPSON
Blacking Out
It’s absolutely vital to be in the present
moment during each shot. For a shot to be the
beautiful, fluid, hitch-free, confident, effortless motion you’d like it to be, you can be
occupied with nothing else. If you’re down
on a shot but you’re still thinking about the
great shot you just made, you are not in the
present moment—you’re focused on the past
at the cost of losing your awareness of what’s
happening in the present.
With your attention stuck in the past or the
future, you tend to miss by simply not focusing
enough attention on what you’re doing. Your
attention is divided. Obviously, to perform at
your best, you should be giving your undivided
attention to each and every shot.
The real trick is to catch yourself when
you’re not present—before you shoot. When
you’ve just made a great shot, or if the pressure
of a situation is distracting you, don’t rush up
When our attention goes to
what we look like or how our
movements function, we’re no
longer focused on the practical
pool challenge of the moment.
How about when you’re down on a shot
but the little player in your head is already
celebrating that this rack is done or this
match is over? This ever happen to you?
Didja miss? Or worse, that nagging, whiny
voice in your head is focusing you on uncertainty and doubt, robbing you of the confidence you need to shoot fearlessly in the
moment. Yeah, never happens to me either.
In all of these situations, you’re not living in the present moment—you’re living in
the past or the future. It’s not real, and it’s not
what’s happening right now, in front of you,
at the table. I believe a significant factor in
why we love the challenge of pool is simply
that good pool requires our full attention. We
love to be fully engaged with difficult but
rewarding activity. Pool challenges us physically, psychologically, and intellectually. And
on top of that, it’s a performance art. We
often do it in public, with a critical audience,
under pressure. To play well, there just isn’t
room for anything but the present moment. If
we’re busy whipping ourselves or congratulating ourselves over some shot (the past), or
if we’re busy imagining a win or worrying
about a possible miss (the future), guess
what? We’re not right here, right now, fully
engaged in the shot.
and shoot the next shot! Take a lap or two of the
table, wash your hands, touch up your tip,
stretch, whatever. Do something to pass a little
time and get past whatever it is, so you can
focus on the present shot. Go down on the shot
when you feel ready and clear.
Another type of distraction also plagues
pool players. It’s a biggie. I call it “Blacking
Out,” and I think the cause is self-consciousness. We are distracted by our awareness of the
fact that we are performing, by the pressure of
the game or match, by the fact that we are being
watched, or by who is watching. We can be
caught up in mechanical issues of form and
stroke and be distracted from the task of the
moment—delivering an appropriate, properly
aimed stroke. When our attention goes to what
we look like or how our movements function,
we’re no longer focused on the practical pool
challenge of the moment. We may be doing
something worthwhile, but it’s not what we
need to be doing during play. This is performance. To perform with beauty and excellence,
we need to be present and alive in the moment
by moment unfolding of the action.
Self-conscious players sometimes black
out during the hit swing. They lose presence and
go black during the hit. They may not be seeing.
They may not hear. They have no clear body
memory of the hit stroke. After going to great
lengths to line up the shot and get ready to
deliver a precise stroke, their awareness is
elsewhere during the critical moment of execution. Where was your attention during the
hit? Where were your eyes? What were you
seeing? Did you see the cue ball hit the object
ball? Shoot some shots. Immediately after
each shot, reflect on what happened during
the hit. What are you seeing? Are you blacking out for an instant? Are you there for the
whole shot?
Try to stay focused and really witness
the cue ball/object ball collision. To do this,
you have to be present. Consciously intending to stay present through the whole swing
is the first step. It also helps to have a “go/nogo” point for your pre-shot routine, a point
where you consciously decide whether the
shot is a go or it needs adjustment. If the
shot’s a go, and you’re a go, then go. Try to
stay with the shot from decision to completion. If it needs more than a micro-adjustment, come up and re-focus, get present, and
go down again.
In occasional practice sessions, shoot
some racks of balls, keeping track of the percentage of shots where you were fully present in the shot. With awareness of your tendencies and a little vigilance, you can
improve. It’s hard to win when you’re not
present, but it’s easy to lose.
Playing pool, we revel in the joy and
misery of unfolding strategies, rolls, shots,
games, matches, and money. Let’s do it fully,
taking our best shot, every shot. Present
moment, only moment. Present shot, only
shot.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: [email protected], 614-975-8337.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:11 AM
Page 21
www.InsidePOOLmag.com 21
54-April-2007
INSTRUCTION
3/6/07
I
11:27 AM
Page 22
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
BY STEVE CRUTCHFIELD
Complementary Caroms
In the game of 9-ball, it’s wise to
always keep an eye on the 9 when it’s
close to a pocket. Experienced players
know many ways to end a game early
with a combination, a carom, or a combination that caroms into the 9 and
sends it into a pocket. The most common short-game win is a simple combination shot as shown in Diagram 1. In
this example, the 5 ball is shot into the
9 ball for the win. Diagram 2 shows a
situation where the 5 ball is blocked by
the 8 ball, preventing a 5-9 combination
shot. In this case, a carom shot gives the
win by shooting the cue ball into the 5
ball in such a way that the cue ball
deflects onto a path towards the 9.
Diagram 3 shows a creative variation
where the 5-9 combination is blocked
by the 8 ball but the nearby 6 ball provides a carom path for the 5 ball.
Although combination shots can be
difficult to execute, there is nothing
puzzling about them. You simply shoot
one object ball into another object ball
as if the first object ball was the cue
ball. Carom shots are not only difficult,
they are also a bit perplexing because of
the post-collision path of a rolling cue
ball. When a cue ball strikes an object
ball, the object ball follows a straight
line through the diameter of the point of
contact. The cue ball, however, travels
along an arc that is determined by the
initial cue ball speed and the percent of
contact with the object ball. Diagram 4
shows the paths of both balls for a halfball hit. As a result of this, you can’t use
the tangent line to judge a carom shot
unless you happen to be positioned for a
stun shot. In most cases, the carom is
shot with a rolling cue ball. Therefore, a
successful carom shooter is required to
know the “effective” cue ball angle as a
function of the percent of contact with
an object ball. Table A shows this relationship.
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
Diagram 3
54-April-2007
3/6/07
12:13 PM
Page 23
Now to the point of my title,
“Complementary Caroms.” A close
look at the unique angles in Table
A shows that for every cue ball
angle resulting from a fat hit, there
is a thin hit that produces the same
cue ball angle. For example, a 24degree cue ball angle can be created with either a thin hit of 19%
contact or a fat hit of 80% contact.
If a smaller cue ball angle is
required, then a contact of either
11% or 85% results in a cue ball
angle of 19 degrees. Many times,
the location of adjacent balls will
require either a thin hit carom or a
fat hit carom. It’s also interesting to
note that the maximum angle of a
rolling cue ball is 33 degrees from
its initial line of travel. This maximum angle occurs at 45% object
ball contact (33 degree object ball
angle) and at 60% object ball contact (24 degree object ball angle).
The next time you attempt a
carom shot with a rolling cue ball,
remember that you have two
options for the shot. Use this table
for your shot selection until you
develop a “feel” for the deflection
of a rolling cue ball that results
from these complementary carom
shots.t
Diagram 4
% Contact
1%
11%
19%
40%
45%
60%
65%
80%
85%
96%
Cue Ball Angle
60
190
240
320
330
330
320
240
190
60
Having worked in a poolroom his
last two years of high school, Steve was
already an accomplished player before
entering
Purdue
University’s
Indianapolis campus, where he won the
campus 14.1 championship his freshman
year. He won again his sophomore and
junior years after transferring to Miami
University of Ohio where he spent the
next five years earning his B.S. and M.S.
in physics. Mr. Crutchfield has taught
college physics as an adjunct professor.
Returning to the game that he loves in
1998, Steve joined the APA 9-ball
league, where he is a skill level 8 and
was MVP in his district in 2001.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:17 AM
Page 24
“Dynamic Duo”
Dominates
Breedlove and Lee Take Easy Skins Billiards
Victory
by Sally P. Timko
”
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:19 AM
Page 25
By anyone’s standards, the Skins Billiards Championship event was a blowout. The husband-and-wife team of George Breedlove and Jeanette Lee
could’ve been playing against anyone and it wouldn’t have made a difference. The fact that they were up against Johnny Archer and Jennifer Barretta
mattered not one whit to them.
“We actually played pretty good,” affirmed Breedlove after the match.
“We only missed one or two shots—and they were tough shots, ones that
there was no safe, you had to go for it. I thought we did pretty good. I definitely didn’t think that it was going to be that lopsided.”
In fact, the event was so lopsided that the Breedlove/Lee team walked
away with the entire prize purse of $40,000. Together they were an unstoppable force at the February 10 event, held in conjunction with the Texas
Hold ‘Em Billiards Championship, which took place directly after the Skins
match.
Allen Hopkins and Billiards International, Ltd., teamed up again to
make the Skins Billiards Championship happen, and their sponsors included Olhausen Billiards Manufacturing Inc., Aramith, RST2 International,
Original Italian Slate, Viking Cues, Ozone Billiards, Silver Cup Chalk
Inc., and Iwan Simonis. The host location, the Basketball Hall of
Fame in Springfield, MA, was packed with enthusiastic pool fans
from all over the Northeast.
The event changed its format this year to scotch doubles, but
otherwise it was similar. It was a 12-game match with 4 skins possible. To win a skin, a team had to notch three games in a row. Money
from games not won was carried over from skin to skin, and there was
a sudden-death playoff for any remaining skins after the last rack. The teams
alternated the breaks, and team members alternated shots.
It was possible, of course, that neither team would win three games in
a row throughout the match and that it would come down to a $40,000 onegame tiebreaker. But that didn’t happen. Breedlove broke first and came up
empty: Archer and Barretta cleared the table. Archer broke and made the 9
ball, which made two games in a row for them.
And that … was that. So powerful was the Breedlove/Lee team, they
did not allow their opponents more than one rack after those first two. They
collected the first skin, worth $7,000, after winning the fifth rack when
Barretta scratched. They immediately racked up the next skin for $10,000
by scoring the following three games after another foul by Barretta.
A safety battle came up in the ninth rack that saw Lee leave Breedlove
a tough shot on the 5 ball. Without missing a beat, Breedlove lined up the
B
Comedian Frank Del Pizzo was the tournament director for both the Skins
Billiards and the Texas Hold 'Em Championships, and his professional
demeanor was appreciated by all.
Sporting a new ‘do, Johnny Archer studies the table carefully before making his shot selection.
s
ory
ko
New mom Jennifer Barretta sizes up the situation on the table.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:22 AM
Page 26
Archer scratches his head over a difficult leave while discussing what to do
next with his teammate.
A smile graces the lips of “The Black Widow” as
she prepares to shot her next shot.
George Breedlove grins as he sees where his
teammate left him.
bank and made it smoothly. “Oh, is that how it’s done?” Lee asked with a smile
and touched hands with her husband—a ritual they performed throughout the
match. A missed jump shot on the 2 ball by Barretta gave the next rack to
Breedlove and Lee, and then the husband-and-wife team broke and ran the next
game to win $16,000. “That’s a lot of money for one ball!” exclaimed Lee.
There was only $6,000 left to be divvied up at this point, and when Archer
scratched, giving the Breedlove/Lee team that game, it looked as though there
might be no contest. But a missed 1 ball by Breedlove—his first and only miss of
the event—meant that the next rack went to Archer and Barretta, bringing on the
one-game tiebreaker.
Archer and Breedlove lagged for the final break, and the latter won, which
meant that Lee broke. Thing were going well for the team until Lee hooked
Breedlove for the 4 ball. “I love you!” she cried apologetically. But again,
Breedlove seamlessly kick-banked in the 4 without thinking twice about it, causing great excitement within the crowd. Left with few options, Lee played safe on
the 5, which Archer kicked in to more screams from the audience. But Barretta
wobbled the 6 ball, and Breedlove and Lee cleared the rest of the balls from the
table, earning the entire $40,000 for their outstanding performance.
Barretta, who was accompanied by her husband, Rick, and their newborn
baby, Max, gave her point of view: “The pressure of Johnny Archer—like I have
to perform, you know what I mean? That makes it tough. And the thing is, I didn’t really have shots. Everything was a kick, a jump. Which I should come with,
but you don’t always, especially when you lose the momentum. It was just a rough
set, and missing that last ball, which I totally should have made—that was just the
icing on the cake.”
“We really didn’t practice,” said Breedlove regarding the team’s incredible
rapport. “I have been hitting balls—I mean, not a lot, but an hour here and there—
but with the format, there seems like there’s so much less pressure when you’re
alternating shots. You know how people say that there’s more pressure in individual sports? That’s for sure. There’s no doubt. There will be a lot more pressure
here in the next one coming up.”t
To view an extensive online photo gallery of the Skins Billiards
Championship, please visit www.InsidePOOLmag.com.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:24 AM
Page 27
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:26 AM
Page 28
Simple Strategy
Pays Off for Archer
Victory at Texas Hold ‘Em
Billiards Championship
by Sally P. Timko
J
Johnny Archer might not have been dealt a great hand
from the start, but his luck on the river brought him
through to the winner’s circle with style. “I’ve played
better before, but I’ve played worse before. I know I got
the rolls—it wasn’t that I outplayed everybody. I played
decent, but John [Schmidt] played good. I ran out when
I got the chance.”
Thus spoke Archer, that master of modesty, right
after winning the Texas Hold ‘Em Billiards
Championship February 10. He entered the finals as a
wild card, having been eliminated in the semifinal
round by Corey Deuel, and though he had the smallest
amount of chips to start with, he ultimately proved that
he has the biggest heart.
This was the second Texas Hold ‘Em event, which
is put on by Billiards International, Ltd., and Allen
Hopkins. Hosted by the Basketball Hall of Fame in
Springfield, MA, it was held in conjunction with the
Skins Billiards Championship, which was directly
beforehand. Sponsors included Olhausen Billiard
Manufacturing Inc., Aramith, RST2 International,
Original Italian Slate, Viking Cues, Iwan Simonis, and
Silver Cup Chalk.
Only eight players were invited to participate and
put up the hefty $5,000 entry fee: Archer, Schmidt,
Corey Deuel, George Breedlove, Jeanette Lee, Jennifer
Barretta, Rodney Morris, and Luc Salvas. Everyone
received $125,000 in chips to start out with in the semifinal matches, which featured four players, with only
the top two chipleaders from each advancing to
the finals.
Every match consisted of 12-16 racks, with 4
games to a round. With every round, the ante amount
required from each player went up until gradually players had to go “all in” because they did not have the
amount required. If they won that round, they stayed
alive, but if not, they were eliminated.
Luck and Talent Prevail
The arena at the Basketball Hall of Fame was crowded with eager spectators, and ESPN was on hand to tape the event, which will be aired in April.
Fresh off his triumph in the Skins Billiards event, George Breedlove started
off the first semifinal match, but it was Barretta who took the first real advantage when Morris missed a bank in the third rack—any miss resulted in ball
in hand for the incoming player. She cleared that rack and then notched the
first break and run-out, winning two in a row.
The alternating-break format, though, made sure that if a player was to
get a strong foothold in the chip totals, it would be a combination of luck and
talent that did so. Morris might have been strong in the latter department, but
the element of luck was not with him in Springfield. Other than winning the
second rack, he never got to shoot at a ball again, putting him out in the
thirteenth game.
But Breedlove’s freewheeling style suited the aggressive format to a T,
and though at the end of the twelfth rack things were fairly even for him,
Schmidt, and Barretta, he won the following game, which had a huge pot of
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:28 AM
Page 29
$180,000 in chips. This ousted Morris, who was all in, and put
Barretta in the same predicament in the next round. Schmidt
came up empty on his last break, and next up was Barretta;
unfortunately for her, she missed an easy 1 ball, and Breedlove
dished up, advancing with Schmidt to the finals.
Archer and the speedy Salvas dominated the first four
games of the second semifinal match, but Lee got her opening
when the Canadian missed the 2 ball in the fifth rack. “On the
board—yeah!” she exclaimed after clearing the table. Her
supreme confidence lasted throughout the match, which
seemed to be filled with empty breaks, scratches, and misses.
Midway through, Deuel took a commanding lead by winning three racks in a row, taking his chip total to $235,000,
over $100,000 higher than the next in line. When Salvas badly
missed the 8 ball in the twelfth rack, Lee cleaned up and put
Salvas on the defensive in the next game, forcing him all in.
He never got the chance to shoot, as Archer scratched on the
break and Deuel cleared the table. Now Deuel’s total was a
whopping $340,000, with Lee at $120,000 and Archer all in
at $40,000.
“Rocket” Rodney Morris didn’t get too many chances at
the table and was all in by the thirteenth rack.
Poke and Hope!
Triumph escaped Jeanette Lee in this event, though she
played well yet again.
George Breedlove made it to the finals with the most
chips but was the first to go.
Flummoxed when Deuel came up empty on his next break, Lee
studied the table and announced, “The Black Widow’s famous
‘Poke and Hope’ shot,” but despite hope, nothing dropped. Archer
turned the tables by running out the rack and staying alive, but he
was all in again after Lee won the next game. He broke in the following game but ended up giving ball in hand to Deuel because he
didn’t have a shot after the break. A couple of balls later, though,
Deuel hooked himself behind the 9 ball for the 6 and fouled, leaving a 6-9 combo. It didn’t go for Lee, who was up next, but Archer
pocketed it, keeping his head above water yet again.
Deuel broke and ran the following rack, which had a pot worth
$90,000 per player, putting him far in the lead with $390,000. “So
all I gotta do is break and run out and everything will be okay?” Lee
asked as she approached the table next, knowing she was in danger.
“I did it last time—I can do it again.” After a tremendous jump shot
on the 1 ball, she ended up out of line on the 7 and missed, giving
the table to Archer, who sank the remaining balls. Because Archer
only had $30,000 in chips, he only collected that much from Lee and
Deuel. But because he had more chips than Lee when Deuel won the
last rack to take the entire $500,000 worth of chips, Archer was
pushed forward to the finals as a wild card with $100,000 in chips.
“I told John … it don’t take but for us to stay in there, win a
couple of games, catch up with the third guy, and then kind of
stymie the last guy,” Archer explained his strategy of going into the
finals with the smallest amount of chips. “Then us slow guys can
come up.”
It was a simple strategy, but it worked like a charm. With
Archer the low man on the totem pole and Schmidt with only
$165,000 in chips against Breedlove’s $335,000 and Deuel’s
$500,000, it seemed a daunting task to take on at first. Especially
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:30 AM
Page 30
since Archer started off by missing the 2 ball in the first rack,
passing the game to Schmidt. The current U.S. Open champ
emerged to dominate, slowly building his chip count up to
$500,000 by the twelfth rack. Archer and Deuel were still in
good shape, but Breedlove came up empty on two breaks and
scratched on another one. Without winning a single game or
even really getting to shoot, he was all in by the eleventh rack
and out after the next, which Schmidt broke and ran.
Deuel was the next to say farewell, as his chip count was
down to $80,000 and the rules, beginning with the thirteenth
game, stated that the pot value would be equal to the sum of the
short stack amount from each player. Even though Deuel broke
in that rack, he missed getting position on the 4 ball and ended
up giving ball in hand to the incoming Archer, which sealed
his fate.
With only Archer and Schmidt left, one had to be all in at
all times. Archer, after ousting Deuel, had $940,000 in chips,
while Schmidt had $160,000. But in an incredible two-game
swing, it was then Schmidt who was playing for the win. He had
his fate in his own hands but got out of line on the 9 ball, left
himself on the rail, and missed. With ball in hand on the 9 ball,
Archer was able to win that game easily but lost the next when
he missed a 2-9 combo. All in with $360,000 in chips, Schmidt
approached the table for his final break and scratched—Archer
calmly picked through the rack and cleared the table to win the
$25,000 grand prize.
Jennifer Barretta had one of the toughest outs throughout the entire event, and she came through with flying
colors.
Speedy Canadian Luc Salvas eagerly watches the balls
to see how they will end up.
Teammates with Schmidt and Archer at last year’s
Mosconi Cup, Corey Deuel had his event ended by
giving Archer ball in hand.
Reigning U.S. Open champion John Schmidt went in
with a small stack of chips and came out with second
place. Not too shabby!
Schmidt, who collected $12,000 for second place, was
philosophical about the missed 9 ball. “Well, I was on the rail—
really the shot that I hit bad was the eight. I hit the eight with not
enough left, and I almost scratched, and that left my cue ball on
the rail on the nine. And of course in the tournament you don’t
want a tough shot. It wasn’t really as easy as it looked. I mean,
of course I’d like to shoot it again, but I’m gonna miss that
sometimes, and that’s probably the easiest nine ball I’ve missed
in an important spot in eight years. I don’t miss a lot of nine
balls, so I’m bummed about that, but what are you gonna do?”
“This could actually be my day, because it’s the way the
tournament goes,” said Archer afterward regarding the unusual
format. “Things can turn around really quickly. All you can do
is just try to run out when you can.”
Simple but effective.t
To view an extensive online photo gallery of the Texas Hold ‘Em
Billiards Championship, please visit www.InsidePOOLmag.com.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:34 AM
Page 31
54-April-2007
3/6/07
4:35 AM
Page 32
Rec Room Requisites
01
Prestige Series
Rec Room Requisites
Complete your rec room by showcasing these
rare and beautiful cues from McDermott’s topof-the-line Prestige Series, made from handselected premium woods including birdseye
maple, East Indian rosewood, African ebony,
and Mexican bacote. Intricate patterned inlays
adorn the forearms and sleeves with materials
like genuine blue sapphire, lizard-embossed
black leather, South American purpleheart,
mother of pearl, 24-karat gold medallions, and
embossed rings. McDermott Prestige Cues are
numbered limited editions of 100. Visit
www.mcdermottcue.com or call 800-666-2283
for ordering information.
03
“The Hustler” Shadowbox
Mueller Recreational Products offers movie memorabilia for the billiard
lover! Add to your favorite room and relive the classic billiard movie
moments you enjoy from “The Hustler.” This framed piece combines original movie photographs from Hollywood, real pool cues, and real pool balls
that are diamond cut for the cleanest edge. These items are cut and mounted on acid-free matting that will not discolor from heat, sunlight, or humidity. A laser-engraved plate names the movie and the actors. To order, log
onto www.poolndarts.com, or call Mueller’s at 800-627-8888.
02
Vintage Charleston
The Vintage Charleston is a reproduction by
Champion Shuffleboard of an original design from
the 1940s. Handcrafted in maple, its art deco
styling includes classic period elements like inlaid
mirror detailing along the cradle, stainless steel
runners down the legs, and luxurious red vinyl
liners. And then, of course, there’s the Champion
playfield, made from the finest Canadian maple
and finished with Champion’s Lifetime Polymer
surface. To order, call 800-826-7856, or visit
www.championshuffleboard.com.
04
Game Room Tables and Accessories
Create the perfect game room for a lifetime of
fun in your home with Game Room Collection
Pool Tables and Accessories from Olhausen
Billiard Manufacturing, Inc®. You’ll be delighted with the craftsmanship and attention to detail
that goes into every Olhausen® gameroom furniture piece. Call 800-866-4606 for an authorized dealer near you, or go online to
www.olhausenbilliards.com.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
2:18 PM
Page 33
Helping to keep the historical English game of
darts alive, RAM Gameroom Products introduces their Bullseye Dart Board Cabinet. This
wood cabinet holds most standard dartboards
and adds a stylish accent to any gameroom
area. For more information, please call
888-876-2931, or visit their website at
www.ramgameroom.com (dealers only, please).
07
Spectator Chairs
Sit on it! These sturdy spectator chairs are
perfect for home use or casual commercial
settings. Offered in four different styles at great
prices, these chairs are available exclusively
from CueStix International. Call 800-645-9803,
or visit www.cuestix.com for ordering
information. Dealers only, please.
06
Tip Pik
Ask for the Classic Tip Pik at your favorite retailer
or online source. It encompasses solid construction
of brass and stainless steel using over 40 needle
sharp pins for tip perforation and chalk retention.
The Tip Pik is the only tool in the industry that
offers an unconditional lifetime warranty. Buy
yours online at www.BilliardsExpress.com, or
dealers please contact Scott Long at 800-540-1761,
extension 204.
Rec Room Requisites
05
Bullseye Dart Board Cabinet
08
Deluxe Eight-Cue Wall Rack
This deluxe eight cue wall rack from Rockwell
Billiards comes in four finishes and is crafted from
high-quality American red oak, birch, or maple
wood. It includes storage for eight cues, cone
chalk, and balls. It also comes equipped with a
four-person score counter. This pool cue rack is
easy to assemble, and the suggested retail price is
$199.95 but is on sale for $169.95. To order, contact Rockwell Billiards at 877-231-1426, or log
onto www.rockwellbilliards.com.
54-April-2007
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09
Goal-Flex™ Hockey Table
Rec Room Requisites
This next-generation table from DMI Sports
is the first truly “high tech” hockey table.
Goal-Flex uses motion-detecting LED light
bars to set goal movement and size. Also, the
console unit contains a computer capable of
running more than 180 game variations, so
now players can program goals to change in
size or move during play. Goal-Flex
technology is also available on DMI’s
American Legend line of soccer tables. For
ordering information, contact DMI Sports at
800-423-3220, or visit their website at
www.dmisports.com.
11
Deluxe Spectator Chair
10
Poker Pool Games
Poker Pool integrates a variety of new games,
including Stud Poker, Blackjack, Rummy, and
more. The 15 Poker Pool balls have been
imprinted with 4 faces onto the ball by using
VIGMA’s patented, high-resolution HTD
technology, providing card-game styles of pool
games. Poker Pool Games is presented in a case
that can also be used as a scoring case and is easy
to carry. To order, log onto www.vigma.com.
The graceful styling and clean architecture help make the
Santa Fe table by DLT Billiards a true standout. Constructed
of select maple wood, its streamlined cabinet and sturdy legs
combine simplicity and beauty. The extra-wide profile rails
come standard with genuine mother of pearl/abalone doublediamond sights. Featuring a two-tone finish in black/natural,
the Santa Fe matches virtually any decor. The one-inch slate
comes in three pieces. The suggested retail price for the
Santa Fe is $4,295. For ordering information, please contact
DLT International at 888-782-2208, or visit their website at
www.dltbilliards.com.
This deluxe spectator chair in a natural oak finish is the perfect place to relax while
watching your opponent miss a critical shot. Coasters in the arms hold your beverage
of choice, and notches in the arms make safe places to lean your cues. The curved
seat and backrest, plus the footrest, make this chair exceedingly comfortable.
Available through CueSight.com, this chair regularly retails for $200 but is now on
sale for only $160. To order, please call 877-CUESIGHT.
12
Santa Fe
54-April-2007
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Snooker Snot Cue Conditioner is possibly the best silicone based
shaft conditioner on the market. Simply apply 3-5 drops of
Snooker Snot to the shaft of your cue and instantly remove the oil
and debris that keeps you from getting the stroke that you want.
Snooker Snot leaves you with a non-greasy, cue-smith smooth
shaft. One bottle offers approximately 150 applications. Best of all,
with customer satisfaction in mind, Snooker Snot offers a full
money-back guarantee if their product does not meet your
expectations. Visit them today at Snookersnot.com.
If you always wanted your home bar room complete with
the look and feel of the bars that charge you for every
draft, be sure to include the Merit Megatouch Gametime.
Merit’s Gametime is the home version of the ubiquitous
touch-screen games we’ve all played at the bar. It sits
comfortably on any home bar, counter, or table. The
Gametime comes with over 100 games, including classics like Photo Hunt, Tri-Towers, and Trivia Whiz, but
also adds new hits like Monkey Bash, Sudoku, and Texas
Hold ‘Em. For home use, Merit has added educational
content from BrainQuest. Learn more at
www.megatouchgametime.com.
15
Billiard Aim Trainer™
The BAT™ is the world’s first pool trainer that
teaches the “three-cut system” of billiards, as
opposed to the “ghost ball” system taught by
other aiming tools. This product uses a combination of references to show the player the
exact cue ball path for targeting, the degree of
the angle, the contact point, and exactly how
much of the object ball needs to be cut. The
product is fully endorsed by Allison Fisher .
The BAT™ comes with a hard-shell carrying
case, key chain, and a 40-page instructional
booklet. To order, call 877-356-2110, or visit
www.BilliardAimTrainer.com.
16
Rec Room Requisites
14
13
Snooker Snot
Merit Megatouch Gametime
Carsten
The A.E. Schmidt Carsten is a pool table
like no other. The innovative pool table
doubles as a dining room table and is
modern and elegant with clean lines and
a simple design. It is a regulation 7-foot
pool table, measuring 53” by 94”, and is
different than other dining pool tables on
the market because people can pull their
chairs up to the table comfortably as
they would with a normal dining table.
Call 800-325-9676 or visit
www.aeschmidtbilliards.com to learn
how A.E. Schmidt can create the perfect
table for your home.
17
The Tiger Paw® Cue Holder
Machined from high-quality, aircraft-grade billet aluminum, the Tiger
Paw® Cue Holder is flexible enough to accommodate all gameroom
tables, regardless of shape. The Tiger Paw® Cue Holder is anchored by
a heavy-duty and highly polished brass center. The bottom is lined with
vinyl pads to keep it securely in place, and the arms are lined with topquality leather to protect your cues from marks and scratches. All you
need to do is set the Tiger Paw® on your table top and open the arms.
To get yours today, call 800-5-TIGER-5, or visit their website at
www.tigerproducts.com.
Rec Room Requisites
54-April-2007
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4:43 AM
18
Diamond Pro-Am
Page 36
Diamond Billiard Products is pleased to
introduce the new Diamond Pro-Am for the
finest billiard halls and homes around the
world. Featuring Dymondwood rails, this table
is burn and dent resistant and also has a unique
“no-lift” leveling system. The table also has a
bi-level pocket design, a quiet and fast ball
return, and a one-piece, 1-inch-thick premiumgrade slate. To order, call Diamond Billiard
Products, Inc. at 812-288-7665, or visit
www.diamondbilliardproducts.com.
19
Eight Ball Cue Rack
A new and unique product from Trader Ridge, this cue rack complements any décor and can be placed anywhere for use during play
or used for display and storage. The Eight Ball Cue Rack accepts
up to nine cues and holds them individually, ready to use via its
unique pocket design. Molded as one piece, these racks are tough,
durable, and look great in any setting. The suggested retail price is
$89.95, plus shipping and handling. For ordering information, contact Trader Ridge LLC at 507-359-3291, or visit them online at
www.traderridge.com.
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Enhance your table and your enjoyment with Simonis cloth,
the truest-playing cloth made. Woven with a centuries-old
tradition of quality, Simonis cloth’s flat, flawless service
provides unmatched ball control for maximum accuracy and
consistent play. Simonis cloth helps both professionals and
casual players play their best—and that means more playing
enjoyment. For more information, call 800-SIMONIS or
visit www.simoniscloth.com.
21
The Twister
Perform amazing massé shots and incredible swerves
with ease with this essential new cue accessory for
amateurs and pros alike. The TWISTER™ is a new
product that slips over the tip of the cue stick and,
with a little practice, enables pool players of all abilities to play some of the most amazing shots in pool
today—the massé and the swerve. It can also be used
for all sorts of other shots—top spin, back spin, and
more. The TWISTER™ is available from CueStix
and Cue & Case through authorized dealers. For further information, visit www.twistertip.com.
Rec Room Requisites
20
Simonis Cloth
54-April-2007
3/6/07
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Page 38
Luck and Skill
Are Both Good
to Have
Ga-Young Kim Employs Both
in WPBA Season Opener
by Sally P. Timko
Most professionals will freely admit that luck can come in handy at times. Since she turned pro in
2004, Ga-Young Kim has mainly relied on her firepower and tremendous shot-making ability to win
her the matches, and she firmly states in her official biography that it’s better to be good than lucky.
But at the Carolina Women’s Billiard Classic in Rocky Mount, NC, where she was facing Xiaoting
Pan in the finals, Kim was in a quandary. Hill-hill and hooked for the 4 ball, a little bit o’ luck was just
what she required to get her where she needed to be.
The Carolina Classic was the first event of the season for the Women’s Professional Billiard
Association (WPBA). Hosted by the Gateway Convention Center in Rocky Mount, NC, the tournament saw a number of significant upsets throughout that may instigate a changing of the guard.
Ones to Watch
A couple of surprising early exits, for example, included
Jennifer Chen and Jennifer Barretta going two and out. Chen lost
9-6 to Vivian Villareal and then a hill-hill nail-biter to Belinda
Calhoun, while 16th-ranked Barretta went out to Darlene
Stinson 9-5 and Joanne Ashton 9-6.
Morgan Steinman, InsidePOOL Magazine’s Amateur Player
of the Year for 2006, came out the winner of a hill-hill match
against number-three-ranked Kelly Fisher Thursday in a somewhat controversial match that saw Fisher’s last 8 ball ejected
from the pocket thanks to a projecting screw, according to the
Brit. Steinman went on through the field to make it to the final
16—she had played the always-tough Tiffany Nelson and lost 95, only to draw her in the first single-elimination round and be
sent home 9-3.
Another young player to have an exceptional tournament
was Canada’s Rachael Abbink, a long-time road player and an
infrequent face on the tour. Though the copper-tressed Abbink
lost her first match to idol Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee, she
resurfaced to win three matches before going home with 17th
place after being eliminated by Villareal, having earned another
tour point.
Ranked 22nd on the tour, Val Finnie of the U.K. was yet
another young up-and-comer who had a great event. After being
sent to the left side of the chart by Kim Shaw 9-7, she came out
the 9-5 winner of a tough match against the Northeast’s Pam
Treadway, bested Miyuki Sakai in a double-hill match, and then
eliminated fellow countrywoman Sarah Ellerby when Ellerby
hooked herself for the 4 ball and fouled in another hill-hill bout.
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She went on to the final 16 but was ousted unceremoniously by defending champion Karen Corr by a whopping 9-0 score.
Finnie’s road partner Kelly Fisher, who is ranked
number three on the tour, also made it to the top 16, winning over Ashton, Angel Pagia, and Helena Thornfeldt
in the one-loss side to meet up with Pan. She led in that
match to reach the hill first, only to foul on a jump shot
and allow Pan to make it 8-all. When Pan played safe on
the 2 ball in the final rack, Fisher was able to hit the ball
but left it open, and Pan cleared the table.
When it came down to the final 16 in the singleelimination format, oddly enough, the matches were
fairly one-sided. The WPBA’s top player, Allison
Fisher, eliminated fellow countrywoman Shaw 9-2,
while Hofstatter ended Ewa Laurance’s tournament 9-3.
Ga-Young Kim ousted Tracie Hines 9-1, and Corr
whitewashed Finnie 9-0. Villareal knocked out Lee 9-2,
and Nelson eliminated Steinman 9-3.
Kim White put up a fight against Monica Webb but lost 9-5, and Pan
and Fisher entertained the crowd with their hill-hill match that saw Pan
advance. The lopsided matches continued in the next round, with
Hofstatter unable to catch a break against Fisher, who reached the hill 80. At that point, “G-Force” put together a run but was still unable to avert
the inevitable, as Fisher finally swept past with a 9-5 win. Pan also dominated her match against Nelson and reached an 8-2 lead—she allowed
Nelson two more racks before crossing the finish line.
Both of the other two matches were about as close as they could be.
Kim and Webb fought tooth and nail, with the score seesawing to 7-all. A
safety on the 1 ball by Kim led to her reaching the hill, and then another
safety battle over the 4 ball gave Kim the last rack to win 9-7. The spirited Villareal and Corr were also at 7-all when Villareal made a bank on the
8 ball after a Corr safety to reach the hill. Then, with ball in hand in the
final rack, Villareal announced, “I can get out from here!” and she did,
winning 9-7.
Defending champion
Karen Corr was
stopped in her tracks
this year by Vivian
Villareal.
Atlanta ’s Monica Webb, ranked fourth on the WPBA, concentrates in
her match against Ga-Young Kim.
One
Step
Closer
A grueling hill-hill match against Nicole Albergaria
(née Mancini) led to victory and another tour point for
Canada’s Rachael Abbink at this event. She needed to win
two matches at the Carolina Classic to gain another tour
point and now only needs one more point to reach active
pro status. After a 9-3 loss to Jeanette Lee Thursday
evening, Abbink faced off against Gail Grecar Friday
morning at 10 a.m. and triumphed 9-3. Her next match
against Albergaria saw both players trade games as the
score seesawed to 6-5 Abbink. As Albergaria faltered,
Abbink took the hill with her soft break working in her
favor. A nice bank on the 7 ball put Albergaria one step
closer to the goal, and then a missed 6 ball by Abbink handed Albergaria another game. Albergaria made it a doublehill match when Abbink scratched on the 7 ball, leaving
only one game to decide the winner. Albergaria fired the
cue ball into the corner pocket on the last break, and after
trading innings several times throughout the game,
Albergaria left the door open by hanging the 5 ball. Abbink
calmly sized up the remaining balls and pocketed them
with aplomb, spearing in her final 9 ball for the win.
Abbink went on to win her next match against
Belgium snooker champ Wendy Jans in a fairly one-sided
battle that saw her dominate her opponent. Up 8-4, Abbink
made nothing on her break, but when Jans missed the
penultimate ball, Abbink was out like a flash. Her tournament ended against Vivian Villareal, who went on to take
fourth place in the event.
54-April-2007
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You Gotta Have Heart
The final four ladies returned Sunday afternoon for the
taped matches, with Fisher and Kim starting off the show. In
the first three games, Fisher only shot once—coming up dry
on the break, which immediately led to a 3-0 lead for Kim. A
rattled 1 by Fisher in the following rack gave Kim another
game, but the Brit got on the board in the next when Kim
scratched on the 5 ball, making it 4-1. Kim, playing her
incredibly aggressive game, took the next two racks in a row,
really putting the pressure on Fisher, who scratched on her
next break. It looked as if it might be over, but Kim underhit
the 2 ball and left it in the side pocket. Fisher cleaned up that
rack, but when Kim played safe on the 3 ball in the last rack,
Fisher fouled, and Kim dished up to win 7-2.
With the way Villareal was playing that week, it was
expected that her match with Pan would be closer than the
preceding semifinal. Villareal drew first blood in this match
after Pan missed a tough 8-9 combo down the rail, but soon
Pan surpassed her, taking advantage of Villareal’s unsuccessful attempts at defensive play.
Villareal came up empty on the break in the seventh rack,
and Pan cleared the table to reach the hill 6-1. But Pan
missed the 1 ball in the following rack, and Villareal was out,
claiming, “I’ve got too much heart!” A foul by Pan gave the
next rack to Villareal as well, but when Villareal pushed out
and left her opponent a shot, Pan took the ball and ran with it,
clearing the difficult layout to win the second semifinal 7-3.
Known to her many fans as “The Texas Tornado,”
Vivian Villareal is one of the most popular players
in the sport.
Tournament director Steve Tipton
watches carefully as Allison
Fisher attempts a dicey shot.
54-April-2007
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All-Asian Final Match Commences
It was a fight between China and Korea when Xiaoting Pan and Ga-Young Kim met in the finals—as tournament
director Steve Tipton put it, “The Asian Invasion is now in full force in North Carolina.” Tipton also praised the sheer
elegance of both ladies, which was striking.
The match was a complete seesaw battle from start to finish, unlike the two semifinals. Things started off excitingly enough when Kim, who won the lag, caromed into the 9 ball after making the 1, pocketing both.
From there the ladies traded racks one after another. Finally Pan reached the hill first with a sporty bank on the 6
ball with Kim still at 4, but the latter made it a double-hill thriller after two separate scratches by Pan handed Kim two
more racks. The final game was a lesson in excellent defense, with neither player gaining an inch. Going for the gusto,
Pan attempted a 3-9 combo, missing but leaving Kim hooked. Kim tried to play a kick-safe but ended up sending the
3 into the corner pocket and leaving herself no shot on the 4. She was forced to tie it up with the 6 ball, and Pan smartly played safe by putting the 4 behind the 6. She might’ve just forgotten that Kim had just kicked in a very difficult
shot on the 3. At any rate, Kim coolly one-rail kicked in the 4 with flair. Left with five balls on the table and the crowd
going absolutely wild, Kim was able to clean up, winning the final match 7-6.
Having come so far in such a short amount of time—she earned Rookie of the Year in 2006—to end up in second
place, Pan was visibly disappointed. Kim, on the other hand, was thrilled to add another title to her resume. She
thanked her sponsors, the crowd, and her friends and family in the ceremony afterward, adding, “I love them so much.
I’m really happy!”
Sponsors for this event included the
American Poolplayers Association, Mueller
Recreational Products, oZone Billiards, Iwan
Simonis, Cuetec Cues, and Brunswick Billiards.
Additionally, local sponsors included Stop &
Shop, Nashville Building Supply, Pizza Hut, RBC
Centura, Chick-fil-A, Eye Care Center of Rocky
Mount, and Texas Steakhouse and Saloon.t
Her graceful, elegant game won China ’s
Xiaoting Pan many fans in Rocky Mount, NC,
this year.
1st
2nd
3rd
5th
9th
Results
Ga-Young Kim
Xiaoting Pan
Allison Fisher
Vivian Villareal
Karen Corr
Tiffany Nelson
Monica Webb
Gerda Hofstatter
Kim Shaw
Ewa Laurance
Tracie Hines
Kim White
Morgan Steinman
Kelly Fisher
Jeanette Lee
Val Finnie
$13,500
$8,300
$5,400
$3,200
$2,200
To view an extensive online photo gallery of the Carolina Women’s
Billiard Classic, please visit www.InsidePOOLmag.com.
3/6/07
5:01 AM
Page 42
W
S
C
?
HAT'SINthe ASE
by
Sally P. Timko
WITC
Since his arrival on the American pool scene
almost two years ago, “Dynamite” Darren
Appleton has made a positive impression on
everyone he meets—with the exception, perhaps, of his unlucky opponents. He is personable, charming, and always ready with a smile.
Having been introduced to English 8-ball
pool at 15, he has now been playing pool for half
his life, as he is now 30 (“Getting old!”). His
cousin took Darren to pool events that he was
participating in, and it turned out that Darren had
a knack for the game. It must run in the family,
for not only does his cousin play recreationally,
but Darren’s brother Shane is in the top 16 in the
world at English 8-ball pool.
“The first time I entered [a tournament], I
managed to win it. That’s when I knew that I was
going to play pool. At the time, I was also boxing as well and I was very good at football. I
would’ve liked to have picked soccer, but
you’ve got to be very lucky to get the scouts and
getting picked up,” explained Darren about his
career choice.
Though he dominated the UK-based game,
he realized that there just was not a lot of money
in it and began branching out into American
pool. Despite the difference in size—English 8ball pool is played on 7-foot tables with smaller
baller and longer cues—he adjusted quite well.
Well enough, in fact, to take first place at the
BCA Men’s Grand Master event in 2006, a huge
win for an almost-unheard-of player from
Pontefract, West Yorkshire .
“Daz” was chosen to be on the International
Pool Tour and had a high finish with them, as
well as a fifth-place finish at the 2006 U.S. Open
9-Ball Championship and a second-place finish
on the Euro Tour.
For the past 18 months or so, Darren has
been traveling—he went all over Europe,
America , and the Philippines . He stated that he
is regarded as one of the top money players in
the world in his hometown, and obviously his
reputation preceded him to the States, for he
experiences trouble sometimes finding games.
“It’s difficult to go on the road looking for
money matches,” he verified. “I just like to set a
match up and play it, where players are looking
to steal all the time and looking for weight.”
Does he think a pool player can make a decent
living? “I think you can make a little bit of a living. Someone like me, who’s got a sponsor or a
backer, has got to travel around and you’ve got
WITC
WITC
54-April-2007
WITC
to be successful. Obviously it’s difficult for anyone.” Darren is sponsored
by www.WrightOnCue.com, as are his mates Karl Boyes and Mick Hill.
“I want to try to get to the top,” he explained, “but what I’m worried
about is that I’m pretty well known in the American terms, and I feel as
though I haven’t done anything yet—I haven’t won anything big. I finished
good in the U.S. Open and the IPT once, but I want to get to the same level
as Reyes, Johnny Archer, Strickland, and players like them.”
If you haven’t seen Darren play yet, there is no need to fear—unless
you’re a possible opponent. He is seriously considering uprooting from
West Yorkshire and moving to pool’s mecca, Florida , later in 2007.t
C
the
3/6/07
5:03 AM
?
Page 43
WITC
?
EQUIPMENT STATSEQUIPMENT STATSEQUIPMENT
WITC
54-April-2007
WITC
Darren Appleton
Playing Cue:
Weight:
Wrap:
Shaft:
Break Cues:
Tips:
Wrap:
Shafts:
Predator
19 ounces
Irish linen
Z Shaft
11.5 millimeters
Pro taper
Paul Mottey
jump/break cue
One phenolic,
one leather
Leather
12.5-12.75 ounces
Pro taper
Case:
Other:
Sterling black-brown leather
2 x 4 case with brass accents
The Protector (for breaking)
Fine-grit sandpaper
8 ball towel
54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:05 AM
Page 44
BY FRED AGNIR
CUE MAKER’S CORNER
Dennis Dieckman
Cue Builder
He doesn’t make cues. He builds them. Let’s get that straight. It’s a semantic difference, yes, but an important one.
A wish is made. Pudding is made. But a bridge is built. A house is built. A cue is built. The term “make” suggests
the transformation of tangible or intangible items into something different, often completely unrecognizable from
the individual item. However, the term “build” suggests the action of piecing together parts one by one to make a
whole, with the goal to build something that lasts. To understand the subtle difference in the words is to understand
the man. Welcome to the world of Dennis Dieckman, cue builder.
Building a Base
“When I build a cue, I’m also building a relationship,”
explained Dennis. He’s been building relationships with his
cues for over 30 years. So much so that with the network of
friendships he’s built with customers and students, he has the
fortune of being accommodated by his friends on his
global travels.
Dennis Dieckman grew up in Ann Arbor, MI. After a brief
stint at the University of Michigan, the draft took Dieckman to
Vietnam for 33 months. On his return, the G.I. bill gave him the
opportunity to return to the University, where he received a
degree in linguistics.
He is a lifelong pool and billiard enthusiast, often playing
Cowboy Billiards, a game combining pocketing and carom
skills. At the Michigan campus billiards room, Dennis met Carl
Conlon, a world-class three-cushion billiards player and former
Michigan football player. Carl traveled the world playing threecushion up until his passing in 1997. Dennis purchased a carom
cue with a wooden pin from Conlon. “It was the first two-piece
cue that I ever had in my hands that felt like a solid one-piece
cue,” said Dennis. Up until that point, he hadn’t found a twopiece cue that he wasn’t “aware of the joint” when he hit
with it.
Meeting Conlon piqued his interest in learning more about
three-cushion billiards. “I played a game of nine-ball, put the
nine-ball in the pocket, and scratched,” said Dieckman. “I literally did not play pool after that for another ten years.”
Meeting Conlon also piqued his interest in learning more
about building cues. In 1971, he purchased a lathe. “I bought a
wood lathe and started building cues,” said Dennis. “And they
sucked!” He started to do repair work on tips and ferrules, but
he knew he would eventually need something better.
W
Dennis also started the habit of buying wood. “I believe in
wood. I’m fortunate to come from Michigan, where there’s a lot
of good maple. That’s the only American wood suitable for
cues.” stated Dieckman emphatically. On a trip to purchase
wood in 1971, Dennis met Eddie Laube in Chicago. Eddie had
been in the process of getting out of the cue business and had
already sold his equipment to Frank “Sailor of Racine”
Stellman. Striking a great friendship, Dennis visited Laube several time over the next 18 months. Laube would describe to
Dennis how he built cues, showing to Dennis the various cue
parts that he still had. “I would be sitting at his kitchen table,
and he would have a parakeet on his shoulder while he was talking to me,” shared Dieckman.
Not able make a living at cues, Dennis found himself living in Nebraska and going to law school. A friend called him to
come back to Ann Arbor to run his new private gaming club.
Ever the free spirit, Dieckman dropped out of law school to help
out his friend. He made a deal with his friend that he would help
get things up and running, hire people, and take care of the operation for several months if the gaming club would buy him a
precision lathe. After nine months in 1979, Dennis left the gaming club, and the club honored its deal by purchasing a Logan
precision lathe for him.
R
54-April-2007
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Page 45
Dennis has met with several other cue builders along the
way, including Chicago’s Burton Spain and Ray Schuler, both
of whom have since passed. Dennis and Ray would have many
philosophical discussions on cues, as both were carom enthusiasts. “I also had dinner with Burton at every event that we
attended,” said Dennis. “We never talked cues. We both had too
many other interests to talk about.”
Dennis also visited Bert Schrager’s shop in California in
the late ‘70s. His travel through California gave Dennis the
opportunity to meet with U.S. billiard champions Allen Gilbert,
Harry Sims, and Frank Torres, to name a few.
Making a Living
In addition to trying his hand out at cues, Dennis was also
building custom chess and backgammon boards. “I discovered
I could hardly feed myself,” recalled Dennis. Fortunately, he
had a fall-back position: His first love was golf. He had previously worked for the Michigan University Golf Course. He
returned to the Michigan University Golf Course and eventually, in the next ten years, became a member of the Professional
Golfers Association (PGA) as a teaching club professional. He
was one of the early pioneers in the use of video as a
teaching tool.
Because the golf course closed for the winter, Dennis could
work on cues three or four months of the year. Golf also brought
him opportunities that would carry him across the country,
including stints in Ohio, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. As in
Michigan, he would run the golf course and teach lessons. In the
off season, he would return to Ann Arbor where his equipment
resided and would churn out cues. “I would burn fifty to sixty
hours a week building mostly billiard cues. I didn’t really know
what a pool cue was at the time,” revealed Dennis. “Mostly I
would be building on speculation.”
Eventually he left the golf profession. “I got tired of it,
working with fifty-year-old people acting like they were in high
school,” joked Dieckman. He again tried his had at cue building
full-time. He went back to Michigan and moved his equipment
into a house his friend Steve Titus was building. Steve would
eventually try his hands on the equipment and later went on to
partner with Allen McCarty to develop the Predator Cue.
One of a handful of cues
built for the Smithsonian,
below is the cue prior to assembly.
Building the Future
In 1994, Dennis finally purchased the home in which he
and his equipment currently reside. After buying the house, he
started to write. When he was teaching golf, he thought that
video instruction would be good for cue-building as well, so he
wrote instructional material and made videos. The videos have
proven successful, as he is now on his third edition.
Additionally, he has written a multitude of cue-building articles,
all of which he has made available on his website.
“I’m a teacher,” stated Dennis. He started to take in students soon after he bought the house. If a person wants to be a
cue maker, Dieckman has nothing for them. He reminds them
that he builds cues. Just like the Egyptians built the pyramids,
Dennis builds cues and he builds them to last. He instills that
idea into his students. He calls his cue-building course the
Cueniversity, a ten-day boot camp targeted to give a would-be
cue builder the hands-on knowledge to start his own business.
The course includes setting up and using the machines, learning
about wood, how to keep accounting, and even how to cook.
Dennis warns people who come to his course not to bring their
golf clubs or cue stick. There won’t be any time for playing.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:10 AM
Page 46
Some students stay longer than the ten days. “I
have apprentices in the shop now who come in and
spend several hours,” said Dieckman. “When they get
to a point where they think they know more than I do,
they move on. That’s how it goes.”
Students include cue builders from around the
globe, including Japan, Australia, Holland, and South
Africa. His U.S. students include the highly regarded
Dave Barenbrugge of Arizona. “What makes me
proud is that the people I’ve taught are building really
good cues. Some have surpassed me,” admitted
Dieckman. “I’m playing catch-up to them. They are
making me a better cue builder! When Dave
Barenbrugge calls and says that he figured out something and wants to tell me about it, I listen. That’s the
teacher learning something from the student.”
Ideally, Dieckman wants to build fewer and fewer
cues. That being said, he continues to build cue parts
for future assembly. At any time in his shop, he has
over a thousand shaft blanks and over three hundred
butt blanks hanging in various stages. “I make twenty
to thirty cues a year, so I have enough butt blanks that
I don’t have to build another one for ten years!”
That being said, he still buys wood. “The cost of
wood is always going to go up,” continued Dieckman.
“It’s like money in the bank, as far as I’m concerned,
because it’s never going to get any cheaper.” A selfprofessed sucker for wood, if any of his friends tell
him about a good deal on wood, he’s off and running
to purchase some. He still has boards that he purchased over 25 years ago.
Making Friends,
Building Relationships
His cues reflect his philosophy, his character, and
his personality. Although he started with building
carom cues only, he also builds pool cues. He offers
several standard joint configurations and is one of the
few cue builders who can offer a traditional wooden
joint pin seen in carom cues. He also is one of the earliest users of the G10 glass-reinforced epoxy pin that
has recently been gaining popularity. He doesn’t add
any metal to the cues apart from a metal joint pin. And
Dennis Dieckman doesn’t and will never use ivory. As
a devotee to wood, he also stays away from inlaying
minerals and gemstones.
“My cues are my children,” he stated. “I don’t
want to put them in the hands of child molesters.” He
has turned down customers who intend to resell his
cues and those who have committed the ultimate sin:
purposefully snapping one of his cues.
“I only sell cues to people I like,” he continued.
“They’re customers, yes, but they’re also friends. If I
sell a cue to a new customer, I’m starting a friendship.
I’m building a relationship.
“My cues don’t define who I am,” averred
Dennis. “But cue-building is a medium that has
allowed me to meet wonderful people and to build
relationships.” The cues may not define him, but they
are part of him. They are part of the friendships that he
has built and part of the reputation he has built. He is
Dennis Dieckman, builder of cues.t
illustration by Jorge Rubio
47_0407.pdf
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2:41 PM
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54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:16 AM
Page 48
On Board With the BCA
Change is
Gonna Come
by Rob Johnson, BCA Executive Director
I
If you heard the news already about the
changes at the Billiard Congress of
America, you are probably wondering what
precipitated the change. The BCA
conducted a landmark study of its business
members in hopes of getting some frank
feedback that would be useful in setting the
strategic direction of the organization in the
future.
I am pleased to report that the response
rate to our survey was very high. This
certainly indicates that the members have a
genuine interest in their trade organization.
It also means we can trust the responses
because all member types responded at
statistically significant levels.
“So what did they say?” Across the
board, our membership clearly stated a
desire for the BCA to emphasize marketing,
research, strategic planning, and corporate
services to directly aid in the improvement
of their businesses.
Meeting those needs is a tall order, one that
the Board of Directors and I realized we
needed assistance with. The board
determined the best way to meet these needs
is through a partnership with a firm that
brings to the table a particular expertise in
association management and member
benefit fulfillment. The name of the firm the
board selected to help with this is Meeting
Expectations.
Meeting Expectations is an exciting,
energetic, and strategic firm with years of
experience helping organizations just like
ours provide enhanced services to
association members. By combining their
skill and energy with the team I am moving
to our new headquarters offices in the
Denver area, I know we will have the
ingredients to make the BCA more
beneficial to all our members and a powerful
tool for the industry in general.
We have already begun the process of
gathering information on the industry and
consumer perceptions of the billiard
industry. We’ll be presenting information
gathered from our consumer survey at the
International Billiard & Home Recreation
Expo in June. Visit www.bca-expo.com
regularly for more information on this
seminar, featured guest speakers, and
special events we are planning. We’re
excited about all the new prospects that
these changes will bring and expect to carry
the concept “it’s a whole new game” to all
new heights throughout 2007.
This is just the beginning. Our team is
energized and ready to develop and deliver
new and improved services from the BCA.
You will also witness the transformation of
BCA into an even more responsive and
more strategic organization. In the
meantime, keep your head down and
follow through!
me
54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:19 AM
Page 49
INDUSTRYNEWS
54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:21 AM
Page 50
INDUSTRY NEWS
VIKING CUE
JUNIOR 9-BALL
TOUR
The Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour, the
largest and longest-running open regional
tour in the U.S., with over $90,000 in added
prize money each year, announced the creation of another 9-ball tour bearing the
Viking Cues brand name as the title sponsor: the Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour. This
new tour compliments their other tours,
which are the Viking Cue Open, Ladies,
and Amateur 9-Ball Tours.
The new Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball
Tour will cater to all players in four divisions (19 & under boys, 14 & under boys,
19 & under girls and 14 & under girls) and
will consist of up to eight 9-ball tournaments with four divisions each that will be
sanctioned by the Billiard Education
Foundation (BEF). All events are qualifiers
for the BEF's Junior National 9-Ball
Championships, with the winner receiving
an entry into the BEF's Junior National 9Ball Championships. Additionally, the winners of each 19 & under boys and 19 &
under girls events will receive a brand new
Viking cue.
There will be no Viking Cue 9-Ball
Tour card fees for the junior division; however, all participants must be members of
the BEF, which has an annual membership
of only $15. Participants can purchase their
BEF membership cards at any of the Viking
Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour events. Additional
fees will only be $5 for table time per player at each event.
The Viking Cue Open 9-Ball Tour also
offers another benefit to junior players age
17 and under: Junior and non-professional
women players receive free entries and tour
cards into all of the Open Tour events. The
new Junior Tour events have been strategically scheduled to coincide with Viking
Tour Open events so that all participants
can take advantage of both programs.
BENEFITS FOR
2007 BEF JUNIOR BILLIARDS
1. Annual Membership Fee: $15.00
2. Junior Billiards Membership Card
Upon completing and returning the application form, each new member will receive a
Junior Billiards membership card. Payment
must be directed to: Billiard Education
Foundation, PO Box 818, Lafayette, CO
80026. Membership applications must be
filled out completely to ensure prompt processing.
3. BEF Academic All-American Awards
& Increased Scholarship Opportunities
Junior billiards members can apply for the
BEF Academic All-American Awards (3.5
GPA) and be the first to receive the BEF
Academic Scholarship Program application
for the opportunity to compete for thousands of dollars in college scholarships.
4. Eligibility
a. All BEF junior billiards members are eligible to compete in any BEF Junior
National Qualifier throughout the year.
b. Members who place first at the Junior
National Qualifier will earn entry to the
2007 BEF Junior National 9-Ball
Championships.
c. Junior National finalists will compete for
a position on Team USA to represent the
U.S. at the 2007 World Pool-Billiard
Association
(WPA)
Junior World
Championships. To be eligible, players
must not turn 19 prior to December 31,
2006.
d. All Junior billiards members are eligible
to compete in any junior league.
e. All junior billiards members competing
in a junior league and completing four
weeks of play are eligible to compete in the
BEF Junior Nationals through a league
operator appointment.
If.all players, other than registered
league winners, must qualify through a
local BEF Junior National Qualifier in
order to earn entry into the BEF Junior
National Championships and must become
members of the BEF Junior Billiards
Program.
g.Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to be junior
billiards members and compete in the junior
billiards events, including the Junior
National 9-Ball Championships, if they
reside permanently in North America. They
are not eligible to be members of Team
USA nor to compete in the WPA Junior
World Championships supported by the
Billiard Congress of America.
LARRY NEVEL
JOINS TIGER TEAM
Tiger Products is pleased to welcome a
new team member, top pro player Larry
Nevel, as a player representative. The 32year-old Beloit, WI, resident stated, “I am
very happy and see a very bright future for
this relationship.” He added, “I am very
impressed by the overall playability of Tiger
cues and the Tiger X laminated shaft.”
Some of Larry’s career highlights
include being the 2006 Southern Classic
One-Pocket champion, the 2005 Carolinas
Open 9-Ball champion, the 2003 Derby City
Classic All-Around champion, 2002 Viking
Tour National champion, and the 2000
Wisconsin State champion.
Established in Canoga Park, CA, in
1988, Tiger Products is the leading U.S. manufacturer of specialty laminated billiards
products and accessories. Tiger brand laminated cue tips, including the Sniper; Everest;
Tiger Jump/Break; and Tiger Soft, Medium,
and Hard, are known throughout the world as
some of the best. Look for the recently introduced Tiger Professional Cue Series. For
more information on their products, visit
their
website
at
http://www.tigerproducts.com.
COREY HARPER NEW
HOUSE PRO FOR
BLUE MARBLE
BILLIARDS
To help promote and market their new
Internet venture, Blue Marble Billiards (
www.bluemarblebilliards.com) has welcomed pro pool player Corey Harper as their
official house pro and player representative.
Some of Corey’s recent highlights include
being the IPT North American Open 8-Ball
Qualifier Winner, United States player representative at the 2004 WPA World Pool
Championships in Chinese Taipei, and runner-up for the 2003 UPA Pro Tour Rookie of
the Year.
54-April-2007
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Page 51
Located in foothills of beautiful
Pasadena, CA, Blue Marble Billiards was
created as a labor of love. With 20 years in
the game, their extensive industry experience fostered the need for an Internet vehicle to showcase their passion and love for
the sport. They are committed to providing
quality billiards products at competitive
prices and sharing their knowledge about
this great sport with all our customers to the
betterment of the game.
PARENT COMPANY
OF ARAMITH
ACQUIRES THE
C.L. BAILEY CO.
OLHAUSEN
BILLIARDS
HONORED AT LOCAL
HOSPITAL
Olhausen Billiard Manufacturing, Inc.
is proud to have participated in the grand
opening ceremonies for the Brockton, VA,
hospital recreation center. The newly
remodeled billiard room was graciously
dedicated to Olhausen for their outstanding
support of VA Medical Facilities all over
the country.
Three years ago Olhausen donated (in
conjunction with their authorized dealer;
seasonal specialty stores in Foxboro, MA);
an 8-foot Americana pool table. In January
2006 the Brockton facility was desperate to
replace their second pool table and once
again called upon Olhausen for support.
Olhausen graciously offered another 8-foot
Americana, and in turn the Brockton, MA,
VA facility was kind enough to dedicate
their poolroom to Olhausen. Sue Doyle,
marketing director of Olhausen, was on
hand to participate in the ribbon-cutting
ceremony.
The ceremony took place on Valentine’s
Day with tremendous support
from the vets living in the facility, as well as
many outside agencies that continuously support the efforts of the VA facility in the
Brockton, MA, area.
Special mention should be made to
honor Mickey Emory of The DAV (Disabled
American Veteran’s) for his tireless work in
supporting the VA all over the country. Mike
Small of Seasonal Specialty Stores in
Foxboro, MA, was on hand for the ceremonies as well as Andy “The Magic Man”
Segal, who entertained the crowd with great
trick shots and his enthusiastic humor and
personality.
INTERNATIONAL
CUE COLLECTORS’
SHOW
The International Cue Collectors’ Show
will be held October 18-20, 2007, at the
Magnolia Hotel in downtown Houston, TX.
This is a first-class property with glamorous
rooms, a full bar and restaurant, and a billiard
room. To locate it, please log onto
www.magnoliahotelhouston.com. To make a
reservation, please call (888) 915-1110 and
mention the ICCS or the International Cue
Collectors Show to get the negotiated rate
of $159.
Fridays’ cue show will incorporate a the
cocktail party and will be open only to collectors, cue makers, and guests paying the
registration fee. The show on Saturday is
open to the general public.
Participating cue makers are to display a
minimum of five cues. One cue must be their
low line model and one cue must be a cue
based on a theme of their choice. These new
rules should provide a cue in everyone’s
price range. At 3:00 p.m. Friday each of the
invited cue makers will present one cue for
INDUSTRY NEWS
The Armand Capital Group, a Chicago
private equity firm and parent company of
Belgium-based Saluc SA, maker of the
famous
Aramith
billiard
balls
(www.aramith.com), has acquired the C.L.
Bailey Co., a Marionville, MO, manufacturer and distributor of pool tables, gameroom furniture, and billiard accessories.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
According to Denis Mola, chairman of
Armand Capital, “We are a private investing group that has an objective to build an
international portfolio of participations in
financially strong companies active in the
billiard sector. When Charlie Bailey, the
president of C.L. Bailey, initially
approached us, we quickly recognized the
quality of the company and its potential.
The C.L. Bailey Co. has an outstanding
management team, attractive product lineup, and a well-established customer base.
Saluc, with its Aramith product line, is the
billiard industry’s most recognized interna-
tional trade brand. We intent to leverage the
Aramith brand and global distribution network via product line extensions that bring
added value to billiard retailers in North
America and abroad.”
Chuck Bailey, general manager, and
Shine Lee, operations manager, will continue in their current management capacity
and will report to Curt Bossuyt, managing
director of Saluc. All three managers will
become members of the company’s management committee. Industry veteran Curt
Cook will continue as the national sales
manager for the company.
Moving forward, the company will
operate under the Armand Billiards Group
name. “The Armand Billiards Group name
better communicates the company’s common ownership with Saluc and the wide
selection of billiard products offered under
the Aramith, C.L. Bailey, Fischer, The
Level Best, and Velocity brands” stated
Curt Bossuyt.
Apart from the Bailey Company
adding the Aramith products in its billiard
accessories line, there will be no changes to
Aramith’s current distribution network in
North America. For more information on
the company or its products, please contact
the Armand Billiards Group at 877-2581963, or visit www.armandbilliards.com.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:26 AM
Page 52
the collectors to consider for the Collectors’
Choice award.
Also new this year will be the “Lone
Star Collection.” Billy Stroud has commissioned the invited cue makers to each produce a cue based on Texas themes. This is a
rich heritage and should produce some
spectacular cues. This collection will have a
reserve price and will be offered to the
highest bidder via a silent auction. If you
are interested in bidding, please contact Mr.
Stroud directly at [email protected] or 505378-5677.
INDUSTRY NEWS
A.E. SCHMIDT
CREATES POOL
TABLE THAT
DOUBLES AS A
DINING TABLE
A. E. Schmidt Billiard Company has
been in business for more than 150 years,
and it is still coming up with new ideas and
custom pool tables. In 2007, the company
is introducing 25 new table designs. One of
its latest designs includes a pool table that
can be converted into a dining table.
“The dining table is modern and elegant, with clean lines and a simple design,
and really looks beautiful in the home,”
A.E. Schmidt Billiard Company owner
Kurt Schmidt said.
Because A.E. Schmidt is one of few
remaining United States-based manufacturers of pool tables, the company is able to
create custom tables based on customers’
visions and lifestyles. The dining table was
inspired by one family who did not have the
space for both a pool table and a dining
table.
“This table really is perfect for the
whole family,” Schmidt said. “It’s a beautiful wood table that looks elegant in any
home but also a lot more fun than your standard dining table.”
The project took seven trial and errors,
Schmidt said, but they eventually got it
right. This custom table is different than
other dining pool tables on the market
because people can pull their chairs up to
the table as they would with a normal dining table.
The dining table is one in a series of 25
new table designs A.E. Schmidt is developing this year. Schmidt says they are working to meet changing market demands, in
part because of an influx of Chinese products and also the Internet. Schmidt says he
designs tables to be custom and unique, and
he avoids mainstream and look-a-like
designs.
“Our team works together to provide
the best quality and craftsmanship for our
customers, and we’ve been doing this for
more than one hundred and fifty years,”
Schmidt said.
The A.E. Schmidt Company, founded
by Ernst Schmidt in 1850, has been restoring and creating custom pool tables in St.
Louis for more than 150 years. The family
business continues its legacy under the fifth
generation leadership of Kurt and Karen
Schmidt and delivers the highest-quality
pool tables, supplies, and restoration and
repair services. A.E. Schmidt has two retail
locations in St. Louis. For more information, visit www.aeschmidtbilliards.com or
call 800-325-9676.
NEW MAZZCO
BILLIARDS
CATALOG &
WEBSITE
Mazzco Billiards, formerly Mazzco’s
Retail Billiard Division and now a division
of HAPP, is pleased to announce the release
of its new full color retail billiards catalog.
This 48-page catalog carries a wide variety
of products for the retail billiards industry.
Some of the quality products included in
this catalog are McDermott Cues,
Championship Cloth, Silver Cup Chalk,
Tournament Soccer Tables, Valley/Dynamo
Parts and more.
Additionally, they are pleased to
announce the launch of its new website for
the retail billiards industry: www.mazzcobilliards.com. This website allows customers to order all their retail billiards
needs online with a secure server. They are
continually enhancing their product line
and adding products to their website regularly.
Visit
them
at
www.mazzcobilliards.com.
STROKE IT WEAR®
TO SPONSOR TONY
CROSBY
Stroke It Wear®, one of Florida’s
newest, top-quality sportswear companies,
has agreed to an exclusive sponsorship
arrangement with top pro Tony “The
Sniper” Crosby.
This sponsorship agreement is the first
professional sports sponsorship deal entered
into by Stroke it Wear®. And the timing
couldn’t have been better. Tony just returned
from the World Championships held in
Manila, Philippines, where he pulled off an
incredible upset by defeating Efren “Bata”
Reyes in front of a worldwide audience estimated to be over 250 million viewers.
Stroke It Wear® had been pursuing
Tony for several months, as he was their first
choice to represent their company. Tony is
respected worldwide for his professionalism,
good character, and disarming personality
both on tour and in his personal life.
Stroke It Wear® carries billiards apparel for both men and women: T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, athletic apparel as well as girls’
intimates. For more information on Stroke it
Wear® and to view their current line of
sportswear, please visit them on the web at
www.strokeitwear.com.
FRED MALI
PASSES AWAY
On February 1, 2007, the billiard
world lost a great friend in Frederick
Johnston Mali , president and CEO of Henry
W.T. Mali and Co. and the founder of Mali
Cues.
Born October 5, 1930, in New York City
and was educated at Buckley, Groton, Yale
54-April-2007
3/7/07
2:52 PM
Page 53
and Harvard Business School , where he
earned an MBA. He served his country in the
US Army between the wars. Fred passed
away peacefully at home surrounded by his
family and friends and is survived by his wife
of 30 years, H.S.H. Princess Lucretia
Obolensky.
Fred was the great-grandson of John
Taylor Johnston, the principal founder of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the greatgreat-grandson of abolitionist Lucretia Mott,
and the first cousin eight times removed of
Benjamin Franklin. He was the fifth generation to run his family’s firm, HWT Mali &
Co., the oldest continuously family-run company in New York City , as president and
CEO.
InsidePoolmag.com
The Billiard Congress of America
(BCA), the industry trade association for the
billiards equipment and establishment sectors, will partner with Atlanta-based Meeting
New Look - Same Great Website
°
°
°
°
°
°
°
Billiard News
Contests
Downloads
Games
Forum
Photo Galeries
Online Store
...and much more!
INDUSTRY NEWS
BILLIARD
CONGRESS TO
CHANGE
MANAGEMENT
STRUCTURE, MOVE
OFFICES
Expectations, a strategic consulting firm specializing in providing services to national
trade associations. The BCA’s International
Billiard & Home Recreation Trade Show (set
for Las Vegas in June) highlights innovation
in billiards, including pool tables and supplies for home recreation use as well as commercial billiard enterprises.
Meeting Expectations will provide
membership, marketing, financial, IT, and
administrative services to the BCA. The contract with the firm begins in March, as the
BCA reduces staff.
“Our membership has clearly stated a
desire for the BCA to emphasize enhanced
marketing, research, and strategic business
improvement services, and we believe the
best way to meet such needs is through a
partnership with a seasoned organization
such as Meeting Expectations” said BCA
CEO Rob Johnson.
Johnson also announced that the BCA
will relocate its national office to Denver in
May, citing the convenience of the Denver
International Airport for regular meetings of
the BCA national directors.
“Our goal is twofold; increasing efficiency and exceeding the expectations of the
BCA’s members,” said Brian Meyer, president of Meeting Expectations. “This partnership will enable the board to focus on providing guidance to the organization in order to
ensure improved member satisfaction
through marketing-oriented services. We will
also assist the BCA with strategic planning
by sharing the best practices we've developed
through our years of experience in the association management field”
Johnson said restructuring with Meeting
Expectations will allow the BCA to become
more responsive to the membershipâ?™s
desire for marketing-enhanced services such
as information on consumer attitudes and
opinions relative to the billiard industry,
trends within the industry, business improvement tips and seminars, and consumer marketing programs.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
T
Page 54
EAGUE EPORT
OF THE
EAGUE PLAYER MONTH
L L
Thom Jordan of Berkeley, IL, is
the APA Player of the Month for
April. He is a member of the
Dupage County APA and has
been playing in the league for
more than 16 years. In that time
Thom has over notched 1,000
matches played and has been on
three teams that have qualified
for the $25,000 8-Ball National
Championship in Las Vegas.
He plays on a team five nights a
week—every night that APA
league play is offered in his
area. Thom serves on the
Dupage County APA Board of
L E A G U E
P L A Y E R
o f
t h e
M O N T H
LPM
5:31 AM
R
Directors and helps out wherever he can with the league. He
drops off and picks up score
sheets for most teams, helps
with updating local bylaws each
session, and even serves as a
referee for tournaments when
needed. “Thom has a reputation
for being patient, calm, fair, and
easy to talk to. He is very wellrespected and liked by his fellow members and is a definite
asset to the APA in DuPage,”
said league operator Joe
Parrillo.
Thom
Jordan
54-April-2007
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5:33 AM
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54-April-2007
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SECOND BLAZE STOP GOES TO SAMBAJON
C T.
D E .
M A.
M D .
M E .
N H .
N J .
N Y.
O H .
PA.
R I .
V T.
BLAZE 9-BALL TOUR / DICKSON CITY, PA
by Jose Burgos
Cosmo’s Billiards in Dickson City, PA, played hosted to the
Blaze 9-Ball Tour the weekend of February 10-11. Topping a tough
field of 52 others was Santos Sambajon Jr. of the Philippines, beating out players such as Pat McNally, Matt Krah, and fellow countryman Gandy Valle.
Leading the top half of the bracket, Sambajon notched wins
over Seth Harris 7-0, Al Waldo 7-1, Valle 7-4, Scott Hurley 7-3,
and Joe Hong 7-5. Mike Miller led the bottom half, taking victories over Joe Bowman Jr. 7-6, David Abraham 7-4, Randy
Schwager 7-4, and Cosmo 7-4.
When Miller and Sambajon met in the battle for the hot seat,
it resulted in a one-sided match that saw Sambajon pull away to a
7-4 win, sending Miller to the west side of the chart. Valle was
waiting there for him, and though the Filipino held a commanding
5-1 lead, Miller came back and shocked Valle with a 6-5 victory to
get another shot at Sambajon.
Miller led 7-5 in the tight final match-up, but Sambajon was
able to step up his game to win the next four racks, taking the
match 9-7.
FERNANDEZ FIGHTS BACK IN PEABODY
by Marc Dionne
NEW ENGLAND 9-BALL SERIES / PEABODY, MA
Twenty-eight of the strongest players in the area came out to play for the
total purse of $1,150 in prize money at
Country Cue Billiards in Peabody, MA,
the weekend of February 10-11. Dave
Fernandez proved to be the most determined of them all, winning seven
straight matches to reach the finals and
defeat his opponent.
After dropping his first match to
Rick Gata 7-2, Fernandez had a long
fight ahead of him. On the other side of
the chart, Rich Ross went up against
Randy Labonte in the hot seat match. It
went neck and neck for the first ten
games until Labonte made a shooting
error that allowed Ross to take advantage. Ross won that game and then broke
and ran the next rack to win the match 75. For 16 racks in the final match
between Ross and Fernandez, the lead
went back and forth until Ross made a
mental mistake, handing the match and
title to Fernandez 10-8, making this his
fifth win of the season.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Dave Fernandez 5th Ed Derk
Rich Ross
Mike Nicaloro
Randy Labonte
7th Rick Gata
Shane Cote
Philip Stevens
Amie, room owner Cosmo, Santos Sambajon Jr.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Santos Sambajon Jr.
Mike Miller
Gandy Valle
Billy Kirschner
Cosmo
Joe Hong
7th Lee Holt
Randy Schwager
9th Antonio Collozzi
Scott Hurley
Noel Bensurto
Adam Keiler
MORGRIDGE UNDEFEATED AT LEGENDS BILLIARDS
NEW ENGLAND 9-BALL SERIES / PORTSMOUTH, NH
to pull ahead and eliminate Rainey. In the
by Rick Davis
The February 17-18 stop of the New
England 9-Ball Series pulled into
Legends Billiards in Portsmouth, NH,
where Roy Morgridge went undefeated
through the 29-player field to take the top
spot.
On the winners’ side Morgridge and
Steve Therien met in the hot seat match,
where Morgridge walked away with the
match 7-3 to reach the finals. Earlier
action on the winners’ side saw local
player Stewart Rainy defeat tour favorite
Tom McGonagale and others before
falling just short of the hot seat match.
On the one-loss side Leal and Rainey
each edged forward trying to reach the
next round, but it was Leal who was able
semifinals Therien took a strong win after
a great comeback. With Leal out to a 5-1
lead, Therien took four racks to get even
and then another pair to claim the set.
Finally, with the finals at hand, the
rematch between Morgridge and Therien
took an extended race to 10 to decide the
winner. With Morgridge still in stroke and
Therien stuck in neutral, Morgridge took
a 10-6 victory to go undefeated throughout the event.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Roy Morgridge
Steve Therien
Chris Leal
Stewart Rainy
5th Mike Barbagello
Lee French
7th Sam Khiey
Ryan Hodsen
54-April-2007
3/6/07
10:51 AM
Page 57
NORTHEAST
PARK PICKS OFF THE THIRD BLAZE STOP
BLAZE 9-BALL TOUR / BROOKLYN, NY
by Rick Davis
C T.
Shin Park, room owner Sammie Wu, Adam Kielar
5th Mhet Vergara
Billy Kirshner
7th Gandy Valle
Robert Pole
PUTNAM AND LAC CONTROL SEASON OPENERS
TIGER POOL TOUR / HAGERSTOWN, MD
N H .
Shawn Putnam
N J .
N Y.
O H .
My-Hahn Lac
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
My-Hanh Lac
7th Kim Smith
Pam Treadway
Gwen Dickert
Zinnie Panju
9th Kathy Friend
Sueyen Rhee
Marcie Hanifee
Kathleen Lawless
Malea Haacke
Teresa Savage
Dona Sellman
V T.
Shawn Putnam 7th Alan Duty
Danny Mullhollen
Shaun Wilkie
BJ Ussery
9th Eric Moore
Matt Krah
Kevin West
Richard Barney
Justin Daniels
Danny Green
Greg Sabins
R I .
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
PA.
The Tiger Pool Tour’s 2007 season got underway February 1718 at Hagerstown Billiards in Hagerstown, MD, where a 113-player field emerged in the open division and 25 players mixed things
up in the ladies’ division. My-Hanh Lac recovered nicely to comeback and claimed the ladies’ title, while Shawn Putnam kept firm
control in the open division, winning the event undefeated.
Putnam didn’t give up more than four racks in the race-to-7
format, and after six match wins he found himself in the hot seat
match. Along with Putnam, Danny Mullhollen found his way to the
hot seat match, and although most of wins were much closer, he had
the credit of defeating a top Southeast player, B.J. Ussery, as well
winning as an additional match, for he had not drawn an opening
bye as Putnam did.
On the one-loss side, many of the favorites were being handed
pink slips. Mike Davis took a shocking first-round loss, and
although he fought back five matches, he still had a disappointing
finish. Shaun Wilkie, another top Northern player, also took a rough
opening round, then after nine match wins on the loss-side he was
forced to be satisfied with a top-eight finish. Amidst all this action,
Matt Krah, another Northeast star, was slowly creeping through the
field decimating opponents left and right to reach the quarterfinals.
As the dust settled, the final few matches decided everyone’s
fate. Putnam defeated Mullhollen to take the hot seat, and on the
one-loss side Ussery flew past Krah only to wind up knocked out
himself after Mullhollen eliminated him in the semifinals. With a
rematch ready, Mullhollen came out swinging against Putnam, but
“Big Bubba” would not be shaken as he defeated Mullhollen again,
this time to claim the first-place finish.
In the ladies’ division, new mom Pam Treadway put on a show
as she hardly gave up more than three racks per match. After five
wins, including defeating Zinnie Panju in the hot seat match,
Treadway was sitting pretty. On the one-loss side it looked like
Kathleen Lawless was mounting a comeback, although after four
wins she fell short against Lac, who eliminated her in the quarterfinals. Sueyen Rhee also had some momentum, with five one-loss
side wins of her own, but once again Lac stood in the way, besting
her in the quarterfinals. Lac breezed past Panju in the semifinals
and then dealt the final blow against Treadway after a double-hill
battle in the finals to claim the tour’s first event.
M E .
by Rick Davis
M D .
Shin Park
Adam Kielar
Jeremey Sossie
Tony Robles
M A.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
D E .
Besting the 47-player field, Shin Park came back through a tough run of
one-loss side matches to claim the third tour stop of the Blaze 9-Ball Tour,
hosted by Skyline Billiards in Brooklyn, NY, over the February 17-18
weekend.
With the end of the event near, the winners’ side top four included past
event winners and touring pros alike, although most received their pink slip
well before it was expected. Jeremey Sossie blew past multi-time tour stop
winner Gandy Valle 7-5, then slipped past top pro Tony Robles 7-6 to reach the
hot seat match. Alongside Sossie in the hot seat match was Adam Kielar, who
slipped past Santos Sambajon Jr. double-hill before sending Park to the west
side. The hot seat match was no contest as Kielar scorched Sossie 7-3, using
his experience to his advantage.
On the one-loss side Park met Robles in the quarterfinals and advanced
by a slim 6-5 margin, the second such defeat for Robles, who started the day
on the winners’ side. Park, now in gear, blew past Sossie then, taking advantage of a rematch with Kielar, took the final match 7-4 to claim the top honors
of the event.
54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:37 AM
Page 58
NORTHEAST
STEINMAN TAKES JPNEWT OPENER
IRELAND RULES IN NEW JERSEY
J. PECHAUER NORTHEAST WOMEN’S TOUR / PARSIPPANY, NJ
TRI-STATE TOUR / EAST RUTHERFORD , NJ
InsidePOOL
Magazine’s
Amateur Player of the Year Morgan
Steinman overcame a second-round
loss to Caroline Pao to win the
Pechauer NorthEast Women’s Tour
opener. Hosted by Comet Billiards
in Parsippany, NJ, this stop was held
over the February 10-11 weekend.
Morgan, the 2006 Player of the
Year of two regional tours as well,
started off with a win over Naomi
Fingerhut but was sent to the left
side of the chart by Pao with a 7-4
loss. From there she raced through
her matches with wins over Susan
Schmidt,
Carol
Clark,
Gail
Glazebrook, Kathleen Lawless,
Supadra Boonpasook, Kathy Friend,
and Sharon O’Hanlon before her
rematch with Pao in the finals.
Caroline posted wins over Judie
Wilson, Steinman, Cyndi Haefner,
The latest offering from the Tri-State Tour
took place February 24 at Castle Billiards in
East Rutherford, NJ, where a 25-player field
was bested by Jim Ireland, who remained undefeated through the event.
Ireland quickly reached the hot seat match,
where he faced and defeated Jim Martinez after
going double-hill. Then, on the one-loss side, it
was a fight to see who would make the finals.
Jerry DeLeo slipped past Dave Faust, while
Charles Benson did the same with Ron Gabia,
both matches going double-hill. Next, in the
quarterfinals, DeLeo seemed to catch a gear
when he knocked out Benson 6-3, although the
semifinals had him hopelessly in neutral as
Martinez pounded him 6-0.
In the finals it was a toss up to whoever
could take advantage first, but with neither
player able to find an edge the match crept
towards the double-hill marker, where Ireland
found a final surge to sweep the event.
C T.
D E .
M A.
M D .
M E .
N H .
N J .
N Y.
O H .
PA.
R I .
V T.
by InsidePOOL Staff
and Boonpasook before matching
up with O’Hanlon for the hot seat,
which she won with a 7-2 score.
O’Hanlon was sent home with third
place by Steinman, earning her personal high tour finish and her first
WPBA qualifier.
The finals started out well for
Pao, who jumped to a 4-1 lead, but
Steinman came back to rally to lead
7-5 with three 9 ball breaks in a row.
Keeping up the steam, she finished
with a 9-6.
Caroline Pao, room owner Bill Haley,
Morgan Steinman
by Rick Davis
1st Jim Ireland
2nd Jim Martinez
3rd Jerry DeLeo
1st Morgan Steinman 4th Kathy Friend
2nd Caroline Pao
5th Cyndi Haefner
3rd Sharon O’Hanlon
Supadra Boonpasook
4th Charles Benson
5th Dave Faust
Ron Gabia
BROTHERS BAGS BARBOX EVENT
SANZ UNDEFEATED AT SKYLINE BILLIARDS
TIGER POOL TOUR / HAGERSTOWN, MD
TRI-STATE TOUR / BROOKLYN, NY
by Rick Davis
took another four matches to reach
Josh Brothers made an the quarterfinals, meeting Mike
impressive comeback to own the Conway Jr. there after he eliminat38-player field at the Planet Pool ed Blickenstaff.
With only a handful remainTour’s February 18 barbox competition.
Taking
place
at ing, Brothers disposed of Conway
Hagerstown
Billiards
in in the quarterfinals followed by
Hagerstown, MD, the open, dou- Trainham in the semifinals.
ble-elimination 9-ball event Holding the title in his sights,
Brothers descended upon the
offered something for everyone.
Starting strong, Brothers waiting Healy and defeated him 7defeated one of the North’s heavy- 4 to claim top honors.
weight players, Mike Davis, then
barreled through three more
rounds before catching the axe
from Mitch Trainham. Along with
Trainham, Joe Healy had his
sights on the hot seat match, and
after five straight wins they each
found their way there. As the
match completed, Healy chalked
up his sixth win by sending
Josh Brothers
Trainham west.
Over on the one-loss side,
Matt Blickenstaff was trying to
make a name for himself as he cut
through six matches after taking
an early loss to reach the top six. 1st Josh Brothers 4th Mike Conway Jr.
5th Matt Blickenstaff
Slicing through the rest of the 2nd Joe Healy
3rd
Mitch
Trainham
Matt Clatterbuck
competition was Brothers, who
by Rick Davis
Another offering from the Tri-State Tour during
the February 24-25 weekend took place at Skyline
Billiards in Brooklyn, NY, with a 29-player field ready
for the double-elimination handicapped 9-ball event.
Catching a gear early and refusing the slow down was
Pablo Sanz, who skipped through the event undefeated
for his first tour win of the season.
On the winners’ side Sanz found himself facing
Jorge Rodriguez in the hot seat match, and after a double-hill clash Sanz escaped to the finals. On the oneloss side it was a conglomeration of those scraping to
be the other participant in the finals.
Greg Hecht ousted Michael Harrington 6-5, while
Hiram Maldonado sent Kevin Flynn packing from an
8-5 defeat. Hecht managed another victory against
Maldonado, going 7-6, but was then stopped dead as
Rodriguez stepped on him 7-4 on the way to a rematch
against Sanz in the finals.
With a sense of déjà vu Sanz and Rodriguez battled it out again, although the same result was destined
to be as Sanz defeated Rodriguez a second time, this
time 9-7, to claim the top spot in the event.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Pablo Sanz
Jorge Rodriguez
Greg Hecht
Hiram Maldonado
5th Michael Harrington
Kevein Flynn
7th Samson Kelly
David Shlemperis
3/6/07
5:39 AM
Page 59
NORTHEAST
ARCHER DEFENDS TITLE AT TURNING STONE CLASSIC
TURNING STONE CLASSIC VIII / VERONA, NY
by Rick Davis
D E .
M A.
M D .
Johnny Archer
M E .
N H .
N J .
N Y.
O H .
John Morra
13th Chris Szuter
Mika Immonen
Randy Labonte
Lyn Wechsler
17th Joe Tucker
Mike Zuglan
Erik Hjorliefson
Richard Broumpton
Walter Szydlowski
Alan Duty
Eddie Vasquez
Dennis Hatch
V T.
Johnny Archer
John Morra
Jose Parica
Joey Korsiak
Steve Moore
Santos Sambajon Jr.
7th Rodolfo Luat
Warren Kiamco
9th Shawn Putnam
Tony Crosby
Jeff Kennedy
Paul Song
R I .
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
PA.
Assembled at the Turning Stone Hotel and Casino in Verona,
NY, a full 128-player field of the toughest competitors around,
including top national and regional touring pros, came out to seek
their share of the $25,000-added, $42,000 total prize fund. Through
the onslaught of players many kept their eyes on defending champion Johnny Archer, who survived two days and five matches on the
winners’ side then another five matches during the remainder of the
event to reach the finals, where he nabbed the title by a whopping 134 margin from the then-undefeated John Morra.
As the event began the winners’ side cannon fodder slowly folded to the crushing weight of the experienced pros, except for a scant
few who would power their way past. Morra, a 17-year-old from
Toronto, Canada, lit up the board with five wins, including a 9-3
defeat over Tony Crosby, to reach the top eight, while Santos
Sambajon Jr. kept right beside him with five wins of his own, ending
with a 9-6 win over Atlanta’s Steve Moore to propel him into the top
eight. The other two winners’ side top eight included Joey Korsiak
and Jose Parica. Along the way, Korsiak sent Dennis Hatch and
Warren Kiamco west, while Parica bid farewell to Richard
Broumpton, shutting him out 9-0, then slipped past defending champion Archer double-hill.
With the event grinding along, a deck of pink slips were handed
out to those who could not keep up with the string of matches. One
of the first casualties among the top players was Robb Saez, who,
after handing out a donut in his first match, lost the next two. A similar story unfolded for Thorsten Hohmann, who was sent to the left
side of the chart 9-7 by Warren Kiamco in the opening round and
found the door after only two more matches.
Next to the door was a powerful trio of Northern players:
Canadian Erik Hjorliefson, Dennis Hatch, and Mike Davis.
Hjorliefson got slammed 9-4 by Archer, then Rodolfo Luat finished
the job 9-7 in the next round. Davis, after taking a surprising firstround defeat, started to climb up the ladder, but Randy Labonte
proved too much and showed him the door. Hatch had similar results,
winning a two-pack of matches, taking a defeat from Korsiak 9-7,
then winning another two-pack until getting the axe from Paul
Song 9-6.
A final group to just miss the top tier of the final day all found
defeat from Luat who became the executioner for many. Mika
Immonen, Gandy Valle and Tony Crosby all took their turn on
Saturday to allow Luat to use them as stepping stones to the top eight.
Finally, as the top eight stepped forward, only a handful of
matches separated the players from their goal of the final match. The
winners’ side breezed past as Morra dominated Sambajon 9-5 and
Parica managed a rack better, defeating Korsiak 9-4. The hot seat
match between Morra and Parica was a classic David and Goliath,
with Morra the inexperienced young gun and Parica the tried and
tested touring pro. Going double-hill, both players fought for every
inch until Morra managed to take the match 9-8 to reach the finals.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted on the one-loss side. Moore ground past
Luat 9-6 only to fall to Korsiak by the same margin for a very
respectable fifth-place finish. Nearby, Archer drilled Sambajon 9-2
then, with his sights on Korsiak, eliminated him as well by a 9-5 margin. As only three players remained, Archer relied on his firm footing to hold off Parica 9-6 to reach the finals.
After four days of play the finals pitted defending champion
Archer against an improbable pick—the young gun, Morra—in an
extended race to 13. With a quick start it was clear a one-sided match
was at hand, as Archer dominated the whole way. After the smoke
cleared Archer had blown through 13-4 to make a repeat win at the
Turning Stone Classic.
C T.
ARDS
54-April-2007
54-April-2007
3/12/07
1:14 PM
Page 60
C T. D E . M A . M D . M E . N H . N J . N Y. O H . PA . R I . V T.
NORTHEAST
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS NORTHEAST
Date
Tournament
Venue
City, ST
Contact
$ Added
Eligibility
3/31-4-1 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour
Ball Busters Billiards
Binghampton, NY
607-724-9861
$1,500
Open
3/31-4-1 Tiger Pool Tour
Bill & Billies Cuesport
Arnold, MD
410-544-8185
$2,000
Open
4/1
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Drexeline Billiards
Drexel Hill, PA
610-259-9144
$1,000
Open
4/8
New England 9-Ball Series
Rhode Island Billiards
North Providence, RI
401-323-1331
$500
Open
4/14-15 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour
Golden Cue Billiards
Albany, NY
518-459-9442
$3,000
Open
4/14-16 J. Pechauer NorthEast Women’s Tour
Prime Time Billiards
Sayreville, NJ
732-721-6555
$1,000 + qual.Ladies
4/15
Rockaway Billiards
Rockaway, NJ
973-625-5777
$1,000
Open
4/21-22 Tiger Pool Tour
Hagerstown Billiards
Hagerstown, MD
301-791-1355
$2,000
Open
4/22
Country Club USA
Chelmsford, MA
978-934-9700
$1,000
Open
4/22
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Raxx Pool Room, Bar & Grill
W. Hempstead, NY 516-538-9896
$1,500
Open
4/28-29 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour
Comet Billiards
Parsippany, NJ
973-334-7429
$2,000
Open
4/29
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Comet Billiards
Parsippany, NJ
973-334-7429
$1,000
Open
5/3-6
Spot Shot Billiards
Portland, ME
207-773-3466
$10,000
Open
5/5-6
Tiger Pool Tour
First Break Café
Sterling, VA
703-444-2551
$1,500
Open
5/6
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Sharky’s Billiards
Edison, NJ
732-632-9277
$1,500
Open
5/20
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
Atlantic City Billiard Club
Egg Harbor, NJ
609-645-7576
$1,000
Open
Blaze 9-Ball Tour
54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:52 AM
Page 61
A L .
F L .
GA.
K Y.
M S .
NC .
S C .
T N.
VA.
W V
54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:53 AM
Page 62
SCHAU AND LECAIN TAKE THE TITLES
BERRONG BRINGS HIS BEST TO ATLANTA
KBP 8-BALL AND 9-BALL TOURS / PALM HARBOR AND TAMPA, FL
J. PECHAUER SOUTHEAST OPEN 9-BALL TOUR / ATLANTA, GA
by Rick Davis
The February 10-11 weekend brought a pair of
events from KBP that were met with open arms from
the players. The first event was 8-ball held at Strokers
in Palm Harbor, FL, where Paul LeCain stormed
through undefeated. The next day, 9-ball action took
place at Planet 9-Ball in Tampa, FL, where Rich
Schau emerged atop the field after a late defeat to own
the event.
Saturday’s 8-ball action was fast and furious as
LeCain and Chris Walsh blitzed the board to reach the
hot seat match. Neither of the players gave up more
than two racks in the race-to-5 format until LeCain
defeated Walsh 5-3 to claim king of the hill. On the
one-loss side, 14-year-old Taz Naravan was mounting
a comeback after an early loss to LeCain. Naravan
bested the remainder of the one-loss board in order to
meet Walsh. After a quick race-to-3 scuffle, Walsh
slipped by double-hill to see the finals. Again, Walsh
made things tough for LeCain taking the match double-hill, but in the end LeCain was crowned the champion.
The next day 9-ball action got underway across
town with a 27-player field. On the winners’ side the
show belonged to Schau as he came off a first-round
bye to light up the board and reach the hot seat match.
Meeting him there was Jose Ybarra, who obliterated
several opponents, including a 7-2 slap against tour
heavyweight Josh Lewis, on his way to the hot seat
match. Fighting for king of the hill, Ybarra slipped
past Schau for a well-deserved rest.
On the one-loss side, two players were fighting
for a comeback. After a second-round loss, Wesley
Whitfield took five matches to reach the quarterfinals
and only gave up a single rack in three of the matches. Nearby, Lewis’ comeback also included five
straight wins, although he handed out two shut-outs
along the way. With the quarterfinals on hand, Lewis
was in control and after he handed out his third shutout against Whitfield, he was on his way to the semifinals. Schau had his sights on Lewis and as the match
reached double-hill the coin toss favored Schau who
slipped past 5-4. That brought Schau to the finals for
a rematch against Ybarra, and this time he was ready.
The race-to-9 was no trouble for Schau, and in no time
he had defeated Ybarra 9-5 to take the top spot.
1st Paul LeCain
2nd Chris Walsh
3rd Taz Naravan
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Rich Schau
Jose Ybarra
Josh Lewis
Wesley Whitfield
by InsidePOOL Staff
A field of 51 pool players converged upon Mr. Cues II in Atlanta, GA, the
weekend of February 10-11 for the J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour. The
love of the sport in the South was evident, as Bruce Berrong triumphed to take
top honors over Doug Young.
It was an incredibly strong field, with players like Cliff Joyner and WPBA
pro Sarah Rousey only ending up in a seventh-place tie. Berrong ended up in the
west side of the chart, defeating young gun Jason Klatt 9-7 in the quarterfinals.
There he met Travis Dorn, who had just been bested by Young 9-2 in the hot seat
match. Dorn put up a good fight in the semifinals, but he fell 9-6 to the unstoppable Berrong. The final match between Berrong and Young was fairly onesided, as Berrong swept his opponent aside with an 11-4 definitive score.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Bruce Berrong
Doug Young
Travis Dorn
Jason Klatt
Steve Moore
Jerry Grooms
7th Cliff Joyner
Sarah Rousey
9th Tommy Kennedy
David Shedden
Aaron Frady
Wade Crane
CROSBY TAKES ANOTHER TITLE
ANDY GRUBBS MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT / FORT WALTON BEACH, FL
by Rick Davis
Fighting through a stacked field
of 103 players, Tony “The Sniper”
Crosby went undefeated to claim the
Andy Grubbs Memorial Tournament.
Taking place at Starcade Billiards in
Ft. Walton Beach, FL, the February 18
event drew in players and fans alike to
show their respect for Grubbs, a former partner of the host room who suddenly passed away in 2003.
On the winners’ side Crosby
found his way to the hot seat match,
where he faced friend Richard
Broumpton. Both players are heavyweights in the Southeast, and their
match-ups on the Florida Pro Tour
always keep the railbirds on their toes.
After a great match, Crosby, who
recently signed with Stroke It billiard
wear, sent Broumpton to the
one-loss side.
Dave Broxson, another Florida
powerhouse, found himself facing
Scotty Townsend on the west side
after Crosby defeated him the round
earlier. Townsend served up a final
defeat for Broxson to reach the quarterfinals. Nearby, Josh Hilliard eliminated U.S. Open champion John
Schmidt, then after a brief meeting
with Townsend proceeded to the
semifinals.
Hilliard and Broumpton battled
for the right to reach the finals, but
Broumpton was eager for a rematch,
and he made sure it would happen.
After an intermission of a couple
rounds, Crosby and Broumpton
clashed again, although the result was
the same as Crosby walked away with
another win, this time to secure the
title.
Tony Crosby
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Tony Crosby
5th Dave Broxson
Richard Broumpton
John Schmidt
Josh Hilliard
7th John Pinegar
Scotty Townsend
Luther Blades
54-April-2007
3/6/07
5:56 AM
Page 63
SOUTHEAST
A WIN FOR DAVIS
SOUTHEAST GETS MORE MOORE
MCDERMOTT ALL-AMERICAN TOUR / VIRGINIA BEACH, VA
GREAT SOUTHERN 9-BALL TOUR / GREENVILLE, SC
by InsidePOOL Staff
A L .
The McDermott All American Tour stopped at Smokie’s in
Virginia Beach, VA. February 24, where Jack Davis triumphed
over Bill Duggan in the finals. This event featured a $1,000added purse with 42 players and included a double-elimination
9-ball format on bar boxes.
In the hot seat match, Duggan clipped Jack Davis 5-4.
Earlier in the A-bracket semifinals, Duggan had outpointed
Dave Perry 5-3, while Jack Davis knocked off Jerry Grant 5-2.
In the B-side quarterfinals, Bill Mason ousted Jerry Grant 5-1,
and Dave Perry knocked out Dan Losh 5-1. Perry ousted Mason
5-2 in the B-side semis but was then eliminated in the B-side
finals by Jack Davis 5-4. Davis had to defeat Duggan two sets
for the title, and he succeeded by the count of 5-0 and 5-4.
F L .
Steve Moore
5th Todd West
T.F. Whittington
7th David Trest
Eugene Browning
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Steve Moore
Nick Varner
Gabe Owen
Larry Nevel
5th B. White
Scott Rabon
7th Brian Capps
Josh Roberts
W V
Josh Hillard
Scotty Townsend
BBQ Man
Jack Karowski
VA.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
T N.
The J. Pechauer Custom Cues Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour
pulled into Pockets Billiards in Dothan, AL, for their February
24-25 tour stop, their eighteenth of the season. The double-elimination 9-ball event was captured by Josh Hillard, who went
undefeated to score the lion’s share of the $1,000-added prize
fund.
As the first day concluded, the highest-finishing lady and
junior players were recognized, each taking away $50. That
went to Vicky Rybik and Lisa Wilson, splitting the ladies’ prize,
while Jared Stephens took the junior prize.
On the winners’ side of the event Hillard and “BBQ Man,”
a local player, each made their way to the hot seat match,
although it was no contest as Hillard blitzed through for a 9-2
thrashing. Over on the one-loss side Scotty Townsend eliminated Jack Karowski in the quarterfinals 9-5 then toasted the “BBQ
Man” 9-6 in the semifinals for another chance at Hillard.
The rematch in the finals showcased both players’ skills,
and although Townsend was the favorite with his hometown
backing him up, Hillard was playing lights out as he cleared the
match by a comfortable 11-6 margin for the victory.
S C .
by Rick Davis
NC .
J. PECHAUER SOUTHEAST OPEN 9-BALL TOUR / DOTHAN, AL
M S .
HILLARD UNDEFEATED IN SOUTHEAST
K Y.
Broxson
Schmidt
Pinegar
Blades
Bill Mason, Dave Perry, Jack Davis,
Bill Duggan
A full 64-player field assembled at Sporty’s in Greenville, SC,
for the February 17-18 stop of the Great Southern 9-Ball Tour,
where Atlanta’s Steve Moore powered his way back from the oneloss side to take another title in his usual dramatic fashion.
The event included a great cross-section of top male pros, as
well as WPBA stars and Hall of Famers. Early action saw Monica
Webb defeat Earl “The Pearl” Strickland 9-5, and after Strickland
lost his next match he was done for the weekend. His two-and-out
showed just how deadly this tour could be.
On the winners’ side everyone was scrambling through the
gauntlet. Landon Shuffett, everyone’s favorite young gun, made his
way through three rounds until a 9-0 drilling by Varner sent him
west. Nearby was Gabe “The Babe” Owen, who found his way to
the hot seat match to meet “The Kentucky Colonel.” Once Varner
powered his way past Owen 9-3, all eyes looked to Varner as the
favorite.
No one on the one-loss side was ready to be counted out yet;
however, the sheer level of talent on the board made every win
incredible. Leading the board was Moore, recent winner of the
Derby City Classic 9-ball banks division, and while he is always a
threat anywhere he goes, a long road awaited on the west side.
Moore faced and eliminated Jason Klatt, an adversary from the
Florida Pro Tour, 7-5. Another pair of wins, including a 7-1 slap to
Scott Rabon, and Moore found his way to the quarterfinals.
Josh Roberts chipped away a pair of opponents before falling to
Larry “The Truth” Nevel, who had eliminated Shuffett 7-3 in the
previous round, along with top WPBA pro Helena Thornfeldt, the
round before that. Nevel handed out a doughnut to B. White by
virtue of a crushing 7-0 match to face Moore.
Things moved into high gear from there as Moore glided past
Nevel 7-4 and then, to the shock of those in attendance, shut out former U.S. Open champion Owen 7-0 to reach the finals. With the true
double-elimination format, everyone seemed to think Varner the
favorite because of the odds alone, but once Moore took the first set
9-3, it was anyone’s game. With a final race to 7, Moore cocked his
game up yet another notch, giving up only two racks as he torched
Varner again—this time 7-2—to capture the event.
GA.
FL
Jack Davis
Bill Duggan
Dave Perry
Bill Mason
Jerry Grant
Dan Losh
7th Richie Price
Tom Bellamy
9th Cheryl Pritchard
Patrick Gasser
LeRoy Bailey
Connie Eddins
by Rick Davis
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:00 AM
Page 64
SOUTHEAST
SCHAU TAKES SECOND STRAIGHT WIN; LANTZ UNDEFEATED
A L .
F L .
GA.
K Y.
M S .
NC .
S C .
T N.
VA.
W V
KBP 9-BALL TOUR / HOLIDAY, FL
by Rick Davis
The February 24-25 weekend brought a full crowd to
Hammerhead Billiards in Holiday, FL, for the latest offering of
the KBP Billiard Tours. In the open division Rich Schau repeat
his performance from the last stop, going undefeated, while in the
ladies’ division Stacy Lantz dominated in the same fashion.
The open division brought out a 44-player field, which was
owned by Schau and Doug Cruz, each making their way to the
hot seat match by virtue of an opening-round bye followed by
four match wins. In the hot seat match Schau was again able to
find the edge and slip past with a 7-5 win.
On the one-loss side Dan Lavoie torched Florida Pro Tour
regular Jason Richko 5-2, while Billy Moses eliminated Louis
Altes by the same margin. Next, in the quarterfinals, it was Moses
again, this time knocking out Lavoie 5-4 and then following it up
by sending Cruz home with the familiar 5-4 finish.
In the finals one race to 9 decided it all, and with neither
player giving up any ground, the match found its way to
double-hill, where Schau made a final surge to claim his second
consecutive title.
In the ladies’ division 11 players entered, although it was
Lantz who controlled from the start. Participating in one of only
two matches not to get a first-round bye, Lantz stumbled at first,
winning her first match 7-6, but then she caught a gear and went
7-0 and 7-1 to reach Stephanie Mitchell in the hot seat match.
Mitchell, always dangerous on tour, also survived a no-bye run by
going 7-3, 7-1, and 7-1 to reach Lantz. It seemed that Mitchell
was not told the match had begun, and before long Lantz had
taken it 7-0.
On the one-loss side Deanna Frost met Mitchell in the semifinals, and after making short work of her, she went on to face
Lantz in the finals. The final match wavered back and forth at first
until once again Lantz was able to take control and win the
match 9-5.
1st Rich Schau
2nd Billy Moses
3rd Doug Cruz
4th Dan Lavoie
5th Louis Altes
Jason Richko
1st Stacy Lantz
2nd Deanna Frost
3rd Stephanie Mitchell
DAVIS COMES BACK TO WIN IN CAROLINA
JACOBY CUSTOM CUES CAROLINA TOUR / ROCKY MOUNT, NC
by Rock City Promotions
Mike Davis was on the verge of defeat in the final match of the
Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour stop February 10 at Sharks-NShooters in Rocky Mount, NC. Down 7-2 in a single race to 9,
Davis stormed back against local favorite Larry Pittman with the
quiet, calm demeanor for which he is known. After Davis won 6
games in a row to take the hill, Pittman managed to win one more
game but couldn’t put it away.
Pittman earned his way into the championship match by handily defeating Ty Bissett 7-1, Ben Manning 7-1, and Tony Davis 70. The hot seat match proved to be a close one, however, as local
sparring partner Phillip Richardson took Pittman to the hill before
losing 7-6.
Davis , meanwhile, defeated Joe Macon 7-0 and Mike Frowein
7-4 but was sent to the one-loss side by Richardson 7-4. After wins
over Bissett 7-3 and T. J. Moore 7-0, Davis avenged his previous
loss by defeating Richardson 7-1.
The crowd at Sharks-N-Shooters enjoyed a great final match
between Pittman and Davis. Pittman jumped out to a 7-2 lead,
thanks to four break and run-outs. With ball in hand in the tenth
rack, Pittman failed to run out, giving Davis a third game. Davis
made three balls on the next break and shot safe. After Pittman
scratched, Davis took ball in hand and ran out.
Gaining momentum, Davis broke and ran the twelfth rack,
making the score 7-5. He came up empty on the next break, and it
looked like Pittman was finally getting his opportunity. But a
failed safe gave Davis control of the table once again, and he ran
out and then won the next rack to tie the score at 7-all. A break and
run in the fifteenth rack put Davis on the hill, but he scratched on
the 1 ball in the next rack, making it a hill-hill match. Pittman made
two balls on the break and was forced to shoot safe. Davis played
defense back and was rewarded with ball in hand to clear the
final rack.
Tournament director Doug Ennis, Mike Davis, Larry Pittman,
room owner James Gray
1st Mike Davis
3rd Phillip Richardson
2nd Larry Pittman 4th T. J. Moore
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:02 AM
Page 65
SOUTHEAST
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS SOUTHEAST
$ Added
$500
Eligibility
Amateurs
4/14
KBP Lucasi Ladies’ 9-Ball Tour
Hammer Heads
Holiday, FL
727-934-9494
$300
Amateur ladies
4/14-15
Viking Cue Open 9-Ball Tour
The Pool Room
Marietta, GA
770-579-3388
$1,000
Open
4/15
Viking Cue Amateur 9-Ball Tour
The Pool Room
Marietta, GA
770-579-3388
$500
Amateurs
4/15
Viking Cue Juniors 9-Ball Tour
The Pool Room
Marietta, GA
770-579-3388
Nat’l qual.
Juniors
4/15
KBP Lucasi Amateur 9-Ball Tour
Hammer Heads
Holiday, FL
727-934-9494
$500
Amateurs
4/21-22
Sporty’s
Greenville, SC
864-297-6500
$1,000
Open
4/22
Sporty’s
Greenville, SC
864-297-6500
$500
Amateurs
4/28
Strokers Billiards
Palm Harbor, FL
727-786-6683
$300
Amateurs
4/28-29
Play 2 Win Billiards
Raleigh, NC
919-662-3888
$1,000
Open
4/28-29
McDermott All-American Tour
Flipper McCoy’s
Norfolk, VA
757-855-2071
$1,500
Amateur men
4/28-29
Flipper McCoy’s
Norfolk, VA
757-855-2071
$500
Amateur ladies
4/28-29
Chattanooga Billiard Club
Chattanooga, TN
423-499-3883
$500
Amateurs
4/29
Raleigh, NC
919-662-3888
$500
Amateurs
4/29
Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour
Raleigh, NC
919-662-3888
Nat’l qual.
Juniors
4/29
Planet 9 Ball
Tampa, FL
813-818-7665
$500
Amateurs
5/5
Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour Dot’s Cue Club
Rocky Mount, NC
252-972-9220
$1,000
Open
S C .
GIVE YOUR CUES SOMETHING
TO BRAG ABOUT WHILE
ON THE FELT.
NC .
CHECK OUT THE THREADS.
M S .
Contact
352-688-9965
K Y.
City, ST
Spring Hill, FL
GA.
Venue
Capone’s Billiards
F L .
Tournament
A L .
Date
4/1
T N.
VA.
W V
Creative Inventions
9142-44 Jordan Ave
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Toll-free (800) 388-5132
www.porper.com
3/6/07
6:03 AM
Page 66
RYSER RISES ABOVE THE REST
SMITH SWEEPS AURORA STOP
MCDERMOTT ALL-AMERICAN TOUR / STERLING, IL
MCDERMOTT ALL-AMERICAN TOUR / AURORA, IL.
by InsidePOOL Staff
The McDermott All-American Tour’s 20th stop brought out 51
players to Leisure Time Billiards in Sterling, IL. Held Saturday,
February 3, this stop featured a $500-added purse, of which the
lion’s share went to Fred Ryser, who went undefeated to take first
place.
In the double-elimination 8-ball format, Ryser clipped Shawn
Carlson 4-3 in the hot seat match after earlier having slipped by
Tony Morales 4-3. Over on the B side, Morales then ousted
Anthony Garcia and then in turn was eliminated by Carlson 4-2 in
the semifinal match. Ryser continued his winning ways in the finals
to defeat Carlson 4-2 for the title.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Fred Ryser
Shawn Carlson
Tony Morales
Anthony Garcia
by InsidePOOL Staff
The twenty-first stop of the 2006/2007 McDermott All
American Tour featured a $500-added purse with 33 players and
was hosted by Rudy’s Place in Aurora, IL. Held February 10,
this event included a double-elimination 8-ball format on bar
boxes, in which John Smith ran undefeated to the finals.
In the hot seat match, Smith sprinted past Bob Romano 52. Earlier in the A bracket semifinals, Smith had out-pointed
Chad Hefke 5-2, while Romano knocked off Mark Rudolph 53. In the B-side, Mark Rudolph clipped Rich Mager 5-4, and
Chad Hefke knocked out Ben Garcia 5-1. Hefke then ousted
Rudolph 5-1 and continued on in the B side finals to eliminate
Romano 5-4. Smith continued his dominance in the tourney
finals, defeating Hefke 5-1 for the title.
5th Larry Sneath
Chad Elston
7th Carlos McGill
Kim Stigall
CARDENAS EARNS TOP SENIOR TITLE
FRIENDSWOOD SENIOR 9-BALL TOURNAMENT / WEBSTER, TX
by InsidePOOL Staff
Breakers Billiards in Webster, TX, was the site of the Second
Annual Friendswood Senior 9-Ball Tournament February 24. Event
promoter and director Bill Tippit filled the invitational event with
32 top seniors 55 and older who represented more than a dozen
communities in the Houston-Galveston Bay Area.
As the competitors assembled for the players’ meeting, there was
no shortage of geriatric jokes. But as the meeting concluded and
tournament time approached, the expressions on the 32 faces
changed from humor to determination.
Eight hours later, the championship match evolved into a duel
between David Cardenas and Gary Tavener. Cardenas, considered
one of the Bay Area’s stronger players, was required to give his
opponents the wild 8 throughout the tournament. Tavener, from
Houston’s far southwest side, was considered something of a dark
horse. They met for the first time on the winners’ side, and Tavener
sent Cardenas to the one-loss side 7-4.
The true double-elimination finals proved to be a classic
match-up. Tied at 6 in the race to 7, Cardenas had the final break of
the set. The cue ball crashed into the rack and balls scattered.
Almost as an afterthought, the 9 ball slowly rolled toward the corner pocket, and then dropped. The crowd let out a whoop, and both
players shook their heads. Riding his momentum, Cardenas broke
to a quick lead in the final set and then held on and allowed Tavener
to get only one game in the final set.
A R .
I A.
I L .
KS .
L A.
M I .
M N.
M O .
N D .
N E .
O K .
S D .
T X .
W I .
54-April-2007
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
David Cardenas, promoter/director
Bill Tippit, Gary Tavener
David Cardenas
Gary Tavener
Wayne Sandlin
Tom O’Neil
John Smith, room owner Miguel Terrazas,
Chad Hefke
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
John Smith
Chad Hefke
Bob Romano
Mark Rudolph
5th Rich Mager
Ben Garcia
7th Angel Reyes
Keith Helfrich
HELFRICH OVERCOMES WEATHER TO TAKE A WIN
MCDERMOTT ALL-AMERICAN TOUR / CLINTON, IA
by InsidePOOL Staff
Despite some horrid weather, the McDermott All American
Tour’s February 24 stop attracted 39 players. Hosted by Lassiters
Billiards in Clinton, IA, this event featured a $500-added purse, the
lion’s share of which went to eventual winner Keith Helfrich.
The event included a double-elimination 8-ball format on bar
boxes, and Mike Rohner ran undefeated to the finals. In the hot
seat match, Rohner handled Mike Herrera 4-1. Earlier in the Abracket semifinals, Rohner had outpointed Shane Johnson 4-3,
while Herrera knocked off Jesse Bowman 4-1. In the B-side quarterfinals, Keith Helfrich ousted Bowman 5-3, and Johnson knocked
out Jeff Clark 5-3. Helfrich then ousted Johnson 5-1 in the B-side
semis and continued his hot streak, eclipsing Mike Herrera 5-0 in
the B-side finals. Helfrich had to defeat Mike Rohner two sets for
the title, and he succeeded by the count of 5-3 and 5-1.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Keith Helfrich
Mike Rohner
Mike Herrera
Shane Johnson
5th Jesse Bowman
Jeff Clark
7th Don Sager
Phil Fulsang
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:06 AM
Page 67
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:09 AM
Page 68
CENTRAL
Venue
City, ST
Contact
$ Added
Eligibility
W I .
4/1
Capone’s Billiards
Spring Hill, FL
352-688-9965
$500
Amateurs
4/14
KBP Lucasi Ladies’ 9-Ball Tour
Hammer Heads
Holiday, FL
727-934-9494
$300
Amateur ladies
4/14-15
The Pool Room
Marietta, GA
770-579-3388
$1,000
Open
T X .
4/15
The Pool Room
Marietta, GA
770-579-3388
$500
Amateurs
4/15
Viking Cue Juniors 9-Ball Tour
The Pool Room
Marietta, GA
770-579-3388
Nat’l qual.
Juniors
4/15
Hammer Heads
Holiday, FL
727-934-9494
$500
Amateurs
4/21-22 Viking Cue Open 9-Ball Tour
Sporty’s
Greenville, SC
864-297-6500
$1,000
Open
4/22
Sporty’s
Greenville, SC
864-297-6500
$500
Amateurs
O K .
4/28
Strokers Billiards
Palm Harbor, FL
727-786-6683
$300
Amateurs
4/28-29 Viking Cue Open 9-Ball Tour
Raleigh, NC
919-662-3888
$1,000
Open
4/28-29 McDermott All-American Tour
Flipper McCoy’s
Norfolk, VA
757-855-2071
$1,500
Amateur men
Flipper McCoy’s
Norfolk, VA
757-855-2071
$500
Amateur ladies
Chattanooga Billiard Club
Chattanooga, TN
423-499-3883
$500
Amateurs
4/29
Raleigh, NC
919-662-3888
$500
Amateurs
4/29
Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour
Raleigh, NC
919-662-3888
Nat’l qual.
Juniors
4/29
Planet 9 Ball
Tampa, FL
813-818-7665
$500
Amateurs
5/5
Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour Dot’s Cue Club
Rocky Mount, NC
252-972-9220
$1,000
Open
A R .
I A.
I L .
KS .
L A.
M I .
M N.
M O .
N D .
S D .
Tournament
N E .
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS CENTRAL
Date
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:11 AM
Page 69
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:14 AM
Page 70
Venue
Normandie Casino
City, ST
Gardena, CA
Contact
602-653-9974
$ Added
$20,000
Eligibility
Pros
3/31-4-1 McDermott All-American Tour
Main Street Billiards
Tucson, AZ
520-546-3464
$1,500
Amateurs
4/28-29
Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour
Northern Lounge
Glendale, AZ
480-272-2016
$500 + qual.Ladies
5/5-6
Antique Billiards Museum
Colorado Springs, CO 719-597-9809
$1,000
Amateurs
5/9-18
BCA National 8-Ball Championships Riviera Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, NV
702-719-7665
N/A
Members
6/7-16
ACS National Championships
Riviera Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, NV
888-662-1705
N/A
Members
6/9-10
On The Snap
Prescott, AZ
480-272-2016
$500 + qual.Ladies
7/14-15
Sixshooters
Peoria, AZ
480-272-2016
$500 + qual.Ladies
8/18-19
Pockets
Tucson, AZ
480-272-2016
$500 + qual.Ladies
10/13-14 Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour
Alexander’s Bar and Grill
Phoenix, AZ
480-272-2016
$500 + qual.Ladies
Metro Sportz Bar
Phoenix, AZ
480-272-2016
$500 + qual.
Sixshooters
Peoria, AZ
480-272-2016
$500 + qual.Ladies
N M .
N V.
O R .
U T.
WA.
W Y.
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS WESTERN
Date
Tournament
3/28-4-1 U.S. Pro Tour Championship
Ladies
CO .
H I .
I D .
M T.
InsidePOOL
CA.
POOL WEBSITE.
POOL MAGA ZINE.
A Z .
WAY TO GET INSIDE .
So why would you want to go anywhere else?
A K .
InsidePOOL Magazine, the number one billiards magazine for the best price: 10 issues for
$19.99. That is all the lastest pool news, professional instruction by some of your favorite players, extraordinary writing, and comprehensive coverage for less than $2 an issue. Take your
best shot, you won’t find anything better!
Call (866) 961-7665 ext. 223 or 224 for your subscription. Mail check
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#
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P
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:30 AM
Page 71
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:31 AM
Page 72
M
STAN JA
THE LION CONQUERS WATERLOO
BACK-TO-BACK WINS FOR PAGULAYAN
CANADIAN 30K TOUR / WATERLOO, ONT
CANADIAN 30K TOUR / NEWMARKET, ONT
R E P O RT
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
WO R L D
by Willy Hermoza and Tony Butera
Bitter cold saw in the weekend of February 3-4, bringing 54 players to
Pool Paradise in Waterloo for the month’s first Canadian 30K Tour stop.
Given the strong field, it was no surprise that it took a former world
champion, Alex Pagulayan, to win the event.
On the A side of the chart, Pagulayan bested Leanne Amable 9-2 to
reach the hot seat match against Scott Soroko, where he easily prevailed
10-3. Frequent tour winner Erik Hjorliefson ended up in fourth place at this
event, getting ousted by John Morra 9-6 in the quarterfinals. Morra, who
was sent to the B side earlier by Soroko, thus earned himself a rematch with
that win but couldn’t capitalize, and Soroko bested Morra again 6-0. Now
in the finals, it wasn’t long before Pagulayan unsheathed his claws and took
the match 10-4.
Alex Pagulayan 5th Leanne Amable
Scott Soroko
Adam Smith
John Morra
7th Josh Rundle
Erik Hjorliefson
Marc Bucais
Alex Pagulayan won his second Canadian 30K
Tour stop in a row the weekend of February 10-11,
defeating a tough, 64-person field. Players such as
Chris Orme, Scott McDonald, and Rob Brandenburg
tried to stop the former world champion from taking
first for the second event in a row but could
not prevail.
Dunlop Billiards in Newmarket, ONT, was the
host site, and the fans came out in droves for “The
Lion.” To reach the hot seat match, Pagulayan fought
off Brian McDougall 9-5 to match up with Mike
Roberts. A convincing 10-5 sent Roberts to the oneloss side. In the quarterfinals, Dennis Rhodes eked
out a double-hill match over McDougall to face
Roberts, who was relegated to fourth place when
Rhodes scored another hill-hill match. Patiently
waiting in the hot seat, Pagulayan made quick work
of Rhodes, who was thrilled just to be playing the
champ, and won the event with a 10-1 score.
MASON MAKES IT IN SCARBOROUGH
HJORLIEFSON UNSTOPPABLE IN OSHAWA
CANADIAN 30K TOUR / SCARBOROUGH, ONT
CANADIAN 30K TOUR / OSHAWA, ONT
Alex Pagulayan, Scott Soroko
The Canadian 30K Tour’s event at Shooters in Scarborough
brought 42 fine players out to enjoy a weekend of 9-ball. Held
February 24-25, this event saw a surprise in the finals when
Terri Mason took first place over Chris Orme.
On the right side of the chart, the hot seat match took place
between Mason and Tony Lai, where Mason bested her opponent 6-2. Working their way through the left side, Orme ousted
Mike Patrowicz 10-1 to meet and defeat Jason Klatt in the quarterfinals 9-7. After eliminating Lai in the semis 9-2, Orme
moved on to the final match against the determined Mason. The
match went hill-hill, but Mason prevailed to take first place, her
best finish on the tour.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Terri Mason
Chris Orme
Tony Lai
Jason Klatt
Michael Orprecio
Mike Patrowicz
Terri Mason
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Alex Pagulayan
Dennis Rhodes
Mike Roberts
Brian McDougall
by Willy Hermoza and Tony
Butera
Tee’s and Cue’s in
Oshawa, ONT, welcomed
33 players for the February
18 stop of the Canadian
30K Tour. Of the faithful
members, which included
Scott McDonald, Mario
Morra, and Ron Ranalli, it
was Erik “Big Red”
Hjorliefson who triumphed
yet again to take first place.
With a 10-3 defeat of
Marvin
Catindig,
Hjorliefson moved on to the
hot seat match, where he
met Mike Patrowicz. He
commanded the match and
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Erik Hjorliefson
Marc Bucais
Mike Patrowicz
Mario Morra
Marvin Catindig
Alex Radomski
5th Mike Loponen
Ryan Clements
7th Mike Leigh
Chris Orme
took a 10-4 victory to wait
for his next opponent.
Morra dealt a 9-0 wipeout
to Catindig only to be sent
home with fourth place
courtesy of Marc Bucais.
Now on a roll, Bucais eliminated Patrowicz 6-1 and
takes the A train to meet
Hjorliefson in the finals.
Though the spunky youngster took the first set of the
double-elimination finals 54, Hjorliefson fired right
back in the second set with
a stunning 9-0 victory.
Erik Hjorliefson
by Stan
C
B
an all-s
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compos
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Pagulay
Filipino
Potier h
expectin
phone a
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at this e
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54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:33 AM
Page 73
World
MONTAL MAKES IT TO THE TOP
STAN JAMES CANADIAN 9-BALL TOUR / KELOWNA, BC
the table and took the rack home to draw within one. He took the
next rack as well, and the match was tied at nine games apiece with
a maximum of only three games left to determine the winner.
Potier’s break came up dry, but Montal scratched on the 2 ball,
and Potier used the ball in hand opportunity to run out the rack and
gain the hill. However, his next break also failed him, and Montal
once again came to the table. This time it was Montal who took the
reins and joined Potier on the hill with a 6-9 combination. Montal
made the 5 ball on the break but missed the 1 ball in the side and
brought Potier back to the table. Potier had no shot and tried to
play safe but left the 1 ball available. Montal grabbed this lifeline
and pulled himself home to take the title 11-10.
WO R L D
Edwin Montal
R E P O RT
by Stan James Staff
The field at the February 17-18 stop of the Stan James
Canadian 9-Ball Tour was perhaps the strongest to date. Held at
Breakers Billiards and Bistro in Kelowna, BC, this event garnered
an all-star cast of Canadian champions, including national champ
Brady Gollan, Alex Pagulayan, and points leader Jeff Kennedy to
compose the 68-player field.
But strong resumes were proven worthless on Sunday, when
Pagulayan could manage no better than fifth place, falling first to
Filipino transplant Edwin Montal 9-7 and then to Paul Potier 9-3.
Potier had a more interesting tournament than most: His wife was
expecting their first child, Potier had to keep an ear out for the telephone as well as play his best game.
Current Canadian National champ Gollan fared no better, tying
with Pagulayan for fifth place after a hill-hill defeat by John
Horsfall and then a 9-6 loss to Jeff Kennedy. By taking fourth place
at this event, Kennedy maintained a strong tour points position and
is now in second place behind winner Edwin Montal.
Potier showed a lot of power in Kelowna, in spite of his
unusual circumstances. After being sent to the one-loss side by
Horsfall 9-6, he came in Sunday with a firm resolve and put in a
good day’s work. He put down Mike Vidas 9-8 and then steamrolled Raymond Cruz 9-1 before ending Pagulayan’s road. His next
opponent was Kennedy, and Potier put on another exhibition in that
match, taking it home with a 9-2 scoreline.
Horsfall, a former mainstay on the Canadian billiard scene
who has been pursuing other interests of late, also made a fine
statement this weekend. Drawn into one of the more difficult areas
of the brackets, Horsfall took down, among others, Potier 9-4,
Kennedy 9-7, and Gollan 9-8 before moving undefeated into his
match with last year’s tour champion, Montal. It was then that
things began to unravel for Horsfall. He lost hill-hill to Montal and
then experienced the same fate, losing by one game, in his rematch
with Potier in the semifinals in a match that saw Potier come back
from 4-0 down to take the match 9-8.
Montal, who had been pegged as the underdog in his match
against Alex Pagulayan, never trailed in that match and took his
usual low-key attitude into the arena for his match against Horsfall
to determine who would occupy the hot seat and enjoy a ticket to
the finals. His no-sweat attitude won the day in a marvelous match
against Horsfall that came down to a single rack that appeared to
be going the way of Horsfall until he became snookered on the 5
ball. When he missed the kick, Montal easily swept the remaining
balls and rested as Horsfall prepared to take on the hot stick of
Potier. When Potier won against Horsfall, the final was set.
The finals, a race to 11 games, started off as a close match, but
soon Montal began to edge ahead. At 9-7 Potier regained control of
Paul Potier
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Edwin Montal
Paul Potier
John Horsfall
Jeff Kennedy
Alex Pagulayan
Brady Gollan
7th Raymond Cruz
Dave Martin
9th Mike Vidas
Craig Kerry
Gary Hauck
Roger Colbert
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS WORLD
Date
Tournament
4/14-15
Venue
City, ST
Contact
$ Added
Tiger Canadian Women’s Pool Tour Dunlop Billiards
Barrie, ONT
705-721-0125
$1,000 + qual. Ladies
5/5-6
Tiger Canadian Women’s Pool Tour Pool Paradise
Waterloo, ONT
519-884-4969
$500
Ladies
7/14-15
Tiger Canadian Women’s Pool Tour Bobby D’s Billiards & Grill
Burlington, ONT
905-639-5550
$500
Ladies
8/11-12
Tiger Canadian Women’s Pool Tour Wooden Rack
Mississauga, ONT
905-565-9137
$1,000 + qual. Ladies
9/15-16
Tiger Canadian Women’s Pool Tour Tony’s Place
Guelph, ONT
519-824-3102
$500
10/13-14 Tiger Canadian Women’s Pool Tour Dakota Sports Club & Billiards Alliston, ONT
N/A
$1,000 + qual. Open
11/17-18 Tiger Canadian Women’s Pool Tour Dooly’s
519-885-1436
$1,000
Waterloo, ONT
Eligibility
Ladies
Ladies
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:34 AM
Page 74
Rankings
P RO F E S S I O NA L
A N D
A M AT E U R
TO U R
R A N K I NG S
UNITED STATES PROFESSIONAL
POOL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
Mika Immonen
Johnny Archer
Thorsten Hohmann
Mike Davis
Ralf Souquet
Corey Deuel
Shawn Putnam
CharlieWilliams
Troy Frank
Robb Saez
Rodney Morris
Marcus Chamat
Charles Bryant
Jeremy Jones
Gabe Owen
WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL
BILLIARD ASSOCIATION
545
535
447
405
390
367
320
307
300
290
272
247
230
227
225
Allison Fisher
Karen Corr
Kelly Fisher
Monica Webb
Vivian Villareal
Ga-Young Kim
Gerda Hofstatter
Xiaoting Pan
Jeanette Lee
Kim White
Tiffany Nelson
Helena Thornfeldt
Melissa Herndon
Jennifer Barretta
Sarah Ellerby
41750
38750
34000
30250
30000
27950
27500
26750
25500
24000
24000
23500
22000
20600
20350
WORLD POOL-BILLIARD ASSOCIATION ARTISTIC POOL
Mike Massey
Nick Nikolaidis
Tom Rossman
Andy Segal
Sebastian Giumelli
Lucasz Szywala
Bruce Barthelette
Charles Darling
1155.7
798.55
774.76
539.27
504.34
434.59
422.04
391.12
TIGER TOUR
OPEN DIVISION
My-Hanh Lac
Pamela Treadway
Zinnie Panju
Sueyen Rhee
Kathleen Lawless
Teresa Savage
Gwen Dickert
Kim Smith
Dona Sellman
Kathy Friend
Malea Haacke
Marcie Hanifee
Jacquilyn Redmon
Judie Wilson
Kim Sudler
Sharon O'Hanlon
Matt MacPhail
Jamison Neu
Mark Dimick
Eric Yow
Sal Conti
Steve Geller
Tom Kinzel
David Nangle
305.89
285.84
272.42
218.6
200.05
97.98
92.4
89.38
TIGER TOUR
WOMEN’S DIVISION
500
400
325
275
250
250
225
225
200
200
200
200
175
175
175
175
Shawn Putnam
Danny Mulhollen III
BJ Ussery
Matt Krah
Danny Green
Richard Barney
Alan Duty
Shaun Wilkie
Eric Moore
Greg Sabins
Justin Daniels
Kevin West
Bill Duggan
Brad Grasso
Brett Stottlemyer
David Hunt
2260
1808
1469
1243
1130
1130
1017
1017
904
904
904
904
791
791
791
791
54-April-2007
3/6/07
10:50 AM
Page 75
R E G I O NA L P L AY E R O F T H E M O N T H
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:46 AM
Page 76
Joey
Korsiak
by Rick Davis
“My goal in life is to win a championship,” said Joey Korsiak as his reason for
his dedication to the game of billiards.
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Korsiak was
an admirer of the game from a young age.
Then, at 12 years old, a local poolroom began
to pull in the best players of the time for a
weekly event. This, explained Korsiak,
“inspired me to get into the game more.” The
combination of witnessing the highest skill
level of the sport and seeing the riches the
eventual winners took away open the young
Korsiak’s eyes.
Now, 27 years old and living in the
Hamptons, he has used his previous titles as
a stepping stone to where he is now. First
winning the junior nationals in 1997, then his
first Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop win in
1999, Korsiak began to get closer to his goal.
Now, with more than 10 Joss Tour wins, as
well as a fifth-place finish at the Super
Billiards Expo in 2005 and a fourth-place finish at the Turning Stone Classic VIII, Korsiak
is ready to close in on his goal.
Practicing 4-5 hours every day, including jumps, breaks, drills, and even watching
himself on tape, he is constantly sharpening
his game to reach his ultimate goal. Always
ready for any event, all games are in his bag
of tricks, although a recent return to playing
one-pocket has captured his attention lately.
Korsiak explained, “At first I didn’t have the
patience for it, but I play chess a lot, and
years later after going back and playing with
someone who really knew the game, it’s now
my favorite game to play. But I think I play
every game pretty good.”
On his quest for a major championship,
a host of sponsors help keep his mind on the
action. Mike Capone Cues and the Seminole
Tribe of Florida constantly assist him while
the crew at NYC Grind help keep him pointed in the right direction. While reaching for
his goal, Korsiak plans to continue to be a
threat in the Northeast as well as the major
annual events like Valley Forge, the U.S.
Open, and the Derby City Classic.
Meanwhile, events from the Joss Tour help
keep him sharp on his way to the top. t
Cues / Gift Items
Accessories / Hats
T-Shirts / Jackets
Denim / Polos
Embroidery
Call 800-627-8888 for a catalog
OR SHOP ONLINE @
4825 S. 16th St.
Lincoln, NE 68512
Dept. IP
w w w. p o o l n d a r t s . c o m
54-April-2007
3/8/07
3:52 PM
Page 77
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:50 AM
Page 78
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:51 AM
Page 79
International
Cuemakers
Association
“A commitment
to Excellence”
www.internationalcuemakers.com
www.norwelacues.com
NORWELA CUES
PRATHER CUE PARTS
“As Always” ALL Components for complete Cue
Building. VISA, M/C, Amex, Discover, and
PayPal 1-800-364-6913
200 South Main Steeet
Mooreland, OK. 73852
www.prathercue.com, [email protected]
Call For our Free Component and Cue Catalog
Jacoby Custom Cues
www.jacobycue.com
715.886.2900
316.269.3844
www.shurtzcue.com
SHURTZ CUSTOM CUES
www.cameroncues.com
CAMERON CUSTOM CUES
http://www.queperfect.biz
888.843.1283
www.schulercue.com
www.hightowercues.com
www.daytoncues.com
www.unclewaldosbilliards.com
www.nitticues.com
www.cuesbyDaveSucher.com
WORLD’S GREATEST
CUE EXTENSION
THE Q EFREN REYES CHOSE
HIGHTOWER CUSTOM CUES
Waldo's Cue Repair 386-760-7006
CUES BY DAVE SUCHER
SCHULER CUES
DAYTON CUES
NITTI CUES
For Sale
6 Brunswick Gold Crown III
41/2 x 9 with Ball Return
$2500.00 each
Buy all 6 for
$12,000
Call Bill at 419.841.2596
Toledo, Ohio
www.thetonyryan.com
www.marksmithcues.com
MARK SMITH CUSTOM CUES
850.562.0037
TRIPLE CROSS CUES
Your Classified Here
1.866.961.7665 extension 226
www.cuemaker.com
DIECKMAN, CUE BUILDER
CUE LATHES & INLAY
MACHINES
Starting at $850. Also sold separately: 2
HR Cue Repair and Building Video - $50,
Point and Inlay Video - $50, Cue Building
book $69.95, lathe pins, concaved live centers, chucks, wrap motors, and other parts to
convert your lathe for cue making or repair.
Tapered Shaft and Butt Blanks
WWW.CUESMITH.COM
Phone (770) 684-7004
Ask for Chris or write: “Cue Man Billiards”
444 Flint Hill Rd. Aragon, GA 30104
Wanted:
Complete pool hall, lamps,
sticks, balls, racks, kitchen,
carpet everything. Also any
leads on bowling lanes.
Ready to move.
WILL PAY CASH.
No need to deal. Need up
to 34 tables.
Call 310.245.6785
F
Entries can be submitted in two ways. By mail, entries must be postmarked by April 23. E-mails through
www.insidepoolmag.com must be submitted no later than midnight April 30. We will contact the winner by phone and
announce it on our website. The winner receives a Viking cue with a retail value of $300-$400 and a one-year subscription
to InsidePOOL Magazine.
WIN A VIKING CUE!
54-April-2007
3/6/07
6:52 AM
Page 80
LAST MONTH’S
WINNER
"Although Corey's body english didn't
help make the shot, it did inadvertently
bring a much-needed rain to the local
farmers."
Gary Katz of Long Grove, IL
To enter the contest,
log onto www.insidepoolmag.com.
>>
0407_Cover
3/6/07
4:11 PM
Page 3
It’s a whole new game
International Billiard & Home
Recreation Expo
June 21-23, 2007
Sands Expo & Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
If you are in the business of billiards – this is an event you can’t afford to miss.
The International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo provides
qualified billiard buyers and suppliers with three days of
open floor time at the Sands Expo & Convention Center,
June 21-23, 2007, in Las Vegas, as well as a full program of
social and networking events.
Hundreds of exhibitors will be on hand with product displays
ranging from the “classics” such as billiard tables, cues, cases, cloth, slate, balls,
chalk, racks, stands, lighting, instructional products, publications, accessories
and league systems…to complimentary lines like furniture, bars, room décor,
poker, game tables, video games, music systems, tanning beds, spas, apparel
and novelty items.
Retailers and room operators are coming to Las Vegas…make purchases…
learn the environment…compare brands…meet the industry! It’s a whole new
game. Join us and see what’s new at the 2007 International Billiard & Home
Recreation Expo.
For more information on exhibiting and
attending contact Expo Management:
WT Glasgow Inc.
Phone: (708) 226-1300
Fax: (708) 226-1310
Email: [email protected]
Or visit: www.bcaexpo.com
Sponsored by:
Billiard Congress of America
Phone: (719) 264-8300
Fax: (719) 264-0900
E-Mail: [email protected]
Or Visit: www.bca-pool.com
Register for your admission badge today on-line at www.bcaexpo.com
1206-C1-4
3/13/07
3:16 PM
Page 4

April 2007 - Inside Pool Magazine

Transcription

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