January 2013 Inside POOL Magazine

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6 Beat People With a Stick Do You Care Enough?

8 Pro Pool Workout Reverse and Hide Long Split 10 Ten Steps to Pool Success Step Four: Where the Cue Ball is Going 12 Intermediate Objectives Surveying the After-Match

14 Competitors Take Junior and Wheelchair WPA Championships Wins 18 Stars Rise at Space City Open Introductory Event a Hit in Houston 20 Three in a Row! Europe Edges out America for

Mosconi Cup

On the Cover: Chris Melling’s stellar performance at the PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup earned him the VIP award and helped Team Europe to an 11-9 victory over Team USA. This was Europe’s third consecutive Mosconi Cup triumph in a row and their fifth win in six years.

For the full story, please visit page 20.

2 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

Publisher JR Calvert publisher@insidepoolmag.com Editor Sally P. Timko editor@insidepoolmag.com Graphic Artists Laura Luzier art@insidepoolmag.com Allen Hopkins Jr. Editorial Assistant Lea Andrews Advertising Sales Director Bill Perry sales@insidepoolmag.com Technical Consultant Tom Simpson Staff Videographer Alvin Nelson Feature Photo Credits JR Calvert, Michael Moon, Thomas Overbeck, J. P. Parmentier E-mail info@insidepoolmag.com Website www.insidepoolmag.com Instructional Staff Johnny Archer, Shannon Daulton, Mark Finkelstein, Bob Henning, Allan Sand, Tom Simpson Contributing Writers Freddie Agnir, Mark Finkelstein, Matt Jackson, Thomas Overbeck, Ken Shuman Toll Free 888-428-7665 Administrative Offices PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA 16201

4 Advertiser Directory 34 APA Player of the Month

36 Northeast 39 Southeast 42 Central 46 Western

28 What’s New 30 Food on Tour: Louisville, Kentucky 32 Industry News 41 SudoCue Puzzle Big Pocket 48 Word Puzzle Tea Party

InsidePOOL Magazine Volume XIII, Issue 1 (ISSN15473511) is published monthly except June and August by Spheragon Publishing, PO Box 972, 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 assumed no responsibility for unsolicited material.

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POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: InsidePOOL Magazine, PO Box 972, Kittanning, PA 16201. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. January 2013 â—Š InsidePOOLmag.com 3

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A Pool Lesson with Jerry Breisath 608-279-9994

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Inside Front Cover

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Inside Back Cover

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Back Cover

Do You Care Enough?

I

don’t know many players who are happy with their game.

We’re inconsistent, we make stupid mistakes, we lose focus, we take low-percentage shots, we fail to plan ahead, we choke on the money ball … and we do it again and again. We’re stuck in a rut of our own making.

do thousands of times, and it feels pretty smooth to them, they expect to look pretty good. After a day of building sound fundamentals, we watch the videos and they are appalled at what they now see. “I had no idea I was doing that wacky move. No wonder I’m inconsistent …”

Most players claim that they want to get better, but do they actually do what it takes to get better? Some feel they deserve to play better—after all, they have the latest whiz-bang magic pool cue, shaft, tip, and chalk. They read instructional columns. They play their league match every week. They try really hard. Their results should improve, right?

Once you’ve built some solid fundamentals, it’s time to get smarter about the game. Today the amount of well-organized, readily available knowledge about ball behavior and smart strategy dwarfs what we knew in the past. When I was first trying to learn in the 1960s, nobody would tell you anything. There were secrets. It’s clear to me now that they really didn’t know much at all by today’s standards. Now with books, videos, highly experienced instructors, and of course the Internet, we no longer have any excuse.

Often the very athletic players get off to a fast start and get a mistaken impression of how difficult pool really is. They got pretty good pretty fast. They didn’t have to work very hard to get that far.

I’d say they got to base camp at the bottom of the mountain and thought they were mountain climbers. And that’s where they tend to remain.

‘

’

You are not going to get better until you care enough to take action.

We see the players who have put in a lot of time at the table, maybe over several decades. But that table time was all play and no constructive practice. And then we have the players who actually practice, but they practice the wrong things or their favorite things and never improve. The rut gets deeper.

Obviously if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting the same results. To improve, something must change. Some of the right things must change. You have to fix the worst aspects of your game, the weakest links of the proverbial chain.

For starters, you have to build simple, reliable, accurate physical skills: fundamentals. If you can’t deliver the cue ball to where you think you’re aiming, all your knowledge and experience are of little value. Players assume that because they make some good shots and occasionally string together some nice wins, they must know what they’re doing. In twenty years of teaching pool, I’ve rarely encountered an amateur player whose fundamentals were great. Great fundamentals come from caring enough to do what’s necessary, from being willing to change. Players often arrive at pool school looking forward to seeing themselves shooting our structured video stroke analysis. Because they’ve done what they 6 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

Here’s the thing that’s been troubling me recently, and it’s not just league players. I’m realizing that a high percentage of dedicated players will never get any better. They’ve played for years, maybe for decades. Their league handicap doesn’t change. Their tournament results don’t improve. They always get beat by the same players. They continue to show up and play, continue to be frustrated and humiliated, and continue to do what they’ve always done. What’s wrong with this picture?

I’m coming to the conclusion that they just don’t care enough. That’s fine for the social players who are just looking for a little fun and an occasional evening at the table. But for the “dedicated” players, if you’re not striving for better fundamentals, not eager to learn new things, not willing to take lessons or practice, not interested in studying the better players, what are you doing in this most precise and demanding of games? You are not going to get better until you care enough to take action.

Those players who used to play at your level and have moved beyond you have embraced change, sought knowledge, and developed skills, focus, and fortitude. You can do it too—if you care.

Doing the work has its rewards. Break out of your rut. Separate yourself from the pack!

Tom Simpson Tom Simpson is a Master Instructor in both the PBIA and ACS Instructor Programs. He delivers his acclaimed 3-Day Weekend Intensive in 12 cities nationwide. As inventor of Elephant Practice Balls®, the Stroke Groover™, and the Ghostball Aim Trainer®, and authorized instructor for Secret Aiming Systems™, Tom’s innovations in training have helped thousands of players. Listen to an audio description of the Intensive, and read 35 instructional articles at www.NationalBilliardAcademy.com. Contact: Tom@PoolClinics.com.

Reverse and Hide Long Split A

few months ago we looked at a couple of short split safeties, a category of safeties included in my new book Pro Safeties: The TOP 100 Safety Shots in Pool. In this common and easy-to-execute safety, the cue ball and the active object ball are moved to the opposite side rails. The essential goal is to leave one or both hidden behind blocker balls so that your opponent has to kick.

The best outcome is to leave one or both balls frozen behind a blocker ball with all of the feasible kicking routes out of play.

A long split safety is even more common and easier to execute. In this type of shot, both balls are moved to the opposite end rails, so the advantage of distance is gained and the demand for pinpoint accuracy is lessoned. Even if you don’t hide one of the balls, you still have the distance factor that your opponent will have to negotiate. The featured safety in this column, the Reverse and Hide Long Split, also called the Reverse Spin Long Split, is one of the most complex safeties in this category.

7

3

9 4

simple learning upgrade can and will make you a tougher player across the entire gamut of safety play.

As you can see in the demonstrated 9-ball situation, there is no practical shot on the 3 ball. Most players will elect to play safe, and most of them will see, select, and shoot the simple shot of sending the 3 ball up table. This gets distance and a possible hook behind the 4, 9, and 5 balls, but it doesn’t handle the cue ball in the wisest fashion. Trying to stop it or draw it back behind the 5, leaving it in the open where the 3 is now is okay, but it’s not great.

A more advanced player, who understands the advantage of freezing the cue ball to the bottom rail, will attempt to do so by either rolling it to the side rail and back to the nameplate or by drawing it directly to the rail near the first diamond.

Tom Simpson

But there’s one more advantage that can be stacked onto this safety. A tip or so of high left and a fairly full hit Simpson Instructor in both the PBIA can stick the cue ball rightTomon the is5.a Master If you accomplish this, and ACS Instructor Programs.

He delivers acclaimed you will have a killer safety. And even if you don’thisget the 3 Weekend Intensive in 12 cities nationwide. As ball all the way down3-Day table or if you spin past the 5, you’ll inventor of Elephant Practice Balls®, the Stroke Groover™, still have a reasonable safety.

SoAim there’s additional risk and the Ghostball Trainer®, no and authorized instructor for going for the freeze-up on the 5.

For a variation, move for Secret Aiming Systems™, Tom’s innovations in training the cue ball about anhave inch closer to the nameplate. helped thousands of players.

Listen to an audio

description of the Intensive, and read 35 instructional articles at www.NationalBilliardAcademy.com.

Contact: Tom@PoolClinics.com.

Good luck and good shootin’!

5

6

Second variation

It is also a very beautiful safety and a fruitful one to analyze and study. All of the complexity involved is of low risk and focused on adding advantages and strength to your shot. Practicing this safety will teach you to extend your thinking when planning defensive shots. Instead of selecting and shooting a safety in its weakest configuraKen Shuman of Sacramento, is one of the country’s tion, you’ll start seeing how to addCA,elements to it. This

Ken Shuman

premier tournament directors. He is an accomplished professional referee and is considered an expert on the 8 InsidePOOL Magazine rules ◊ofJanuary play. Ken2013 has officiated at World Championship events in the USA and the Philippines. He directs some of

Bob Henning 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 also released The Advanced Pro Book and The Stroke Zone: The Pool Player’s Guide to Dead Stroke. In addition, he has authored Cornbread Red, a biography of the colorful Billy Burge. Bob recently released a new book titled Pro Safeties: The TOP 100 Safety Shots in Pool.

Robert LeBlanc

>

Instruction

< by Mark Finkelstein Step Four: Where the Cue Ball is Going

T

he most accurate shot in our pool arsenal for direction and distance control is a rolling cue ball. In fact, one of the keys to playing simple pool is staying on the vertical axis of the cue ball and rolling the cue ball softly. With the right angle, we can move the cue ball around the table easily and not have to use too much speed or spin.

This simple approach is how great players make the game look easy.

To start rolling the cue ball immediately, strike the cue ball softly about a half a tip above the center with a level cue stick. This minimizes cue ball slide, and fundamentals will hold up better with a softer stroke.

The first rolling ball rule of thumb is the one-sixth rule, which is that when you hit the object ball full with a rolling ball, the cue ball will roll approximately one-sixth the distance that the object ball rolls. Use this rule of thumb to help predict where the cue ball will stop on full hits on the object ball. By just reaching the pocket with the object ball, take about one-sixth the distance the object ball traveled and know how far the cue ball will roll after contact.

ball is. Your middle finger represents the line that the cue ball is rolling, and your index finger is on the line the cue ball will deflect on after it hits the object ball.

Using the 30-degree rule, we can predict where the cue ball will hit the rail and use this knowledge to avoid scratching or bumping into balls needlessly.

3

/3

2

1

Two-Thirds Rule: Estimate the rolling cue ball deflection angle for thin cuts

2

The 30-degree rule applies to a cut shots from a quarter-ball hit to a three-quarter-ball hit. For a rolling cue ball, the cue ball will deflect about 30 degrees from its original path. This concept is illustrated in the following diagram:

30-Degree Rule: Estimate the rolling cue ball deflection angle for medium cuts

1

30

o

This cut shot on the 1 is about a half-ball hit. Using the outline of the triangle shows that the cue ball deflects about 30 degrees.

For cut shots near the quarter-ball and three-quarter-ball limits, the deflection angle is a little more like 28 or so degrees, and for half-ball hits, the deflection angle is more like 35 degrees. However, for playing purposes, 30 degrees is a good estimate.

One quick tip to help recognize what a 30-degree angle looks like is to use the rack. Each angle in the rack is 60 degrees, so half of any angle of the rack is 30 degrees.

You can also visualize the 30-degree rule by making a peace sign, putting your thumb on the table where the center of the ghost 10 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

Ken Shuman Ken Shuman of Sacramento, CA, is one of the country’s premier tournament directors. He is an accomplished professional referee and is considered an expert on the rules of play. Ken has officiated at World Championship

The above diagram shows cutandshot on the 2Heball. eventsainthin the USA the Philippines. directsThe some of 3 ball is on the path the cuetheball is rolling, andincluding the 1 the ballDerby is on major tournaments, Citythe Classic, tangent line of the shot. ThethecueU.S.ballBartrack that theCSI’s cue National ball Tableshows Championship, hits the rail about two-thirdsChampionship of the waySeries, to the tangent line.Championship, the U.S. Open 9-Ball and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Contact Ken at

These crucial rules impart an understanding of where the cue shucue@yahoo.com. ball is going after making a cut shot with a soft rolling ball. Knowing this allows us to better map out cue ball routes and play better patterns and position.

Next month we will look at more rules of thumb for the cue ball.

Mark Finkelstein Mark Finkelstein is an ACS and PBIA Master Instructor, accomplished player, instructional columnist for NYCGRIND, and author of the book PoolRamblings, available at McNallyJackson.com. Mark has been involved in pool and billiards for almost 60 years and is available for lessons or events at Slate Plus or Eastside Billiards in New York City. Visit McNallyJackson.com for more information.

>

Instruction

Tom Simpson Sand < by Allan Surveying the After-Match

W

henever you play competitive matches, you will sometimes find yourself on the losing side. When that happens, there are reactions. For some reason, you experienced this setback.

Your response usually is to suffer through a post-match depression. Your post-match activities can include the standard moans and groans. You could immediately make a quick survey of your available friends and then force them to listen to your tales of woe, expecting a sympathetic ear. You might be the rare individual who suffers in silence in consideration of the feelings of others.

Regardless, you serve your obligatory time in purgatory. You can use the simple process of doing your best to forget the experience. To do this, the loss is tossed away, scrubbed from your memory, or otherwise put behind you. Eventually you decide to grab your bootstraps and pull yourself up. By discarding the memory, you can pick your life back up. But this process of ignoring and abandoning the experience is not the best way to become a better player.

Ken Shuman

Instead of trying to erase the experience from your memory, Kenfigure Shumanout of Sacramento, CA, is one of the country’s take this approach: Try to what happened.

You lost the premier tournament directors.

He is an accomplished match. Why? Consider the concept of learning from your mistakes. referee room and is considered an expert on There the Some careful analysisprofessional might reveal for improvement. rules of play. has officiated at Worldthat Championship could be multiple reasons andKen playing decisions led to the eventscan in thediscover USA and the Philippines.

He of directs someOnce of loss. Perhaps this analysis one or more these. the major tournaments, including the Derby City Classic, recognized, you can take steps that could reduce the number of the U.S.upBar Table Championship, CSI’sapproach National to failures in the future. Facing to reality is a proactive improving your game.Championship Series, the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Contact Ken at shucue@yahoo.com.

‘ ’ You lost the match. Why? Consider the concept of learning from your mistakes.

Tom Simpson is a Master Instructor in both the PBIA and ACS Instructor Programs. He delivers his acclaimed 3-Day Weekend Intensive in 12 cities nationwide. As inventor of Elephant Practice Balls®, the Stroke Groover™, and the Ghostball Aim Trainer®, and authorized instructor for Secret Aiming Systems™, Tom’s innovations in training

So let’s open up your memories get some answers. have helped and thousands of players.

Listen to an audio description of the Intensive, and read 35 instructional articles at www.NationalBilliardAcademy.com.

Contact: • Was your opponent above your skillTom@PoolClinics.com. level?

• What (and how many) shot choices helped your opponent beat you?

• At any time did you consider the consequences of failure?

• When your opponent gave you an opportunity (ball in hand, miss on an easy shot, etc.) mistake, what did you do with it?

• What shot decisions now look stupid in hindsight?

• What was your attitude throughout the match?

• Were you actually serious about winning the match?

Bob Henning is the author of The Pro Book, widely • Did you shark yourself?considered to be the most advanced training resource for competitive pool players. It brings the latest techniques of

Some of these answersthe can strategic your topreveal coaches aand trainers ofweakness all sports intoinpool.

It is game or your attitude. For example, youwho analyze your opintended fordid those wish towhat prepare physically, ponent could and couldn’tmentally, do? How many actual defensive shots and psychologically for pool competition.

Bob is did you shoot? also the author of “The Pro Book Video Series,” a complete, on-the-table training system, and he also released The Advanced Pro Book and The Stroke Zone: The aPool Player’s Guide to Deaderrors.

Stroke. For In addition, he has

Other answers reveal number of tactical example, authored Red, a biography of themore colorfulthan Billy Burge. recently released if you had no Cornbread shot, did you consider one Bob defensive opa new book titledwith Pro Safeties: The TOP 100did Safety Shots in Pool. how to get tion? When faced an easy shot, you consider shape on the second or third ball? Did you leave a cluster for last and thereby waste several innings in the end-game? Did you get fully down on every shot? Some of these will require physical changes in pre-shot routines. Other answers will point out a necessary correction in your attitude. This analysis will also point out skills that need improvement.

Robert “Cotton” LeBlanc is a well-known pool player and was a roadman for almost years, traveling

You can make a further effort to reduce the 40 number of lostthe country playing virtually all of the pool legends matches. After your personal analysis, take the time to write out and a friends with Highly plan. Start by writing downchampions—and details aboutmaking the mental and them. physical skilledaware himself,ofhethe is theproblems, author of thewhich best-selling book mistakes. This makes you very helps Confessions of a Pool Hustler, which chronicles his life you focus on what you should do. and hundreds of stories about being on the road. Visit his website at www.confessionsofapoolhustler.com.

You learn the most from mistakes and the least from successes.

Learn froms your mistakes, and you will experience more success.

Bob Henning

Robert LeBlanc

Mark Finkelstein

Mark Finkelstein is an ACS and PBIA Master Instructor, player, instructional columnistReview for your

Start with aaccomplished general overview of the match. and author the book PoolRamblings, playing decisionsNYCGRIND, and results.

How of many times did reality match available at McNallyJackson.com. been up with your expectations?

Here is a sampleMark set has of questions to in poolreplayed and billiards formatch almost 60inyears andhead. is ask yourself afterinvolved you have the your You available fordevelop lessons or events at Slate Plus Eastside Billiards in New York City.queries.

Visit This must a standard setorof self-analysis personal McNallyJackson.com for more information. checklist can be modified to fit your personal viewpoint.

Note: If you don’t already know this, I might as well tell you now. Most of the games lost are because you gave your opponent too many opportunities to win. You didn’t consider the chances of success and failure, played offense which you should have played defense, and made just plain dumb shots that should never have been considered, much less actually shot.

12 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

Bob Henning Allan Sand Bob Henning is the author of The Pro Book, widely

considered to be the most advanced training resource for competitive players.

It brings the qualified latest Allan Sandpool is a pocket billiards instructor, by the Professional Instructor techniques of the Billiards top coaches and Association trainers of(PBIA) all and American CueItSports (ACS). for He teaches players sports into pool. is intended those who wishhow to to become physically, “intelligentmentally, shooters”and andpsychologically how to think before prepare for shooting. He has played the green game for more than 50 pool competition. Bob is also the author of “The Pro years and now resides in Santa Clara, CA, where he keeps Book Video Series,” a complete, on-the-table training system, and he also released his skills sharpened on a double-shimmed 5x10 Saunier The Pro Book ThehasStroke Zone:seven The books Pool Player’ Deadand andAdvanced Wilhelm 1938 table.and Sands authored on hows Guide to playtobetter Stroke.

In addition, he has authored Cornbread Red, a biography of the colorful smarter pool, including Art of War Versus the Art of Pool, Psychology of GamesmanBilly Burge. ship, and Safety Toolbox. For more information and details, please visit www.billiardgods.com.

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WPA Championships

Wins article and photos courtesy of Thomas Overbeck, EPBF

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he 21st Annual WPA World Junior and Wheelchair 9-Ball Championships extended a warm welcome at the Saurland-Stern Hotel in Willingen, Germany, to 48 of the world’s top young players who traveled there the first week of December to vie for top honors at the prestigious event. The field consisted of 32 boys, 16 girls, and 16 wheelchair competitors representing over 30 countries.

Tough Opening Match for Miller

In the first round of the girls’ division, Brianna Miller (USA) defeated Kate Polovinchuk (UKR) 7-5. In the beginning the match seemed to be pretty one-sided.

Miller played more focused and was able to gain a clear advantage over Polovinchuk. After five racks the score was 4-1 in Miller’s favor.

Polovinchuk committed a foul and Miller got to the table with ball in hand and only five balls remaining on the table. Whether it was carelessness or pretension can only be guessed here; as a matter of fact, Miller ran out of position for the 7 ball and then missed it. Polovinchuk accepted the gift and turned the score to 4-2. This error from Miller was exactly what Polovinchuk needed. She won the next two racks and tied the match at 4-4, turning it into a nail-biter. Miller seemed to have lost her easiness but got back on track with her performance and took the lead 5-4 only to commit another slip in the next rack.

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Polovinchuk penalized her without showing any mercy and tied the match again at 5-5. Then Polovinchuk broke the balls, made the 7 ball, and missed a tough shot on the 1 ball. That was her last visit to the table in that match. Miller ran the rack and the next one in order to win the match 7-5.

One-Loss Bracket Claims First Victims

In the first one-loss side round, Berk Mehmetcik (TNC) eliminated Charles Guimond (CAN) from the event 9-3. Mehmetcik dominated the match from the very beginning. He seemed to be hungrier and more aggressive than his opponent. Perhaps that was the reason why he missed some easy shots: He just played too fast. But Guimond was not able to capitalize from that. After six racks, Mehmetcik led 5-1, and in the seventh rack, he did not even allow Guimond to enter the table. He ran the rack and claimed a comfortable 6-1 lead.

Henrik Larsson Brianna Miller

Suddenly it seemed as if Guimond had realized that he was about to leave the world championship stage soon. He won two racks in a row, and it looked like he was up for some more resistance.

But Mehmetcik was too strong for him. Up 8-3, Mehmetcik, the player from Turkish North Cyprus pocketed the 8 ball and the 9 ball at the same time and ousted Guionond from the event, winning 9-3.

Favorites Make Their Way in Wheelchair Division

The end result was 7-5 in favor of Henrik Larsson (SWE) when he finished his match with Tankred Volkmer (GER). Larsson, who came in second last year, was definitely considered to be the clearly favored player for this match. But Volkmer seemed to like his role being the underdog. Maybe that was one of the reasons why the match did not turn out as clearly as expected.

Volkmer managed to keep the difference in the scores small.

After four racks, the score was 2-2. Larsson took his time-out and tried to get back on track, but he could not get a big advantage over Volkmer. The German even took a 4-3 lead in the meantime.

That could have been the wakeup call for Larsson.

The Swede won the next three racks and went on the hill, creating huge pressure for Volkmer. At a score of 6-4 against him, Volkmer was able to snatch one more rack off Larsson. Then Lars-

son ended all of Volkmer’s hopes to win this match. He took another rack and won the match 7-5.

Close Decision in Girls’ Division

In a real thriller of a match, Szu-Ting Kuo (TPE) remained holding the upper hand over Kamila Khodjaeva (BEL) with a close 7-6 victory. Both girls met in the winners’ qualification round. Both of them had already two victories under their belt. It promised to be an exciting match. Kuo had some advantages from the very

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Kamila Khodjaeva beginning. She seemed more secure in what she was doing and was able to gain a two-rack advantage over Khodjaeva.

But Khodjaeva, last year’s runner-up, is known to be a fighter who never gives up. She won the eleventh rack by running it out to close the gap to 6-5. In the next rack she even forced Kuo to commit three consecutive fouls and tied the match at hill-hill. In the final rack, Khodjaeva had the break shot. She made three balls and had a promising layout. She ran out the table and had a good position for the 9 ball, but to the dismay of all of her supporters, she missed it. However, she got lucky and did not leave a shot for Kuo.

The Asian tried to play safe but left a makeable shot for Khodjaeva. Khodjaeva had a second chance but missed the 9 ball again.

Kuo got to the table and finished the match, winning 7-6.

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In the final match, Tahti had the better start. He obtained an early 3-1 lead over Larsson since the Swede committed some mistakes. Larsson struck back and got to 3-3. Then he took a time-out and came back even stronger. He played exceptionally strong and got rewarded. Suddenly, the tide had turned on the match. Larsson found himself in a comfortable 5-3 lead over the reigning world champion. He played probably some of the best pool in his career and never gave another chance to Tahti, winning the match 7-3.

Polish Delegation Destroy Czuprynska’s Hopes

Kamila Khodjaeva (BEL) won the WPA World 9-Ball Champion title in the girls’ division by smashing defending champion Oliwia Czuprynska (POL) 7-0. Khodjaeva demonstrated pocket billiards to its perfection. She missed one single shot during the entire match.

Czuprynska could at no point in time find her game or rhythm and simply did not get any chance at all. Khodjaeva dominated the match from start to finish and perfectly well deserved the crown in the girls’ division.

Szu-Ting Kuo

Important Victory for Young Turkish North Cyprus Player

With a fantastic performance, Berk Mehmetcik (TNC) made it to the semifinal by defeating Joshua Filler (GER) 9-5. Filler had been undefeated in the competition and was actually the favorite to win the match. But Mehmetcik seemed to be more focused. Filler had several slips that Mehmetcik transformed into points for his account. After Filler was trailing 5-2, he fought back and closed the gap to 5-4. Then, in the tenth rack, he forced Mehmetcik to commit a foul. Instead of running out, he tried to bank the 8 ball and missed. Mehmetcik accepted the gift and took the rack. From there, Mehmetcik took the helm and dominated the match to win 9-5.

Larsson Wins Wheelchair Title

In a high-class match, Henrik Larsson (SWE) defeated Jouni Tahti (FIN) 7-3 to become the new world champion in the wheelchair division. Larsson had the easier way into the final of the wheelchair competition. He defeated Fred Dinsmore (IRE) 7-5 in the semifinal, while Jouni Tahti had to deal with Roy Kimberley (GBR). He was already 6-1 ahead in a race to 7 when Kimberley suddenly awoke and played probably the game of his life. He snatched rack after rack off the defending champion and tied the match at hill-hill. It was Kimberley who lined up the shot for the deciding 9 ball, but he did not award himself for his brave performance. He missed the 9 ball and allowed Tahti to enter the final match.

Cheng-Chieh Liu Takes Final Medal

With a fantastic performance, Cheng-Chieh Liu (TPE) won the gold medal in the juniors’ division by defeating Tobias Bongers (GER).

The match did not start very well for Bongers. He was meant to take the lead but miscued on the third last ball of the first rack. Instead of being ahead, he found himself trailing 2-0. He then fouled two racks later and was trailing 4-1 since Liu did not commit any mistakes.

However, Bongers stayed strong and tried to make his way back, but Liu seemed to make no errors. In the thirteenth rack, Liu did commit his first mistake by missing the 7 ball. Bongers made it but missed the 9 ball. That gave Liu the chance to get on the hill with 8-5, and sure enough, he took it. He then ran out another rack and snatched the match and the title of the 2012 WPA World 9-Ball champion.

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at Space

City Open

T

he inaugural Space City Open was a resounding success, paying out almost $23,000 in its first run. Jeremy “Double J” Jones took the one-pocket division by storm, decimating a plethora of world-class players including Justin Hall in the final match 4-2.

In the open 9-ball division, Charlie Bryant secured a tight victory over U.S Open champion Corey Deuel 9-7, while WPBA touring pro Vivian Villarreal went undefeated in the ladies’ 9-ball division.

Held December 7-9 at Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar in Houston, TX, the Space City Open was a culmination of efforts by several businesses, including Bogies Billiards, the Lone Star Billiards Tour, and the APA of North Harris County, in addition to sponsorship provided by InsidePOOL Magazine, the Delta-13 Rack, OB Cues, On Site Pool.com, and KC Pool and Poker.com. The event was captured on a four-day live stream courtesy of Onsitepool.com and KC Pool n Poker, with all official event photos taken by Michael Moon.

To kick-off the event, pro player Corey Deuel hosted an OB Cues pro pool clinic, while Villarreal hosted her own Texas Tornado pro clinic. John Newsome conducted

Introductory Event a Hit in Houston

by InsidePOOL Staff photos courtesy of Michael Moon

the players’ meeting and draws, which was followed by a round of one-pocket.

There were 59 players in the open 9-ball division. In early round action, the UK’s Derek Sim bested Sonny Demetro 9-2 and Rodney Stewart 9-6, while Deuel briskly made his way to the final eight winners’ side with wins over Eric Renteria 9-2 and Jones 9-7. Hall fought through Rafael Martinez 9-4 and Jeff Fox 9-7, while Sylver Ochoa, Charlie Bryant, Adam Shaw, Vivian Villarreal and Joey Barnes also made their way to Sunday’s winners’ round.

Sunday’s first round of 9-ball saw the UK’s Adam Shaw fall to Bryant 9-8 and Villarreal to Barnes 9-5. Ochoa bested Hall 9-6, and it was Deuel over Sim 9-5. On the oneloss side, Martinez eliminated Sim and Hall, while Jones made an impressive run with wins over David Henson 7-3, Raul Escobedo

Vivian Villarreal

18 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

7-4, and Shaw 7-6. On the winners’ side final four, Deuel bested Ochoa 9-4, and Bryant overwhelmed Barnes 9-6.

After a second-round loss to Hall 9-4, Martinez was on a mission, winning six consecutive matches until he came up short against Barnes 7-6. Joey Torres came through the one-loss side quite nicely with wins over Denis Strickland and Villarreal, until Jones took the reins 7-4. This paired Barnes and Jones on the one-loss side. The score was 1-1 when Jones closed the set out, winning six consecutive games.

Hot seat action saw Deuel and Bryant trade racks for eight games. Deuel only won one more game as Bryant pulled ahead and ended the match 9-5. Deuel made quick work of Jones 7-4 to meet up once again with Bryant. In the final, Deuel strung the first four racks with his steady break and fluid stroke.

Charlie Bryant

Deuel’s effortlessness at the table astonished onlookers, but Bryant was determined to get back in the game. After a couple of unforced errors by Deuel and a few textbook breaks by Bryant, the score was tied at 4.

Bryant kept his momentum, winning three more racks in the same fashion and surging to a 7-4 lead, only to see Deuel answer back with two games of his own. Deuel seemed back in the swing of things as if the set had just begun. Bryant responded with one more game, making it 8-6, and once again Deuel came back to make it 8-7. It was a true fight to the death for both opponents until Bryant took his turn and ended the set 9-7.

The 9-ball and one-pocket divisions drew such an incredibly talented field of pros from all over the country that Bogies Billiards’ owner David Richardson looks forward to hosting this event for years to come. “We want everyone to know that Bogies is a poolroom for the players, first and foremost. Along with the eight nine-foot Gold Crowns, we added a Diamond ProAm pit table because we knew the players would appreciate it.”

The one-pocket action was intermittent as players made their way from their 9-ball matches to their one-pocket matches. There were 28 one-pocket players in all. The final four winners’ side included Justin Hall versus Rafael Martinez and Jeremy Jones versus Charlie Bryant. After a first-round loss to Deuel, Joey Barnes came back to make the final eight and face Deuel once again. After losing to Martinez 4-3, Chase Rudder met up with Ochoa, who had suffered a loss to Hall earlier 4-2.

Back on the winners’ side, Hall bested Martinez 4-2, and Jones made quick work of Bryant 4-0. This pitted Hall and Jones for the hot seat. Meanwhile, Ochoa and Barnes advanced one more round to meet Bryant and Martinez, respectively. Bryant eliminated Ochoa 3-1 and it was Martinez over Barnes 3-2. Bryant forged ahead one more set, eliminating Martinez 3-1.

Corey Deuel

On the east side it was a tight catbird’s seat match with Hall and Jones that ended with Jones the victor 4-3. Hall made quite an impression on the Texas crowd with his smooth style of play and ease at the table.

He went on to defeat Bryant 3-1, earning himself a rematch with Jones. The matches in this one-pocket field were ESPN-worthy, with the final being no exception. Each player seemed relaxed, executing calculated safeties that brought the score to 1-1. Games were traded until Jones pulled 3-2, then 4-2, winning the one-pocket event undefeated.

Vivian “Texas Tornado” Villarreal defeated Ming Ng in the finals of the women’s 9-ball division Sunday. Alison Fischer defeated Ricky Casper and Liz Mitchel in earlier rounds, earning herself a shot at Villarreal and the hot seat. Pro player Kim Pierce, who suffered an early loss to newcomer Liz Mitchel 7-5, came back to face Ng, who suffered her initial loss to Villarreal 7-1. Fischer succumbed to Villarreal for the hot seat 7-3, while Ng eliminated Pierce on the one-loss side. Ng made quick work of Fischer to meet Villarreal for a rematch in the finals. Villarreal felt right at home on the bar table, stringing five racks in the final and winning the set 7-1.

Results: 9-Ball Open Results: 1st Charlie Bryant 2nd Corey Deuel 3rd Jeremy Jones 4th Joey Barnes 5th Rafael Martinez

Sylver Ochoa 7th Justin Hall

Joey Torres 9th Rick Moreno

Derek Sim

Adam Shaw

Vivian Villarreal

$2,112 $1,408 $1,056 $704 $352 $246 $141

Justin Hall

Open One-Pocket Results: 1st Jeremy Jones $1,215 2nd Justin Hall $891 3rd Charlie Bryant $567 4th Rafael Martinez $243 5th Joey Barnes $162

Sylver Ochoa

Rafael Martinez

Tournament supporters hope to bring the SCO back to Houston in 2013 with even more added money. Pro player, tournament director, and presenting sponsor Kim WhiteNewsome will make this an annual event, to be held the first weekend in December. “We wanted a staple tournament for the Houston area, one that the players could count on and look forward to playing in each year.”

Jeremy Jones

Ladies’ Open 9-Ball Results: 1st Vivian Villarreal $500 2nd Ming Ng $300 3rd Alison Fischer $170 4th Kim Pierce $70 January 2013 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 19

Europe Edges out America for Mosconi Cup

by Matt Jackson photos courtesy of J. P. Parmentier / Matchroom Sport

n an incredible performance by a team that refused to give up, Europe defeated the Team USA for their third win in a row at the PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup. The hometown crowd was behind its boys the entire fourday stretch and York Hall shook with emotion when the final 9 ball dropped.

20 InsidePOOL Magazine â&#x2014;&#x160; January 2013

Chris Melling

Americans Battle to First-Day Lead

Team USA, the pre-match underdogs, took the early lead in the 19th running of the PartyPoker.com Mosconi Cup as they took the team and pairs matches but lost both of the singles matches in front of a very noisy crowd.

It was just the sort of start U.S. captain C. J. Wiley was looking for. The opening match of the competition featured all ten players, and there were plenty of nerves in the early stages, but Team USA pulled out a 5-3 win.

The Americans made it two out of two as a game Johnny Archer and Brandon Shuff came back from 4-1 down to best the Euro pair of Nick Van den Berg and Chris Melling. It was a nervous affair as all four players missed balls, but the American duo stuck with it and capitalized on a few gifts to put themselves into a 2-0 lead.

“It’s never over until it’s over, and you must never give up,” said a relieved Shuff.

“We are definitely the underdogs— that is for sure, everybody says it,” added Archer.

Niels Feijen got the Europeans back on track in the third match as he took Mike Dechaine to the cleaners, winning 5-0. Dechaine was not at his best, giving his opponent chances throughout, and the Dutchman was all over him.

Feijen stated, “They’re not going to run over us—we’re here to stay. I don’t feel like I’m any better than the other guys and I put my faith in them.”

Team USA regained their two-point leading margin as the heavyweight pairing of Shane Van Boening and Dennis Hatch held on to best Darren Appleton and Nick Ekonomopoulus 5-4.

The crowd, which nearly blew the roof off the venue in the earlier part of the evening, were becoming increasingly subdued and Hatch took full advantage with a few taunting chants of “USA, USA!”

Appleton looked increasingly uncomfortable as they spurned a 2-0 lead and found themselves 4-2 down. The fought back to 4-4, but the Americans ran out the last for the win and a 3-1 lead.

Johnny Archer Brandon Shuff

In the final match of the session, world 9-ball champion Appleton had a chance to make amends as he faced U.S. debutante Shuff, and he did just that, winning 5-2 to leave the event poised at 3-2 to the Americans.

All Square at Halfway Stage

With America leading 3-2 from the first day’s play but underdogs at the start of the competition, there was a feeling that both teams would have been happy being tied at the end of the day.

It was Archer, playing in his sixteenth Mosconi Cup, and Van Boening who squared it up in the final match of the evening as they beat the stellar European team of Appleton and Feijen.

It was another 5-4 match—the fourth of the competition and the fourth won by the American team—but Archer and Van Boening came with some great shots under pressure to record the win.

The Europeans got off to a bad start to the session, though, as the English duo of Appleton and Melling lost a squeaker to Mosconi legend Archer and Dechaine.

The Americans had led 4-2 before Europe clawed their way back into it with a pair of quality run-outs. At 4-4 Dechaine broke, but Archer missed a fine cut on the 1 ball.

Melling was left with a full-table pot on the 1, but it failed to drop, and in the end Dechaine took the point with a 6/9 combination.

That took the overall score to 4-2 in favor of the away team, but Archer was as cautious as a man who has played in 15 Mosconi Cups could be: “It is going to be nip and tuck all the way—any match you could lose it at any time or you could win it at any time. We made a mistake tonight, but we have to take advantage of whatever first shot we have, and Melling made a mistake to give us the opportunity.”

That put enormous pressure on European captain Johan Ruijsink as Ekonomopoulos went out to face the pick of Team USA in Van Boening. However, the nervy Greek debutant clearly hadn’t read January 2013 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 21

This is the best—the heat was really on.

-Niels Feijen

22 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

the script as he powered to a 5-3 win to pull his team off the floor and set the York Hall on fire.

Aided by one or two rolls at opportune times, Nikos, as he is known in his home country, stayed with Van Boening in the opening stages before the tide turned. At 3-3, the American looked a little less confident than at the outset when he shot into a 2-0 lead.

Ekonomopoulos looked a different player from the previous day’s slowpaced bundle of nerves as he moved swiftly around the table punching the cue ball with authority. He took the final two racks to take his team to within one of the Americans.

“I feel great, with so many people cheering,” said a delighted Ekonomopoulos.

There was more joy for the Europeans in the next as the dynamic Dutch duo of Van den Berg and Feijen turned the momentum in a big way as they bested Hatch and Shuff 5-2 in front of an increasingly vocal York Hall crowd.

Everyone was talking about a miracle jump shot that Van den Berg executed to set up a run-out at a decisive point in the match. Using a strange-looking Perspex bridge, he dug into the cue ball and clipped the orange 5 down the rail.

Afterwards Van Den Berg said, “Unbelievable, did I make that shot?! I was running to the table to get the rest, and I heard the shot clock so I just totally went for it. I just couldn’t reach it with my bridge hand, so Darren Appleton had said before the match that he had this tool, and I said we would never use it! I have never used that before.”

Melling piled on the misery for the Americans in the next as he outplayed Hatch to give the Europeans the lead for the first time in the Mosconi Cup. The boisterous crowd gave “The Hatchetman” a run for his money, and he seemed to lap it up, but it was Melling who cashed in on Hatch’s errors to run out a 5-3 winner.

And in the final match of the day Archer and Van Boening leveled it to leave the Mosconi Cup intriguingly poised at five points each.

Europe Supershow Puts Cup in Sight

The two teams shared the opening two matches before the Euros squeezed past the USA in the final doubles match of the tournament. Then followed two demolition jobs as the English pair of Melling and Appleton bested Shuff and Van Boening, respectively, conceding just two racks in the process.

Appleton looked super-focused as he pasted Van Boening, capitalizing on the American’s errors and taking full advantage of his own excellent break. The Englishman’s win made the final score 9-6, and with most of the American side distinctly under-powered, it looks a big ask for C. J. Wiley’s men.

The session got off to a flyer as the two Nicks—Van den Berg and Ekonomopoulos—finally won a hill-hill match as they took a thrilling decider against the American pairing of Dechaine and Shuff.

The Americans looked strong at outset, but both players missed balls to let the Europeans back in the match. There was drama as the Americans led 4-3 and Van den Berg made the 9 on the break but scratched into the middle pocket.

Dechaine and Shuff came with a couple of miracle

Mike Dechaine

shots to keep the run-out going before Dechaine missed a bad one on the 6 ball and the Europeans made it 4-4.

Both had chances in the final rack before Dechaine missed another one—this time a 4 ball down the rail. Van den Berg made it and got perfect position on the 6 ball, and he and Ekonomopoulos ran the last three balls to spark wild scenes of celebration.

Van den Berg was back out for the second match of the evening as he faced a revitalized Archer in the first singles match of the evening. Archer had won all three of his doubles matches, while Van den Berg was also in great shape.

The Dutchman looked rock-solid as he lead 4-2, not missing a ball, but

somehow Archer clawed his way back into it, fighting both Van den Berg and a rowdy crowd who at times stepped close to the line.

Archer showed immense heart as he took the game to a deciding rack and then gave Team USA its fifth 5-4 win of the competition to level the scores.

“Our team needed that, they needed some boost. I didn’t play too well, I really was going to blow it for our team if I didn’t do something there, because I had chances, but I was lucky enough to have chances at the end and I just came through,” said a relieved Archer.

The final doubles match of the competition saw the Europeans regain the lead as Ekonomopoulos and Feijen won the third 5-4 game as they bested Hatch and Dechaine. Europe motored to the hill first as the experienced Feijen and rookie Ekonomopoulos looked sharp throughout.

The Americans came back, but once again the decider was claimed by the Eu-

Nick Ekonomopoulus

January 2013 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 23

Nick Van den Berg

Mike Dechaine, Dennis Hatch

Europe Claim Third Mosconi in a Row

ropeans for a 7-6 lead. There were scenes of celebration in the arena, and somehow Feijen failed to shake Dechaine’s hand, which led to a verbal exchange.

“Mike said, ‘I was waiting to shake your hand.’ Everybody gets carried away a little bit—it is the pressure and I meant no harm to the guy. I wanted to shake his hand; I didn’t see him in the corner of my eye, and everyone was going crazy. It was a misunderstanding and it is no big deal, I hope.”

In the penultimate match of the evening, England’s Melling, making his second 24 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

Mosconi Cup appearance, put on a master class to overpower Shuff and give Europe a two-point lead.

Melling hadn’t looked at his best in the opening two days and with a point to prove took Shuff to the cleaners. After the three hill-hill battles of earlier, the match seemed over in a flash as Melling cued perfectly and left his opponent at the starting gate.

That left the stage clear for “Dynamite” Appleton to make it a massive night for Team Europe as he whitewashed Van Boening to put one hand on the Mosconi Cup.

The Americans were on the floor after the Wednesday night session, trailing 9-6 going into the final day, but they dug deep and turned the tide as they won the first three matches to level it at 9-9 and make it anyone’s match.

It was Melling, though, a deserving MVP, who stopped the rot with a confident 5-2 win over Shuff and then Van den Berg who closed out a dogfight with Dechaine to win the final match for the Europeans.

“That was by far the most thrilling Mosconi Cup win of all,” said jubilant captain Johan Ruijsink.

“They pulled out a big gun today, and it was really hard work. I’m happy for the fans and the team—absolutely delighted and over the moon!” he added.

Van den Berg was relieved to get the team over the line in what must rank as the greatest moment of his career.

“I think my heartbeat was about twotwenty the whole match, and Johan told me to calm down, but it was almost impossible. That last shot—I had to break it open, but it worked out perfectly. That must be the most exciting match of my life, but also I made a lot of mistakes, but in the end I won.”

All players had fired throughout the tournament and England’s Appleton consolidated his position as a potential Mosconi Cup legend.

“The emotion is amazing—it is all about the team. The Americans fought really hard today, showed a lot of heart, but at nine-nine Melling played unbelievably, and Nick at the end—that was just a dogfight. The pressure is unreal— it is just crazy out there and the crowd is amazing.”

Melling looked assured throughout and his MVP trophy was the result of three superb singles wins. “It has been unbelievable. It is a dream come true to win it once, but to win it twice is just unbelievable. Wow! I cannot believe I have won the MVP. The first two days I started off very slowly, lost two five-fours, which I could have easily won, but I came good at the end.”

For Feijen it was his fifth Mosconi Cup win and sweeter than the others. “This is the best—the heat was really on. We were up nine-six and they came back and left us really nervous. Chris came out, started firing, and then the pressure on Nick was unbelievable.”

Finally, debutant Ekonomopoulos played a huge part as he took down Ameri-

Shane Van Boening

ca’s top player in his opening singles match to set the tone for days two and three. “It is very exciting—the atmosphere is very nice.

I like it very much. We played very well; I think we deserved it, but the USA also played very well.”

The Americans started the evening three behind, and first out was Hatch, playing in his third Mosconi Cup. He needed to do something to stem the flow and give his side a chance, and he did just that, besting Economopoulos 5-3 to put his side within two of the Europeans.

Hatch looked better than he had done at any point in the tournament in what was a scrappy match, but he took advantage of some errors to claim the win.

Archer continued to show the sort of form that has given him the record for Mosconi Cup appearances as he took care of Feijen 5-1 to give the European side an

uneasy feeling as their three-point lead started to evaporate.

The Georgia veteran was the definition of focus as he kept everything out and played about as good as he could under the testing circumstances. In fact, Archer was unbeaten throughout the week—a stunning feat.

There was more American joy in the next as Van Boening did a number on Appleton, running out a 5-1 to tie the Mosconi Cup up at 9-all.

The Englishman suffered a couple of bad rolls, but like Hatch and Archer before him, Van Boening was a picture of focus and determination. The South Dakotan ended the watch with a spectacular table-length combination bank shot on the 9 ball. He had run out of position and it was his only real option, and it paid off in spades.

The pressure is unreal—it is just crazy out there and the crowd is amazing.

-Darren Appleton January 2013 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 25

Finally it was Melling who stopped the rot when he bested Shuff 5-2 to put Europe on the hill. Shuff was fighting the nerves as well as Melling, but like his teammates, he tried to stay focused and stayed with the European in the early stages. Melling, though, started to come with his best in the latter stages, and in the end there was only one man in it.

That was by far the most thrilling Mosconi Cup win of all.

-Johan Ruijsink

26 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

His pièce de résistance was in the final rack when, blocked behind the 8 ball, he played a side-rail kick shot to pocket the 6 ball in a move that would have done Efren Reyes proud.

That set the stage for Van den Berg to seal another glorious Mosconi Cup win for the Europeans. They will be returning to Las

Vegas in December 2013 as they go for win number four.

For the Americans it was more disappointment, and they have now won this tournament just once in the past seven years. However, they can take some heart from the courage that they showed in the final day.

“For the first three matches we were playing very well, we had the momentum, and then we had a key match that could have gone either way,” said skipper Wiley.

“I cannot complain—the first three players did a fantastic job, and we just had a little hiccup on the fourth one, but there is next year. We have plans for them in the United States. I hope they enjoy it, for one year.”

Archer summed up American feelings: “Firstly I would like to say I am very proud of my team—they showed a lot of heart today. We were down and my hat is off to the European guys—they outplayed us for the week. The guys showed a lot of heart today.

We were all so nervous and under a lot of pressure, but they are great champions.”

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www.balabushkacues.com

What s ’ New

Tiger LX Series Cue TL-2

This cue features a natural curly maple forearm with five cocobolo inlay points, with a curly maple handle and ten cocobolo inlays. It is complemented with a white plastic sleeve with custom rings. Each cue features the Ultra-X® high-performance patented technology shaft (low-deflection X shafts are optional) and a radial Tiger joint protector.

Available for $1,099. To order, please log onto www.tigerproducts.com, or call 800-5844375.

Fury Extreme II Shafts

This cutting-edge performance shaft is composed of top-grade maple spliced together to ensure both radial consistency and low deflection. Take your game to whole new level with the new EXII shaft from Fury. Available with an 11.75 millimeter or 12.75 millimeter Tiger Everest tip and both radial and speed-loc pins. Get yours today at CueSight.com or by calling 800-660-2572.

Bank Shot Calculator 2.0

This version of the popular app incorporates the new “advanced bank shot,” which accounts for all of the factors that measurably change the rebound angle of a bank shot. The app accounts for shot angle, shot speed, and applied english varied between a hard, medium, or soft stroke defined as 3.5, 2.5, and 1.5 times table length, respectively. Additionally, the app accounts for skidding of the cue and object balls within the three shot speeds, scaled for each table size. Lastly, the app now includes a blue bull’s-eye on the long rail to identify the starting point of the shot line.

Balabushka Performance Chalk

Dr. Popper Jump Cue

This is not your average jump cue! The Dr. Popper Jump Q’s carbon fiber shaft, coupled with a solid phenolic tip, allows maximum energy transfer to the cue ball for those shots that you would otherwise pass up with any other jump cue. The Dr. Popper Jump Q allows you to jump over an object ball less than an inch away. Using the dart-style method allows you to jump balls anywhere on the table, and because of its light weight, you will be amazed at how easy it is to execute jump shots. To purchase for only $125, please visit www.drpopperjumpq.com.

28 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

In their time-honored tradition of excellence, Balabushka Cues is pleased to present their new Performance Chalk. This chalk adheres to your cue tip, making frequent chalking a thing of the past, and it grips the cue ball, allowing for superior ball control. Also, Performance Chalk produces little dusty residue, keeping the table, balls, and your hands cleaner. A three-piece box of Performance Chalk retails for $8. To order, please visit www.balabushkacues.com.to find an authorized dealer.

Star Pearl Cues

McDermott’s Star Pearl cues feature colorful pearl inlays and are available in many unique designs. Affordably priced at $195, it won’t be hard to find the perfect cue for that special person. To top it off, every Star Pearl cue is guaranteed for life by McDermott’s Limited Lifetime warranty. Please view the full cue line at www.mcdermottcue.com, or call 800-666-2283 for more information.

Foodon Tour

Editor’s Choice Lynn’s Paradise Café

-

984 Barret Avenue, Louisville, KY 40204

Louisville, Kentucky

Featured on shows such as the Food Network’s “Throwdown With Bobby Flay,” Lynn’s Paradise Café is the ultimate destination in Louisville for gorgeous down-home food. Lynn’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Kentucky hot brown is one of their specialties, and their macaroni and cheese was featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Check out their kitschy shop on your way out and pick up a souvenir.

El Mundo

Phone: 502-583-3447 | Hours: Mon-Fri: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Sat-Sun: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. | www.lynnsparadisecafe.com

2345 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206 El Mundo is a small, casual Mexican restaurant that puts forward big, bold flavors. Indulge in chips and dip while deciding what to order. You can find classic plates such as tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, and tamales, but most dishes have their own unique twist to them.

Phone: 502-899-9930 | Hours: Tues-Sat: 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. | www.502elmundo.com

Bonefish Grill

-

657 South Hurstbourne Parkway, Louisville, KY 40222

Editor’s Choice

Price Range Under $10 $10-$20 $20-$30 $30+

-

921 Swan Street, Louisville, KY 40204

Phone: 502-412-4666 | Hours: Sun-Thurs: 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Fri-Sat: 4:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. | www.bonefishgrill.com

Phone: 502-365-1112 | Hours: Mon-Sat: 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | www.louisvillehammerheads.com

Wick’s Pizza

-

975 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, KY 40204 Classic rock on the jukebox, pitchers of beer, and tasty food are what Wick’s Pizza offers to hungry diners. Find a wide range of appetizers, salads, pastas, sandwiches, and specialty pies on Wick’s menu. When you’re there, make sure to try their famous “Tye-Dye Cheesecake.”

Phone: 502-458-1828 | Hours: Mon-Sat: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m., Sun: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. | www.wickspizza.com

30 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

Hammerheads

Their unique and inspired dishes created from the freshest ingredients available, cooked over a wood-burning grill, make Bonefish Grill a destination for fish and steak lovers alike. Specialties include the bang bang shrimp appetizers, Chilean sea bass, and for dessert, their key lime pie.

Their dedication to freshness doesn’t stop in the kitchen—the bar is renowned for its innovative approach.

Upscale Southern food with a relaxed atmosphere is what Hammerheads has to offer. From the traditional dishes like chicken and waffles and the catfish sandwich to the more unusual, such as the elk burger and the bacon brownie, there is something for everything. Make sure to try their truffle fries as a side.

Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar

-

127 West Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Showcasing the culinary heritage of the South, Doc Crow’s offers a menu of traditional barbecue and Creole favorites and fresh seafood. Nosh on seafood gumbo, Texas chili, steaks, burgers, and mouth-watering desserts. Their worldclass beverage program offers a wide range of whiskeys as well as fine wines.

Phone: 502-587-1626 | Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Fri: 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., Sat: 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. | www.doccrows.com

Editor’s Choice Toast on Market

620 East Market Street, Louisville, KY 40202

The New Albanian Brewing Company Bank Street Brewhouse -

For a delicious and healthy meal that’s easy on the wallet, visit Toast on Market.

For breakfast, they offer French toast, eggs, pancakes, omelettes, and other favorites. If you visit for lunch, they have a wide variety of sandwiches, including four different grilled cheeses, soups, and salads.

415 Bank Street, New Albany, IN 47150

For beer-friendly, modern American cuisine, check out the NABC’s Bank Street Brewhouse. There are a dozen or so craft brews on draft, and the menu encompasses a variety of different cuisines, such as Asian, Mexican, Greek, and French.

They also offer Sunday brunch from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Phone: 502-569-4099 | Hours: Tues-Fri: 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Sat-Sun: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | toastonmarket.com

Phone: 812-725-9585 | Hours: Tues-Thurs: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Fri-Sat: 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., Sun: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Havana Rumba

-

4115 Oechsli Avenue, Louisville, KY 40207

Oishii Sushi

-

2245 Bardstown Road, Lousville, KY 40205

Get a little taste of Cuba while in Louisville! Havana Rumba’s menu is a harmonious blending of Caribbean, Spanish, and indigenous cuisines that showcase selections of pork, chicken, beef, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. Additionally, Havana Rumba’s full-service bar has an excellent selection of cocktails, including authentic mojitos.

Oishii Sushi prides itself on their chefs, who are renowned for their creative combinations of spices and sauces. They offer fresh sushi, both raw and cooked, plus a large variety of specialty rolls, appetizers, and teriyaki. Try their hot sake pot to ward off a winter chill.

Phone: 502-897-1959 | Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Fri: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Sat: 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Sun: 12:00 p.m.

– 8:30 p.m.

Phone: 502-618-2928 | Hours: Lunch—Mon-Fri: 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Dinner—Mon-Thurs: 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Fri-Sat: 5:00 p.m.

– 11:00 p.m.

January 2013 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 31

McDermott Cue Mfg. Moves To New Facility

McDermott Cue Mfg., LLC, a leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of pool cues, performance shafts, and billiard accessories, is proud to announce that they have moved to a new location.The new location features an upgraded facility and showroom. In the past, McDermott’s showroom has primarily consisted of their own brand of pool cues and accessories. The new showroom will add popular game room gear such as pool tables, foosball tables, air hockey tables, shuffleboard tables, and billiards lights.

“We are proud and excited to add Connelly pool tables, Tornado foosball, Dynamo air hockey, and Champion shuffleboard tables to our retail showroom product lineup,” said Jayme Cernicka, showroom manager. “These ‘Made in the USA’ products align perfectly with the commitment to quality, performance, and value that is synonymous with McDermott cues.”

The showroom isn’t the only thing to be upgraded at the new facility. The pool cue manufacturing process has been improved with new production equipment and a streamlined workflow.

“Over the last thirty-five years we’ve become much more efficient with our cue-building process,” said Executive Vice President Larry Liebl.

“We are now able to build more cues in less time using less space.”

McDermott’s new factory showroom is open in time for the holidays and operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at N84 W13660 Leon Rd, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051.

>Player of the Month Michele Loden from Murfreesboro, TN, has been an APA member for

eight years. She’s currently a skill level 4 in both 8-ball and 9-ball and plays in multiple formats several nights a week. Michele has qualified numerous times for APA national events held in Las Vegas. She competed in the 2012 APA National Singles Championships 9-Ball Shootout, where she placed 25th. In addition, her ladies’ team placed 9th in the ladies’ 8-ball division of the 2012 APA National Team Championships. Back in 2011, her team placed 33rd in the 9-Ball Open Division of the APA National Team Championships.

“Michele is an integral part of the Middle Tennessee APA because of her positive attitude and great personality overall,” said Middle Tennessee APA League Operator Ken Stapp. “She is always friendly and tries to do her best every week. She participates in all the extra tournaments and events that we have, and we’re always happy to see her.”

Michele is not only a tough competitor but a fun person to be around. She never complains and works at playing her very best week after week. Her positive attitude and eagerness to play and improve make her an integral part of the Middle Tennessee APA.

Books & Videos

“Michele is a great asset to us since she is such a good ambassador for our local league with her play and the way she conducts herself,” Stapp said.

34 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

that improve your

GAME..

FROM THE

Handbook of the Billiard Gods Authored by Allan P. Sand PBIA/ACS Pocket Billiards Instructor Get these books & videos at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at:

www.billiardgods.com

Iannuzzi Edges Past Yolcu Tri-State Tour / East Rutherford, NJ

by InsidePOOL Staff

Toppling the undefeated Emit Yolcu, Guy Iannuzzi whizzed through the one-loss side of the Tri-State Tour’s November 11 stop to take the title. The $500-added event drew a field of 43 players to Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, NJ.

After a 7-4 win over Dennis Kennedy in the winners’ side final four, Yolcu arrived in the hot seat match. His opponent, Scott Simonetti, had just bested Louis Petronico 8-4. It was a closely contested battle for the hot seat, with Yolcu coming out the 10-8 victor.

A hill-hill escape from Raphael DaBreo led Iannuzzi to Petronico, whom Iannuzzi eliminated in fifth place 7-4. Robert Veit ousted Dennis Kennedy in fifth 6-2 and went on to challenge Iannuzzi in the quarterfinals. In another double-hill match, Iannuzzi edged out Veit 7-6.

Riding on the momentum, Iannuzzi encountered Simonetti in the semifinals and only allowed him one rack before winning 7-1. In a battle that seesawed until the end, Iannuzzi prevailed over Yolcu 10-8 to claim the title.

Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

Guy Iannuzzi Emit Yolcu Scott Simonetti Robert Veit Louis Petronico Dennis Kennedy Raphael DaBreo Eddie da Costa

$750 $400 $250 $150 $100 $75

Strickland Strikes out Dechaine Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / West Hempstead, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

The final showdown between Earl Strickland and Mike Dechaine led to the BCA Hall of Fame member taking top prize at the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour’s November 10-11 stop.

Raxx Pool Room and Grill played host to the $1,500-added tournament, which drew a field of 32 to West Hempstead, NY.

Strickland cut down the field in his charge to the finish, defeating Nelson Oliveira in the winners’ side final four 9-5 to move on to the hot seat match. His challenger there was Great Britain’s Jayson Shaw, just off a 9-7 win over Jeremy Sossei. Shaw put up a good fight but was turned aside by Strickland, who claimed the win 9-6.

Earl Strickland

36 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

Dechaine was barreling through the one-loss side, eliminating Shaun Wilkie in seventh place 9-6 and Oliveira in fifth 9-3. Mike Badstuebner was on a collision course with Dechaine, as he whitewashed Lionel Rivera 9-0 and ousted Sossei in fifth place 9-4. The quarterfinal match was dominated by Dechaine, though, as he took down Badstuebner 9-4.

Shaw scrapped with Dechaine in the semifinal match, which went all the way to hill-hill before Dechaine took the last and necessary rack to advance to the finals. But Strickland was prepared for him and was able to take the title 9-6.

In the $500-added second chance tournament, Chris Lazarovitch faced down Brent Boemmels in the hot seat match only to have Boemmels return to defeat him in the first set of the double-elimination finals. Lazarovitch re- Results: grouped and won the 1st Earl Strickland $1,000 second set to claim 2nd Mike Dechaine $750 $300 for first, with Bo- 3rd Jayson Shaw $550 emmels taking $200 4th Mike Badstuebner $400 for second. Scott Mur- 5th Jeremy Sossei $250 phy earned $100 for Nelson Oliveira third, and Rich Lang 7th Lionel Rivera $125 took $60 for fourth.

Shaun Wilkie

Woo Wows Tri-State Field Tri-State Tour / Staten Island, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

Jonathan Woo came back from a loss in the hot seat match to take revenge on Michael Aro in the finals of the November 17 stop on the Tri-State Tour. The $750-added tournament was hosted by House of Billiards in Staten Island, NY, and drew a field of 36 players.

Jerry Troy, Michael Aro, Jonathan Woo

Woo whizzed through the winners’ side, defeating Jerry Troy 7-2 to reach the hot seat match. Aro had just eked out a 6-5 win over George Poltorak and was up for the challenge. It was neck and neck, with Aro edging aside Woo to win 7-6.

Troy recovered once on the west side, eliminating Bryan Jeziorski double-hill, while Robert Veit whitewashed Poltorak 6-0. Another hill-hill nail-biter ensued when Troy and Veit met in the quarterfinal match, with Troy squeaking past Veit 9-8.

Wanting another chance at Aro, Woo fought hard against Troy in the semifinals and won 7-6. Aro took an early 3-0 lead in the final match, but Woo came back to take the match 9-6.

Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

Jonathan Woo Michael Aro Jerry Troy Robert Veit Bryan Jeziorski George Poltorak Bogie Uzdejczyk Joe Varvaro

$600 $400 $250 $140 $90 $70

Dechaine Does it Again Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour / Providence, RI

by InsidePOOL Staff

Mike Dechaine topped the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour’s November 1718 stop, taking first place over Jeremy Sossei to claim the Ocean State 9-Ball Championship.

A large field of 72 came Mike Dechaine together at Snookers Billiards Bar and Grill in Providence, RI, for the $5,000-added tournament.

After a commanding 9-3 win over Jason Michas in the winners’ side final four, Dechaine advanced to the hot seat match. It was his first meeting with Sossei, who had just sent Joey Dupuis to the one-loss side 9-4. In another display of dominance, Dechaine whitewashed Sossei 9-0 to remain undefeated.

Brett Stottlemyer was making his move on the west side, sending Nelson Oliveira home in seventh place 9-2, as former world 9-ball champion Ronnie Alcano relegated Mike Davis to seventh place 9-4. Alcano went on to a closer match against Michas, winning 9-7. Stottlemyer ousted Dupuis in a fifth-place tie with Michas 9-5 and then advanced Results: to the quarterfinals, where he eliminated 1st Mike Dechaine $2,500 Alcano 9-6.

2nd Jeremy Sossei $1,800 3rd Brett Stottlemyer $1,400

Sossei was wait4th Ronnie Alcano $1,100 ing for Stottlemyer in 5th Jason Michas $850 the semifinals, which

Joey Dupuis he took charge of to 7th Mike Davis $600 win 9-3. But in the fi Nelson Oliveira nal match, Dechaine 9th Ron Casanzio $400 was too much for Sos Dave Grau sei, as “The Fireball”

Jayson Shaw scorched him 9-3 to

Earl Herring take the title.

Medina Runs Riot Through Tri-State Field Tri-State Tour / Flushing, NY

by InsidePOOL Staff

Ed Medina scored an undefeated run through the Tri-State Tour’s November 25 event, going on a rampage to claim the title over Chumreon Sutcharitakul in the final match. The $1,500-added tournament was hosted by Chumreon Sutcharitakul, Ed Medina, Arturo Reyes Carom Café Billiards in Flushing, NY, and drew a field of 29 players.

Medina manhandled Michael Harrington in the winners’ side final four 7-1 to go on to the hot seat match. Meeting him there was Arturo Reyes, fresh off a hill-hill match with Guy Iannuzzi 7-6.

Medina continued his dominance, taking the hot seat with a 7-2 win over Reyes.

After his first-round loss, Sutcharitakul was on a mission of his own on the west side, eliminating Wonlop Chantarakoikit in seventh place 6-4 and then Harrington 6-4. Iannuzzi survived his first round on the one-loss side with a victory over Geoff Bauer 7-6, but he was sent home in the next round after the quarterfinal match went to Sutcharitakul 7-2.

Sutcharitakul had little trouble handling Reyes in the semifinal match 7-4, advancing to the finals after seven matches on the oneloss side of the chart.

Results: But Medina was more than ready for him, 1st Ed Medina $730 and he took the title 2nd Chumreon Sutcharitakul $430 with a 7-4 win.

3rd Arturo Reyes $280 4th 5th

Geoff Bauer $180 Michael Harrington $105 Guy Iannuzzi

January 2013 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 37

Uzdejczyk Bests Brooklyn Field Tri-State Tour / Brooklyn, NY

Shlemperis Settles Tri-State Event Tri-State Tour / Brooklyn, NY

Bogie Uzdejczyk claimed another TriState Tour title December 1, slicing through the field undefeated to best Luis Jimenez in the finals. The $1,500-added tournament was hosted by Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY, garnering a 36-player field.

A tournament that began October 28 finally wrapped up December 1 when Dave Shlemperis claimed the Tri-State Title over Orlando Forgie in the finals.

The $1,250-added Dave Shlemperis, Orlando Forgie tournament, which was postponed because of Hurricane Sandy, drew 34 players to Gotham City Billiards in Brooklyn, NY.

by InsidePOOL Staff

by InsidePOOL Staff

Bogie Uzdejczyk, Keith Diaz, Kevin Buckley, Luis Jimenez

With a 7-4 victory over Dave Shlemperis, Uzdejczyk found himself one of two undefeated players in the winners’ side finals.

His opponent, Jimenez, had just delivered Keith Diaz to the oneloss side of the chart 6-4. Uzdejczyk went on to deal Jimenez a 7-3 loss and await a finals opponent.

Gary Murgia quickly put an end to Shlemperis’ tournament, sending him home in fifth place with a hill-hill win. Joining Murgia in fifth was Yomaylin Feliz, who was eliminated by Diaz 6-5. Diaz then delivered Murgia home in fourth place with a 7-3 win.

But Diaz’s day was done, for Jimenez dealt him a 6-3 loss in the next round, and he took third place. In the finals, it was Jimenez versus Uzdejczyk for Results: the second time in the event. Jimenez took a 1st Bogie Uzdejczyk $870s promising 2-0 lead, 2nd Luis Jimenez $570 but Uzdejczyk quickly 3rd Keith Diaz $360 countered and took 4th Gary Murgia $220 control to win 7-3.

5th Dave Shlemperis $140

7th

Yomaylin Feliz Kokja Davladze Alex Borukhovich

Forgie forged a path through the winners’ side, defeating Andrzej Kaldon in the final four 7-5 to reach the hot seat match. Waiting for him there was Tony Ignomirello, who had just sent Shlemperis west hill-hill. Forgie was able to take the hot seat 7-4, while Ignomirello had to face the left side of the bracket.

Kim Meyer-Gabia moved past Kaldon with a forfeit, as Shlemperis eliminated Mark Perel in fifth place 7-4. A hill-hill match ensued between Meyer-Gabia and Shlemperis in the quarterfinals, with Shlemperis squeaking past 7-6.

A more decisive victory for Shlemperis moved him past Ignomirello in the semifinals 7-3. On a roll, Shlemperis then successfully faced down Forgie in the finals 9-3 for the title.

Turning Stone Classic XX 9-Ball Open Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Allen Hopkins’ Super Billiards Expo Diamond Open 10-Ball Championship Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour

38 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

Dave Shlemperis $730 Orlando Forgie $470 Tony Ignomirello $290 Kim Meyer-Gabia $170 Andrzej Kaldon $115 Mark Perel Harry Guevarez $80 Kapriel Delimelkonoglu

$100

> Upcoming Northeast Tournaments 1/10-13 2/9-10 3/2-3 3/16-17 3/23-24 4/4-7 4/4-7 4/13-14 4/20-21 4/27-28

Results:

Turning Stone Resort and Casino Sharpshooter’s Billiards Snookers Billiards Bar and Grill Trick Shot Billiards and Sports Pub Salt City Billiards New Jersey Convention Center New Jersey Convention Center Golden Cue Billiards Raxx Pool Room and Grill Fast Eddie’s Billiard Café

Verona, NY Amsterdam, NY Providence, RI Clifton Park, NY North Syracuse, NY Edison, NJ Edison, NJ Albany, NY West Hempstead, NY New Milford, CT

518-356-7163 518-627-4634 401-351-7665 518-383-8771 315-454-8643 609-652-6116 609-652-6116 518-459-9442 516-538-9896 860-350-8569

$25,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 TBA TBA $2,000 $2,000 $2,000

Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open Open

BCAPL / USAPL Players Take Center Stage BCAPL / USAPL Florida State Championships / Orlando, FL

by InsidePOOL Staff

Eric Roberts, Brian Roberts

The inaugural BCAPL / USAPL Florida State Championships was held November 9-11 at Backstage Billiards in Orlando, FL. The $2,000-added event comprised scotch doubles, men’s singles, and women’s singles divisions, which were all handicapped based on the BCAPL national player ratings.

Seven teams vied for first place in the $500-added scotch doubles event. Bryan Lyons of New Port Richey and Valerie Dukich of Clearwater took home $325 for their excellent play, defeating Dave Kartner of Port St. Lucie and Christie Cloke of Stuart in the finals of this true double- Mark Lepich, Valerie Dukich elimination format.

Scotch Doubles Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

Bryan Lyons / Valerie Dukich $325 Dave Kartner / Christie Cloke $165 Jim Sawyer / Helene Caukin $110 Dave Singleton / Beth Hluszti $70 Greg Baker / Judy Markham $40 Terry Markham / Lesleigh Hopkins Jimmi Phillips / Janene Phillips $30

Men’s Singles Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

9th

Jon Gore James Doyle Billy Burke Danny Morris Ke Wu Bob Sloan Dave Kartner Paul Carroll Jimmi Phillips Bryan Lyons Ray Rangel Joe Conkling

$1,000 $500 $275 $175 $110 $75 $45

Women’s Singles Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

Valerie Dukich Christie Cloke Helene Caukin Lesleigh Hopkins Jenni Gonzalez Beth Hluszti Janene Phillips Caren Taylor

$300 $180 $115 $75 $45

In the men’s division, which had a total purse of $2,500, a field of 30 focused their efforts to pocket the tidy $1,000 first place prize.

The last man standing was Jon Gore of Palm Coast, pocketing the $1,000 prize, with James Doyle of Port St. Lucie receiving $500 for second place. In the $820 women’s singles, Valerie Dukich, in addition to her win in the scotch event, prevailed as the top woman shooter of the weekend, taking home an additional $300 first place for her efforts, with Christie Cloke earning $180 for second place.

Adams Crowned Florida Amateur 9-Ball Champion Poison Florida State Amateur 9-Ball Championship / Tallahassee, FL

by InsidePOOL Staff

Chris Adams was crowned the Poison Florida State Amateur 9-Ball Champion the weekend of November 24-25, topping a large field of 107 players who turned up at Zingales Billiards in Tallahassee for a tough weekend of pool.

Denny Fox, Tony Crosby, Michael Zingale, Chris Adams

Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

9th

13th

17th

Chris Adams Denny Fox Nick Applebee Anthony Piazza Jason Richko Del Sim J. R. Rossman Jeff Jordan Tracie Majors Raymond Linares Justin Ledford Joey Tucker Prescott Buckwold David Uwate Denny Singleterry George Saunders Michael Zingale Dave Strong Bobby Petrocelli Adam Shaw Matt Deweese Randy Jordan Jim Sandaler Ricky Sanchez

$2,000 $1,200 $900 $600 $400 $300 $200

$150

$100

Adams had his hands full as he navigated through some hard-fought wins over Van Mangum, David Uwate, Cliff Thrasher, Dave Strong, Denny Fox, and Anthony Piazza. A nail-biting 8-7 win over Nick Applebee 8-7 set Adams up for the final.

Fox ground his way back to play Adams in the final. Fox defeated Adams in the first race 8-7 to force the sudden death one-rack shootout to determine the winner. Adams won the lag and broke and ran out the final rack to be crowned the 2012 Florida State Amateur 9-Ball champion.

January 2013 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 39

Grossman Crowned Florida State 10-Ball Champion Florida State 10-Ball Championships / Tallahassee, FL

by InsidePOOL Staff

Dave “Doggin” Grossman scored the Florida State 10-Ball Championships title over Donny Mills the weekend of December 1-2. Zingales Billiards in Tallahassee, FL, hosted the $4,000-added event, which drew 43 Donnie Mills, Tony Crosby, Dave Grossman players.

Grossman made his way to the hot seat match, where he matched up against road man Chris Bartram. It looked like it was going to be a stroll in the park for Bartram as he moved swiftly to lead 8-5. Grossman had other ideas, though, as he ground out five racks in a row to capture the hot seat.

Mills made his way through the one-loss side with a 8-2 win over Jason Richko, followed by a 8-3 win over James Roberts to set up a semifinal revenge match with Bartram, who had earlier dispatched Mills 9-4. Mills avenged this loss with a hard-fought 8-7 win over Bartram to give himself a shot at Grossman.

The Poison Tour has a sudden death format, which meant Mills had to defeat Grossman in the first race to 9 to force a one-rack shootout. Both players were nervous with the Florida State title and $2,000 for first place up for grabs. Grossman managed his nerves a little better, even after a miss on a simple 10 ball, and won the match 9-7 after running a Results: nervy final rack.

1st Dave Grossman $2,000

There was also a 2nd Donnie Mills $1,200 $1,000-added second 3rd Chris Bartram $800 chance event to give 4th James Roberts $600 the traveling players 5th Jason Richko $350 that extra chance of

Jesse Middlebrooks making some money.

7th Ke Wu $200 James Davis Jr. from

Adam Wheeler Texas managed to 9th Ronnie Wiseman $100 take first place down

Denny Fox with two wins over

Tony Crosby Nick Applebee.

Randy Jordan

Britt the Boss on Great Southern Tour Great Southern Billiard Tour / Myrtle Beach, SC

by InsidePOOL Staff

Phillip Britt clearly bested the field at the December 1-2 installment of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, going undefeated to take the title over Gatlins Askins. The $1,000-added amateur 9-ball event drew a field of 34 to Shore Thing Bar and Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Dominating Darrin Blitch in the winners’ side final four, Britt went on to the hot seat match. There he faced off against Askins for the first time, as Askins had just delivered Allen Mixon to the one-loss side after a hill-hill match. With a lopsided 9-1 win, Britt claimed the hot seat 40 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

and sent Askins west as well.

Belinda Calhoun was making her move on the left side of the bracket, eliminating Scott Roberts in seventh place 7-2 and Greg Dix, Phillip Britt, Gatlin Askins, James Carroll then Mixon in fifth 7-4.

At the same time, Dennis Crist cruised through Mike Slaughter 6-3, tying with Roberts for seventh, and then sent home Blitch in fifth with a 6-7 win. When Calhoun and Crist collided in the quarterfinals, it was Calhoun who capitalized on the momentum and took the match 7-5.

Waiting in the semifinals, Askins was eager for a rematch against Britt and quickly deposed Calhoun 7-3. In the final match, Askins put up a struggle, but Britt was the one who took the victory 7-4.

Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

Phillip Britt Gatlins Askins Belinda Calhoun Dennis Crist Allen Mixon Darrin Blitch Scott Roberts Mike Slaughter

$650 $360 $250 $150 $100 $50

Great Southern Win for Wise Great Southern Billiard Tour / Inman, SC When this SudoCue is solved, the letters in “BIG POCKET” will appear in each row, column, and box—but only once, and not in any particular order. Answer available online at www.InsidePOOLmag.com.

by InsidePOOL Staff

Mike Wise whizzed through the winners’ side of the December 8-9 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour to take top honors over Zach Rob- Shannon Daulton, Mike Wise, Zach Robbins bins in the final match.

The $1,000-added stop attracted a field of 40 amateurs to Raisin’ Cain’s in Inman, SC.

Facing down Josh Richards 7-5 in the winners’ side final four, Wise went on to the hot seat match. His opponent there was Josh Newman, who had just delivered Jared McGee to the one-loss side 9-6. In their lopsided match, Wise came out the 7-2 winner.

Richards eked out a 6-6 win over Scott Howard on the left bracket, sending Howard home in fifth place. Tying with him was McGee, bested by Robbins 7-10. Robbins then delivered a 7-4 loss to Richards, who ended up in fourth.

A narrow 7-6 victory over Newman in the semifinals put Robbins in the final match facing the undefeated Wise. Two scratches on the 8 ball in two different racks proved fatal for Robbins, and Wise was able to claim the win 7-6.

> Upcoming Southeast Tournaments 1/12-13 1/19 2/9 2/9-10 3/9-10 4/13-14

The Action Pool Tour Pure X All-American Tour Pure X All-American Tour The Action Pool Tour The Action Pool Tour The Action Pool Tour

Diamond Billiards Mike’s Break Room Q’s Sports Bar and Girl Break Time Sports Grill Diamond Billiards First Break Café

Midlothian, VA Virginia Beach, VA Port Charlotte, FL Salisbury, MD Midlothian, VA Sterling, VA

Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

Mike Wise Zach Robbins Josh Newman Josh Richards Scott Howard Jared McGee Daniel Autrey Joel Cain

804-794-8787 757-647-3421 941-585-9600 410-742-7665 804-794-8787 703-444-2551

TBA $500 $500 TBA TBA TBA

$700 $440 $225 $175 $100 $50

Open Amateurs Amateurs Open Open Open

January 2013 ◊ InsidePOOLmag.com 41

Bryant Owns Omega Tour Stop Omega Billiards Tour / Arlington, TX

by InsidePOOL Staff

Back and Murphey Best on Great Southern Tour Great Southern Billiard Tour / Fairfield, OH

by InsidePOOL Staff

T. J. Back and Shannon Murphey both won titles at the November 1718 installment of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, taking the amateur 8-ball and Shannon Daulton, Shannon Murphy, 9-ball divisions, re- T. J. Back, Michael Medley spectively. Michael’s Billiards and Games in Fairfield, OH, hosted the events, which each featured a $1,000-added prize purse.

Back went unchallenged through the 29-player field, defeating Rick Brown 5-1 to reach the hot seat match. Meeting him there was Lucas Hawkins, who had just bested D. J. Holloway 6-3. The Brated Back eked out a 5-5 win over Hawkins to secure the hot seat.

On the west side, Cody Meyers ousted Brown in fifth place 5-2, as Louis Altes eliminated Holloway 6-3. Meyers took the quarterfinal match over Altes 5-3 but Shannon Daulton, T. J. Back, Lucas Hawkins, wasn’t strong enough Michael Medley to stand up to Hawkins in the semifinals. With a 6-4 win over Meyers, Hawkins advanced to face Back for the second time, and Back again bested him 5-5, this time for the title.

In the 30-player 9-ball division, Murphey streaked to the hot seat match, trouncing David Cole 11-2 in the winners’ side final four. Louis Altes, after a 9-5 victory over Rick Brown, met him there, with Murphey claiming the hot seat 11-7.

Back was making his way through the left side, eliminating Brown in fifth place 7-5. Tying with Brown was Cole, who was ousted by Dale Eury 7-3. Back sent Eury home in fourth place with a 7-4 win and then eked out a 7-7 victory over Altes in the semifinals. But Murphey dominated Back in the final match, only allowing his opponent one rack before winning 11-1.

8-Ball Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

T. J. Back Lucas Hawkins Cody Meyers Louis Altes Rick Brown D. J. Holloway

$550 $375 $275 $150 $75

Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant took down the Omega Billiards Tour’s second stop of the year, defeating Tony Barrington in a double-elimination final. Speed’s Billiards in Arlington, TX, host- Tony Barrington, Charlie Bryant, Coy Lee Nicholson ed the $1,000-added event that drew 64 entrants over Thanksgiving weekend.

“Hillbilly” advanced to the hot seat match, where he met Barrington for the first time. Earlier Bryant missed a tough 2 ball hillhill against the tour’s first event winner, Coy Lee Nicholson, who was on his way to the hot seat, but a brutal miss on a 4-5 combo allowed Bryant back to the table for the run-out. With an 8-3 defeat of Mike Voelkering, Barrington moved on to the hot seat match, where Bryant then defeated him 9-4.

Nicholson and Voelkering got right back to work in the left bracket. Nicholson met up with Tony Sulsar, who’d defeated Robert Clark 8-4 and Crispian Ng 8-3. Voelkering drew Steve Sheppard, who’d survived a double-hill match versus Brian Anderson and defeated Greg Sandifer 7-5. Nicholson eliminated Sulsar 8-5, and in the quarterfinals he faced Voelkering, who’d dropped Sheppard into the fifth-place tie 7-4.

Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

9th

13th

Charlie Bryant Tony Barrington Coy Lee Nicholson Mike Voelkering Steve Sheppard Tony Sulsar Crispian Ng Greg Sandifur Charlie Smith Brian Anderson Joseph Olivarez Robert Clark Doug Winnett David Favor Benny Scott Angelo Barrio

$750 $450 $300 $220 $175 $145 $90

$50

Nicholson edged closer to a second straight tour victory with an 8-4 win over Voelkering.

Barrington ended that bid with an 8-6 semifinal win that gave him a second shot at Bryant. Barrington took the opening set of the true doubleelimination final squarely at 8-5. Bryant came back in the second set to win it 9-3 and secure the event title.

news images videos games lessons

9-Ball Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Shannon Murphey T. J. Back Louis Altes Dale Eury Rick Brown David Cole

42 InsidePOOL Magazine ◊ January 2013

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Jethwa Tops Lone Star Finale Lone Star Billiards Tour / Houston, TX

by InsidePOOL Staff

The Lone Star Billiards Tour’s 2012 season finale was a smash, crowning five winners in their respective divisions. The $2,500-added November 23-25 event was hosted by Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar in HousAndy Jethwa, Joey Barnes ton, TX, and drew 74 players.

Andy Jethwa defeated a slew of players in the open division, including Raul Escobedo, Eric Renteria, Sonny Demetro, and professional player Rafael Martinez in a double-hill match. For the hot seat, Jethwa met with newly crowned 2012 tour champion Brent Thomas, fresh off a concentrated win over Joey Barnes 9-5. Jethwa was ruthless, allowing Thomas only a handful of opportunities at the table before he closed out the set 9-0.

Chase Rudder clawed his way back after a 9-5 loss to Barnes in the winners’ side final eight. Jonathan Poon bested Rudder but fell to Martinez. Danny Roland lost his second-round match to John Newsome, but he was undeterred. RoSonny Bosshamer, Raul Escobedo land won five consecutive matches before he was stopped cold by Barnes, joining Poon in fifth place. Barnes and Martinez mounted up for a race to 7 with dwindling stamina. Barnes ground it out, taking down Martinez 7-4 and then making quick work of Thomas 7-1. Barnes regenerated with a bit of sustenance and then in true champion form bested Jethwa 9-4.

Seemingly unaffected by his loss, Jethwa moved in steady rhythm around the table and overcame Barnes in the second set 7-2. The amateur division attracted a field of 54 players. In the final four winners’ side Raul Escobedo bested Danny Roland 7-4, and Brent Thomas defeated Brian Rosenbaum 7-1. Escobedo was on fire in the hot seat, and sent Rosenbaum west 7-4.

On the one-loss side, Victor Rojas fell to Robert Demetro 5-4, and Sonny Bosshamer bested J. Teresa Garland, Ming Ng C. Torres 5-2. Bosshamer won five

> Upcoming Central Tournaments 1/12 Pure X All-American Tour 1/19-20 Omega Billiards Tour 1/25-2/2 Derby City Classic

consecutive matches to meet Roland, who was on a roll of his own.

Bosshamer bested Thomas, Roland, and Rosenbaum to meet Escobedo in the finals, which went into overtime by a score of 7-4. In the final match, Escobedo seemed frustrated after a few unforced errors and fought for every ball, Open Results: but Bosshamer was steady as a rock and 1st Andy Jethwa $760 closed out the final 5-3. 2nd Joey Barnes $500

Brent Thomas was crowned the 2012 Tour Champion and All-Around Player.

Thomas was not only the highest points leader common to both open and amateur divisions, but he finished the numberone-ranked amateur player for 2012.

Rafael Martinez swept the one-pocket division with wins over Billy Sharp, George Bailey, Chase Rudder, and Joey Barnes.

Barnes came back to meet Martinez, who dominated the match 3-0. In the ladies’ 9-ball division, Ming Ng secured the hot seat over Teresa Garland 7-5 after wins over Liz Mitchel and Kalyn Gauthier. Garland bested Loretta Lindgren in the semifinal 5-4but fell to Ng in the finals. Junior player Jacob Watson from Tyler, TX, claimed an overtime victory from Houston junior player Michael Fain.

2nd Avenue Corner Pocket Rusty’s Billiards Horseshoe Casino and Hotel

Cedar Rapids, IA Arlington, TX Elizabeth, IN

3rd 4th 5th

7th

Brent Thomas Rafael Martinez Danny Roland Jonathan Poon Sonny Demetro Kenneth Price Will Felder Jason Pearce

$300 $100 $60 $35

Amateur Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

9th

Sonny Bosshamer Raul Escobedo Brian Rosenbaum Danny Roland Robert Demetro Brent Thomas Victor Rojas J. C. Torres Chuck Adams Curt Bovenzi Eric Renteria Michael Pickering

$760 $440 $240 $130 $70 $45 $35

One-Pocket Results: 1st 2nd 3rd

Rafael Martinez Joey Barnes Brent Thomas

$670 $402 $268

Ladies’ Results: 1st 2nd 3rd

Ming Ng Teresa Garland Loretta Lindgren

$200 $100 $50

Juniors’ Results: 1st 2nd

Jacob Watson Michael Fain

319-366-0979 817-468-9191 866-766-2671

$75 $50 $500 Amateurs $1,000 Open $75,000 Open

BCAPL / USAPL Players Converge in Colorado BCAPL / USAPL Colorado State Championships / Colorado Springs, CO

by InsidePOOL Staff

Ruben Silva, Shannon Shoemake

Delsa Brown

BCAPL / USAPL players converged at the Colorado State Championships November 9-11 at the Antique Billiard Museum in Colorado Springs, CO. The $2,000-added inaugural event was composed of scotch doubles, men’s singles, and women’s singles divisions, all of which were handicapped based on the BCAPL national player ratings.

The $500-added scotch doubles event saw 12 teams vie for the $450 first-place prize. Ruben Silva and Shannon Shoemake of Colora-

do Springs took home top honors for their excellent play in the finals, defeating John Sandifer and Debbi Worcester of Thornton.

In the $2,800-added men’s event, 36 players focused their efforts to pocket the $1,000 first-place prize. The last man standing was Ruben Silva, with John Sandifer taking $600 for second place.

In the women’s singles division, the total purse was $1,000.

Delsa Brown of Florissant, CO, prevailed as the top woman shooter of the weekend, taking home $450 for her efforts, with Terry Duncan receiving $250 for second place.

> Upcoming Western Tournaments 1/26 2/23-24 2/25-3/3 3/23

Pure X All-American Tour Jay Swanson Memorial Tournament U.S. Bar Table Championships Pure X All-American Tour

Greenfields Pool and Sports Bar Hard Times Billiards Grand Sierra Resort and Casino Greenfields Pool and Sports Bar

Lakewood, CO Bellflower, CA Reno, NV Lakewood, CO

Scotch Doubles Results: 1st Ruben Silva / Shannon Shoemake $450 2nd John Sandifer / Debbi Worcester $250 3rd John Baylor / Delsa Brown $160 4th Mark Morgan /Aimee Peterson $80 5th Mike Thompson / Laura Walnofer $40

Woody Quezada / Tonya Haselbush

Men’s Singles Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

7th

9th

Ruben Silva John Sandifer Frank Urbaniak Ben Merton Jim Calderon Doug James Wayne Arde Marc Vidal Cecil Monge Mark Morgan Joe Ross Mike Willeford

$1,000 $600 $400 $200 $125 $75 $50

Women’s Singles Results: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Delsa Brown Terry Duncan Carol James Shannon Shoemake Darlene Kyle Debbi Worcester

303-989-9820 702-719-7665 702-719-7665 303-989-9820

$1,000 $3,000 $25,250 $500

$450 $250 $150 $70 $40

Amateurs Members Open Amateurs

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To commemorate National Hot Tea Month, we've put together some tough trivia on the world's most popular manufactured beverage. Sit down with a cuppa Rosy Lee and a biscuit and enjoy!

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Partially fermented, ____ teas combine characteristics of both black and green teas.

In ____ teas, fresh green leaves have been rolled and allowed to fully ferment.

Traditionally, tea is brewed by pouring hot water over ____ tea leaves, which are then strained.

When brewing green tea, hotter water generally produces a more ____ taste.

British slang for “cup.”

The longer you brew your tea, the more ____ content it will have.

The 1950 movie “Tea for Two” starred ____ Day and Gordon McRae. The ____ tea includes a glass of champagne or sherry.

In “Alice in Wonderland,” the Mad ____ and the March Hare host Alice at their tea party.

A premium Indian black tea. ____ tea is a small snack consistingof gourmet goodies such as scones, crumpets, cakes, and pastries.

Simple ___ is a key ingredient in Southern sweet tea.

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Himalayans tradionally drink their tea with salt and milk or ____ butter.

Also known as meat tea, ____ tea is the main meal of the day.

Teas with herbal infusions, such as peppermint, chamomile, and raspberry, aren’t technically teas but ____.

Buddhist monks train ____ to pick young oolong leaves from wild tea trees.

Tea’s consumption equals all other manufactured drinks in the ____.

Charles II’s queen, Catherine of ____, popularized the custom of drinking tea in Great Britain.

Nestea introduced the first ____ tea in 1946.

A Russian invention that combines a hot water heater with a tea pot.

In the U.S. and Canada, 80% of tea is served ____.

Only the top 1 to 2 ____ of the mature plant are picked.

Tea stored in an air-____ container may keep its flavor for two years.

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The drink made from bacteria and yeast grown on tea.

Angry American colonists threw 342 chests of tea into the ocean at the “____ Tea Party” to protest taxation without representation.

Both green and black teas are thought to prevent certain types of ____ and cardiovascular disease.

Tea is the second most common beverage in the world, after ____. ____ businessman Maks Sprengler first suggested producing ready-made iced tea in bottles.

The only working tea plantation in the U.S. is on ____ Island.

The Duchess of ____ was

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credited for creating the Britist afternoon tea in the 1840s.

Buds and leaves of the tea plant.

Cockney rhyming slang for “tea.”

Whether to pour the ____ or tea in the teacup first is a huge point of contention in parts of the world.

It wasn’t until 725 AD that tea cultivation spread from China to this country. ____ teas are immediately heated after harvesting to prevent fermentation.

Richard Blechynden invented iced tea in 1904 at the St. ____ World Fair.

The largest importer of tea in the world.

A scholar and ____, Chinese

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Emperor Chen Nung was reputed to have discovered tea in 2737 BC. World tea production has reached over 4.5 million ____.

It wasn’t until the ____ Dynasty that the Chinese began steeping tea leaves in hot water.

Grown at elevations of 4,900 feet above sea level, tea acquires a better ____.

In 1907, tea merchant Thomas Sullivan of ____ began putting his tea samples into silken bags with ties.

Grown almost exclusively in China, ____ teas are only picked one week out of the year.

Camellia sinensis is the ____ name for the tea plant.

Visit www.InsidePOOLmag.com for the answers to this puzzle.

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